7 Ways To Use These Printable Emoji Cards To Build SEL Skills

Teachers value getting to know their students and building a caring community. Recognizing, naming, understanding and sharing emotions is a big part of creating positive learning environments in a classroom. That's why we partnered with Sanford fit to create these free emoji cards designed to help kids deal with their feelings and emotions. Here are seven SEL skills kids can learn with these emoji cards and how to get them there:

1. I can check in with myself and name my changing feelings throughout the day

During community circles, transitions, and other moments you have in your day, look after your students and help them express their feelings and emotions. Remind students that they can feel more than one emotion at a time! Show them how to move their bodies to change their mood. Have your learners hold up their emoji cards to show their feelings. Ask these questions a few times a day or week:

• How do you feel?
• Are your emotions staying about the same? Why do you think that is?
• How do your emotions change throughout the day or week? What do you think is causing changes in your emotions?

2. I realize that children are both the same and different from me, and that's okay

Planning opportunities for children to talk about their similarities and differences in a respectful way fosters an appreciation for learner diversity in the classroom and beyond. The students learn to be more relaxed and curious about one another. As students respond to the following prompts, ensure that each partner takes turns explaining why they feel the way they do. Encourage students to be specific and give examples from their lives.

• Ask your students: How have you been feeling lately?
  Tell them to choose two or more emoji cards to hold up.
• Next, have students find a partner who feels similar feelings.
  Ask partners: What do you two have in common?
• Then have students find a partner who feels different emotions.
  Ask Partners: What emotions are different for you?

3. I can read a person's face to understand their emotions

Hold up different emoji cards and ask students to show facial expressions that match the emotions. Use the printable poster to build concise student language around emotions, facial expressions, and non-verbal communication. Have students describe what they notice about facial expressions and body language. For example, a frustrated student might furrow their eyebrows, pull their hair, and keep their lips tightly closed. When you pay attention to emotional nuances, your students can better relate to one another and build the compassion that is fundamental to a positive classroom culture.

4. I can give my opinion about my work

Often in life we ​​have responsibilities to fulfill. Sometimes we enjoy what we have to do while other times we don't. Learning to manage emotions and take responsibility is part of growing up. Have students think about their homework assignments.

Ask your students:

• How do you do homework? Draw an emoji to show how you feel about each task.
• Is there homework that you enjoy more than other work? Describe your feelings.
• What kind of homework do you dislike the most? Why?
• what do you learn about yourself
• What advice can you give your teacher about homework?

5. I can use what I already know to identify other emotions

Show the emoji cards and find the emotion cards. Describe scenarios and have students hold up emotion cards that describe how they might feel in that situation. Find the Feeling cards can also be used to play a matching game with younger students.

• How might you feel if a friend forgets your birthday?
• What emotions do you feel when you are allowed to go on an excursion?
• How do you feel when you spill your lunch on your clothes?

Encourage students to explain their thinking and appreciate multiple perspectives. Next, talk about other feelings that aren't pictured. Finally, have students draw their own emoji and label the emotions. Give your students specific words to help them reach a deeper level of self-knowledge and social awareness. Have partners share the new emoji drawings and discuss a time when they felt the same as the emoji they drew.

6. I know how to be a good listener when others are speaking or sharing

Hold up emoji cards or realistic emotion cards one by one and model how to pronounce the emotion names. Next, have students chorus repeat the emotion names as a group. Invite a partner to work with you to show how to be a good listener. Ask your partner: How are you feeling right now and why? Repeat what your partner said. You feel __ because __. Alternately. Have students work with several different partners, sharing ideas and repeating what each partner said. After the partners have spoken, engage in a group-wide discussion about how it feels to be heard. This simple activity can make your students feel seen, heard, and felt.

7. I think about how I feel

Choose from these questions to start quality discussions in your classroom. As students learn about each other's lives, they care for each other on a deeper level and build trust and respect. Refer to the emoji cards when prompting students.

• What made you laugh recently? Why?
• When you're feeling lonely, scared, frustrated, or sad, what makes you feel better?
• what could you tell yourself now
• How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?
• How do you feel before you fall asleep?
• If you could choose one color for the feeling ______________, what would it be? Why?

Consider trying the lessons that accompany the Helping Children Manage Feelings and Emotions unit to provide a solid foundation of social and emotional learning for your students this year.

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By: 7 Ways To Use These Printable Emoji Cards To Build SEL Skills