5 Films for Highlighting Social and Emotional Learning

Students are experiencing unprecedented disruptions in their academic routines that will likely continue for some time. Marc Brackett, a professor at Yale University and the director of its Center for Emotional Intelligence, told EdWeek that social-emotional learning is critical to managing anxiety during this time. “Because if you don’t know how to deal with the lack of control of your future, or the feelings of uncertainty that you’re having, your brain is going to stay in a constant fight or flight mode,” he shared. “And if our brain is in fight or flight mode, then it’s not in learning mode.” So while equipping students with social and emotional learning (SEL) skills was important before, it’s imperative now. But what can schools and teachers do to keep SEL going during these tumultuous times?

Movies are a great option for supporting students’ social-emotional skills. Regardless of grade level, many films can be used to help children and teens understand their emotions or the characters’ feelings, as well as helping them developing empathy by reflecting on the content afterwards.

Here are our five favorite films for boosting SEL at your school:

Inside Out
Universally considered one of the top films for emotional learning, “Inside Out,” which clearly identifies a number of different emotions and the basic functions of our brain, can help students understand how our perceptions affect the emotions we feel toward particular events in our lives.

Shrek
This film teaches the viewer that you should never judge people based on your first impression or toss them aside based on your own prejudices. If you really want to get to know someone, then you have to use your heart to understand theirs.

Wonder
“Wonder” is the touching story of Auggie Pullman – a 10-year-old boy who was born with facial differences – as he transitions from home school to public school for the first time. The film tackles difficult subjects, including bullying, but ultimately shares a heartwarming message of overcoming challenges, being empathetic, embracing one’s uniqueness and spreading kindness whenever possible. 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Who better to teach kids how to be compassionate, honest humans than Fred Rogers? This highly acclaimed biopic showcases his passion for inspiring integrity and kindness in everyone he met.

Arrival
This sci-fi alien story puts communication front and center. The characters have to make tough decisions, which students can later debate the consequences of. You can also include messages/discussion around compassion, curiosity and working together.

These films and more are available to license through Swank Movie Licensing USA. Click here to order or to learn more.