May. 21, 2020

Contributed by Andrea Oka

During this uncertain time when our haumāna need support, we continue to share weekly tips for educators from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Following is an activity that can promote self-regulation when students are feeling stressed and provide a healthy sense of control over controllable aspects of an overwhelming situation.

Model and normalize a range of emotions by giving students opportunities to express themselves in nonverbal ways. This may include drawing a picture about how their lesson or day is going or showing the most important thing that happened to them that day. Teachers can complete this exercise first and share with students to model how to share with others in a way that feels safe and helps us feel connected.