SEL Cast: Insights for Teachers from Teachers

Building a School Code of Ethics with Student Voice

What happens when a school stops telling students how to behave — and starts asking them to write the rules themselves? In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Howard, Wellbeing and PSE Lead at Stour Valley Community School, to explore how a student-led Code of Ethics became the backbone of their entire school culture. What started as a response to a difficult moment in their community grew into something far bigger — a whole-school commitment to respect, accountability, and genuine belonging. You'll hear why student voice isn't just a nice-to-have, it's the reason the Code actually sticks. When young people are the authors of their own values, they become the champions of them too. In this episode: * How a Code of Ethics is built authentically with students, not for them * Why restorative practices need a cultural foundation to be sustainable * The peer mentoring program empowering students to lead from within * Lauren's top 3 tips for schools ready to start their restorative journey Download this Episode's Shownotes: https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-building-a-school-code-of-ethics-with-student-voice---with-lauren-howard [https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-building-a-school-code-of-ethics-with-student-voice---with-lauren-howard]

Belonging in Schools: Onboarding, Data, and Culture with Julie Lemley

Join Julie Lemley, Head of Upper School at Savannah Country Day School, for a thoughtful conversation on what it takes to create a true sense of belonging in school communities. Julie shares practical strategies for supporting students, families, and educators through transitions, designing meaningful onboarding experiences, and building cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. Together, we explore how social-emotional learning can be woven into everyday practices, from hiring and leadership to relationship-building and values-driven decision-making. Whether you’re a school leader, educator, or counselor, this episode offers actionable insights for fostering connection, strengthening community, and leading with empathy, curiosity, and purpose. Download the Show Notes for this episode: https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-belonging-in-schools-onboarding-data-and-culture---with-julie-lemley [https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-belonging-in-schools-onboarding-data-and-culture---with-julie-lemley]  Check out all of IFSEL's Programs, Workshops, and Professional Development opportunities: https://www.instituteforsel.net/ [https://www.instituteforsel.net/]

Building a Culture of Thinking: A School Leadership Lens for the Digital Age - Western Academy of Beijing Stephen Taylor

What does it mean to build a human-centered school in the age of a tech-driven world? In this episode, Stephen Taylor, Director of Innovation in Learning & Teaching at Western Academy of Beijing, explores a simple but powerful idea: people before program. Through practices like box breathing and daily student-mentor connections, he shows how schools can create cultures where students feel safe, seen, and supported. Stephen challenges the notion that SEL is an “add-on,” arguing it should live within systems like advisory and counseling—woven into the everyday experience of school. The result? A community where belonging isn’t optional, it’s felt. Looking ahead, he also rethinks learning in an AI-driven world. Instead of focusing on tools that may soon be obsolete, schools should prioritize what endures: critical thinking, curiosity, and human judgment. From AI-supported career exploration to future-focused job fairs, this episode highlights how schools can prepare students without losing what makes us human. Download this episodes Show Notes: https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-building-a-culture-of-thinking-a-school-leadership-lens-for-the-digital-age---with-stephen-taylor [https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-building-a-culture-of-thinking-a-school-leadership-lens-for-the-digital-age---with-stephen-taylor]  Explore all of IFSEL's upcoming events: https://www.instituteforsel.net/sel-workshops/event-listing [https://www.instituteforsel.net/sel-workshops/event-listing]

Meaningful Advisory and Student Engagement: Driving Academic Success With Cary Academy's Twanna Monds & Josette Huntress

In this month's episode, we talk with Twanna Monds and Josette Huntress from Cary Academy! From protecting advisory time across all teachers to creating consistent, structured experiences, we discuss why advisory can’t be treated as expendable and how starting strong in middle and high school can lead to school-wide impact. We also dive into the importance of knowing every student, their interests, strengths, and challenges, and how that foundation leads to stronger relationships, better peer connections, and more meaningful conversations with families. You’ll hear how schools can clearly communicate their mission, especially around social-emotional learning (SEL), and bring parents along by connecting these skills to real-world success. Plus, we unpack how to support teachers through uncertainty with intentional training, collaboration, and protected professional development time. Download this Episode ShowNotes [https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-meaningful-advisory-and-student-engagement-driving-academic-success-with-cary-academys-twanna-monds-josette-huntress] Check out IFSEL's Workshops and PD Events [https://www.instituteforsel.net/sel-workshops/event-listing], including our Advisory Workshop [https://www.instituteforsel.net/sel-workshops/advisory-workshops]

Culture and Belonging as a Strategy in International Schools - with Colette McWilliams

Explore how school leaders can cultivate thriving cultures where every identity is honored, every voice matters, and wellbeing drives performance. Designed for educators in independent and international settings, IFSEL’s Executive Director Nick Haisman-Smith and Founding Head of Hiba Academy Bay Area Colette McWilliams as we dive into practical, relational strategies that make values visible and felt across your entire community. You’ll learn how to: * Start with connection — using simple check-ins to lead with emotional awareness and authenticity. * Build relationships first — because academic excellence follows human connection. * Model SEL daily — creating shared language and systems before high-stakes moments arise. * Pause and prioritize relationships — strengthening trust before diving into curriculum. * Center student wellbeing as the foundation — not an add-on — to school success. We also explore what it truly means to lead in bilingual and multicultural environments: * Seeing multilingualism as multiple windows into the world. * Leading with grace across cultural nuance. * Normalizing curiosity and repair. * Reflecting and revisiting when misunderstandings occur because trust grows through repair. Think of SEL like the staff room coffee machine: technically, school can run without it… but no one is at their best. If you believe strong school cultures are built through connection, cultural humility, and whole-community leadership, this podcast is for you. Check out IFSEL’s Whole Community SEL Audit to understand your school’s landscape: https://www.instituteforsel.net/what-we-offer/sel-audit [https://www.instituteforsel.net/what-we-offer/sel-audit]  Download the Shownotes here: https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-culture-and-belonging-as-a-strategy-in-international-schools-with-colette-mcwilliams [https://www.instituteforsel.net/posts/sel-cast-culture-and-belonging-as-a-strategy-in-international-schools-with-colette-mcwilliams]