Teacher PLCs and the Advancement of SEL

Treating SEL as a typical curriculum implementation or school improvement initiative is problematic because it suggests that there are discrete SEL programs or tactics that can be put into place, regardless of school context or professional culture, to advance student outcomes. Such SEL initiatives risk not only failing to achieve the desired beneficial outcomes for students, but also overburdening or alienating educators. Those who want positive SEL outcomes must fully attend to supporting teacher learning. In this chapter, the authors describe the ways that SEL-related teacher professional development is currently enacted in U.S. P-12 school settings, critique current practices in light of what is known about effective professional development, and showcase a unique and replicable approach to SEL currently being enacted in an urban district in the northeast United States that led to positive social-emotional learning outcomes.