SEL Tip: Building Healthy Habits at the Start of the School Year

The beginning of a new school year is more than just fresh supplies and clean desks—it’s the perfect opportunity to help students form healthy habits that will carry them through the year. Routines and behaviors developed early can set the tone for how students manage challenges, interact with peers, and regulate their emotions. By tying habit-building to social-emotional learning (SEL), you give students practical tools they can use both inside and outside the classroom.

Here’s how you can introduce healthy habits and SEL practices as students transition back into school after summer break.

Facilitate a Read Aloud: What If Everybody Did That?

What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick is a playful story that shows how small actions—both positive and negative—can add up over time. It helps students reflect on how daily choices affect themselves, others, and their community.

How to Use It:

• Read-Aloud Setup: Share the book with the class, pausing at key moments to ask: “What habit is this character showing?” or “What would happen if you made that choice every day?”

• Discussion: After reading, ask: “What are some small habits that help us feel ready to learn?” or “What habits can make school a better place for everyone?”

• Connection to SEL Goals: Reinforce themes of responsibility, self-management, and social awareness. Help students see that good habits don’t just help them succeed individually—they also build a stronger classroom community.

Set Personalized SEL Habits

After the read-aloud, encourage students to create their own “Healthy Habit Pledges” for the school year. Examples include:

• Self-Management: “Each morning I’ll check in with how I’m feeling before I start my day.”

• Relationship Skills: “I’ll practice listening to my classmates without interrupting.”

• Well-Being: “I’ll take a mindful breath before tests or new challenges.”

You can have students write these pledges on index cards, decorate them, and keep them somewhere visible to remind them of their commitment.

Track Progress with Reflection

Keep habits alive by building in simple reflection opportunities. Ideas include:

• Habit Journals: A short weekly entry about which habits were easiest and hardest to stick to.

• Classroom Check-Ins: A circle discussion where students share one healthy choice they made that week.

• Visual Reminders: A “Healthy Habits Wall” where students post drawings or notes about the positive routines they’re practicing.

These small reflection moments help students notice their growth and stay motivated to continue building strong habits.

Promoting Accountability and Growth

Helping students start the year with healthy habits is about more than organization—it’s about equipping them with SEL tools that build resilience and foster connection. By anchoring daily routines in self-awareness, empathy, and responsibility, you’re laying the groundwork for both academic and emotional success.

In Conclusion

Just like academic skills, social and emotional skills grow stronger with consistent practice. By weaving habit-building into the first weeks of school, you help students take ownership of their learning and their relationships. The result? A classroom culture where healthy choices, positive habits, and SEL thrive together.

If you found this content helpful, you might enjoy this Imagineerz blog post: SEL Strategies to Start the New Year.