SEL Cast: Insights for Teachers from Teachers

What happens when a school stops telling students how to behave — and starts asking them to write the rules themselves? In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Howard, Wellbeing and PSE Lead at Stour Valley Community School, to explore how a student-led Code of Ethics became the backbone of their entire school culture. What started as a response to a difficult moment in their community grew into...

Join Julie Lemley, Head of Upper School at Savannah Country Day School, for a thoughtful conversation on what it takes to create a true sense of belonging in school communities. Julie shares practical strategies for supporting students, families, and educators through transitions, designing meaningful onboarding experiences, and building cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Together...

What does it mean to build a human-centered school in the age of a tech-driven world? In this episode, Stephen Taylor, Director of Innovation in Learning & Teaching at Western Academy of Beijing, explores a simple but powerful idea: people before program. Through practices like box breathing and daily student-mentor connections, he shows how schools can create cultures where students feel safe...

In this month's episode, we talk with Twanna Monds and Josette Huntress from Cary Academy! From protecting advisory time across all teachers to creating consistent, structured experiences, we discuss why advisory can’t be treated as expendable and how starting strong in middle and high school can lead to school-wide impact. We also dive into the importance of knowing every student, their interests...

Explore how school leaders can cultivate thriving cultures where every identity is honored, every voice matters, and wellbeing drives performance. Designed for educators in independent and international settings, IFSEL’s Executive Director Nick Haisman-Smith and Founding Head of Hiba Academy Bay Area Colette McWilliams as we dive into practical, relational strategies that make values visible and f...

Check out our upcoming Summer Institute: Staying Human in the Age of AI: https://www.instituteforsel.net/sel-workshops/staying-human-in-the-age-of-ai    Download the Show Notes for this episode: https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-ai-cell-phones-and-educators-navigating-change---with-tricia-friedman     Episode Description: As educators and students navigate constant change, expectation...

Care is central to the teaching profession—but many school systems aren’t designed to sustain it. In this episode, we explore Adult SEL and what a true culture of care looks like in the everyday reality of schools. As student needs rise, educators are being stretched thin by systems that deplete rather than restore. Drawing on the idea of regenerative cultures, we discuss how schools can move beyo...

In this episode, we explore how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) are not short-term programs — they are ongoing commitments that shape the heart of a school community. Motoka Maegawa shares how consistent SEL practices, responsive systems, and restorative practices can strengthen belonging, trust, and accountability in every corner of a school, from staff...

We’re joined by Emma Dunbar, Supervisor of Deeper Learning at San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), to explore how schools can embed SEL into daily routines, relationships, and curriculum design. Together, we discuss practical ways educators can build inclusive classrooms, nurture diversity, and strengthen well-being for both students and adults. Emma shares insights on creating Advisory...

In this episode, we explore Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and how IFSEL’s Whole-Community Approach strengthens wellbeing, belonging, and safeguarding across schools. Discover how SEL cultivates both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, supports restorative practices, and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through authentic connection. Join Nick Haisman-Smith and Trinity Thompson as...