Self Regulation

I am passionate about guiding my students to independent thought and work. A critical piece for success in this area is teaching students to self-regulate. Students must be able to recognize when their emotions are not appropriate for the situation. They need to have strategies to calm themselves down, and they need to learn to recognize when they are ready to rejoin activities. I have a cool down spot in my classroom with many items for students. I have calming jars and bottles, an I Spy jar, fidgets, small marble mazes, gel masks, brushes, clothespins and other clips, therapy putty, sand timers in different increments of time, and more. Students visit when they are angry, upset, or needing a break. Some of them choose to relax on a pillow with a gel mask over their eyes. Some choose a simple cognitive task like a maze or the I Spy jar to engage the logical area of their brain and move away from the emotional area. Some need some time to fidget or squeeze something to get some sensory stimulation. After becoming familiar with all of the items, they are very good at self-selecting items that are effective for them.

Examples of Cool Down Spot Items

Another component of self regulation that I feel is important, is for students to recognize when they are working inefficiently. We have class meetings and discussions about this topic. I want my students to notice if they are distracted, think about what changes they can make to limit distraction, and find a way to change the situation so they can work effectively. Students make choices such as changing locations, putting up folders, taking a break, getting a drink, stretching, and more. Even at age 5, they do a great job of noticing what needs to change!