"Identity is made up of who we say we are, who others say we are, and the people we desire to be. Students are constantly making sense of who they are, and, I argue, classroom instruction needs to be responsive to their identities. Because we are complex beings, we have racial, cultural, gender, environmental, and community identities, to name a few. Not only is it important to teach youths who they are, but educators should also teach students about the identities and cultures of others different from them. When we have true, clear, and complete understandings about people different from us, we are less inclined to hate, show bias, or hold false views of others. When youths have a strong sense of their own histories and identities, it becomes a refuge or a protection. When they don’t know themselves, others may tell them, and sometimes that may not be positive."
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
Implement a consistent and predictable routine, incorporating movement such as animal walks or yoga.
Have “heavy work” stations in the room to provide proprioceptive input and help encourage calmness through physical activity.
Offer activities that provide a sense of rhythm and attunement (mirroring games, rolling a ball back and forth, calming songs that rhyme).
Provide a quiet, soothing space for students to go to in the classroom.