Classroom Self-Regulation Strategies for a Conducive Learning Environment

Below is a chart listing the strategies that I use to teach children self-regulation and manage the classroom learning environment. A number of years ago, I began to feel frustrated that student behavior was changing and teaching was getting harder.The behavior changed the learning environment so much it became harder for the students to learn in the classroom. Since I am so passionate about quality education and raising lifelong learners, I went on a quest to find ways to make my classroom calmer and more conducive to learning. Recently I went to a workshop on teaching the Core Competencies of our new curriculum. It was put on by Shelly Hegedus from the Langley School District. She shared books and strategies that help us teach the core curriculum. It made me realize that many of the strategies that I have developed and started using in order to improve the learning potential of the room were also helping teach the Core Competencies. So I have also listed which Core Competency each strategies helps foster.

Daily - built into the day’s routine	Ongoing – as needed
Goal setting - each morning students set a learning goal for themselves in their agendas. With younger students the focus is on making themselves better students/learners and to set specific and realistic goals. After they master this, they can focus on also making their goals accountable and timely. Personal Awareness and Responsibility	Power statements - to help children learn to solve social issues and reduce the amount of time I spend listening to endless complaints made by students about their peers, I ask students to use their power statements before they come to me. The power statements are: Stop… I don't like… I want… We spend time going over different examples and to use these statements specifically. But even when used generally, “Stop it. I don't like that. I want you to stop.” I find that it is still a really helpful strategy for resolving conflicts and helping students learn to be assertive. Once we have learned this strategy, when a student comes up to me to complain about a peer, I say, “Did you use your power statements?” Usually at the beginning of the year, they haven't. So they go back and practice, or I help them use them. 99% of the time that is enough. Of course there are still issues that kids will need our help with especially if the issues are recurring. Communication Social Responsibility
Agendas use - Agendas are also filled out with upcoming events. Kids appreciate knowing what will happen, when, and how far away special events are. Personal Awareness and Responsibility Communication	Three before me, please -  to help make students more accountable, I have a three before me rule. If a child comes up to ask me something I have already explained to the class, I say “Three for me, please.” They know that means I've covered that in detail so if they go ask three other people in the classroom they will probably find someone who can explain it to them. If I don't have to repeat instructions over and over again then I can spend more time interacting with students in more meaningful ways. Personal Awareness and Responsibility Social Responsibility
Identifying feelings - Shortly after we do our agenda goals, we meet at the carpet area to share how we are feeling and why. In the beginning when students are learning this process, they often say they are happy because they are at school. I find this a great starting point. I always go last and try to share a variety of feeling like hopeful, proud, grateful, peaceful… Personal Awareness and Responsibility Communication	Shelf pictures -  on the shelves that manipulatives are kept on, I take pictures of them and staple the picture above the shelf. Then students can put away the manipulatives as they are seen in the picture. This helps them with their accountability and clean up. Social Responsibility
Shape of the day – is always up on the board and I briefly go over it. The kids find this very soothing. In fact, if I make a mistake in the shape of the day, the students point it out to me right away. It’s one of the first things many students do when they come in. It helps them take their day in stride. Personal Awareness and Responsibility	Standing at desks - I allow students to stand at their desk as long as they tuck their chair in first (so that it isn't in the way for someone to trip over) and this allows them to get a little bit more wiggle time without being disruptive to those around them. Social Responsibility Personal Awareness and Responsibility
Yoga - when we are done our carpet time we do a few yoga poses. I ask the students to pay close attention to their bodies and what is going on inside. To foster this awareness. I frequently stop to ask them what they felt in their body during their last pose. Personal Awareness and Responsibility	Problem-solving sheet - if students have a problem that breaks one of our school rules: 1) Respect yourself 2) Respect others 3) Respect your environment. Then I give them a problem-solving sheet that asks them to pinpoint which role they broke, explain specifically how they broke it explain why and what actions they could've taken instead. Then they take the sheet home to get it signed by a parent. That way they have a chance to discuss the issue with a parent as well. Social Responsibility Personal Awareness and Responsibility Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
Brain exercises - The students have learned how a variety of “brain exercises” that help them learn to calm and focus themselves so that they can make wiser choices and learn better. Our most common brain exercises are: Listen to the chime, “I can do it!”, “I like myself!”, Belly Breathing, Five Square Breathing, Gratitude, “Peace in, smiles out”. All of these exercises are taught with a lesson at the start of the year. The special helper for the day gets to choose which one we will do that morning. Personal Awareness and Responsibility	Calm bomb – is a sparkle bottle that students can shake up when they are feeling frustrated or angry and then watch the sparkles settle to the bottom. While watching the bottle settle they imagine their minds settling. They can keep shaking and watching until they feel calm. Personal Awareness and Responsibility
3 Things – is done at the end of the day. This is where we reflect on: 1) something that was good in our day 2) something we are grateful for 3) something we are proud of ourselves for. This helps us develop our positive thinking skills and end our day on a positive note. Positive Personal and Cultural Identity	Timers - A great trick for focus when one is feeling particularly unfocused is to set a timer for a few minutes and then focus on your work until the timer goes. Then take a 1 minute break and reset the timer. Depending on the child I will suggest an amount of time that I think is manageable for them, probably 2-4 minutes. Personal Awareness and Responsibility
	Zones of Regulation – After we have practiced identifying our feelings, I introduce the Zones of Regulation and discuss which feeling are within each zone. We try to come up with more than just those listed on my posters. We discuss what strategies we can use to bring us into the green zone since this is the best zone to be in for learning. Personal Awareness and Responsibility

The only Core Competencies not touched on here are Creative Thinking and Critical Thinking which are easily taught alongside Inquiry, Science, Social Studies, the Arts, Mathematics, and Language Arts