At Ori, we know that dedicated time for introducing and building social emotional learning skills is the backbone of effective SEL programs. We also know that SEL skills are even more impactful when they are reinforced and practiced throughout the school day, too.
Here Are Ten Questions Teachers Can Use to Reinforce Social Emotional Learning Skills and Strategies Throughout the School Day:
#1. How Are You Feeling About This Assignment, Project, or Test?
Give students a moment to check in with themselves when they are tackling new material or substantial assignments. Normalize the breadth of emotions the class may be experiencing by reminding them that their own reactions are based on unique factors, like past experiences and personality traits.
What feels “easy” for one person might seem overwhelming to someone else, and all of those reactions are completely normal. Teachers might also use this opportunity to discuss how a positive outlook can help future performance. If students feel nervous or overwhelmed, class discussion might help them to reframe the daunting work ahead as a challenge or adventure that they can take on together.
#2. What Do You Think is the Most Important Thing You Learned This Week?
Each student arrives at school carrying different baggage every day, and sometimes the most important thing they learn won’t be academic. Educators can support and validate their experiences by giving students time to share what seemed most important to them personally. This is also a great chance for teachers to gauge a students social emotional learning skills. Also how mentally prepared their students are to tackle new concepts and to honor the different values their students bring to school each day.
#3. What Grade or Score Did You Work the Hardest for This Term?
By focusing on effort rather than results, students build their growth mindset. Often, the marks that students feel they worked the hardest for aren’t the highest marks they’ve received. This can be a great talking point to build resilience and work ethic while recognizing that process is often more important than outcome. “Easy grades” don’t often bring the same pride that hard earned marks do.
📚 Related: Benefits of SEL for At-Risk Youth
#4. Which of Your Strengths Did You Use the Most for This Assignment?
Linking strengths to school work will help to reinforce for students that their strengths are honored and valued at school. It will also help to broaden student understanding of the strengths that support success at school. While math skills might help on a math test, so will “soft skills” like patience, resilience, focus, and confidence.
#5. What Are Your Personal and Academic Goals for This Term?
Supporting realistic goal setting and then allowing students time to make a plan to achieve those goals gives them a chance to practice not only goal setting, but also self reflection and prioritizing.
#6. What is Your Motivation for This Assignment?
In order to be successful, students need to want to succeed. Giving them time to reflect on why their success is important to them can help give them the boost they need to prioritize their work and maintain a positive outlook. It’s also helpful for teachers to know when a student’s only perceived motivation is a passing grade, since this might allow the opportunity to help reframe the work ahead.
#7. How Does Your Work Reflect Your Values This Month?
It’s important for educators to recognize when a student’s energies are better spent on something other than schoolwork. Developing social emotional learning skills by asking them to reflect on their values can help to provide a greater context for their work. For example, a student who spent the week taking care of a sick grandparent or practicing for this weekend’s martial arts state championship might rightfully report that their schoolwork took a backseat to other values this week. That’s valuable information for teachers to have and students feel validated when teachers recognize that schoolwork is not the only reflection of their values.
#8. As we Learn Social Emotional Learning Skills, What’s the Most Interesting Thing You Learned This Week?
The breadth of interests that students come to school with can be a refreshing reminder of who they are outside of school. Honoring those interests and reinforcing the value of learning beyond the classroom helps students to feel confident in who they are and what they bring to the table.
#9. What Mistakes Have You Made on This Test or Assignment, and What Social Emotional Learning Skills Have You Used to Manage Them?
Students build problem solving skills and resilience by recognizing their ability to overcome obstacles and mistakes. They can build core SEL competencies by managing emotions, reframing their outlook, and recognizing mistakes as opportunities for growth.
#10. What Mistake Did You Learn the Most From on This Project?
Mistakes don’t have to be a bad thing. Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities by asking students to think about how they’ve learned and grown from their past mistakes.
Social Emotional Learning Skills Doesn’t Happen in a Bubble
Teachers can leverage the work their students are doing in SEL to improve their academic performance, strengthen their relationships, and build community in the classroom across all subject areas.
For more about building self awareness skills, check out these questions to build confidence, or these self-identity activities for high school students.
