Self-Regulation

Self- Regulation: What is it?

The ability to effectively manage and respond to emotional experiences. This teaches students that emotions are okay, but we need to develop ways to control our emotions and respond appropriately.

Why is it important?

To help children identify how they are feeling and teach efficient self-regulation strategies.

To teach children that there are no ‘bad’ emotions, but to recognize whether their emotional response is appropriate to the situation. For example, crying for a week after you drop your ice-cream on the floor is not an appropriate emotional response to the situation, or screaming at a classmate is not appropriate because you woke up late and are cranky.

What does it look like in a classroom or learning environment?

Self regulation begins with teaching the “Zones” of regulation, using four colors to relate to specific emotions. These colors are displayed, but only for student reference and not for punitive measures. Children work to identify which emotion goes into which zone, and give examples of what might cause them to feel that way. Green is expressed as the ideal zone to be able to participate in learning and feel comfortable.

After students have mastered identifying the emotions, strategies are developed to help students move back to green. These can be made class-wide and/ or individually depending on age and need. During class and learning time, adults can reference back to the zones and give students the opportunity to use strategies.