After completing an assignment for my graduate degree and talking with my dad about some observations I've had at school, I think regulation is an overlooked concept in schools. Now, hear me out because it's also an idea overlooked outside of schools too but for this post alone, I'll be focusing on the school setting!
My dad is a psychotherapist and one of his specialties includes working with families who foster, adopt, or have some form of trauma that creates Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). He was recently explaining to me the impact "dysregulation" can have not only on adults but children. If children are not getting their needs met at home, they come to school to feel loved and safe, not to learn and challenge themselves. Students who don't feel safe in the classroom will perform from a state of fight, flight, or freeze, making their amygdala constantly fire. This is not only bad for their learning, but has lasting effects on the brain. Students who feel dysregulated more than regulated will show signs such as behavior challenges, losing focus easily, getting frustrated easily, experiencing anxiety, feeling hopeless, and so much more.
With all that being said, the regulation need in the classroom starts with you, the teacher! Yes, that's right, it starts with you. We tend to be so stressed and dysregulated ourselves, that it actually impacts student learning. The speed you speak at, the tone you have, the reaction to situations, even the way in which you breathe all make or break a classroom. At first this sounds overwhelming and scary, but there are some real benefits when you focus on regulating yourself for the students. First, start by focusing on your breathing before students get to school. If you can ground yourself and allow your body to enter a regulated state, you'll be a much better teacher and person throughout the day! Second, try to respond, not react to situations. I know we as teachers wear a lot of hats, but if you can respond in love and empathy instead of letting your fight, flight, or freeze fire, you'll have a better outcome in the end. Third, be careful of how you speak in front of students. If you like to talk about the stressors from admin to your colleagues, the students can hear you and start to feed off your negative energy. Wait until the kids aren't around before discussing any stressors. Finally, focus on improving your mental health in and out of school. Teachers are giving almost to a fault, but it's so important to fill your own bucket, too.
Regulation is needed to be the best teacher you can be. I hope you continue to regulate and allow kids to regulate with you daily. Be the safety, love, and security those students need to thrive, not just survive! I would love to hear your strategies for regulating students and for self-regulation, so please leave a comment and check out my resources for more!
For my resources and more information, please see the links below: