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Using SEL tools, from comic contests to mindfulness classes, to help kids readjust to the social aspects of school.

Toby Farms Intermediate School, where I work as the school counselor, is located in a city with one of the highest crime rates in the nation. In this sort of urban setting, social-emotional learning (SEL) is extremely important. When you're in an urban setting, you have students who are experiencing higher levels of trauma, so they might become a little bit more reactive to situations. For example, if one kid is walking down the hallway and bumps into another kid, they may perceive that as a threat.

Students who are constantly engaged in the “fight or flight” mentality are more likely to interpret those small stressors as attacks, and SEL helps them engage in behaviors that are conducive to building and maintaining relationships. We’re especially focused on these behaviors right now as we are making our transition from remote to in-person learning. Our kids are excited to be back, but they haven't been sitting in a classroom for months—they've been sitting in their bed or at their kitchen table.

Here are the SEL tools and tactics we’re using to model and support positive behaviors in class.

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