How Teachers Can Support Students’ Wellbeing in the Classroom
There are simple steps that teachers and educators can do to help their incoming students feel safe and cheerful as they return to school this year. How can teachers welcome their students back while also setting the tone for a year of growth? We came up with a few tips to start the school year off on the right foot!
Set the Stage by Creating a Safe, Sensory-Friendly Environment
Make sure your students have a space to explore their emotions and give them strategies they can do to help them learn how to self-regulate. This could be creating a classroom sensory corner where students can utilize sensory tools to help them calm their bodies. Research has shown that a sensory space could also help students create a feeling of security, especially during times of dysregulation (McClelland & Cameron, 2011). SENSE-ational Spaces was started by two registered occupational therapists who still currently practice in the school setting, and understand what teachers need in their classrooms.
2. Incorporate Self-Regulation Opportunities Into the Schedule
Helping students identify and name their emotions, especially the super big feelings like anger can help them feel more in control of the situation. Guide your students through an emotional temperature check, where they:
Name the emotion they are feeling as precisely as possible, and
Accept that these emotions are valid.
Our emotions are information; therefore, they are valid! Building this kind of emotional awareness in the classroom is super important to their overall wellness (Francis, Chin & Vella-Brodrick, 2020)! Some students may need more support when talking about their feelings specifically. Try these strategies below!
Model Nuance: Are you feeling happy or excited? Sad or discouraged? Are you feeling several things at once? That’s okay! Modeling is a really positive strategy.
Honor how students can process and express themselves differently. Some students may need more time than just during class time, they may need to journal privately first or talk through them one-on-one. This can be done at the beginning of the school year by sending out a survey to find out each student’s strengths and learning styles which in turn can help you develop innovative ways to meet the needs of your students.
Lean into their creativity! Giving students the opportunity to create through sketches, painting, or even sculpting can help them explore their feelings through art.
3. Get Movement Throughout the Day
This is not new to anyone, but incorporating movement throughout the day is an important part of our physical health! Getting movement breaks in throughout the day allows students to seek out the preferred sensory input that they can’t get while sitting at a desk. Incorporating a 5-minute break between classes for students to receive proprioceptive and vestibular input from activities can help increase their focus and attention while in class (Chou et al., 2012)! Another great option to think about incorporating into your school is sensory hallways! This is a great outlet for students to get their preferred input on the way to their next class. OT Toolbox, Teachers Pay Teachers, and Fun Sensory Play offers printable sensory stations for a sensory path, some are even free! It can be easily incorporated and offers opportunities for self-regulation outside of the classroom! If your school is committed to investing in a sensory hallway, below is an example of what equipment to include, contact us for additional help!
4. Meet the Students at Their Level
Ensuring that you are meeting your students at their intellectual level is another important aspect to consider when helping them thrive throughout the school year. In the world of OT, we call this the “just right challenge”. This means adapting the lesson or assignment to challenge each student through your preferred instructional approach. If the content is above their intellectual level, they may feel discouraged or incapable, resulting in disengagement from the class. Or if it is below their intellectual ability, they may become bored or distracted. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to individualized learning. Time constraints and large class sizes can make it difficult to provide individualized learning. An approach that could be used to support all students is to scaffold learning by approaching new concepts in multiple ways such as modeling, breaking it down, and using visual aids (Cox, 2012).
5. Put Wellness Into Practice
To ensure wellness is at the forefront, it can help create a space for open and honest conversations (even the hard ones) and openly discuss how important this is by going over resources and teaching strategies for emotional health.
Here is a choice board that can help students to make time for wellness. These options can be adapted to any grade level and are both general and accessible. It offers more specific ways for students to recognize where they are now and to practice healthy wellness strategies. Some teachers like to incorporate wellness routines at the beginning of the day to set the tone, but do whatever works best for you! It could also be beneficial to build in 5-minute brain breaks between classes and after lunchtime/recess.
References
Chou, L.-W., Lin, Y.-F., Min, L.-W., & Lin, C.-K. (2012). Effectiveness of sensory processing strategies on activity level in inclusive preschool classrooms. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 475. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s37146
Cox, J. (2022, August 23). Individualized instruction: Meeting the needs of all students starts on the first day of school. Hey Teach! https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/individual-instruction-meeting-needs-all-students-starts-first-day-school2108.html
Francis, J., Chin, T.-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (2020). Examining emotional literacy development using a brief online positive psychology intervention with primary school children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7612. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207612
McClelland, M., & Cameron, C. (2011). Self-regulation and academic achievement in elementary school children. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2011(133), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.302