Feelings: Navigating Emotional Responses: 3 hands-on activities for students.
Feelings.
Important, right?
Absolutely!
But, let's admit, sometimes we need a bit of help to get more creative in engaging our students in this area.
<<insert SEL power boost>>
If your morning meetings need a little pep and you're feeling like you're ready to spruce up your social emotional teaching muscles... then, read on, my friend...
The Road of Emotions board game is a fun way to engage in feelings discussion and creative problem solving. Students may not even know that in playing this game, it is actually helping flex those social emotional learning muscles.
Ok, I see you are READY to begin implementing innovative and successful activities that create "in-roads" to your students' social emotional brains!
These pathways of learning engage students to talk about, explore, and navigate their feelings in clever and inspiring ways!
I know you're EXCITED to try new things that are easy and convenient to roll out in your classroom. I can feel your motivation from here!!!
So without further ado, here are 3 suggested strategies to UP your social emotional learning game...
3 Hands-On Activities for Feelings Exploration:
1. Journaling: Journal writing is a great strategy to introduce to students. A simple daily journaling habit can be a way for students to process emotions, to share what is on their minds, and to promote student/teacher communication.
The more outlets for feelings expression we can teach - the better! Not all strategies work for all learners so, it is paramount to give a wide berth of exposure to coping skills.
A journal tool that is customizable and engaging can be found here or as a part of a larger resource, here.
Journaling can be seamlessly added to the school day as exercise for morning work or an end of the day activity.
2. Feelings Board Game: A board game is a fun, easy-going way to immerse students in SEL. In counseling sessions, my students are always asking me, "can we play a game?"
When the game is FUN and educational - it's a win win!!
The Road of Emotions board game is a fun way to engage in feelings discussion and creative problem solving. Students may not even know that in playing this game, it is actually helping flex those social emotional learning muscles.
We call this the incognito SEL 😏
3. Student Activity sheets - from Daily Check-In Tools, Feelings Facts and writing a Good Day Recipe - these activities give short bursts of SEL reinforcement. Self awareness and emotional regulation are exercised through these tools!
I love these quick resources as ways to foster discussion and learning!
It's no secret that FEELINGS - the processes, practice, & performance of them - are one of the driving forces in social emotional learning.
What are you favorite strategies - both from The Mindful Apple and others - of social emotional learning exercises and tools?
What is working in your classroom - and where would you like guidance in rolling out/reinforcing social emotional learning?
Remember, the feelings will keep coming and so the strategies must too!
🍏 Stay mindful,
Victoria
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