How Benji The Bear Supports Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom

Now more than ever are teachers focusing on the mental health of their students. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is “an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions” (source CASEL). The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected children’s social-emotional learning and development both in and out of the classroom. This has posed many challenges academically, behaviorally, and emotionally.

Classrooms offer SEL strategies for students. One is a calming corner. It’s a place where students can go to regulate their emotions. The calming corner can have a variety of sensory and fidget toys, deep breathing activities, coloring pages, writing prompts, safe ways to share information with teachers and peers, I Wish My Teacher Knew, ways to express their emotions, and plush toys like Benji the Bear by Everyday Educate.

Everyday Educate designs fun & unique toys to improve cognition, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Their reversible plush toys are suitable for birth to upper elementary. How can Benji the Bear support SEL in the classroom? Here are a few ways.

Expression of Feelings

Benji the Bear can help children express their feelings. Children often find it difficult to express their feelings using words alone. It could lead to miscommunication problems–or sometimes, it’s just too tiring to talk. One side of the plush toy has sad Benji, while the other side has happy Benji. This reversible plush toy acts as a great emotional tool for children and helps them express how they feel without needing to utter out a single word. This is especially helpful for nonverbal students.

Sensory

Give these little plushies a hug and you’ll smell their sweet scent. This makes for an additional sensory experience for children. Not only does this plush toy enhance a child’s sense of sight and touch, but also their sense of smell, which makes this plush toy perfect for kids with Autism, ADHD, and special needs.

Versatility

You can use Benji the Bear in so many different ways in the classroom.

• I put Benji the Bear in the SEL calming corner in my upper elementary classroom to help students regulate and express their feelings. Even big kids like stuffed animals and need opportunities to express their feelings in different ways.
• Benji the Bear can be used as a book buddy. My second graders loved reading to or with a stuffed animal. This encouraged students to read aloud and helped improve their reading fluency.
• Benji the Bear can be placed in different learning centers. Rotate Benji to play, work, and learn with different students. You’ll be surprised how fun, motivating, and engaging this is for students.
• Use Benji to reinforce positive behavior- Reward students with a day with Benji the Bear. Benji can be a desk buddy. 

 

Other perks to the Benji the Bear plush toy:

• Benji the Bear is adorable (and smells good, too!).
• Benji the Bear is machine washable.
• Benji the Bear makes a great gift.

If you’d like to add Benji the Bear to your classroom, you can find Benji the Bear on Amazon.

 

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Thanks for reading!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but I only promote products and resources that I use in my own classroom.