090: How Small, Intentional SEL Moves Create Big Instructional Shifts with Brittany Christiansen

Small, steady moves can transform a classroom. We sit down with Pennsylvania educator Brittany Christensen to unpack how 5–10 minute SEL warmups grew into a living practice woven through literacy, nonfiction analysis, and daily routines. Teaching English and ESOL in a large urban district, she shows how high expectations can coexist with care by building a shared language around growth mindset, self-discipline, and self-motivation, then returning to those skills in texts, discussions, and assessments.You’ll hear how she starts with clear, student-owned definitions, scaffolds from spotting competencies in literature to reflecting on real life, and uses quick exit tickets to make progress visible. We dig into concrete strategies for integrating SEL into reading and writing: narrowing focus to a few skills per unit, inviting groups to justify choices with textual evidence and author context, and connecting skills to figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brittany’s ESOL lens shines through with explicit vocabulary, gradual release, and co-teaching habits that support multilingual learners. Beyond the classroom, Brittany models accountability as care by closing loops with families when students ask for it, and sharing how restorative practices and humility fuel collaborative growth. She offers practical planning tips to get started tomorrow: put SEL on the calendar, use early-finish moments or pre-break days, and keep routines short and consistent. If you want a humane, high-expectation classroom where students can name the skills they’re practicing and transfer them to life, this conversation delivers tools you can use right away.EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Brittany via email at [email protected]