SEL Thinking Routines

This guide, developed by Veronica Boix Mansilla (Harvard Graduate School of Education, Project Zero) in collaboration with Carola Suárez-Orozco (The Immigration Initiative at Harvard) and Devon Wilson (Harvard Graduate School of Education, Project Zero), was rigorously field-tested by a team of K-12 educators. It offers practical tools to help teachers foster social, emotional, and ethical growth in classrooms shaped by diversity, complexity, and migration. Grounded in research, the guide supports educators in creating inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic world.

What You’ll Find:

• Big Ideas: Insights into why migration matters in schools and the key dispositions students need to thrive in a diverse world.
• Thinking Routines: Simple, adaptable routines to promote empathy, perspective-taking, and meaningful connections among students. Examples include:
  • See/Feel/Think/Wonder – Encourages observation, emotional awareness, and curiosity.
  • Same/Different/Connect/Engage – Helps students identify similarities and differences and build connections.
• Practical Tools: Step-by-step guidance for implementing routines and creating an inclusive classroom environment.
• Reflection Framework: Tools to plan, document, and reflect on your teaching practices.

Why Use This Guide?

• Support immigrant-origin students and their peers.
• Address migration, diversity, and equity in meaningful ways.
• Build a welcoming and inclusive classroom culture.

Licensing and Attribution:
This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). It was developed by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, in collaboration with Re-Imagining Migration and supported by the NoVo Foundation and Longview Foundation.