Social Emotional Learning

Students and teachers transitioning to online learning and practicing social distancing are experiencing a major, and likely disconcerting, change in daily activities and interactions, and with that, are under a great deal of stress. During this time period of the COVID-19 pandemic in which our ability to check in on one another in person is limited, it is even more critical that we find ways to reach out and check in with each other virtually, supporting everyone’s social emotional learning (SEL) and mental health. Consider offering explicit online SEL or mental health education lessons or incorporate opportunities to practice SEL competencies within academic subject areas. Using community circles in virtual staff meetings and online classes could offer all adults and students an opportunity to be heard, and to voice their experience and concerns. These circles might also offer insights as to adults or students who might benefit from an additional check-in. Consider offering adults, students, and families tools for coping with the stresses of isolation and anxiety in this difficult time. Clearly communicate to families how and where they can reach out with any concerns including by phone and email.

Technical Assistance Centers

• NYS Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers - These regional centers provide technical assistance, professional learning, and communities of practice around family and community engagement, collaborative leadership, expanded learning, and integrated student supports.
• NYS Mental Health Education Resource & Training Center - Offers support to schools around mental health instruction, including assistance to identify resources and develop lesson plans/curriculum, develop and implement plans for professional development, establish community partnerships and services, and engage and support families
• NYS Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Centers - Schoolwide SEL helps students excel academically, build stronger relationships, and lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Supporting Young People and Families

• Resources from Natalie Walrond – a featured presenter of NYSED's Reopening Schools Task Force meetings
• Memo RE: Resources for Mental Health and Talking to Young People About COVID-19 – NYSED
• New York State Parent Portal – The Parent Portal includes tips for staying safe and healthy as well as ways to have fun during self-isolation. Other resources include parenting in a pandemic, activities to do inside and outside, such as participating in daily video chats with families, recording yourself reading a favorite book or message, and more.
• Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource – National Association of School Psychologists
• A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus - National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Addressing Grief and Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators – National Association of School Psychologists
• Coalition to Support Grieving Students - provides resources to school communities in the ongoing support of their grieving students
• When School Starts Back​: Supporting Grieving Students During a Pandemic – webinar series with Dr. David Schonfeld presented by the Georgia Department of Education
• How can educators and families support students’ mental health and social emotional needs? – Institute of Education Sciences

Self-Care

• CDC Guidance for Managing Stress and Anxiety – Tips for supporting adults during a crisis
• SAMHSA: Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks – Fact sheet on the signs of stress in yourself or others
• CDC Guidance for Emergency Responders – Tips for taking care of yourself as an “emergency responder” during this time

Supporting Adults

• SEL Signature Practices Playbook – CASEL offers protocols for use during team meetings to “check-in” on emotions and set the stage for shared learning and work
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Coping with Stress – For use in supporting your team to support field-based teams
• Advancing Adult Compassion Resilience: A Toolkit for Schools from WISE Wisconsin and Rogers InHealth - This toolkit offers information, activities, and resources for school leadership and staff to understand, recognize, and minimize the experience of compassion fatigue and to increase compassion resilience perspectives and skills.

Online Learning

• A New Realm: IFSEL’s Tips for Distance Learning – The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning has a number of ideas and practices specifically designed to help teachers navigate online teaching, but can easily help parents encourage SEL with their students. 
• Taking School Online with a Student-Centered Approach – Facing History and Ourselves provides resources for navigating new technologies and ways of teaching during an immensely challenging and uncertain time in our communities, when students’ (and teachers’ own) social-emotional needs are just as critical as academic goals.

Supporting School Transitions

• Leveraging the Power of Social and Emotional Learning as You Prepare to Reopen and Renew Your School Community - In response to COVID-19, school leaders can take action now using CASEL’s guide to co-create supportive learning environments where all students and adults can enhance their social and emotional competencies, feel a sense of belonging, heal, and thrive. 

District Resources

• CASEL’s District Resource Center –  The District Resource Center helps school districts make social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of every student's education. Find research, knowledge, and resources curated from school systems across the U.S. to support high-quality, systemic implementation of SEL.
• The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning – Schoolwide SEL helps students excel academically, build stronger relationships, and lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Additional Resources

• Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks, Guidance, and Resources from the New York State Education Department
• Teaching Tolerance – Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus
• America’s Promise – A compilation of resources from America’s Promise Alliance
• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning – CASEL has curated a helpful list of guidelines and resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote SEL while schools are closed.  
• The National Association of School Psychologists – health crisis resources
• Resources for Schools and Districts Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis – REL Northeast & Islands
• Children’s Institute – The Children’s Institute offers a list of resources to help parents alleviate children’s stress over school closures and another set of resources with activities for children, both on and offline. 
• New York State Network for Youth Success – resources the Network has been curating regarding the COVID-19 pandemic