Originally Published: 10/25/2021
Why does teacher buy-in matter for SEL?
Teacher buy-in matters because educators are responsible for bringing social-emotional skills into everyday classroom experiences. When teachers understand the purpose of an SEL program, feel confident using its strategies, and receive adequate training and support, they are better positioned to integrate those skills consistently with students.
Research Shows Social Emotional Learning Programs Can Benefit Students
Decades of research, including large-scale reviews of school-based social-emotional learning programs, have found positive outcomes across areas including social-emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance.
Students who learn social emotional skills perform better in school, sports, and in life. Social emotional learning is now a significant part of educating the whole child. Many school districts around the country are adopting curriculums to teach social emotional learning during the school day, and training teachers on the best practices to develop these abilities.
Teacher Buy-In Is Important to Successful SEL Implementation
A 2021 study in the Journal of School Psychology examined 230 teachers implementing three evidence-based social-emotional programs. Researchers found that teachers’ initial commitment to learning and implementing the programs consistently predicted implementation fidelity over time—even after accounting for factors such as teacher stress, collegial support, classroom behavior problems, and classroom quality.
Because we know that the classroom teacher ultimately determines how and when their students will learn and understand the new material, establishing grassroots ownership by the teacher will help more than any top down method of engaging only the administration in the value of the material.
Teachers Need Time and Support to Learn SEL Practices
Fostering a deep connection between the teacher and the value and benefits of learning social emotional skills is the best way to create the strongest impact in the classroom. Asking busy teachers who are stressed out to implement a new curriculum without first establishing an organic and meaningful connection to the material can undermine success.
Furthermore, teachers, especially seasoned ones, have seen many new initiatives come and go through the years, making it clear that teachers need a solid understanding of the social emotional skills. When they have a personal practice of their own, they also have an intimate understanding of its value. Teachers will need to engage in the learning process along with the students to help them understand and value the material. They must truly believe in the material, and experience the benefits first-hand in order to pass it on to the students.
Teacher Confidence and Comfort Affect SEL Implementation
Allowing time for two way communication with sharing and input from the teacher will help create buy-in and establish relevance, making it more likely that he/she will want to invest the precious classroom minutes on developing these skills personally and with the students.
Teacher Engagement Can Influence SEL Outcomes
Lack of interest by the teacher will certainly diminish the effectiveness of instruction on developing these crucial life skills. Rather than moving quickly into any new program, take time at the onset and give teachers the support they need to implement any new ideas. This is the key to the success of any SEL program.
Julie Braumberger is Director of Education at Mind Body Align, a former third-grade teacher, and co-creator of Labyrinth Adventures. She draws on her classroom experience to develop practical whole child development resources that help children build self-regulation, emotional awareness, connection, and other skills they can use in school and beyond.
