UDL and SEL Intersect! They are not two separate initiatives!

Teachers want to do everything they can for their students. And teachers' plates are FULL.  How can teachers avoid becoming paralyzed by a too-full plate of mandates and initiatives, and instead move forward with a focus on students' growth?

Here's one way to keep the plate from spilling over: Look for the intersections - then intentionally prioritize any instructional shifts you make toward these overlaps.  Case in Point: by carefully examining commonalities between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL)- specific UDL guideline checkpoints clearly match specific areas of SEL. 

This Katie Novak article by Lisa Bozio looks at the five areas of competence as described by CASEL (Collaborative of  Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning). Bozio then identifies and explains the intersections in the UDL guidelines and checkpoints, as described by CAST (the organization that first articulated the UDL principles for educators). 

Example #1 - When you focus on UDL Engagement/checkpoint 7.1 - Optimizing Individual Choice - you are helping students with self awareness, the first of the CASEL5.  Example #2 -by focusing on Action and Expression/checkpoint 6.1  Appropriate Goal Setting and 6.2 Planning and Strategy Development - you are supporting students with self management, CASEL5s second competency area.

This is a wonderful article, summarized well in this infographic that describes all the UDL and SEL intersections.  Print the infographic for quick reference - so it becomes easier to weave UDL and SEL throughout your teaching-learning day.











 

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