As a special education teacher, you are the connector on campus and hold a unique skill set and perspective in the push for schoolwide social-emotional learning (SEL). Rather than feeling like the outlier of your school community, read on to see how you can position yourself to be at the center of SEL for all students!
You may feel and be seen as the catch-all on campus and you may be thinking:
- What tier am I responsible for teaching SEL to? Tier I? Tier II? Tier III?
- Am I expected to “do” SEL all day?
- How much do I collaborate with general education teachers and specialists for SEL?
- What is in my SEL toolbox?
It may feel like there is no time in a day for more – be it SEL, this article, the latest student emergency or parent email. Like with your general ed peers, our goal is to help you work smarter, not harder. Nobody needs more burnout.
The great news is that much of best-practice SEL is embedded already in what you do on the daily!
In this article, we’ll discuss teaching SEL in the special ed setting and share practical SEL teaching strategies you can weave into your daily classroom routine and lesson plans.
Let’s get started!
Why SEL Matters for Special Ed Teachers:
In SpEd, you are who most turn to. You live and breathe IEPs, data tracking, goal writing, meetings, committees and more. All in all, it’s a lot.
Maybe it wins you certificated person of the year at your site, but at what cost? We need sustainable practices and easy means to collaborate on SEL campus-wide. The SpEd teacher, as kind-hearted and knowledgeable as you are, cannot be the one-stop shop resource for all.
With the heavy focus on inclusion across all states, promoting consistent SEL language and practices only helps our students to more seamlessly move across services and settings.
Social-Emotional Learning Translates To:
- Improved student and classroom regulation
- More awareness of stress in students, teachers, and families
- Helping students become, “Ready to Learn”
- Improved academic and executive functioning skills
- A more connected classroom community
- And more!
In other words, it is worth everybody’s time. It is an essential part of education.
Why You Are Already Qualified to Teach SEL:
By virtue of your classroom and teaching experience with our neurodiverse caseloads, you have hands-on SEL know-how that others may not.
Your collaborative experience with specialists like OTs, PTs, and SLPs also give you a wider vocabulary and inside look at strategies being used towards SEL goals.
How Do I Teach SEL as a SpEd Instructor?
Ready to get some affirmation for what you’re doing “right,” and some new ideas to add to the mix?
Here are some easy tips for weaving SEL into your day and curriculum as a SpEd Teacher:
1. Keep the 5 SEL Core Competencies at “Top of Mind” – AKA the CASEL 5:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Responsible decision-making
Fun Fact: These competencies have been around since CASEL founder Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book Emotional Intelligence. SEL itself has been around even longer, but under various terms, e.g. social cognitive development or social competence.
Have your class create a for/by them visual featuring the CASEL 5, but in their own words!
- For Relationship skills, the kids might visualize children helping classmates, the teacher, an older family member, sibling, etc..
- For Responsible decision-making, the students may cut out pictures of using tools safely, crossing the street and watching for traffic, helping to recycle, making a schedule, etc..
The more examples relate to students’ own lives, the better.
For scaffolding, jointly create some vocabulary word webs (incorporate drawings if needed) for guided brainstorming. Keep these visuals up in your classroom for students to access at their own pace. Environmental learning opportunities keep the learning going!
2. Use Easy SEL Digital Tools to Engage Students and Breakup the Day
Now more than ever, our students need some semblance of fun and play during long academic days. SEL can deliver just that!
When do I teach SEL?
Here’s a ⏰ sample schedule! Tweak to fit the unique needs of your class.
☀️👋 8:00am – Morning greetings and independent student check-ins (download). Make it routine.
🏃 10:30am – Color Breathing (video) – play while students come in sweaty and amped up post-recess. This offers them a colorful way to regroup, pause and become mindful of their breath and bodies!
😋 12:30pm – Oof, it’s post-lunch! Maybe your students got into some scuffles in the yard. Time for some more explicit, but fun, video modeling. Try the Compromising with Others video.
🧠🏋️ 2:00pm – Brain break time! Superhero Yoga (video) for the younger set. Soothing Standing Stretch (video) for your older students.
Post long breaks and holidays, use these SEL video tools generously! Returning to school routines can be challenging.
Via videos and short breaks, students naturally absorb SEL concepts all day. Sometimes, it’ll give them tools to solve problems, other times it just feels like play!
Let these short videos give you time to breathe and take a break. Teachers are on all day! Remember, your oxygen mask first.
3. Make SEL With Your Class Fun and Hands-On
Make SEL the part of your day that you look forward to and your students ask for!
Do you and your class enjoy games? During free choice, use board games as a naturalistic way to see how your students talk with each other, take turns, negotiate conflicts, win and lose games gracefully. There are very many hidden and embedded SEL opportunities at each turn! Let them play. If they need help, model cooperative language and facilitate.
Are you a book-based teacher? Many authors and publishers are noticing the need for richer SEL picture books and longer texts! So, snag an SEL inspired picture book and get reading!
Want to build more community at your school site? Buddy activities between a younger class and an older class (think K and 4th or 1st and 3rd) work wonders! Have them gather monthly to read together, make an art project or do a service-minded activity. This builds empathetic, well-rounded students and helps them think beyond themselves.
Lastly, don’t waste those Grade Level Meetings/collaboration time and use your specialists. Those other providers on your students’ IEPs come with a wealth of tools that may be different from what’s in your toolbox. Ask them for ideas. They will learn from you too. Identify who on campus is most “into” SEL. You’d be surprised what you pick up from 5 minute chats across a day or week.
Where Can I Find Materials for SEL lessons?
Everyday Speech offers several free materials to incorporate SEL into your special ed instruction.
Visit our YouTube channel for free videos and sign up for our Material Mix Monday Newsletter for free activities in your inbox every week.
Also, be sure to sign up for a free 30-day trial to sample our 40-week no-prep SEL curriculum, complete with videos, games, activities, and more to support your students in becoming SEL all-stars.
About the Author:
Iris Wong joined Everyday Speech as a contributor in 2021. Over the last decade, she has been a Speech Language Pathologist in PreK-12 public schools, private practice, international schools and community health based early intervention. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two kids and senior dog. Visit her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-l-wong/
