The overwhelming and sometimes overwhelming feelings are hard to control, especially for our youngest students. Over the past three years, many have experienced hardships – loss of loved ones, grief, loneliness, food and housing insecurity – and the effects of school continue.
Of course, dealing with strong emotions and disorders in early elementary school is nothing new. Students from preschool through second grade have always come to us with excitement, as well as bringing their tensions, worries, anxieties, and frustrations into the classroom. Unprocessed emotions and tensions can spread like a virus, disrupting an entire classroom in a matter of minutes or less.
So what to do? How can we help our youngest students feel safe, nurtured and connected at school? What skills and practices can we introduce them to so they learn to stay grounded so academics can flourish?
Multi-sensory Grounding Techniques
First and foremost, we need to make sure we stay centered and grounded. As a teacher, you are the thermostat (not the thermometer) in the classroom. You set the tone. So when things escalate around you, feel your feet on the ground, take a deep breath, rub a rock in your pocket, or sniff that calming essential oil. You can also use calming self-talk, such as “I can do this” and “take it slow”. According to research, silently messaging ourselves can reframe the stories in our heads and delay the brain’s stress response.
Consider sharing your practice with your students; when you feel your blood pressure rise, you may be able to voice your feelings. As you calm yourself, mimic and tell your students about some five-finger breathing (aka starfish breathing). Invite students to breathe with you as you bring each person’s feelings down a few levels. If multi-sensory breathing isn’t your thing, consider imitating self-talk or progressive muscle relaxation. Whatever works for you, share it. It’s empowering for young people to know that as adults, we experience great feelings too, and that we have ways to work through them.
Make an intentional exercise that students can draw on when they are struggling. They don’t call it an “exercise” for no reason. Starting the day with the breath of a starfish, rainbow, or snake can help students learn how to calm and focus. Some of the teachers I work with have added positive thinking movements. When students develop a practice that works for them, they can return to it more easily when strong emotions threaten to overwhelm them.
Have you ever experienced serenity? A few years ago, a preschool teacher, Mr. Holyfield, shared this amazing exercise with me. He would cup his hands in the shape of a cup and gently announce that he had quieted down. He would look at his hands and nod excitedly. The students would perk up and come over to see what was happening. Mr. Holyfield’s restrained excitement was contagious, and as he sent the students in circles through the silence, their raucous and uncontrolled excitement calmed. Mr. Holyfield has always been the classroom thermostat.
Create a soothing environment. Playing calm, rhythmic music in the classroom is another way to intentionally quiet the senses. Fluorescent lights in the classroom may activate, so consider dimming them; or, if possible, rely on natural light or bring in a warmer light source. I once worked with a teacher who used calming essential oils in her classroom. Every time I passed her room, I would rush in, take a deep breath, and be on my way.
Create a peace corner. Once you’ve introduced your students to focusing and grounding techniques, a peace corner can provide a place for them to practice. First, have students draw a picture of their peaceful place and discuss what makes their place peaceful. Next, look around the room and decide together where they could have a peace corner. Also ask students about the tools they use to calm themselves. Flat slippers? Drawing or doodling with paper and crayons? Books about feelings? Maybe a glitter jar? Decorate the space together with student artwork. Once it’s ready, have students take turns visiting, emphasizing that we all have moments when we need to organize ourselves, including us, the adults.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is key. As teachers, we know it’s important to teach students skills. It’s customary. Consider introducing talking circles where students are invited to share their stories and perspectives while they practice listening attentively and patiently waiting for their turn. As the conversation spreads, students connect with other students, feel less alone, and are better able to understand where their peers are coming from. The relationships, empathy, and skills students build in their circles can be utilized when they get into disputes or arguments. First, with skillful guidance from adults, students learn how to problem-solve and repair damage. With practice, students can begin facilitating their own circles, using talking pieces to de-escalate challenging conversations.
That’s it. It may seem like a lot, and we’ve dealt with a lot these days. Take your time, one step at a time. Reflect and learn with your students. See what works and keep building.