Every teacher has a troubled student, and each child is unique in how they deal with their emotions and reactions to the stresses that come with everyday life. In this article we’ll be covering the importance of emotional regulation and techniques to help your class manage their emotional outbursts.

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage one’s emotions in a healthy and productive way. It is an essential skill for success in school, work, and relationships.There are many factors that can contribute to emotional dysregulation, including:

Genetics: Some people are simply more prone to emotional dysregulation than others.

Neurological factors: Certain neurological conditions, such as ADHD and autism, can make it difficult to regulate emotions.

Environmental factors: Growing up in a chaotic or stressful environment can also make it difficult to learn how to regulate emotions.

If you are a teacher, you may have students who struggle with emotional regulation. These students may have difficulty controlling their anger, frustration, or sadness. They are also likely to have difficulty staying focused and on task. Here are a few strategies you can try to help your students learn how to regulate their emotions.

Model emotional regulation: Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. If you want your students to learn how to regulate their emotions, you need to model that behaviour yourself. When you are feeling angry or frustrated, take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down before you respond to your students. A lot can be said for this in our personal lives too!

Talk about emotions: Help your students understand that it is normal to feel a range of emotions. Teach them the names of different emotions and how to identify them in themselves and others.

Mindfulness in the classroom: Research by mindful schools indicated that 89% of students improved their emotional regulation when mindfulness practices were implemented into everyday class life.

Help your students identify their triggers: What are the things that make your students feel angry, frustrated, or sad? Once you know what their triggers are, you can help them avoid those situations or develop coping mechanisms for dealing with them.

Teach your students coping mechanisms: There are many different coping mechanisms that can help people regulate their emotions. Some common coping mechanisms include deep breathing, counting to 10, and visualising a peaceful place. Teach your students a variety of coping mechanisms so they can find what works best for them.

Be patient: Learning how to regulate emotions takes time and practice. Be patient with your students as they learn this important skill.

Emotional regulation is a complex skill, but it is one that is essential for success. By helping your students to regulate their emotions, you are setting the foundation they need to succeed as they move into adult life.

What techniques do you have to help embed emotional regulation techniques in your classroom? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.

This article was written by the TeacherHaven team, help us support education by contributing to our blog, email us at info@doceoconsulting.co.uk