A Relationship-Fueled Learning Community: Teachers and Students in California Share the Impact of SEL

Key Points

• A team from CASEL visited a school in Santa Ana, California, to learn more about how they integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) into education.
• Throughout our visit, we were struck by how deeply SEL is embedded in everything from instruction and curriculum to daily routines and school culture.
• Hear first-hand about the impact of this work from the school’s teachers, staff, and students.

Thanks to generous grant funding from the Stuart Foundation, CASEL hosted two convenings of SEL leaders in California to provide in-person networking, learning, and collaboration. This past May, Colleen Ferreira, Social-Emotional Learning Coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education, hosted one of these convenings for both district and regional leaders from Southern California, to join a two-day gathering including school visits and deep conversation focused on shared opportunities. 

Colleen, an alumni of CASEL’s SEL Fellows Academy, arranged for us to visit Magnolia Science Academy (MSA), a charter school serving just over 500 TK-12 students in Santa Ana, California, to observe their social and emotional learning (SEL) efforts and hear from teachers, students, and administrators.

Throughout our visit, we were struck by how deeply SEL is embedded in everything from instruction and curriculum to daily routines and school culture. Most striking was the sense of connection and community, a theme we heard again and again in conversations with administrators, teachers, and students. 

These positive relationships—among administrators, teachers, students, families, and the community—are built through intentional efforts that can be replicated at other schools. Read on to hear from students and teachers about how to cultivate positive relationships—and the powerful impact these relationships have on school culture, student success, and more.

Teacher to Teacher

School leaders create space for and explicitly prioritize teacher community and collective efficacy. 

“We have such amazing staff. I think all of us are good people, and we genuinely care about each other and our students. We celebrate each other’s birthdays. We have potlucks. It’s really nice to have this sense of community.”—Fifth grade teacher

“[The teachers] trust each other. If I’m handling one situation, I know I can hand something off to someone else, and come back together to talk through it later.”—School counselor

“It feels like [the teachers] are friends, and we’re always connecting. If there’s something that comes up, we don’t hold off, we immediately connect with each other and discuss our concerns.”—English teacher

Teacher to Student

Teachers prioritize connecting with students one-on-one from the start of the school year. As a result, students feel a sense of support and belonging.

“We’re encouraged [by our administration] to spend the first couple of weeks each school year focused on getting to know students and setting a foundation for the year. I try to spend one-on-one time with my students and get to know my students personally. I feel that starts us off really well, for them to feel connected to me on some level.”—Fourth grade teacher

“SEL is part of my daily structure of my class. I start with check-ins every day to see how the students are feeling, and I check in with them one-on-one as needed. If I don’t take the time to ask students what’s wrong when something is going on, it’s going to take much more time later on when those feelings blow up.”—Social studies teacher

“The staff here is so supportive and welcoming. They’re always asking about your day and if you need anything, and they always let us know that they’re here for us. That makes me know that I can always feel comfortable talking to them, and I have someone always by my side supporting me.”—Senior student

“If you’re new and you talk to staff, they’ll remember who you are and that you had an interaction with them. It feels like family, in a way. They take the time to get to know you.”—Freshman student

“Teachers take the time to learn how we learn, and they start to include that information in the way they teach us.”—Senior student

Student to Student

MSA’s welcoming school culture, combined with opportunities like clubs and field trips, helps foster positive bonds between students.

“There are different clubs that offer new things, like wrestling and origami, that really build a sense of belonging with each other. They’re always adding more clubs, so there are more people interacting, feeling welcomed, doing what they like.”—Eighth grade student

“After going on field trips, our students say, ‘We come back even closer, and we have an even better, more impactful experience with our peers. Now it’s like a home away from home at school.’”—Eighth and ninth grade English teacher

“It really feels like everyone belongs here. My classmates like to ask the new kid questions to see what they have in common. If they don’t have much in common, they’ll say, ‘You should talk to ____! You both like the same things!’”—Fourth grade student

“I like that I don’t feel left out. I might be sad outside, but when I get in here, I feel happy and joyful and grateful.”—Sixth grade student

Teacher to Students and Families

Teachers and students find opportunities to cultivate authentic relationships beyond traditional classroom interactions, including through home visits.

“I’ve had the honor of having a home visit; two of my teachers came. I think it was really nice to have that connection with them.”—Freshman student

“During my home visit, the teacher said some positive things about me that I didn’t know she thought about me. It changed my perspective on the teacher, and I started liking that class a lot more.”—Eighth grade student

“Students sometimes bring up home visits years later, like, ‘Remember when you came to my house? Do you remember this about my pets?’”—Eighth grade teacher

Positive Relationships Help Students Succeed

Students cite support and a sense of being known and appreciated by their teachers as essential to their academic success.

“Our teachers all want us to learn. So if we’re struggling the old-fashioned way, they find a fun way to still help us learn math. A lot of people here gave me confidence and support, and I became a successful student.”—Fifth grade student

“The teachers want you to succeed, so they help you get to your goals. And when you get there, they want you to pass that goal and keep going.”—Seventh grade student

“Teachers take the time to learn how we learn, and they start to include that information in the way they teach us.”—Senior student

“When I don’t do well at something, my teacher and classmates always encourage me, and I keep learning new things.”—Fourth grade student

What We Can Learn From This Approach to Cultivating Relationships Schoolwide

Investing in positive relationships creates a sense of belonging and shared commitment to learning and growing as a community. Administrators create systems and structures that prioritize relationship-building and community connections. Students and teachers feel joyful, comfortable, and supported at school. Teachers collaborate effectively with one another and understand what supports each student’s growth, and students feel empowered to succeed. 

Here are some key relationship-building strategies that can be replicated at other schools:

• Prioritize opportunities for school staff to connect and collaborate, developing a sense of community and shared purpose.
• Connect one-one-one with students—these interactions can be as simple as noting a shared interest or asking about their day.
• Create relationship-centered learning experiences for students like partner and group work, participation in clubs, or field trips.
• Cultivate authentic partnerships with families. (In addition to home visits, MSA hosts weekly parent nights and invites families to participate in focus groups and advisory committees.)

To learn more about fostering a supportive school climate, visit the CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL.

Thank you to Magnolia Science Academy for welcoming us into your space and your openness to learning together about what SEL efforts contribute to your special school community.

Related Posts:

• How Can Districts Learn About SEL From Each Other? Austin and Albuquerque Lead the Way
• One District’s Journey: Starting SEL From the Ground Up
• SEL Helped Me Find Purpose, Drive, and Passion

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