These prompts are derived from 50 Days of SEL and Metacognitive Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolresource that includes a complete set of prompts in all six domains, along with a student self-reflection rubric and implementation guide.
You can also find Metacognitive cues. as well.
Social navigation
- Describe a time when you had to work with someone whose approach was very different from yours. What did you learn about collaboration?
- Think about a group you belong to. It can be a team, a class, a group of friends. What unspoken rules exist in this group and how did you learn them?
- When you disagree with a friend, how do you decide whether to talk or let it go?
- What does it look like when someone is on? What does it look like when someone is abandoned without anything obvious happening?
Self-awareness
- What emotion do you most often feel during a typical school day? Where do you notice it in your body?
- Describe something you are good at that you have to work hard to learn. What kept you going when things got tough?
- When you make a mistake, what’s the first thing you usually think of? Is this thought helpful or not?
- What has changed about you in the last year? What is one thing that has remained the same?
Self-regulation
- What do you usually do when you feel overwhelmed? Does it help now? Does it help later?
- Think of a time when you wanted to react strongly but chose not to. What helped you take a break?
- Describe your ideal focus environment. What makes it easier or harder for you to concentrate?
Embodied awareness
- Where in your body do you first notice stress? How do you know the difference between feeling nervous and feeling excited?
- How does your body feel after staring at a screen for a long time? How does it feel after you’ve been out?
- Think of a time when your body was telling you something before your mind caught up—like a gut feeling. what happened
Decision making
- Describe a decision you made recently that turned out to be good. What information did you look at before making a decision?
- When you have a choice to make and you’re not sure what to do, who or what do you turn to for guidance?
- Think of a time when you made a decision quickly and later wished you had slowed down. What would you do differently?
Reflection without resolution
- Write about something in your life that feels uncertain right now. You don’t have to solve it – just describe what the uncertainty feels like.
- Is there a question you’ve been thinking about but doesn’t seem to have a clear answer? What makes it difficult to answer?
- Describe a feeling you’ve had recently that you can’t name. What was the situation and what did the feeling seem to be telling you?
Information
These prompts are derived from 50 Days of SEL and Metacognitive Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolresource that includes a complete set of prompts in all six domains, along with a student self-reflection rubric and implementation guide.
Product summary
50 Middle School SEL Journal Prompts (grades 6–8) with a built-in, student-friendly self-reflection rubric. This curriculum covers six SEL domains aligned with the CASEL competencies. Includes Google Slides and a print-ready PDF file.
Description
This resource includes 50 reflective writing tips designed to help middle school students develop social-emotional skills through structured journaling. Each prompt encourages students to explore their thoughts and emotions without pressure to reach a clear conclusion. A special category—Reflection without resolution—is included for prompts that support noticing, processing, and sitting with complexity.
The prompts are written to be accessible, age-appropriate, and flexible for a range of classroom contexts, including advisory, morning meetings, and weekly journaling routines.
A trauma-informed approach
Trauma is more common in classrooms than is often seen. It may arise from individual events or ongoing circumstances that exceed the student’s ability to process, integrate, and self-regulate. These experiences can affect emotional regulation, participation, self-esteem, and relationships at school.
This resource was created with trauma teaching in mind. While some prompts may be appropriate for sharing in small groups, others—and some students—may benefit from keeping their writing private. The prompts are intentionally written to avoid the disclosure requirement, but teachers are encouraged to use professional judgment when deciding if, how, and whether sharing should occur.
What is included
• 50 SEL Writing Prompts for Grades 6–8
• Post-writing self-reflection rubric (student-facing and ungraded)
• Editable Google Slides
• Print-ready PDF
• Implementation guide with pacing suggestions
• CASEL alignment reference
• Free future updates to this set of prompts
Six SEL domains are covered
• Social navigation – relationships, peer dynamics, communication
• Self-awareness – identifying emotions, pattern recognition, personal strengths
• Self-regulation – stress management, coping strategies, emotional reactions
• Embodied awareness – mind-body connection, physical cues, grounding
• Decision making – weighing options, considering consequences
• Reflection Without Resolution – processing complexity without pressure
How teachers use this resource
Teachers often design a prompt at the beginning of a consultation or class. Students write for 5–6 minutes, adjusting time based on engagement and comfort with the prompt.
At the end of the week, students use the self-reflection rubric to look back on the entries, supporting goal setting, portfolio work, or ongoing journaling routines. The rubric is intended for reflection rather than assessment.
questions?
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