The end of summer is here. Teachers, children, and families alike are preparing to head back to school. For everyone involved, this can be a stressful time. A transition this big is hard; routines change, new faces appear, familiar ones return, and environments shift. We’re all adjusting to the “new normal.”
Let’s be real: the beginning of the school year is often filled with big feelings; tears, confusion, excitement, nervousness… and everything in between. And that’s okay.
So here’s the big question:
How will you support your students through this time of change?
Let’s start by turning inward.
How do you support yourself during stressful times?
What calming strategies do you already use in your personal life… and how might you bring those into your classroom?
The truth is, young children learn how to regulate emotions by watching the adults around them. If you’re using healthy, calming strategies, and modeling those in real time, children are far more likely to adopt them too. The classroom should be a place not just for academic learning, but emotional growth as well.
Here are a few powerful, teacher-modeled strategies that can help:
1. The Calm Down Corner
Create a calm down space in your classroom stocked with tools to help children regulate emotions; like breathing posters, sensory items (fidgets, calm down jars), soft pillows, books, mirrors, or stuffed animals.
But here’s the key: just having a calm down corner isn’t enough.
Introduce it clearly. Talk about what it’s for and how to use it. Revisit the expectations often.
Model its use openly:
“I’m feeling really frustrated right now because I can’t find my clipboard. I’m going to take a few deep breaths in the calm down area.”
Teach children how to use the space during group time: What are materials for? How many children can use the space at once? What do they do when they’re ready to rejoin the group?
When you use it, they will too.
2. Yoga & Movement
Incorporate yoga and mindful movement into your daily routine. Teach simple poses during group times or before rest. Let children create their own poses too!
Hang pictures of children doing yoga around the room to remind them they can use these tools whenever they need.
Yoga naturally encourages deep breathing and helps children focus their attention inward, both essential tools for calming down.
3. Walking Breaks
Sometimes, stepping away is the best reset. Walking; either outside or just to a different space, can help shift focus away from a stressor and toward something more grounding.
Of course, walking breaks require clear safety conversations and expectations, but when used appropriately, they can be a powerful tool to reset the mind and body. Don’t be afraid to add this to your daily/weekly/monthly routine. The more you practice the better you get at it!
4. Journaling or Drawing
Do your students have journals or access to paper for drawing and writing?
Journaling can be a powerful way for young children to process emotions. They can draw about something that made them sad, write (or dictate) a letter to a parent they miss, or sketch out a story from their imagination. Sometimes, the act of creating is what helps calm the storm inside.
This also builds reflection skills and gives you insight into what your students might be feeling or experiencing. Having a personal journal can help with ownership and privacy.
Final Thoughts
Remember: what you model is what they learn.
If you take time to regulate yourself, show patience, and practice calm-down strategies openly, your children will learn to do the same. The more these practices are embedded into your daily routines, the more natural they will become for you and for your students.
So as we start this new school year, take a moment to reflect:
What calming strategies do you already use?
Which ones can you bring into your classroom this fall?
Your calm becomes their calm. Let that be your superpower.
The Transforming Teacher 