Teaching Social-Emotional Skills in 2026: New Challenges, Creative Solutions
January 26, 2026
Students today tend to struggle with regulating their emotions, advocating for themselves, and navigating in-person social interactions, educators report. Teachers are trying to teach these social-emotional skills, which are crucial for academic and long-term success, but they’re also grappling with challenges like students’ growing cellphone dependency and the politicization of social-emotional-learning programming and curricula. Some schools have found new and innovative ways to weave opportunities to teach these character-building skills throughout the school day and after school.
Student Well-Being & Movement One District's Battle to Curb Cellphones and Get Kids to Engage in Real LifeSpokane's leaders are pushing extracurriculars to help students strengthen in-person social skills.
Student Well-Being & Movement Want to Improve Tweens' Social Skills? Enlist Older Adults' HelpWhen a middle school was built adjacent to a retirement community, unlikely friendships grew.
Student Well-Being & Movement ‘Great Lifelong Habits’: How This District Is Keeping Young Kids Off ScreensCan a massive expansion of extracurricular activities help build social-emotional skills in early grades?
Reading & Literacy How English Class Improves Students' Social-Emotional SkillsWhen students dissect the motivations of a character in a book, they're learning key competencies.
Special Education A Missed Opportunity in SEL: Centering Students With DisabilitiesStudents with learning differences are not always considered in the design or implementation of SEL programs.
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Why This Expert Believes Social-Emotional Learning Will Survive Politics and AIAs the head of a prominent SEL group steps down, she shares her predictions.
Student Well-Being & Movement VIDEO: How This District Is Shrinking Students’ Screen Time—After the School Day EndsEngagement navigators in this district help students take advantage of the many available extracurriculars.
Student Well-Being & Movement FROM THE ARCHIVES: How One District Uses Sports to Teach SEL and Build Better TeammatesA California district turned to sports to help students build connections with each other and their school.
