Movie Magic in the Classroom: Ready-to-Use Guide for Teaching SEL

Movies belong in the curriculum―and not just the day before a holiday. This book by award-winning educator Amber Chandler shows why films are so important for teaching social emotional learning and critical thinking. She provides complete guides to ten current, age-appropriate movies; each guide features a pre-viewing activity, a stop-and-chat guide for you so you know when to pause for discussion, a student notes sheet, and discussion questions with varying formats. The book also offers handy tools such as blank templates and permissions forms for communication with parents.Every movie addresses some aspects of CASEL’s SEL Competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, Relationship Skills, and Social Awareness. Amber Chandler does all the prep work for you, so you can lean into the movie experience and share this opportunity with your students, putting movie magic to work!

Amber Chandler is a National Board Certified middle school English language arts (ELA) teacher in Hamburg, New York, and an adjunct professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. No matter which level Chandler is teaching, the goal is always the same: to enable students to take charge of their own learning. Chandler’s website, flexibleclass.com, has many resources to support teachers, and she regularly updates lessons and provides links to her webinars. Follow her on Twitter @MsAmberChandler and check out over 300 of her free resources on ShareMyLesson.com.