Teaching grades 6-8? Try these social-emotional learning (SEL) activities 🍎

Have you ever met a middle schooler? Then you know they can be an emotional rollercoaster. One minute they’re best friends, and the next they’re frenemies. They can be highly self-critical and somehow think hot chips count as a full meal, lol. You get where I'm going, right?

As a middle school teacher, I have witnessed the highs and lows, the joys and sadness, that students experience throughout their middle school years. What makes this such a unique time for them is the discovery of new friendships, new adventures, new experiences, and a full range of emotions.

I could stop there and say, “Well, that’s the way it’s supposed to be, so be it.”

But what if I told you there are ways to help students navigate their middle school years? No magic tricks, just strategies based on social-emotional learning, or SEL.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) describes how children develop social and emotional skills. It includes managing strong emotions, making responsible choices, coping with stress, setting goals, and building healthy relationships.

One widely used framework for SEL is CASEL. According to this framework, SEL is made up of five areas of competence:

• Self-awareness is the ability to recognize one’s own emotions and thoughts and understand how they influence behavior.

• Social awareness involves empathy, respect for others, and the ability to consider different perspectives.

• Responsible decision-making means making ethical and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions.

• Self-management is the ability to regulate emotions and impulses, manage stress, and set personal goals.

• Relationship skills involve building and maintaining healthy, supportive relationships.

Social-emotional learning can take many forms, including peer discussions, team-building activities, and mindfulness practices. At its core, SEL is designed to equip students with essential life skills.

In this section, I will share three action-packed SEL activities that can be implemented in grades 6-8 and make a meaningful impact on campus.

Activity 1: Community Circles

My school implemented community circles, which allow students to gather in a circle to discuss a specific topic. Each student is given the opportunity to speak and share, ensuring that everyone is included and every voice is valued. Implementing community circles, helps students:

• Build communication skills

• Foster empathy

• Practice respect for others

Watch this short video for an example of a community circle in a middle school classroom:

Activity 2: Instant Challenges

As a former manager of Destination Imagination (DI), I have seen firsthand how project-based STEAM challenges help students strengthen creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.

During an instant challenge, each team is required to work together under pressure and with limited resources. In a fun, low-stakes environment, these activities naturally build:

• Self-awareness

• Relationship skills

• Responsible decision-making

Watch this short video for an example of an instant challenge:

Activity 3: Mindful Writing and Doodling

As a visual arts educator, I see the relevance of this activity. Incorporating reflective writing and doodling into projects provides a meaningful way to encourage self-expression, support mindfulness, and help students creatively process their thoughts.

These two activities can be done together or as a stand-alone. Implementing activities such as these helps students:

• Build self-awareness

• Express emotions

• Engage in mindful reflection

Watch this short video for an example activity on visualizing emotions:

You're prepared to introduce social-emotional learning (SEL) activities in your middle school classroom, which is a significant step. Despite uncertainties about student reactions, middle schoolers are often open and curious.

Here are a few strategies to positively kickstart SEL in a supportive, low-pressure way.

1. Reframe and Rebrand

• Use everyday language instead of terms like “social‑emotional learning".

• Explain these activities in simple ways, like helping students stay calm, work well with others, and handle tough moments.

• Frame it as learning real‑life skills like staying focused, solving problems, and getting along with people that will help them in school and in future jobs.

• Make it clear that these activities help students become more independent, handle disagreements in a healthy way, and manage stress when things feel overwhelming.

2. Connect SEL to Academics

• Explain that staying calm and focused helps students do better on classwork, tests, and projects.

• Build activities into what you already do, like showing students how to take a breath before a tough assignment or how to work together during group tasks.

• Activities like "write‑pair‑share", group discussions, and partner work help students practice talking things out, listening to others, and solving problems together

3. Opt In or Out

• Think about “opt‑in” as giving students the choice to join in or sit out in the beginning.

• They can share if they want to, or they can pass with no pressure and no questions asked.

• This helps students feel safe, in control, and free from the anxiety that comes with forced participation. Over time, students might be willing to participate.

4. Anonymity

• Middle schoolers are strongly influenced by their peers, so it helps to give them ways to share their thoughts without feeling judged.

• Use anonymous participation tools like blind polls or private surveys when talking about real‑life issues such as group projects, online drama, or bullying.

• This lets students be honest while still feeling safe.

With a better understanding of social-emotional learning, you can begin incorporating meaningful activities into your routine. Even small, intentional practices can make a lasting impact on students’ confidence, relationships, and overall growth. Consider these steps: