As teachers, we play an important part in supporting children’s social-emotional development, which is an integral component of their overall health. Since this month is Mental Health Awareness Month, we would like to provide you with some classroom strategies that support social-emotional development, by encouraging the following: social interaction and relationship building skills, curiosity and initiative, and the use of problem-solving and self-regulation skills.
- Design a Peace Table opens in a new tab for conducting conversations
- Prompt and guide children’s desired behavior: “I noticed you helped Alex today with cleaning up. That was so kind of you.”
- Reinforce children’s good choices and link their actions to positive outcomes: “I noticed you decided to join the group for working on the building project. You shared some great ideas. I also noticed you listened to what your peers had to say; you showed some great collaboration skills.”
- Model persistence during challenging tasks, explaining that unsuccessful attempts to do something are not failures, but simply steps toward learning what will work: “Even though your bridge kept falling over, I noticed you were not giving up on your idea. Sketching helped you understand that sometimes we need to use different materials.”
- Provide cooperative board games opens in a new tab for your students
- Introduce children to relaxation exercises: yoga, Tibetan singing bowl, or a nature “noticing” walk opens in a new tab
For us to incorporate mindfulness practices with our students, we also need to focus on ourselves by incorporating daily relaxation practices. We as adults can engage in practices such as yoga, going on a nature walk, meditation, and engaging in mindful eating. The website Positive Psychology opens in a new tab provides great resources regarding mindfulness practices for adults including individual as well as group activities, and a thorough description of each.
