show empathy for others, maintain relationships, and make responsible decisions( Durlak et al. 2022). However, research has shown that when implemented as a prescribed scope and sequence, commercial or prepackaged SEL curricula can limit teachers’ autonomy, creativity, and flexibility to address individualized social and emotional needs as they arise( Hogan et al. 2018). Early childhood educators must be able to intentionally create and implement SEL throughout the day( NASEM 2024).
We( the authors) are a group of early childhood professors( first, second, and third authors) and an early childhood center director( fourth author) at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. We worked collaboratively with early childhood educators to create Project RISE( Respect, Inclusivity, Support, and Equity). Project RISE was designed to empower early childhood educators to work with children and families to foster children’ s social and emotional development. We have shared this work with early childhood educators from around the state as they consider quality SEL practices in their own settings.
In this article, we discuss the importance of educator agency in creating and implementing SEL instruction, then detail our multifaceted, holistic approach. We end with steps that early childhood educators can take to adapt these practices to their own settings.
Educator Agency in SEL
Educator agency, or the ability to make choices and influence events( Cong-Lem 2021), is a critical component of instruction and interactions that scaffold children’ s social and emotional development( Jennings & Greenberg 2009). This agency, however, is often misunderstood. Rather than implementing short-term goals that focus only on process( Biesta et al. 2015), teachers exercise agency when they“ make decisions, take initiatives, act proactively rather than reactively, and deliberatively strive and function to reach a certain end”( Imants & Van der Wal 2020). Agency is also relational, in that educators’ decisions and actions are influenced by and impact their larger communities( Pietarinen et al. 2016).
Similarly, children are influenced by interactions within interconnected environments( Bronfenbrenner 2005; Bronfenbrenner & Morris 2006). According to developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, these environments, or ecosystems, range from the immediate, or micro environments( home, work, friends, school), to larger macrosystems, such as public policy, laws, and programs that“ create the environments that shape the course of human development”( Bronfenbrenner 2005, xxvii; Bronfenbrenner & Morris 2006; Guy-Evans 2025; Shimek et al. 2025). Each ecosystem plays a unique role in shaping individuals’ behavior and growth over time.
In early childhood education, the microsystems that impact a child’ s development include family, staff, and peers. The macrosystems involve connections between families and early childhood programs. By considering the influences of children’ s cultures and contexts( Wilder et al. 2024) and creating trusting, collaborative partnerships among programs and families, educators can advance equity through the social and emotional practices they use( Lewis et al. 2023). This is a key part of developmentally appropriate practice( DAP) and its emphasis on creating caring communities of learners that are inclusive, safe, and consistent( NAEYC 2020).
Effective SEL Practices in Action
Our work offers an example of how educator agency can positively impact SEL instruction and children’ s interconnected environments. Project RISE traces its beginnings to May 2022, when the leadership of the Towson University Child Care Center( TUCC) identified several strengths at the center( positive teacher-child interactions, a shared vision for DAP) as well as areas for growth. Center data spanning 15 years showed that leaders often had to support
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