Title: Four Ways to Support Teens’ Social-Emotional…
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Four Ways to Support Teens’ Social-Emotional Development at School
We need to appeal to teens’ need for status and respect for SEL to work in high schools.
1. Invite students to use their character strengths
GGSC Summer Institute for Educators
2. Encourage students to imagine their best selves
Best Possible Self
3. Challenge students to explore their purpose
4. Value student leadership in your school community
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Amy L. Eva
We believe happiness should be free.

Content: What is the best possible life you can imagine? Consider all the areas in your life that are important to you—relationships, school, career, hobbies and interests, etc. Be as creative and imaginative as you want, and don’t worry about spelling and grammar. Best Possible Self
Foster optimism by imagining a positive future
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Ask them to be as specific as possible, and tell them that it’s easy to focus on current obstacles to reaching goals, so they should let go and simply dream about the future and exactly what it could look like. Researchers suggest that it’s important to create mindsets that blunt the power of perceived threats to teens’ status and respect, and this exercise can help students feel a greater sense of control as they clarify a vision of their future self. 3. Challenge students to explore their purpose
Once students have practiced using their character strengths and imagined their future selves, create opportunities for them to think about how they might contribute to something larger than themselves. The Purpose Challenge Toolkit features research-based online activities that prompt students to imagine how they might leave their mark on the world—and make it a better place. Here are some examples: Respond to these questions: “