Act 48 • Social-Emotional Learning: Evidence-Based SEL Strategies for Student Success

45 Act 48 Hours + 3 Credits — or — Fast Track with 90 Act 48 Hours! Online & Self-Paced

PDE PERMS

Welcome, PDE Educators!

Earning your Act 48 Hours can be simple, flexible, and stress-free. Pennsylvania teachers need 180 Act 48 Hours for license renewal — and in many districts, a lane jump begins at 15–18 graduate-level credits. We’re here to make that process as easy and teacher-friendly as possible.

✅ Verified PDE Provider

Confirm For Teachers By Teachers in the official PDE PERMS system.

  1. Choose “View Approved Providers.”
  2. In Provider Name, type: For Teachers By Teachers.
  3. Press Search to see our active listing.

You have three flexible options to earn your Act 48 Hours and/or graduate-level semester credits:

  1. Receive 45 Act 48 Hours — $175 per course
    This is our standard option. Once you complete the course, we report your hours directly to PERMS for you — no extra steps.
  2. Earn 90 Act 48 Hours — Add $190 (paid to UMass Global) for 3 graduate-level semester credits
    Replace your 45 Hours with 90 total Act 48 Hours — perfect for fast-tracking Act 48 requirements. Your 3 graduate credits are reported directly to PDE as 90 Hours.
  3. Earn 45 Act 48 Hours and 3 Graduate-Level Semester Credits — Add $190 (paid to UMass Global)
    Ideal if you want 45 Hours reported to PERMS and 3 graduate-level credits to bank toward salary advancement. Your official UMass Global transcript is provided.

Course Description:

Today’s classrooms require more than strong instruction—they require emotionally intelligent learning environments where students feel safe, connected, and ready to engage. This course gives you a practical and research-backed roadmap for integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into everyday teaching. Through neuroscience, CASEL-aligned competencies, real classroom examples, and transformative equity practices, you'll learn how to build stronger relationships in the classroom, seamlessly integrate SEL into your existing curriculum, and leverage SEL skills to support both academic success and student well-being.

You'll complete this course with concrete strategies that you can use immediately, plus a step-by-step SEL Integration Plan tailored for your own students and setting. Whether you're new to SEL or looking to deepen your approach, this course provides the tools, insights, and confidence needed to make SEL a natural — and powerful — part of learning.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The Science of SEL: Understand the brain-based and research-backed foundations of social-emotional learning — including how emotions, relationships, and cognitive processes work together to support student engagement, behavior, and academic growth.
  • Core SEL Competencies in Action: Learn how self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationship skills show up in real classrooms — and how to teach them through routines, modeling, and intentional instruction across PK–12 settings.
  • SEL-Infused Classroom Culture: Build predictable routines, structures, and interactions that cultivate psychological safety, belonging, and trust so students are ready to learn, collaborate, and take academic risks.
  • Embedding SEL Into Daily Teaching: Integrate SEL seamlessly into lesson plans, groupwork, discussions, and academic tasks, using strategies that support reflection, communication, perseverance, and responsible problem-solving.
  • Transformative SEL & Equity: Explore how identity, culture, agency, and power shape students’ experiences — and learn equity-centered approaches to elevate student voice and foster meaningful, inclusive community.

Why Educators Love This Course:

  • Interactive and Engaging Learning: Experience SEL through compelling multimedia, practical examples, and classroom-tested strategies — no written assignments required!
  • Flexible and Teacher-Friendly: Complete modules anytime and at your own pace — anytime, anywhere.
  • Practical Tools You Can Use Tomorrow: From sample routines to ready-to-implement strategies, and an SEL Integration Plan template, every module equips you with tools that transfer directly into your classroom.
  • Grounded in Research, Designed for Real Classrooms: This course synthesizes insights from neuroscience, developmental psychology, learning sciences, and Transformative SEL (T-SEL) to help you build a modern, student-centered environment.

Transform Your Classroom:

This course bridges theory and practice to help you create a classroom where every learner feels seen, supported, and capable of growth. You’ll learn how to build stronger relationships, foster emotional intelligence, design equitable routines, and integrate SEL into your teaching in ways that enhance academic engagement and classroom calm.

Whether you’re new to SEL or looking to deepen your practice, you’ll gain the tools, clarity, and confidence to support students’ well-being while strengthening academic learning. By the end, you’ll have a personalized, actionable roadmap to cultivate a classroom grounded in safety, belonging, and meaningful learning.

Enroll Today:

Earn graduate-level professional development credit while building a classroom culture where every student can thrive. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your SEL practice — and bring research-based, human-centered strategies into the heart of your teaching.


Self-Paced, Quiz-Based, and Completely Online

Forget portfolios or lengthy written assignments — this is stress-free professional learning designed with YOU in mind. With no start dates and no due dates, you can begin and finish the course whenever it’s convenient. You don’t need to be working with students to complete it, and there are no scheduled meetings. The course is 100% self-paced and self-guided — so you can work whenever and wherever it fits your life.

To Enroll in This Course:

Start by completing the $175 registration using the enrollment link at the top of this page. This creates your For Teachers By Teachers (FTBT) account and gives you immediate access to your online classroom.

You can begin anytime, work at your own pace, and complete the course on your schedule.

Your $175 fee includes:

  • ✔️ Full access to all course materials
  • ✔️ 45 Act 48 Hours reported to PERMS upon completion

✶ Want to Earn 3 Graduate-Level Semester Credits from UMass Global?

After enrolling, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for UMass Global’s optional $190 graduate credit registration inside your online classroom. Choose your preferred path:

  • ✔️ 90 Act 48 Hours — Replace your 45 Hours with 90 total Hours, reported to PDE
  • ✔️ 45 Act 48 Hours + 3 Graduate-Level Credits — Earn your 45 Hours and 3 credits toward salary advancement

UMass Global Logo

Graduate-level semester credit issued by UMass Global — a regionally accredited university partner.
* Each graduate credit equals 30 Act 48 Hours.

Your Course Instructor


For Teachers By Teachers
For Teachers By Teachers

For Teachers By Teachers is a highly dedicated team of licensed educators with professional certifications across grades PK–12. Our areas of expertise include Special Education, Childhood Education, Art Education, and Reading Specialist certifications.

Collectively, our course authors and instructors bring more than 20 years of experience in the field of education. We are passionate about empowering teachers and have contributed meaningfully to school communities in Hawai‘i, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Colorado, Vermont, and Ohio.

Our mission is to support your professional growth with flexible, high-quality online courses designed by teachers—for teachers. If you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@forteachersbyteachers.org. We’re here to help!