Self-Regulation Strategies

1. Consider what types of breaks to provide in the classroom based on the age, learning styles, and preferences of your students. Here are some examples of some self-regulation options:

   • Mental Breaks: Take a mental break, especially after an emotionally or cognitively challenging activity or before transitioning to another activity. Mental breaks allow students to refresh their mental energy and refocus. Options:

     • Drawing/coloring

     • Completing a puzzle/sudoku/maze

     • Playing with a quiet toy (legos, kinetic sand, silly putty/play-doh/clay)

     • Reading a free reading book

     • Listening to a song on headphones

     • Sitting with a weighted blanket or stuffed animal

     • Journaling

     • Closing eyes

   • Body/Movement Breaks: Do a physical activity of some sort to release pent-up energy and get the blood flowing. Body breaks help students relax their bodies before settling into the task ahead.

     • Taking a walk

     • Stretching or doing yoga

     • Deep breathing or other breathing visualization activities

     • Getting a drink of water

     • Visiting a "calm down" classroom area

     • Playing with a quiet toy (legos, kinetic sand, silly putty/play-doh/clay)

     • Using a tactile bin (i.e. fill a shoebox-sized plastic container with sand, dry rice, or dry beans and let kids run their hands through it)

     • Cleaning up the classroom (i.e. wiping down the board or tables, putting away materials, or pushing in chairs)

   • Fidgets: Use a fidget (a small toy or object that a student manipulates in his or her hands) while reading, working or listening. Fidgets provide subtle movement and touch input that can help calm students' bodies and keep their minds attentive and focused.

     • There are tons of fidget toys available for sale online, but inexpensive fidgets can also be created from common materials: rubber bands, pipe cleaners, key rings, binder clips, etc.

   • Self-Talk Strategies: Talking to ourselves productively can help guide, motivate, and support our best work. Purposeful self-talk can boost productivity, motivation, and confidence.

     • Teach students explicit self-talk strategies. Consider using the self-talk model from Psychology Today (included as a resource below) so students can create their own self-talk phrases, or provide students with a list of self-talk affirmations like the free resource below from Teachers Pay Teachers.  

2. Prepare any necessary materials and identify a dedicated "self-regulation resource" area in your classroom. Consider adding visuals to your classroom, either identifying self-regulation strategy options or reminding students of self-regulation expectations.

3. Spend time in class explicitly teaching students about self-regulation strategies.

   • First, guide students in a discussion of when self-regulation strategies might be important. Consider modeling a personal example, i.e. explaining how, when you're feeling frustrated by a task, you like to take deep breaths before diving back in. Have students brainstorm self-regulation strategies that they already use.

   • Explain to students the expectations for self-regulation strategies. Consider:

     • Is there a specific way for students to signal to you that they need to take a brain or body break? This could be a special hand-raising signal, a sign-up sheet, or a laminated card they can give to the teacher to request a break.

     • How will students track the timing of their break? Depending on the students' age and experience with self-regulation, this could be a public timer, verbal reminders, or a student-monitored timer system.

     • Are there any norms you need to agree on for shared resources? You may want to create a sign-out system for any fidgets or toys, or designate a specific zone of the classroom for breaks so that they are not distracting to other students.

4. Allow students to begin using self-regulation strategies, and adjust self-regulation resources and expectations as needed.

   • Consider prompting students to use self-regulation strategies at specific intervals of class as they get used to using the strategies.

   • Praise students for successfully using self-regulation strategies. Give students the opportunity to praise one another for using self-regulation strategies effectively when they notice it.

   • After some time, give students to opportunity to reflect either individually or whole-class on how the self-regulation strategies are working.

     • Are students using the strategies?

     • Are the self-regulation strategies helping students focus? Which strategies are helping the most?

     • Are there specific self-regulation resources that they would like more or, or that are being used incorrectly?

     • Are students using self-regulation strategies in a way that is not distracting to other students?

     • Are there any additional self-regulation strategies that you should explicitly teach students? Consider having them practice a new breathing visualization technique or a new stretch they can do in their chair.

     • How can students better use self-regulation strategies that match what they are struggling with? If a student is stressed, that may require a different strategy than if they are tired or if they are antsy.

Distance learning increases the need for self-regulation strategies, as students and teachers are not in the same shared physical space. Strategically teaching students to self-regulate in a distance environment helps them to engage more fully with their work and avoid burn-out.

Implementation steps:

1. Talk with students about self-regulation and the importance of taking breaks. Ask students to reflect on the types of breaks that re-energize them, and the types of breaks that make it more difficult to return to work. These answers may be different for each child.

   • To modify this step for asynchronous learning, create a Padlet, Flipgrid, or Google Form for students to share the types of breaks they prefer and reflect on how breaks help them learn.

2. Model self-care and self-regulation. Throughout synchronous sessions, pause to take deep breaths with your students, to stretch, or to engage with a brain break.

   • If you are working mostly asynchronously with students, consider "assigning" breaks to students. Link GoNoodle videos, meditation exercises, or a social-emotional choice board to your distance learning platform to provide students with structure and ideas for how they can maximize their break time.

3. Create a schedule that students can follow at home. Work with families and guardians to create a schedule that honors students' and families' needs. See the examples linked below for suggestions and ideas about scheduling students' time.

4. Reflect with students on a frequent basis about how they feel and what helps them to focus.

Teaching students self-regulation strategies is a foundational tool teachers can use to better support all students with disabilities to become more engaged participants in their learning.  In order to plan effectively to support students with disabilities teachers should consider the following modifications:

Modifications:

1. Before deciding on a specific plan or goals for teaching self regulation strategies, teachers should consult with special education department administrators or specialized teachers that can give extra guidance on the best types of self-regulation strategies to use given the disability types in a classroom. See the following resources in the resource section below for more information: "Emotional Self Regulation: Techniques for Teaching," and "10 Tips for Teaching Emotional Regulation (& Improving Classroom Behavior at the Same Time)."
2. If multiple teachers are present, careful thought should be put into co-teaching models and how they integrate into a differentiated lesson plan to teach self-regulation strategies. See the "How to Choose a Co-teaching Model" and "Differentiation within the Inclusion Classroom Model" resources in the resource section below for more information.

This strategy guides learners to build a toolbox of strategies that help them stay focused, motivated, and productive in the classroom. As learners of culture, language, and content simultaneously, English learners may benefit from this strategy which guides them to recognize when they may need a break and how to pursue it. 

English learners are required to listen and discuss strategies and may need to read and write as well as part of the self-regulation strategies offered. In order to support English Learners consider the following modifications:

Modifications:

1. Ensure English learners participate in discussions about self-regulation strategies. For learners at lower levels of language proficiency, preview the topic of self-regulation in advance. Provide sentence stems, e.g., I feel (frustrated, angry, worried, anxious, overwhelmed when ____, for entering the discussion. Give learners the opportunity to write down their thoughts in advance.  Establish a signal, like tapping on a desk, so learners know they have a strong idea that you will call on them to share. Consider partnering with learners’ language specialist to preview the concept of self-regulation. See the "Preparing for Self-Regulation Strategies Class Discussion Template" in the resource section below.
2. Ensure English learners understand all rules, norms, signals, and resources that are established, e.g., ask for learners to restate in a 1:1 or small group setting. Consider posting these in an anchor chart. See the "Teacher Tool: Leveled Question Stems" resource in the resource section below.

GoNoodle

• GoNoodle is a web-based way to get younger kids out of their seats and moving. These short physical activities provide brain breaks that can help keep them focused throughout a long day.

• Studies have shown that physical activity increases blood flow, which increases concentration and attentiveness. GoNoodle make it easy to integrate short and fun brain breaks throughout a long class period.

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street

• Sesame Street's newest human resident, Mando, narrates while kids and a blue monster together tackle everyday frustrations -- like struggling to tie shoes, dealing with separation anxiety, taking turns, and going to bed -- and learn how to deal with them. Students must work through one problem before unlocking the next. Animated video clips show the blue monster's problem, then kids tap his belly to help him breathe deeply and calm down. When the monster is calm, students tap thought bubbles, which produces three possible strategies. Students get to choose which strategy the monster will try and then see him do it in another animated video clip. The technique of breathing, thinking, and doing is reinforced throughout.

• This app supports this strategy by providing young students with a fun and interactive way to learn self-regulating strategies