Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a structured approach to helping students understand and manage their emotions, build empathy, strengthen relationships, and make responsible decisions. At Chicago Waldorf School, SEL is not a separate program—it’s interwoven throughout daily life.
This philosophy of educating the “whole child” guides everything from the rhythm of the early childhood classroom to the restorative circles held in high school. By attending to both academic and emotional needs, Waldorf students learn not just what to think, but how to understand themselves and others.
“Half the curriculum walks in the door every day,” explained Jude Gonzales, Director of Social Work and Learning Support. “We can prepare and plan with intention, but we also have to make room for how kids arrive and how we want to meet them when they get here.”
Waldorf’s Five Pillars of Social Emotional Learning
The school’s Social Work and Learning Support Department, a nationally recognized model within the Waldorf network, has become a leader in integrating SEL into independent school education.
During a recent reaccreditation by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, the department was highlighted as an exemplary program. Graduate students from local universities even train at Chicago Waldorf, learning clinical and support skills within a classroom setting.
“We’ve been surveying other Waldorf schools and sharing what works,” Gonzales explained. “This framework has proven so effective that we’re helping other schools adopt it.”
At the heart of that framework are five key pillars to practice and model daily:
- Self-Awareness – Recognizing one’s emotions, strengths, and challenges.
2. Self-Management – Learning to regulate emotions and behaviors in healthy ways.
3. Social Awareness – Developing empathy and understanding for others’ perspectives.
4. Relationship Skills – Building communication, teamwork, and conflict-resolution abilities.
5. Responsible Decision-Making – Making thoughtful, ethical choices that strengthen community.
By grounding the school community in these principles, Chicago Waldorf ensures that social-emotional learning becomes second nature—woven through lessons, relationships, and everyday interactions. Additionally, the staff is full of regulated adults who practice social emotional learning for themselves so they are better able to help co-regulate their students.
Early Childhood: Learning Through Play and Connection
In Waldorf’s early childhood classrooms, social and emotional learning begins with rhythm and play. Mixed-age groups encourage empathy and cooperation as older children naturally guide the younger ones. Teachers also model calm responses and self-regulation, helping children develop trust and security in their environment.
“When something happens, we don’t rush to correct—it’s a moment to learn,” Gonzales said. “Children begin to understand how to express their needs, listen to others, and find balance in community.”
Songs, movement, and storytelling is also built into the curriculum to teach emotional vocabulary long before children can articulate their feelings in words.
Grade School and Middle School: Building Awareness and Resilience
As children move into their grade school and middle school years, the focus shifts to helping them name emotions, navigate friendships, and make responsible decisions. Teachers remain central figures, guiding students through challenges in a steady, consistent environment, but teach students that they have agency.
In these formative years, students begin individual work with the social work team, learning self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness—the foundational pillars of emotional intelligence.
“At this stage, we work more individually with kids, getting them to recognize the need to process things themselves and make sense of it. We start to talk about these skills to name them.” Gonzales said. “This way, when a friend does something and kids start to feel a certain way, they can figure out how to bounce back from that and make responsible decisions.
High School: Confidence, Compassion, and Community
By high school, emotional growth becomes an intentional, collective practice. Waldorf students engage in group-based learning rooted in restorative justice—a model that calls students in instead of calling them out.
“When something occurs, the goal isn’t exclusionary punishment like suspension and detention—it’s reflection, accountability, and repair,” Gonzales explained. “That strengthens relationships and teaches empathy, self awareness and emotional vocabulary.”
Through regular circle work, students take time to connect, share, and reset as a community. Whether processing an emotional event or discussing daily challenges, these circles help students maintain a sense of belonging and responsibility to one another.
Preparing Grounded, Self-Aware Graduates
This intentional focus on social and emotional learning pays off well beyond graduation. Chicago Waldorf alumni report entering college with strong self-management skills and confidence in advocating for themselves.
“It’s important as students go into college for them to know what they need and advocate for themselves, that way they aren’t falling through the cracks because they’re unable to muster the courage to go and talk to their professors”, Gonzales explained. “Our students find both high challenge and high support, so they go into college energized, not exhausted.”
By weaving emotional growth into every stage of learning, Chicago Waldorf School prepares students to navigate a fast-paced world with empathy, perspective, and purpose—qualities that define not just strong students, but compassionate adults.
This content is sponsored by Chicago Waldorf School. Learn more at chicagowaldorf.org.
