The BECOME SEL Curriculum: A practical, evidence-based framework for social-emotional learning in schools.

This curriculum is informed not only by educational best practices, but by therapeutic insight — designed to complement emotional healing and support regulation, resilience, and relational growth.

Social-emotional learning isn’t an add-on—schools that use SEL frameworks see reductions in behavioral disruptions. The BECOME SEL curriculumhelps students understand what’s driving their behavior, develop empathy, and practice tools for regulation and connection. When children feel seen and emotionally safe, classrooms become calmer, relationships grow stronger, and learning becomes more meaningful.

This curriculum is grounded in the CASEL 5 Competencies, the national gold standard for social-emotional learning, and aligned with Massachusetts DESE SEL Guidance. That means every lesson is designed to build skills in:

  • Self-Awareness – identifying emotions, recognizing strengths

  • Self-Management – regulating behavior, setting goals

  • Social Awareness – showing empathy, appreciating diversity

  • Relationship Skills – communicating, cooperating, resolving conflict

  • Responsible Decision-Making – making safe and ethical choices

MA DESE further emphasizes that SEL must be explicit, integrated, and culturally responsive—all of which are built into our approach. These same competencies also align with therapeutic goals, helping bridge classroom social-emotional learning with deeper emotional growth in session.

While standards show what to teach, the BECOME SEL Curriculum shows how to teach: a structured, teacher-friendly framework that’s easy to implement in classrooms.

  • Breathe/Begin – Center the classroom with regulation and readiness

  • Explore – Identify feelings, triggers, and strengths

  • Create – Build new tools and strategies

  • Ongoing – Practice through routines and daily application

  • Mindful – Reflect on choices, perspectives, and impact

  • Empower – Celebrate growth and carry skills into new contexts

This pathway ensures that SEL isn’t just a set of isolated lessons, but a school wide culture that helps students become their best selves—aligned to CASEL and DESE, but uniquely Becoming U.

What’s Inside the Curriculum?

Inside you’ll find detailed lesson outlines, teacher scripts, visuals & printables, and routines designed for immediate classroom implementation.

  • Focus: Building a common emotional language across school. Skills: Recognizing feelings, connecting emotions to body cues, and using the Zones of Regulation framework.

  • Focus: Helping students find, practice, and apply regulation tools. Skills: Breathing strategies, movement breaks, positive self-talk, and “toolbox menus.”

  • Focus: Growing compassion and understanding differences. Skills: Reading social cues, naming others’ feelings, taking another person’s point of view.

  • Focus: Strengthening relationship-building and conflict resolution. Skills: Sharing, joining groups, active listening, assertive communication, repairing after conflict.

  • Focus: Practicing choices that are safe, fair, and respectful. Skills: Stop/Think/Try, options-to-outcomes thinking, and consequence mapping.

  • Focus: Building resilience, perseverance, and self-reflection. Skills: Embracing “not yet,” setting achievable goals, celebrating effort, and learning from mistakes.

Why Schools Choose the BECOME SEL Curriculum

Supports emotional resilience and self-awareness that can enhance or dovetail with individual therapeutic work.

Calmer classrooms with fewer disruptions

Shared SEL language across grade levels — students, teachers, and staff learn and use the same terms and routines.

Teacher-friendly lessons that are easy to implement

Stronger student relationships and resilience

Aligned with CASEL + DESE standards

Ready to bring SEL to your classrooms?
Let’s start with a 20-minute discovery call — whether to bring this curriculum into your school or to explore how it complements therapeutic support.

Connect with Jackie

DISCLAIMER: The curriculum is not a substitute for therapy. The BECOME SEL curriculum and all products/resources on this site are intended for educational and emotional wellness support; they are not a substitute for clinical care.

Contact us.

becominguwellness@gmail.com