Self-RegulationWhat is it and how can I implement it in my classroom?"Self regulation is an internal mechanism that helps children (and adults) to engage in behavior that is mindful, deliberate and considerate."
I.E: Impulse control, stress management, self-discipline, motivation, goal setting and organizational skills. A lot of kiddos struggle with self-regulation; a lack of self-regulation can be directly linked to a child's poor emotional and social health as well as their learning capabilities in the classroom. Integrating exercises into a classroom such as self-awareness exercises, mindfulness activities and calming techniques can help encourage self-regulation within our students. Younger kiddos oftentimes aren't equipped with the tools and skills that they need to control and recenter their focus when they get frustrated or upset.
This course helped me to realize just how important promoting self-regulation in the classroom is for my students overall well-being. Not only does it benefit their emotional help, the cognitive areas of their brain need this self-regulation to develop properly. Personal ConnectionI wholeheartedly see myself applying this topic in both my professional and personal life. Mental health is something that I want to keep at the center of my classroom; making sure that my students are in a good spot to grow and reach their full potential! We talked about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and how to recognize and cater to what our students need. Another quote that resonated with me throughout this lesson read “when I feel safe and felt, I learn.” I think oftentimes educators forget that in order to best teach, we need to recognize the needs of our students, socially, emotionally, and physically. That being said, students are not the only aspect of the classroom. In order to have a healthy classroom climate, the educator must also recognize the importance of mental health, relationships, and connections. Centering myself as a future educator and putting my needs at the forefront of my plans is crucial as well. I want to be the best version of myself every day so that I can then give all of my energy to my students.
How will I encourage this in my classroom?I have created this poster for my future classroom. It is something that I want hanging on my walls as a constant, daily reminder for my students to listen to their brain. Stress is normal. One of my biggest takeaways from this lesson was learning that stress is not a negative thing and I want to pass that same message along to my kiddos. I am here for YOU!
Stressed? Take a Deep Breath, I’m Here for You!
Smart. You are smart and you are worthy of an education. Be grateful for this time to learn! Take a break. You deserve it. Refocus and restart- I believe in you. Relax. You are worth so much more than your grades. Enjoy yourself! Take some time to reflect on what makes you happy and do more of that! Smile. It looks good on you, and it helps the heart in times of stress:) Success. It means something different to everyone- create your own definition of success and strive for that. Encourage. Be there for your classmates, we are all in this together. Helping others can help you too. Do your best. That’s all we can for as teachers. You are exactly where you need to be. “We cannot control stress, but we have the ability to choose how we respond to it.” Throughout this course, we learned that when we are able to value stress as a good and valuable thing for our brains and emotional growth, we release oxytocin. Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone" because it is usually released when people bond socially.
Two resources for teachers on the importance of stress management and self-regulation in the classroom.Two Activities for StudentsIn high school, my cadet teaching mentor implemented GoNoodle exercises in her classroom once a day. If she could sense that her students were overwhelmed or stressed out from a long day, she would take a dancing break. I could tell it was the students favorite thing to do by the joy that immediately filled the room. She allowed for the students to get up, spread out and dance it out! This is a form of self-regulation, allowing them to channel their energy elsewhere so that they are ready to recenter and refocus for the remainder of the activity/school day.
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Relationships & ConnectionWhat is it and how can I implement it in my classroom?"Ultimately, it describes the complex social environment in which students and teachers converse, share experiences, and participate in activities that, together, make for engaged learning."
I.E: Communication, social engagement, relationships, cooperation, resolving conflicts and seeking help or helping. Building relationships and connection with your students is one of the most overlooked yet crucial components of a successful classroom. Allowing yourself as future educator to know each and every one of your students then allows you to teach and support them accordingly, Students feel more apt to ask for help from someone who they trust; if we truly want to be there for our students, we must first build that foundation of trust.
Our student's health is something that we discussed a lot throughout this course. I heard a lot of stories from fellow educators about their experiences with mental health in the classroom. It taught me a lot. Most of all, it taught me to love above all else. At the end of the day, that is what both relationships and connections are composed of: love, Personal ConnectionThis topic means a lot to me as a future educator as it is directly related to my educator philosophy, I have a huge heart for the power of connection. As a future educator, my focus is to “love the students first, then teach them.” The power of connection can be one of the most powerful tools in shifting behavior and creating meaningful relationships in the classroom. No student is unreachable or unteachable, it is just about recognizing their needs and going from there. I want to show up for my students. I want them to know that I love them, I see them, and I hear them. Reading Childhood Disrupted has completely shifted my focus on the development of my future students. Connection is a natural human instinct, it is something that we not only crave but need. Childhood Disrupted helped me to realize that not all students have access to that crucial connection at home; so many kids are lacking that relationship in their home life which then affects them later on in all aspects of life. I want to be that connection for them. Knowing what some of these children have gone through hurts my heart but I am prepared for that same trauma to be present in one of my future classrooms. I am a firm believer in the fact that empathy leads to change. I hope to be empathetic in everything I do, taking my professional role one day at a time making a difference, and loving wherever I can. Empowering my students to be authentically themselves is my top priority. I want my classroom to be a place of acceptance, love, and learning.
How will I encourage this in my classroom?I have listed four different strategies/activities down below to encourage and implement relationships/connections within the classroom. Each of these activities works to get to know your students rather than teaching them. Typically, it would be beneficial to implement these activities at the beginning of the school year to get an idea of how to proceed instructional wise. Truly knowing your students can change your entire perspective on teaching, these exercises below are powerful.
"I wish my teacher knew..." ActivityThis activity stemmed from a movement started by Kyle Schwartz, a teacher in Colorado. She asked her students to finish the sentence "I wish my teacher knew..." on an index card. She later published a book about her experience with this activity and all of the things she learned. The idea of this activity is getting a sense of what your students are like: what scares them, what they love, what they need help with- just overall, what they want YOU to know.
Dr. Teresa Meyer introduced this activity to me last year. The only difference was, we wrote her a letter instead. The method of presentation for this activity will vary based on student age. For elementary students, it may be easier to hand out index cards, as Kyle Schwartz did. However, for older students such as high school and college age, it may be more beneficial to gather their thoughts in letter format. The image above is a pure example of WHY this activity is so crucial for the relationship/connection side of a classroom. This student wanted to communicate to his/her teacher their struggles at home.
"I am.." ActivityThe "I am" activity promotes self-love and self-acceptance. If we want to truly know, love and support our students, we must teach them to reflect on themselves and who they are first.
This activity challenges the students to ask themselves three questions and fill in the blanks
I got this idea from Dr. Hochman who implemented it earlier this semester in our ED206 class.
"Something about me that you cannot see" ActivitySimilar to the other activities listed above, this exercise allows students to communicate something about themselves to their teacher that is not visible to the eye. Whether this be fun facts like, "I have a dog and two sisters or something deeper than that like, "my mom and dad both work and I am home alone most days." We, as educators have to be open to the possibility that our students may need us. Knowing these things about them is crucial to understanding, knowing and loving our students.
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