Self-Regulation Practices for Teachers and Students

Growing an awareness of my emotional state and developing an ability to self-regulate has benefited me, my students, and my relationships. When I practice self-regulating techniques, I feel better and have a stronger mindset. I am able to be fully in the moment with students and act as a coach to help them develop self-regulation awareness and skills.

As a result, students feel safe, valued, and that they belong, and they are available for learning. As Patricia Jennings writes in Mindfulness for Teachers: Simple Skills for Peace and Productivity in the Classroom, “Positive emotions enhance cognitive abilities and promote strong and enduring social relationships, good health, longevity, resistance to illness, agency, and efficacy.”

Below are some ideas for building self-regulation that I have found beneficial for myself and for students.

Teacher Practices

While these strategies are designed for the teacher, they are also helpful for any adult or student. I’m framing these as “teacher practices,” however, because for the student strategies in the next section to work, the teacher needs to be in a self-regulated state.

Beginnings and endings matter. I begin my morning by checking in with myself, often with meditation. I also try to set a daily intention to be fully present for my students and colleagues and to nurture a classroom climate of acceptance and community.

My emotional state in the classroom impacts students. If I’m having a difficult time, I try to share this with students and colleagues so they’re aware. I keep this brief—we all face challenging times—and then return to the learning focus. I use a simple phrase such as, “I have a lot on my mind and am setting an intention to be fully present. I just want you to know, as I may not be as focused as I am most days.”

Reflection is key to wrap up my day, and I try to journal to celebrate successes, get frustrations off my chest, jot down puzzles of practice I’m facing to generate ideas for addressing them, and signal closure to my day. This isn’t always possible or easy, yet when I do it, I can have a more enjoyable evening to rejuvenate for the next day.

I also journal throughout the day, even if it’s just writing a phrase or two in my notebook. If I don’t have time to journal, when my mind is swirling and I feel overwhelmed, I pause and envision one of the following thoughts, trying to focus on a few positives.

• I keep track of moments of gratitude and try to describe them or envision them with as much detail as possible. 
• I write down celebrations, small and large.
• I note the impact I’ve had on a student and include what I think made the difference.
• I  recall a favorite teacher, with a focus on a specific memory. 

Some people also review their journal entries to note patterns of thinking, which can be a powerful practice. 

Over the past year, I’ve tried to slow down and ask myself about the story I am telling myself about difficult situations. In Mindfulness for Teachers, Jennings writes about “scripts” or databases of stored emotional memories that influence how we feel, think, and act. Because there is so much information coming in at any moment, our brain will often make an appraisal based on past experiences and patterns.

When I’m stressed, I find my stories to be more negative. When this happens, I pause, breathe, and take a balcony view to give myself some space and gather objective observational data on a situation before responding. Jennings suggests that, if necessary, make a reappraisal—change the way you think about a situation to reduce the effect of an emotion. 

Student/Classroom Practices

We can promote student self-regulation and community in a number of ways. When teachers greet every student every day, they set a tone for the day. Students notice everything teachers do, so it’s important to reflect and model throughout the day, on tone of voice, facial expression, and body language.

When students feel seen and engage in meaningful instruction based on their interests, they will be more likely to remain in a learning flow. Teachers can listen to understand, make eye contact, and bend down to be at their level. 

Routines support self-regulation. A morning meeting builds community and is an excellent way to check in with the emotional states of students and provide resources and support throughout the day based on this information. Use a chime during transitions. Jennings suggests asking students to listen carefully to the chime, then calling on each of them by name to acknowledge them and invite them to make the transition.

Teachers can interview a focal student about their experiences inside and outside of school and ask them for feedback or suggestions on the classroom experience. A focal student is a student I want to know more about in order to improve my practices to better meet their needs.

Assigning jobs helps students feel needed, present, and valued. I also highly recommend closing the day or an activity by asking students to reflect on and/or share moments, activities, or people that bring them joy or pride; this can be celebratory and also calls attention to positive events.

Celebrations of learning can center students: Invite another class in to hear your class’s latest writing project, have a dance party, go outside for an extra 10 minutes to acknowledge a day of quick transitions or meeting a learning goal—the options are endless.

The only thing I can truly control is myself. By growing my skills of self-regulation, I can be more in control of my emotions and therefore the climate of my classroom. It all comes down to relationships, between me and students and between students as a community.

When I am regulated, I can access all my emotional and cognitive resources in order to develop strong positive relationships with students and help them develop relationships with each other. As a result, students experience success in the moment and in the future, as they develop social, emotional, and academic gains. Quoting again from Patricia Jennings’s book, “Every single day we can and do make incredibly valuable contributions to the lives of individual students and to society as a whole.”