Social Emotional Poetry

📝✨ Inspire Expression & Connection with Social Emotional Poetry🌟

Discover how poetry becomes a powerful tool for transformation in your classroom! In  Social Emotional Poetry, educators will find a heart-centered, creative curriculum that fosters both literary exploration and deep emotional growth. Rooted in two decades of classroom success, this book offers a beautiful fusion of language arts and social-emotional learning (SEL) that elevates student voices, cultivates empathy, and builds lasting community.

Whether you're a poetry lover or an SEL novice, this book equips you with everything you need to ignite authenticity, confidence, and compassion through verse. 🎤💖

📖 A Journey Through Emotion and Language

For 20 years, poetry gave students the language to reflect, express, and connect. This book captures the essence of that experience by offering structured, flexible lessons that meet every SEL standard—while keeping creativity at the center. From crafting stanzas to discussing feelings, students embark on a journey of discovery that is both academic and deeply personal.

🎓 What You’ll Find Inside

This book is divided into 8 thoughtful units that build upon each other while offering space for personalization:

📌 Unit 1: Introduces the form and structure of poetry
📌 Unit 2: Explores what poetry sounds like
📌 Unit 3: Considers poetic topics and themes
📌 Unit 4: Investigates poetic tools and techniques
📌 Unit 5: Provides a blueprint for analyzing poetry
📌 Unit 6: Focuses on a specific SEL skill through poetry
📌 Unit 7: Offers an SEL-centered guide to editing and presentation
📌 Unit 8: Culminates with a student poetry showcase celebration 🎉

These lessons are not just about poetry—they’re about unlocking a student’s sense of self, improving peer relationships, and nurturing a sense of emotional intelligence in every classroom interaction.

💡 Why This Book Is a Game-Changer

✅ Designed for teachers new to SEL—no prior experience needed
✅ Helps students build trust, confidence, and self-awareness
✅ Strengthens classroom culture through vulnerability and creativity
✅ Aligns with all five core SEL competencies
✅ Supports academic instruction with clear, repeatable structures
✅ Flexible for in-person, virtual, or hybrid learning

💬 FAQs

❓ Q: Do I need to be a poet or SEL expert to use this book?
🅰️ Not at all! Social Emotional Poetry was created for teachers of all backgrounds. The lessons are simple to follow and rich with potential—no poetry degree required!

❓ Q: How does this support SEL standards?
🅰️ Each lesson naturally develops SEL skills through writing, reading, discussion, and collaboration. Specific dialogue prompts at the end help explicitly name and nurture SEL growth.

❓ Q: Is this appropriate for all grade levels?
🅰️ While best suited for middle and high school, the structure can be adapted for upper elementary through to early college. The emotional depth and creativity are timeless.

❓ Q: What if my students don’t like poetry?
🅰️ The student-centered approach ensures that every learner connects with at least one form or topic. When students see their experiences reflected and validated, they engage deeply.

❓ Q: Can I use my own favorite poems?
🅰️ Absolutely! The book encourages you to substitute or supplement poems that resonate with your students and teaching style. Flexibility is key to making it yours.

With Social Emotional Poetry, you’re not just teaching poems—you’re nurturing humans. This book invites students to be real, reflective, and resilient. It brings classrooms together through vulnerability and empowers young voices to express what often goes unsaid. The transformation is not only visible in student work—but felt in the collective energy of your classroom.

Let poetry be the heartbeat of your SEL journey. 🧠💬❤️📝