Everyday Social-Emotional Learning Practices That Make A Difference

As we embark on the three-year mark of when our world changed forever, there is still an eminence sense of flux responding to the loss of instructional opportunities compounded by the vast emotional needs of students, teachers, and the communities that are still healing from the impacts of the pandemic. Teaching looks different. Learning looks different. Communities look different.

The pandemic has amplified the fact that every school must put the social-emotional health and well-being of students and staff at the core of what they do each day. With the impacts of the pandemic still being felt, and with what’s been reinforced about how teaching and learning goes far beyond the curriculum, having a systemic school and community-wide social emotional learning (SEL) approach is no longer a nice to have; it’s a foundational key to success.

This discussion featured Tullahoma City Schools (TN) Principal Mary Gilbert and three of her dynamic teachers who proved that collaboration among staff members, students, and the community can ensure long-term program sustainability, success, and growth for all.

During this webinar, our guest panelists shared how they lead these efforts in their school. They discussed:

• Creating a safe team-focused work environment that supports the vision of putting students’ health and wellness first
• How to create a cross-grade level mentorship program to support student wellness
• Practical strategies to implement social-emotional support at both the primary and upper-elementary level
• How implementing such strategies can even be a teacher time saver
• A free tool to implement in your school or district that can be foundational to your team’s program

Guest

• Jennifer Bean, 5th Grade Teacher, Tullahoma City Schools (TN)
• Brittany Cleveland, 5th Grade Teacher, Tullahoma City Schools (TN)
• Mary Gilbert, Principal, K–5, Tullahoma City Schools (TN)
• Laurie Perry, Kindergarten Teacher, Tullahoma City Schools (TN)

Moderator

• Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools (DC), @thomascmurray