On the whole, 2020 was a challenging year for just about everyone – but particularly for educators. Beginning the 2020-21 school year in a virtual or hybrid environment wasn’t an ideal situation, but as usual, educators rose to the challenge. In this unusual atmosphere, social and emotional learning (SEL) became incredibly important.
4 Big Benefits of SEL in the Classroom
No matter what your classroom environment looks like, your students can benefit from intentional instruction in social and emotional learning. The skills they build from this instruction will follow them beyond their school years into their adult lives.
Incorporating SEL into your lesson plans can have four big impacts:
1. It increases student motivation
Finding the motivation to log in to the virtual classroom and participate in online classroom activities can be difficult for a number of reasons. Social and emotional learning can help to foster a supportive, inclusive learning environment – one that students are excited to check into.
2. It normalizes conversations around mental health
Examining emotions and learning healthy ways to express them are key in developing successful relationships. SEL can help students to develop empathy towards others. Students who learn how to cope with emotion in all its forms are more likely to seek help when overwhelmed.
3. It improves academic achievement
Students who feel safe and supported come to school ready to learn. Feeling secure and accepted by teachers and peers means that students are more likely to participate in class discussion and more willing to risk failure when attempting something new academically.
4. It creates community
Social and emotional learning helps students develop a sense of togetherness with their peers and with their school community at large. Students want to feel accepted and celebrated for their differences as well as their strengths. Incorporating SEL into your lesson plans can help foster this sense of belonging.
Learn More About SEL at #PBIScon21
The 2021 PBIS Rewards Virtual Conference (#PBIScon21) will take place June 21-22, 2021! We’ll be focusing on all things PBIS, with a special emphasis on SEL. For schools using a PBIS framework, SEL is a natural fit and can make your PBIS initiative even more effective.
Session tracks for PBIScon21:
- PBIS Rewards
- Best Practices in PBIS
- Getting Started: PBIS Foundations
- Social/Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Cultural Responsiveness
- Staff/Student Engagement (Teacher Rewards)
- Distance Learning/Rewards From a Distance
As the conference host, PBIS Rewards will demonstrate how our software can be used in any educational setting – in-person, virtual, and hybrid. Yes, it’s possible to maintain PBIS even as your classroom setting changes!
Make plans to join your fellow educators from all around the world for this information-packed virtual conference – you can attend from wherever you are! Register for PBIScon21 today!
Register for PBIScon21We hope to see you at PBIScon21!
Can’t wait? Want to know more about PBIS Rewards right now? You don’t have to wait for PBIScon21 to see how it works! Just request a demo – we’d be happy to share a live walk-through of our software!
