For some students school is easy and a fun, safe, exciting place to be. That’s what we hope all students feel when they walk through our doors. But the reality is, that for some students, school is stressful. For some, it’s coupled with feelings of anxiety, a lack of confidence and a social world that can feel overwhelming and complex. It’s our job as educators to pay attention to these real feelings and to try and unravel what the underlying issue is triggering some of these big feelings. When a child is dysregulated, there is always a reason, but sometimes it’s tricky to figure out what those reasons are. For students who have difficulty regulating their emotions, building a toolbox is a critical step. Validating a student’s feelings, naming the discomfort and then brainstorming together what tools might be beneficial in helping the student feel more settled are essential strategies to uncovering the deeper issues. Here is an example of the beginning of a toolbox being built.

The zones of regulation is also an amazing tool that students are using in our school to help to own their own learning and understand when they feel dysregulated. Students learn what each of the zones mean, start to recognize what their body feels like in each of the zones, and then are coached through strategies to help move back into the green zone. When teachers, students and parents all speak the same language and these tools are used regularly, we see huge success in helping students regulate their own emotions.

Paying attention, validating feelings and working collaboratively with students in order to help regulate big emotions is the key to success. Our number one goal is that all students walk through our doors feeling excited, supported and ready to be the best versions of themselves throughout their day. If you want more information about self-regulation, building a toolbox or supporting a child who feels worried about school, feel free to be in touch with our resource department.