# @edutopia on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbJbNxDOIv
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/20303793-edutopia-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/b39e30bd74.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-05-28T16:58:17.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Edutopia (@edutopia) — https://gondola.cc/edutopia

## Caption

Children with emotional disturbances—those who have experienced a significant traumatic event or had a broken connection with a caregiver—are “in a persistent state of alarm,” writes Lori Desautels, an assistant professor at Butler University.⁣
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But children have the capability to bounce back from adversity, and educators can establish a class environment that makes them feel safe and prepared to learn. ⁣
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Desautels suggests a few routines that have worked well in her classroom:⁣
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Establish Brain-Based Learning Areas: When students learn about their brain functions through specific activities, “they become more self-aware and fluent in their own cognitive processes,” writes Desautels. In her classroom, students can go to designated corners that correspond to the different parts of the brain, like the “amygdala first aid station,” to regulate negative emotions. ⁣
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🗒️ Share Personalized Notes: When students are in a negative brain state, they can’t learn, says Desautels. Teachers should reach out individually to let students know they’re available for help, and that they can communicate with one another throughout the day using check-in notes that share small goals and affirmations. ⁣
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🕐 Carve Out Time for Conversation: To help improve the behavior of all students, Desautels recommends using the “2x10 Strategy” developed by psychologist Raymond Wlodkowski. For two minutes each day, 10 days in a row, have a written or in-person conversation with a student about any topic of their interest, as long as it’s age appropriate.⁣
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📓 Encourage Journaling: Consider encouraging students to write in a private journal, where they can release anxiety, “clear[ing] space in the frontal lobes for positive emotion and higher cognitive processes,” writes Desautels.⁣
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“Students who struggle with emotional disturbances are some of our most vulnerable, but when we can create predictable and consistent support for them, their inner resilience can shine,” she writes.

#MentalHealth #SEL #SocialEmotionalLearning #TeachingStrategies

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## Tags

teachingstrategies, socialemotionallearning, mentalhealth, sel

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