Connection, resilience, and humility: Three educators’ stories of building adult social and emotional learning communities

Abstract

Teacher turnover has reached new highs in the US. Despite increasing attention to the potential of social and emotional learning (SEL) for teachers to address this crisis, there is still limited understanding of how to organically build and foster adult SEL communities in schools to support educators’ social and emotional well-being. To address this gap, we drew from our lived experiences in building and participating in SEL-rich communities across culture and diverse educational contexts. Using collaborative autoethnography as a framework, we reflected on and analyzed our experiences and identified three themes, including: 1) SEL is a lens for educators to process their own experiences while also connecting to their students’ experiences; 2) SEL that is systemic and integrated into work culture can build educator resilience; and 3) SEL enhances educators’ personal and cultural humility and subsequently fosters broader connection. Under each theme, we offered practice recommendations, such as integrating SEL into teacher education programs, offering educators individual consultation and SEL-focused peer groups, and encouraging teacher to participate in programs that strengthen school-family partnerships. We also asked further questions for educational leaders to consider as they develop strategies in building SEL-rich communities for educators. We concluded the article with reiterating the belief that SEL for teachers can help them connect with the purpose of teaching and make space for joy.