Self Regulation

Topic: Self-regulation

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify their own feelings and those of others.
• Students will be able to use sensory tools (e.g. bubbles, calming music, soft blankets) to calm themselves down when they are upset.

Materials

• Bubbles
• Calming music
• Soft blankets
• Colored pencils

Warm-up

• Begin the lesson by asking students to share examples of things that can make them feel calm and relaxed. Write their ideas on the board.
• Next, ask students to share examples of things that make others feel calm and relaxed. Again, write their ideas on the board.
• Ask students if they can think of any ways that people can calm themselves down if they are upset or angry. Again, write their ideas on the board.
• Finally, ask students if they can think of any sensory tools (e.g. bubbles, calming music, soft blankets) that can be used to calm down. Again, write their ideas on the board.

Direct Instruction

• Explain to students that sometimes it can be hard to calm down when we are upset or angry.
• Share the list of ideas that students came up with and discuss the different ways of calming down.
• Discuss the use of sensory tools to calm down and explain how they work.
• Demonstrate how to use a specific sensory tool (e.g. blowing bubbles, listening to calming music) to calm down.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs and give each pair a sensory tool to use.
• Have students use the sensory tool while the teacher or another student walks around to assist and provide support as needed.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a favorite activity to do alone, such as drawing, coloring, or playing with a favorite toy.
• Have students use their chosen activity to calm down and center themselves.

Closure

• Have students share their chosen activity and how it helped them to calm down and center themselves.
• Ask students what else they can do to calm down and center themselves if they feel stressed or upset.

Assessment

• Observe students during independent practice and give feedback on their use of sensory tools and their ability to calm down and center themselves.
• Have students reflect on their own use of sensory tools and their ability to calm down and center themselves in their journals or during a small group sharing time.