Strategies
Drain, Balloon, Pretzel, Star
What is breathing.
What is self regulation?
Self-Regulation is the child's ability to express emotions and manage behaviors in healthy ways.
True/False
Safe space is where you send children when they are bad?
False
Safe space is an area for children to return back to calm. Most children will need teacher assistance at first, but as they learn will be able to use that space with little guidance.
A short description of a particular situation, event or behavior which include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why.
What is a social story
Give an example of a child showing self regulation.
Children demonstrate developing self-regulation skills in a variety of ways as they take turns and laugh with friends, navigate the daily routine,and cope with frustrating situations.
True/False
Safe space is another space for children to play
False
Safe place is an area where children do work to return to calm. The items in the safe space are tools not toys.
What you do, so will your students.
What is modeling
True/False
Only children need to work on self regulation skills
False
Teachers can get triggered to. It is okay to express your feelings and model taking a breathe.
True/False
After a child has successfully used safe space with support they are ready to use it by themself.
False
Children need repetition, consistency and lots of positive reinforcement to get to the action of using safe space by themself.
"I see you using your walking feet" and giving the child a high five
"Wow! Look at you taking your time at writing your letters"
"You took a breathe and kept your hands to yourself, then you used your words. That was awesome"
What is positive reinforcement
True/False
disciplining a child by taking away a toy or telling them they can't play in a specific area anymore because they are not behaving properly helps teach the child self-regulation skills.
False
Self-regulation skills are not something we are born with. It needs to be taught. Many things have effects on a child's self-regulation skills, for example what the child see's and is taught at home.
Where is a infant/toddler safe space?
A calm, intergrated adult is a child's primary safe place. Helping a child move from an upset state to a composed one requires us to remain calm. Our inner state helps regulate the child's inner state.
Provide visual and auditory signals when children prepare for transitions.
What is reminders
For example, use cue cards, give a gentle verbal reminder, and hold up a bin to remind a child where a toy belongs and so on.
Why must a child's basic needs be met before they can self-regulate?
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of needs a child's physiological needs like air, water, food, shelter, sleep, and clothing must be met for child to move to safety needs then move to love and belonging. If a child is hungry, does not feel safe and does not feel loved in the classroom they will performing from the brain stem and not the executive state where they are ready to learn.
Children don't seem to be using safe space in a helpful manner and spend lots of time in safe space, what do I do?
Self-reflection is the first step. Have we provided assistance to the children to know how to use the space? Is the space in an area to close to a play area? Have we been consistent and repetitive to make the safe space successful?
Next think about what has been going on in your classroom, what is going on with the child, and why they may be spending lots of time in safe space.