Experiential Social-Emotional Learning: Strategies for Empowered Educators and Thriving Students in K-8

Our session will focus on experiential, interactive experiences for educator participants who will have the opportunity to participate in social-emotional learning and wellness focused activities that are designed for students. Through this approach, educators can not only learn about multimedia activities to reduce student anxiety, encourage self-reflection and self-regulation, and foster social and emotional understanding among students, but will also have the opportunity to experience some of these activities themselves through a session with a hands-on approach. 

Central to the session will be the introduction and active use of MOOD Tools, which have been highlighted in on the Share My Lesson blog through a post written by Journeys in Film, as well as a brief introduction to the free MOOD Classroom tools that are available. We also want to provide experiential options for educators to use with their students that activate different senses and brain sectors. We plan to do this by highlighting one or more of the following: music listening activities connected with My Music with Rhiannen Giddens which work well as bell ringers, mandala art/calming activities connected with The Cup, writing and/or drawing prompts focused on self-acceptance connected with Call Me Dancer, and a self-care wheel activity connected with UnBroken, which demonstrates the possibility of bringing social-emotional learning and wellness practices into the Social Studies classroom. 

Want more sessions to choose from? Check out all of the free, for-credit webinars in Share My Lesson's Summer of Learning 2026 series.

Executive Summary via ON24 AI:

The webinar shared practical, low-lift ways to build K–8 social-emotional learning (SEL) through media and film-based instruction that fits tight schedules and core curriculum demands. Presenters emphasized “windows and mirrors” to strengthen belonging by ensuring students both see themselves positively represented and learn about others, supported by free media-audit printables for students and teachers. For younger grades, they introduced a mindfulness routine from *A Handful of Quiet Happiness in Four Pebbles* using simple visual cues (flower, mountain, water, space) and a hand-based breathing practice to support emotional regulation. For broader classroom use, they highlighted free Mood Classroom tools—short slide-based lessons, emotion identification supports (feelings wheel), and quick calming strategies like butterfly tapping for transitions and anxiety. They then demonstrated how film resources can drive SEL while reinforcing academics through ready-to-use guides: 

*Call Me Dancer* (dreams, perseverance, mentorship, identity, movement extensions), 

*My Music* (identity, culture, and U.S. history tied to the transcontinental railroad), and 

*The Love Bugs* (science inquiry plus collaboration and relationship skills). All resources are free, designed for flexible implementation, and intended to help educators increase engagement, reflection, and emotional skill-building without sacrificing instructional time.