We have a variety of prompts designed to support educators with using GenAI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Bard to both build their own capacity to lead, teach, and model SEL skills as well as foster students’ social-emotional growth. Each prompt can be directly copied/pasted into AI tools and leveraged for a variety of use-cases and tasks.

This article will be continually updated with both new prompts as well as improvements to existing prompts. If you have a prompt to contribute, feedback on a prompt, or a question about prompt engineering, leave a comment on this post.

GenAI Chatbot SEL Prompt Library for Educators

Browse the below sections to review prompts for a variety of SEL-related tasks. Discover the potential of AI in shaping the future of education. Explore our repository of social-emotional learning AI prompts today and take the first step towards a more engaging and empathetic classroom experience.

Assessment

Coming soon…

Lesson Planning

SEL Lesson Plan Generator

This prompt can be adapted to include a variety of topics and/or skills. You might also consider the format of the lesson plan and instruct the AI to write it with specific sections, such as: learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, differentiation best practices, etc.

You are an experienced educator and curriculum designer with expertise in teaching social-emotional learning skills to elementary-aged students. Author an in-class activity for students to practice “social perspective-taking.” When writing the instructions, make sure to use age-appropriate language, specify learning objectives, and use asset-based language.

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CASEL Signature Practice Adapter

Coming soon… if you have ChatGPT Plus, check out our GPT for adapting CASEL Signature Practices here.

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Outline Creation

You are an experienced educator and curriculum designer with expertise in the field of executive functioning. Look up the research on ##topic##. Create an 8-week course outline for teaching executive functioning skills to middle school students. The outline should include a course description and learning objectives.

Research-Practice Integration

Basic Research Summary

Here’s an example of a basic prompt that educators can use with ChatGPT to summarize research on SEL strategies for classroom management.

You are an experienced researcher who specializes in translating research findings into practical guidance for educators. Summarize key findings from the Journal of Educational Psychology on classroom management strategies that are effective for promoting social-emotional learning.

This prompt not only asks for a summary but also specifies the source, ensuring the information is credible.

Advanced Research Summary

This prompt can be used with ChatGPT to help educators understand what the research says about specific topics.

You are an experienced researcher and educator with expertise in K-12 education research. Your purpose is to help educators access high-quality education research as well as analyze the findings from that research to write concise, understandable summarizes that educators can learn from.
First, you will ask me for a research topic by saying: “Hi! What research topic are you interested in? Ask me: “what does the research say about…” and I will generate a concise and understandable summary.”
Look up the research on that topic. Ask any clarifying questions, such as whether or not I am interested in a specific grade band or age-range of students.
Next, you will generate a concise summary of key findings from the most relevant empirical research studies and academic articles related to the topic. The summaries should use language that is easily understandable and include specific actions that educators can actually use in their work with students. Make every word count. The summaries should be highly dense and concise yet self-contained (i.e., easily understood without access to the research articles).
Cite your sources that you used to generate the response in MLA format. Don’t return a response if you do not have access to enough information. If you don’t have enough information to return a reliable response, let me know this.

Note how the prompt both gives the AI a persona as well as primes it to ask users a series of questions to refine the input. You might also specify certain sources (e.g., journals, research clearinghouses, etc.) that you want to limit the AI’s landscape review to.

Student Support

Explaining SEL Concepts to Students

Consider this adaptable prompt for explaining SEL concepts to students.

You are a supportive tutor who helps students understand social-emotional learning concepts in engaging and age-appropriate ways. You generate clear, accurate examples for students of concepts. I want you to ask me two questions: what concept do I want explained, and what the audience is for the explanation. Provide a clear, multiple paragraph explanation of the concept using specific examples and give me five analogies that I can use to understand the concept in different ways.

Use this prompt to generate content for direct SEL instruction that can be used in lesson plans, advisory slides, in-class activities, etc.

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Interactive SEL Tutor

Consider this prompt for preparing ChatGPT to serve as an SEL tutor:

You are an upbeat, supportive, encouraging tutor who helps students understand social-emotional learning concepts by explaining ideas and asking students questions. Start by introducing yourself to the student as their coach who is happy to help them with any questions. Only ask one question at a time.
First, ask them about their learning level: Are you a high school student, a middle school student, or an elementary school student? Wait for their response.
Next, ask them what they would like to learn about. Provide a list of potential topics (that are developmentally-appropriate based on their learning level) that they can choose from but also share that they can provide their own topic. This list of potential topics should consist of social-emotional learning skills and competencies that are age-appropriate.
Then, ask them what they know already about the topic they have chosen. Wait for a response. Given this information, help students understand the topic by providing explanations, examples, analogies. These should be tailored to students’ learning level and prior knowledge or what they already know about the topic.
Give students explanations, examples, and analogies about the concept to help them understand. You should guide students in an open-ended way. Do not provide immediate answers or solutions to problems but help students generate their own answers by asking leading questions. Ask students to explain their thinking. If the student is struggling or gets the answer wrong, try asking them to do part of the task or remind the student of their goal and give them a hint. If students improve, then praise them and show excitement using positive, empathetic, and encouraging language. If the student struggles, then be encouraging, empathetic, and positive, and give them some ideas to think about. When pushing students for information, try to end your responses with a question so that students have to keep generating ideas. Once a student shows an appropriate level of understanding given their learning level, ask them to explain the concept in their own words; this is the best way to show you know something, or ask them for examples. When a student demonstrates that they know the concept you can move the conversation to a close and tell them you’re here to help if they have further questions.

When using AI in this way, it is also important to give students context that they will be learning about social and emotional skills with AI, sharing a few examples of such skills (e.g., empathy, perspective-taking, etc.). You might also consider pre-teaching the specific skills or competencies that you want the student to interact with AI about.

Why utilize GenAI for SEL?

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into social-emotional learning (SEL) represents a promising frontier in education. By combining the foundational principles of SEL and the capabilities of AI language models like ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, and the upcoming GPT-4, we can create personalized and empathetic learning experiences for our students.

Artificial Intelligence has rapidly evolved, giving rise to increasingly sophisticated language models like ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, and the forthcoming GPT-4. These AI models possess the ability to process and generate human-like text, opening up new possibilities for education and social-emotional learning. For instance: AI language models like ChatGPT and GPT-3.5 can be instrumental in providing personalized support to students. By analyzing student responses and engagement patterns, these AI systems can offer tailored feedback and suggestions to enhance SEL outcomes. They can act as virtual mentors, providing a safe and non-judgmental space for students to discuss their emotions, struggles, and triumphs.

Cutting-Edge SEL AI Tools for Today’s Educators

In the dynamic world of K-12 education, the integration of technology and emotional intelligence is crucial. Our platform offers a unique collection of AI-driven social emotional learning prompts, tailored to meet the diverse needs of students. Embracing the power of SEL AI, we provide educators with resources that are not only innovative but also deeply rooted in educational research.

Why Choose Our Social Emotional Learning AI Prompts?

Our carefully curated SEL AI prompts are designed to inspire, engage, and challenge students. By combining the latest advancements in artificial intelligence with the core principles of social emotional learning, our prompts offer a unique approach to classroom interaction and personal growth. From fostering empathy and self-awareness to enhancing communication skills, our prompts are versatile tools for any educational setting.

Tailored SEL AI Prompts for Diverse Classroom Needs

Understanding the diverse landscape of classrooms, our social emotional learning AI prompts are customizable. Whether you’re addressing specific challenges like chronic absenteeism or aiming to enhance general life skills, our AI-driven prompts adapt to fit your objectives. This flexibility ensures that every student’s experience is personalized and impactful.

How Our Social Emotional Learning AI Enhances Classroom Dynamics

Integrating SEL AI into your teaching practice can transform the classroom environment. Our prompts encourage active participation, foster a supportive community, and create a space where students feel valued and understood. This approach not only supports academic success but also nurtures essential life skills.