Social and emotional learning is top-of-mind for many educators who are looking for efficient ways to support their students during a transition back-to-school that looks different from any other. In addition to Kahoot! Academy launching its new social and emotional learning collections, Common Sense Education strives to support students and families in developing SEL skills, especially at the start of this unique school year. Let’s dive into their advice to educators:

Use the first week of school to build in conferences with students and families

Understanding the situations of families and having parents as partners is going to be absolutely essential in whatever learning environment you will be in this fall. We need to have one-on-one time with each student and their families to learn more about them – for example, understand what tech setup they have access to at home and what challenges they’re facing in the new realities. From your side, loop them into your plans for this school year.

Hear more advice for educators from Sue Thotz, Outreach Manager at Common Sense Education:

Know that you have a community that supports you when you need it

This year is going to look different than any year prior, and it’s okay to feel a little nervous about it. We are trying to figure out how we can best support our school communities at a time that’s so unpredictable and when we know that educators are looking for the best resources to support their students and families. We are developing the Teacher Center in Wide Open School, which includes curated resources of K-12 content, customizable templates, and recommended tools to help engage with families.

Hear more from Barbara Huth, Outreach Manager at Common Sense Education, on the most challenging aspects of their work: