In today’s fast-paced, competitive world, the importance of cultivating kindness and empathy in our classrooms cannot be overstated. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) resources have increasingly grown popular as educators worldwide recognize the need for a more holistic approach to childhood development. A classroom environment that emphasizes kindness contributes to the emotional well-being of students and fosters the essential skills required for their future success. Here, we present a curated list of free SEL resources designed to help you bring more kindness to your classroom.
1. Kindness.org
Kindness.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading acts of kindness and compassion around the world, offers an array of free digital resources for educators. Their tried-and-tested activities are age-appropriate and have been designed to engage students meaningfully. An extensive library of videos, activities, and lesson plans can be filtered by topic or age group, making it convenient for educators to incorporate these resources into their existing curriculums.
2. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has developed a comprehensive collection of free curricular materials for K-12 teachers focused on infusing kindness into everyday practice. With an extensive array of lesson plans, activities, worksheets, videos, and posters that can be customized to fit any grade level or subject area, this resource bank is perfect for integrating elements of SEL into traditional subjects like math, science, or language arts.
3. Greater Good in Education
Housed at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, Greater Good in Education offers free evidence-based strategies for nurturing students’ social-emotional well-being and ethical development. Their online platform features research-backed practices that are designed to promote kindness in diverse learning environments while addressing core components of SEL such as self-awareness, empathy, motivation, and social awareness.
4. Sesame Workshop
With their long-standing commitment to the emotional development of young children, Sesame Workshop offers a wealth of free resources through their website. You can find multimedia materials designed to help educators and parents nurture students’ social-emotional skills, resilience, kindness, and empathy. Their free printable activity sheets and digital tools will be an excellent addition to any early childhood classroom.
5. Everfi
Everfi is an online platform that provides free digital courses focused on critical skills like SEL, financial literacy, and career readiness. With age-appropriate content, games, case studies, and quizzes aimed at K-12 students, teachers have access to engaging materials that can potentially excite learners about social-emotional development while enhancing classroom curriculums.
In conclusion, incorporating kindness and empathy into your classroom’s culture doesn’t have to be difficult or costly. With these free SEL resources mentioned above, educators can seamlessly integrate social-emotional learning into existing lesson plans and activities. By fostering a kinder learning environment, we can produce well-rounded citizens equipped with the necessary skills to navigate life’s challenges while contributing positively to the world around them.
