Professional Learning for Busy Educators

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a top implementation priority for districts, ed-tech companies and education researchers, and for good reason: Kids need it.

With the rise in youth suicide rates, increased numbers of violent incidents in schools and the growing rate of American youth diagnosed with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, the social emotional instability of America’s youth has, according to some experts, become a national crisis. Many are turning to SEL as a means to address this growing concern and spark conversation around sensitive or vulnerable topics.

When you walk down a hall in my school, you may encounter our therapy dog, Boomer. There were originally reservations in our district about having a therapy dog, but now Boomer is one of the most sought after staff members for his ability to enhance many components of social and emotional learning (SEL).

I’m in my 25th year in education, and I believe in the necessity of teaching social and emotional skills—they really do help students thrive academically.

I’ve seen Boomer stop a child’s tears in record time, help a school-phobic kindergartner walk into school with enthusiasm, reset an anxious student’s day, ease test-taking tension, and bring smiles and laughter to everyone he encounters.