Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Intro

At Porter Academy, we believe social-emotional learning (SEL) is essential for every student — not separate from academics, but foundational to it. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) describes SEL as the lifelong process of building the self-awareness, relationship, and decision-making skills people need to manage emotions, care for others, and navigate challenges constructively. Research consistently links strong social-emotional skills not only to emotional wellbeing, but to physical health, motivation, citizenship, and academic achievement — while weak social-emotional skills are linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and behavior challenges that get in the way of learning. That’s why we treat SEL as a partnership between school and family, not a subject taught in isolation.

What We’re Building Toward

Our goal is for every Porter Academy student to grow into someone who is:

• Self-aware — able to recognize their emotions, understand their strengths, and hold a grounded sense of self-confidence and hope for the future
• Able to self-regulate — able to manage stress, control impulses, persevere through obstacles, and work toward personal and academic goals
• Socially aware — able to empathize with others, recognize and value differences, and draw on family, school, and community support when needed
• Skilled in relationships — able to build healthy, cooperative relationships; navigate conflict constructively; and ask for or offer help when it’s needed
• A responsible decision-maker — able to weigh ethics, safety, and the impact on others, both in and out of the classroom

How We Teach It: A Multi-Faceted Approach

Social Skills Class Every Lower School student has a dedicated Social Skills class, five days a week, led by a social skills specialist. This class helps students understand emotions — their own and others’ — build confidence, strengthen communication, and develop healthy relationships with peers and adults, drawing on several programs including Social Thinking (see Our Approach for more on this framework). Social Thinking language is used by every teacher, school-wide. In Upper School, students don’t have a separate Social Skills class, but a specialist joins them informally at snack time to reinforce these skills and check in on any active social concerns.

Zones of Regulation Taught during Occupational Therapy and reinforced by every staff member throughout the day (see Our Approach for more on this framework), Zones of Regulation gives students a shared language and toolkit for understanding and managing their sensory and emotional state. Each classroom uses a visual system where students set their “zone” each morning and can update it throughout the day as their needs change — building daily practice in recognizing and communicating how they’re feeling.

Character Education Each month centers on a specific character trait, with teacher-led activities and discussions built around it:

Students who go above and beyond are recognized on our “Kind, Responsible Citizens” bulletin board and celebrated at the monthly school assembly with a shout-out and a Super Citizenship pencil.

Motivational Techniques Our approach to motivation was developed by our founder, Claudia Porter, and has proven effective for decades in building both self-esteem and intrinsic motivation. Teachers present challenges in engaging ways and give immediate, positive feedback to build confidence and encourage effort. Academic skills are practiced through games and hands-on activities to keep students genuinely engaged, and we emphasize teamwork over competition, personal responsibility, and pride in doing quality work — always holding students to what they’re capable of.

Classroom Rewards Teachers provide consistent positive reinforcement, both individually and as a group. Individually, students earn pennies (Lower School) or dollars (Upper School) for hard work, participation, helping classmates, and meeting expectations — staff actively look to “catch students doing the right thing” and reward it immediately, and students can cash in their earnings for toys or activities. As a group, homerooms earn class compliments toward a class-voted reward, such as a pajama day, movie and popcorn, sundae party, costume day, science experiment day, or extra recess.

Safari Bucks Also developed by Claudia Porter, Safari Bucks extends positive reinforcement into the home, strengthening the school-home connection. For Lower School students, parents rate their child monthly (Gold/Silver/Red) based on how they spend their time and their attitude outside of school — healthy, beneficial activities like reading, exercise, music, art, chores, and homework earn a Gold star. For Upper School students, teachers assign a monthly Gold/Silver/Red star based on homework completion. Gold stars earn $20 in Safari Bucks, Silver earns $10, and Red earns $0; parents then redeem these with real money or another reward at home. Many students save toward something they want — which builds the valuable skill of delayed gratification along the way. Students who earn three Gold stars in a semester are invited to a special end-of-semester luncheon.