Reimagining Professional Development for Social and Emotional Learning

• In Event: SEL in Professional Development

Abstract

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is recognized as a relevant approach to cultivate 21st Century, lifelong learners. Indeed, hundreds of SEL programs exist to aid educators as they strive to support their students’ holistic development (Greenberg, Domitrovich, Weissberg, & Durlak, 2017). Yet many educators are unsure how to apply SEL within classroom routines and curricular areas beyond an SEL program. Further still, SEL professional learning for educators is limited in its scope. Although there has been an extensive focus on SEL programs in both research and practice, very few studies explore effective professional development for embedded SEL instruction. This study explores the role of on-going, collaborative professional development in supporting educators to reimagine and apply SEL-promoting practices in their classrooms.

Authors

• Miriam Miller, The University of British Columbia

• Leyton Schnellert, The University of British Columbia

• Deborah L. Butler, The University of British Columbia