Adult SEL

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Why it works

Research and frameworks (notably CASEL) emphasize that adults' own social and emotional competencies matter enormously: educators who have developed their own self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making model these for students, regulate themselves in challenging moments, build stronger relationships, and create better climates, and they experience greater wellbeing and lower burnout. You cannot effectively teach or foster SEL you have not developed yourself. Adult SEL means educators intentionally developing these competencies in their own lives and practice, through reflection, practice, and support, which benefits both the adults and the students they serve.

The research: CASEL adult SEL; research on educator social-emotional competence.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: develop your own SEL competencies

Teachers leave developing one of their own SEL competencies intentionally.

Reflect on your own SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, decision-making).
Pick one to develop intentionally.
Practice it in your real work (especially in challenging moments).
Notice how it affects your modeling, relationships, climate, and wellbeing.

You cannot teach what you have not developedAdult SEL, educators developing their own competencies, strengthens self-regulation, relationships, climate, and wellbeing, and makes fostering SEL in students real. Start with yourself.

Facilitator notes

Reflect on your own competencies, and develop one intentionally.
Practice it in real moments.
Notice the effect on students and yourself.

Teaching SEL you haven't developed rings hollowFostering self-awareness or self-management you have not built yourself is hard and inauthentic. Develop your own SEL competencies, for your students and yourself.

Adapt it

All educators: the same.
All settings: reflect, develop a competency, practice, notice the effect.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Adult SEL: start with yourself

Model what you foster: reflect on your own competencies, develop one intentionally, practice it, and notice the effect.

The SEL competency I will develop (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, decision-making):
How I will develop it intentionally:
How I will practice it in challenging moments:
How I notice it affecting my modeling, relationships, and climate:
A support for my own growth:

Make it stick

Start with yourself:

Develop your own SEL.
Practice in real moments.
Bring an adult-SEL reflection to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't SEL for students?

SEL starts with adults. Educators' own self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and decision-making shape how they model, regulate, relate, and teach SEL. You cannot foster what you have not developed.

How does adult SEL help me?

It strengthens self-regulation in hard moments, relationships, and climate, and it is linked to greater wellbeing and lower burnout. Developing your own competencies benefits you and your students.

How do I develop adult SEL?

Intentionally, through reflection on your own self-awareness and self-management, practicing the competencies, and support, the same competencies you want for students, developed in yourself.