Inside: Six Effective Social-Emotional Learning Tools for the Classroom
When I first started teaching, I thought going over the rules and routines once or twice during the first week was fine. I didn’t want to deal with all the bored faces and heavy sighs of repeating myself over and over.
Boy, was I wrong!
I soon learned the importance of going over classroom routines early and often. But even that’s not enough. Without building a social-emotional foundation, you may still find yourself facing:
- Flopped group projects
- Confused glances
- Tempers rising into the Red Zone
Once your students have a solid foundation in place, they will be more likely to work together, take initiative, and limit tattling by solving their own problems.
After more than thirty years of teaching, I’ve noticed six skills that can help a classroom community thrive.
And the best part?
I’ve connected each skill to an actual tool, and I’m sharing easy-to-implement strategies for each one!
Table of Contents
1. Helpful Hammer
Students use the helpful hammer to find ways to help each other with school work, tech issues, directions, and more!
How do you encourage students to help each other?
Try reading great books, giving praise when students step up to help, and sharing what’s working.
Try this read aloud to start a conversation about the value in helping others.
Three brothers learn a lesson when they refuse to help Ruby build her fort. Because they didn’t help, they are NOT allowed to play in it!
Use this book to highlight how the boys eventually helped make the fort even better! It’s a fun way to discuss how and why offering help matters.
Try it: Give your students a “Helping Hand” challenge. Every day, encourage them to help someone without being asked. If time permits, invite students to share what they did and how it made them feel.
2. Friendship Flashlight
The Friendship Flashlight encourages friendship through kindness, inclusivity, and empathy.
What can teachers do to help students make friends?
Reading and discussing mentor texts with a friendship theme can spark students to take positive action. One of my favorites is Enemy Pie by Derek Munsen.
In this story, a boy has just one enemy – Jeremy.
That all changes when his dad tricks him into spending a day with him.
The result? An unexpected friendship.
This book reminds students that giving people a chance can lead to surprising and meaningful connections.
Try it: After reading a mentor text, have students create a friendship web to share interests and build community. You can easily incorporate this activity by following the directions below. This low-prep activity only requires a ball of yarn!
- Have a student hold a ball of yarn and share something about themselves.
- Students will raise their hands if they share that opinion, fact, or interest.
- The student will roll or gently toss the ball of yarn to someone with the same interest (while still holding the end).
- The activity will continue until all students are holding part of the string.
- Students who are already holding part of the yarn can give a different signal that shows they have something in common, but another student should get the yarn.
3. Solution Saw
The Solution Saw helps with conflict resolution, solving everyday problems, and being proactive about preventing problems.
How do you teach students to solve their own problems?
Talking through and role playing problems before they happen is a proactive way to limit the need for teacher intervention. The free Behavior Decision Cards can spark discussion, build confidence, and model how to make thoughtful choices in tricky situations.
Students can use these free cards to prepare for potential problems that may occur in the classroom.
Lay the cards throughout the room and have students walk around with a partner or small group to discuss possible solutions to each card.
You’ll be surprised how insightful student responses can be!
Try it: Go beyond a discussion and have students act out what they would do in each situation.
4. Responsibility Wrench
The responsibility wrench is the tool that teaches students about being prepared and being accountable.
How do you build responsibility with students?
Books that show responsibility—or the lack of it—can open great conversations about student choices. You can also spotlight responsible behavior through classroom jobs, praise, and quick class meetings that reinforce expectations in action.
This book illustrates a variety of situations where one small bad choice might not be too horrible.
However, if everyone did that…
It could easily be a recipe for disaster.
Try it: Work together to post expectations for both the teacher and students. Give students input on what responsibility should look like, but make sure the essentials are clear!
5. Noteworthy Nail
Many of the social-emotional tools focus on relationships and building community. The Noteworthy Nail supports that in a different way—by helping students take pride in their own accomplishments and recognize the success of others.
How do you build a student’s confidence?
When we emphasize effort and improvement over perfection we build students’ confidence. Reading mentor texts, honoring accomplishments, and providing positive feedback can build a classroom culture full of pride.
This book demonstrates the importance of embracing creativity and building confidence.
It teaches students that their work is meaningful, even if it is not perfect.
Reading about Ramon’s drawings will help students take risks, celebrate efforts, and celebrate their personal gifts.
Try it: Designate an area in your room where students can share their accomplishments – both big and small. This can be a bulletin board, a piece of chart paper, a notebook, or anywhere students can write and share.
6. Mindful Mallet
The Mindful Mallet helps students recognize and manage big emotions like frustration, anger, or overwhelm. Practicing mindful habits can help them stay calm and in control when things get tough.
What are some mindfulness activities for students?
A big part of mindfulness is maintaining a growth mindset. This helps limit frustration by shifting students’ thoughts from “I can’t” to “I will get this.” One way to practice is rewriting fixed mindset statements to reflect growth-oriented thinking.
This toolkit includes five activities for transforming fixed mindsets to flexible growth mindsets.
- Fixed mindset statements to change.
- A fixed/growth mindset sort
- A worksheet to identify fixed and growth mindsets
- The Power of Yet activity
- A goal setting sheet.
Try it: The GoNoodle Flow channel is a great way to give your students short mindfulness breaks. It has excellent activities for breathing, calming, and emotional regulation.
Social-Emotional Learning Tools All Year Long
Introducing these tools at the beginning of the year can set you up for success, and the value will last all year long!
Imagine how you can use the tools to help students:
- Gain courage to share
- Bounce back after a tough start
- Resolve a conflict without storming out of the room
If you would like a ready-to-go lesson that will help you introduce and practice these tools with ease, check out my SEL Toolkit for Success.
The toolkit includes:
- A PowerPoint and Google Slides Social-Emotional Lesson (17 Slides)
- 24 Discussion Cards and lots of ways to use them
- A Hands-on Craft to make the learning personal and fun
I hope these tools will help you and your students start the school year calm and confident!
