In an era of Common Core State Standards and accountability, students need to use the time they spend in school focused on academics and ready to learn. However, middle school has always presented special challenges. This is a time when students can spend a lot of time grappling with physical changes, forging interpersonal relationships, managing increased responsibility, and more—all of which can distract them from the primary purpose of school. The researched-based lessons in this book will help teachers delve into key social and emotional learning topics, such asSelf EsteemEmotionsCognitionPeer RelationshipsBulliesStressOverall, this book will give teachers not only an understanding of the basic issues and research underlying social and emotional learning but also practical tools for introducing the topic into the curriculum.