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I like to have small groups with younger grades. They still need that social interaction, but too many people in the group can be distracting and no work gets done. I want to have alternative lighting in my room to create a more calming welcoming feel. I also like having a reading corner, so they do not have to read at their desk. However, I know how it feels to not be able to get a special seating so I would opt for those round cushions. That way I could have more reading seating. I like the idea of a table to be able to pull out small groups, or just to have a wider work space than my desk. I also think it is important to have a carpet space for kids, big and small. We can have read aloud time, morning meetings, or a sharing space for any occasion.

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I like the tip of having designated talking and no talking times. I know many teachers like to use those light buttons, and I would use those as visual cues. If the green light is on, you may talk with your inside voice, but if the red light is on, that means it is the teacher's turn to talk and teach. You can have a class discussion of when they would like their special talking times to be like after a lesson before another one and then at recess. Of course there will be talking times during the day for educational purposes. However, for their own little conversations or songs, there will be a time and place.

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I open my mouth to review the directions that are written on the board when it starts. It's a low hum at first, almost unnoticed. I could ignore it... what's one whisper in the hustle of a classroom day? But then there's a swell in the noise. It's no longer a low whisper, but a steady rumble. Like a stream falling over a cliff. They are at it once again. I close my mouth, purse my lips and breathe in the frustration through my nose. This chatty class is going to be the death of me.

We've all had it... the dreaded chatty class... the class that won't quiet down for ANYTHING. Not candy... not when the principal walks in... not even if you move their clip, take a Dojo point, or whatever. THEY. NEVER. STOP. TALKING.

This type of class is not only frustrating but also close to impossible to teach. How many times do you have to restart a lesson, repeat directions, reteach a concept because THEY were talking?

Chances are you've tried EVERYTHING in your bag of teacher tricks. Punishing the talkers, rewarding the nontalkers, waiting until the all the talking has stopped (Ha!).. and it's still not working.

You start doubting yourself and your abilities as a teacher:
If your lessons were more engaging they'd listen... If you were louder they'd listen...
Chatty Class Switch
If they had more recess time and less test time, they'd listen...
My first year teaching, I had a terrible class. They were mostly behavior problem boys mixed in with girls who just wanted to make it through the day. But, they weren't talkers. They didn't talk all day. They'd sing random songs during seat work... but not talk. Maybe a few whispers in line, or a few giggles during a lesson, but nothing that couldn't be remedied by a stern glance or a move of a clip. Even for a few years... I didn't seem to have an issue with talking.

But about 5 years ago, it happened.

It was like a switch was flipped on. The talking switch.

The chatty class switch and from then on, it was like no one could figure out how to switch it off (including me!) I was teaching the same way as before, I was talking the same way as before. Same stern looks, same moved clips, but it was like a power deeper than them was pushing them to talk. Like it was physically impossible for them to stop.

My frustrations were high... their learning low... and I was at the end of my rope.

The crazy thing is... I'm not the only one who felt the switch. Every time I'd mention my chatty class, my concerns were echoed by my coworkers, teacher friends, and the online teaching community. We were all feeling this chatty class problem!

But there's some good news and not so good news about this talking situation.

I'll start with the good news.

Research on Talking and Your Talkative Class

The Good News on Talking

The good news is talking out loud is actually developmentally important to young children.

"Children do think out loud until they're about seven or eight (it's part of the developmental process), although some children talk to themselves more, some talk less," says Lana-Lee Hardacre, a professor of early childhood education at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont. She explains that if your car is skidding, you might say, "I have to remember to turn in the direction I want to go," but you say it in your head. Young children, by contrast, may say out loud what they're thinking.

This type of talking out loud is appropriate for children until they are about 7 or 8 years old. This means you're not actually going crazy when you see your first graders just talking to talk. Not to an actual friend or neighbor or anyone for that matter. They are just speaking out their thinking.

The Bad News on Talking

Now for the not so good news...

The general increase in talking is also a product of screen time. We all know our students spend the majority of their time sitting in front of a screen. If it's not the TV or latest video game, it's a tablet, computer, or a parent's phone as they run errands. All this constant inundation with visual and audio stimulation changes a child's brain. It trains them to think they need to have constant stimulation. A few articles have linked the addiction to screen time to that similar to drugs. Oh boy...

And that need for stimulation can come out as talking (or noise making) in the classroom. Yeah...

I could go on and on about the links between our technology obsessed students and their social demise... but let's stay focused! We have a chatty class issue to solve!

So, what's a stressed out, over-worked, underpaid teacher to do with all these technology doped students who are too busy talking to actually learn? Don't worry there are some remedies...I'm sharing some of the best strategies for taming that talkative class!

1. Don't Start a Lesson until the Talking has Stopped Completely

It sounds easier than it is... I mean, this meme exists for a reason!

But as hard as it is... resist the urge! Truly wait until all the talking is done before you give directions, start a lesson, or anything! It will take a few times... maybe even a few weeks to train you and your students, but waiting until you have everyone's full attention will help with the issue of students talking while you're talking. (Oh and keep their attention until you're done!)

How to Implement in Your Classroom

The easiest way I've found to do this is to have an attention getter that pulls double duty. Not only does it let students know you need their attention, but here's how that attention needs to look: it should be direct, clear, and used often with fidelity (I hate that word too, but here it's true!) If you undermine your attention getter by starting before all students are ready, you're just setting yourself up for future frustration!

Some Attention Getters:

Eyes and ears on me in 3-2-1- This is my trusty go-to for getting students to quiet down. As I waited for all eyes and ears, I'd point with my two fingers at students who were and were not following the directions. I am not a fan of humiliation tactics in the classroom, but when everyone else has settled and that one kid hasn't... they quickly quiet down when my eyes and everyone else's are on them.

Class-Yes- This is whole brain call and response that worked wonders with my third graders. It is simple, you train your class that when you say "Class" they respond with "Yes". What sets this apart from other attention getters is that students have to respond in the exact way you called. So, if you say "Classity-class-class" they respond with "Yessity-yes-yes".

Give Me Five- This is an old primary teacher stand by. When the teacher says, "Give me five!", the class responds by holding their open hand up toward the teacher. The five stands for:

1. eyes on speaker

2. mouth closed

3. hands quiet

4. being still

5. Listening

Although this is an old standby, it's one I've struggled with...it just doesn't seem to be as effective. I think the reason being that every teacher has used it at some point... so the novelty has worn off and kids are almost immune to it. Kind of like yelling... if you are always yelling... the kids tune it out and therefore is no longer effective.

There are tons of others, but here are a few others to get your mind thinking. (Sign up at the end to get this sheet for free!)

The key here is consistency. Choose one and stick with it. You can add in more as the year goes on... but be consistent. If you get lax with these, then they become ineffective and you're back to the same problem as before! Remember- WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE IS QUIET AND LISTENING.

2. Designate Talking and No Talking Times

It seems like such a simple thing. Especially if you teach an upper-grade level where students are more than familiar with the unspoken rules of school. But, if your class is having issues talking, they obviously didn't pick up on those talking rules.

To remedy this... designate distinct "Talking" and "No Talking" time.

Like I said earlier, my first year, I didn't have an issue with talking, I had an issue with singing. My class loved to sing at random times during the school day. I could either constantly battle with the singing (a war I was not winning) or I could make it work for me. My new teacher exhaustion pushed me towards the latter.

After another " coming to Jesus" talk with my class, we brainstormed times that it would be ok to sing and times when it wouldn't.

Times to Sing:

-During morning work

-During independent work time

-At recess

Times not to Sing:

-During the teacher's lesson

-Small group time

-Walking in line

-Tests

-DEAR time

I kept our brainstorm chart posted on the blinds and would refer to it during the day. To reinforce this, I started writing on the board whether it was a singing or non-singing time and reminded students of our chart.

If students started singing during the non-singing time, they had to move their clip, and singing time for later was "canceled". I'm not gonna lie... this was hard. I hated punishing my whole class for one student's mistake, but the situation was extreme and that meant extreme measures. Luckily, it only took a few times of lost singing time for students to get the hint. We spent the rest of the year's morning work time singing. It wasn't so bad. In hindsight, I would have had the students come up with reasonable consequences for infractions, but I was a first-year teacher trying to keep my head above water... not the Dali Lama.

How to Implement in Your Classroom:

Work as a class to designate "talking" and "non-talking" times, then brainstorm consequences for not following directions. Keep your brainstorm posted in the classroom and refer to it frequently, especially as you're heading into a "non-talking" part of the day. (See the end of this post to grab these for FREE!)

Also, use a visual cue for students as to what time they are in. These "Talking" and "No Talking" signs are FREE! So click the picture to snag them (and some other very helpful resources!)

3. Use Voice Level Guidelines to Help Curb Your Chatty Class

So, let's be honest... at some point during the day, students HAVE to talk. They have too! How can you complete partner work or group work without talking? So... for these time, I like to have designated voice level guidelines.

At the beginning of the year, I teach my students about voice levels. We discuss and practice each level and I hold students accountable for their levels. I've found having these posters displayed made a huge difference and students would even remind each other of their levels.

You can download a free version of these for free at the end of this post!

How to implement in Your Classroom

If you've found that your students are loud at inappropriate times, these are your best friend! You do have to train your students on what they mean (and how they look and sound in your classroom!) so, expect some leg work when implementing!

Keep the signs posted- makes it easier to refer to throughout the day

Designate a level before your lesson or activity. If we're about to take a test, I'll remind students we're on a level zero or no noise. If we're doing a group project, I'll show them their respective level. We then practice what it feels and sounds like to be on that level. I promise your students will love saying hello to you in a level '0' voice!

4. Integrate Talking into Your Lesson

Remember, talking is a way for students to process their learning, so allowing talking during lessons will help satisfy the need to talk, but in a productive and engaging way.

-Collaborative discussions

-Turn and talk time

-Number Talks

-Kagan Structures

How to Implement in your Classroom

Anytime you can take a time from you talking about learning and switch it to a time where your students are talking about learning, you're in for a win! For me, that's being done with collaborative discussions. You can read this post to understand more about this amazing routine, but the skinny is... teach your students to ask the questions AND give them time to ask.

For "turn and talk", this is a quick response activity I like to work into lessons or activities that I know students are going to want to talk A LOT about... but I don't really have time to listen to everyone's story. Think anticipatory set, or "what would you do?" questions. To implement is easy, after posing a question and giving think time, have students turn to a neighbor and discuss. To bring back the class after a few moments, I count down from 10. By 5 they should wrap up their convo and by 1 they should be done.

Number talks are a massively meaningful routine that I could take a whole blog post by themselves. But they are amazing! This routine is perfect for math and gives students a chance to share their thinking. You can read this post to learn a little more about this math chat routine.

Kagan structures are one of those amazing routines you're not quite sure where you picked it up, but you're sooo thankful you did! There are dozens of Kagan structures, but the one that can end you're talking too much blues is called, "Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up". To play, have students stand up with their hand raised in the air. Then, students walk around the room and clap their hands with someone else to show they are partners. They take turns answering a question. Then, continue to move around the room with their hand raised. Play until most students have had a chance to talk. I love doing this activity as a day starter after a break or a field trip. They get to talk in a meaningful, but an organized way and I get have quiet for the next lesson! #teacherwinning

5. Back it Up and Try it Again
Favorite Ways to Integrate Talking:
So, we can all agree that talking gets in the way of learning. But more importantly, it gets in the way of listening. If students are talking, then there is no way they are listening. Tiny humans are not built to function that way.

So, if students are talking while instructions are being given: stop, wait... and start all over again. Restate those first few steps, or reread that page, or restate that sentence. I know it's annoying... but you're banking on that annoyance to have students want to stay quiet.

How to Implement in Your Classroom

This is the easiest of all the suggestions today. When something is being communicated to the class and the class is talking. YOU (or the person presenting) stop and work to regain your student's attention. Then, you restart what was being shared. You can take it all the way back to the beginning (if you weren't too far in) or just to the last sentence. Either way, you share what can be assumed was missed. That's it. Simple. 🙂

So those are just a few ways to quiet a chatty class. But, let me warn you. All these tips, tricks, and ideas are moot if you're not consistent. If you're going to use voice levels, then continue to use those terms from the beginning of the year to the end. Don't be afraid to hold your students accountable for their actions. It's much easier when you've set a clear expectation and you've consistently held on to that expectation the whole time. Students will learn and adjust their behavior. But remember... you have to be consistent!!!

I opened my eyes and threw up my heads. "Boys and girls! Eyes and ears on me in 3...2...1..." , and I waited as the rushing stream of talking began to cipher off. Wait for it... I whispered to myself. I scanned the room and made eye contact with the students who already were quiet. Acknowledging and rewarding their quick response with a smile. Then, I walked over to the two students who were still chatty away as if nothing else existed in the world ( especially not their teacher who was trying to review directions and get their attention). I catch their eyes and motioned up to my hand. Immediately, the chatting stopped. PTL... I thought. PTL!

I swooped back to the board and started, "I'm going to go through the directions with you, then you'll have time to talk to your team. " and I started over with repeating the directions for number one.

Want to grab these resources for yourself? Subscribe below!

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Quieting the Chatter: 5 Tips for Dealing with A Chatty Class

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I open my mouth to review the directions that are written on the board when it starts. It's a low hum at first, almost unnoticed. I could ignore it... what's one whisper in the hustle of a classroom day? But then there's a swell in the noise.

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Looking at the colored tags in the corner ->

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With the use of Chromebooks, students (especially younger) are constantly coming up to the teacher asking them to help with their passwords. To save the teacher time, and to teach responsibility, the students can walk to the tags. On the outward facing side, it has their name on it, and on the backside it contains the username and password for their Chromebooks. When they are done, they promptly return them to the spot on the hook. The hope is to teach them to responsible and self-sufficient as there is not enough time for the teacher to type in everyone's information.

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Even if it is just writing the schedule on the board, kids like to know what is happening next. Having a visual schedule is also a nice reminder for the teachers, so they don't have to memorize their days. When kids know what to expect, it makes the transitions a whole lot easier.

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These are simple steps to having a seamless transition. If you have everything ready, there is no waiting period for them to get off task. As well, setting the expectations for the transitions every single time gets them in a routine, so they will eventually know them by heart.

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How to Unlock Seamless Classroom Transitions - Teacher Toni

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Teacher, is your primary class losing time and taking energy in transitions between activities? These five strategies will make your transitions seamless.

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Little kids like to move, especially when you can make it fun. You can tip toe, lunge, or hop to the next location. It gets them moving and puts a twist on an otherwise boring transition. It gives them something to do rather than stand in line talking or playing with something they're not supposed to. I had a first grader come up to me pretending to be a bunny, and to get her to go back to her seat, I asked her to hop back to her seat. She hopped back to her desk, and she was on task next thing.

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I love using these visual timers. I put them on while they do work or during a time that I like to keep a time limit to. For example, morning breakfast or if they have in door recess. Primary students are very visual, and it adds a fun element to a boring waiting period. I used a ticking bomb for a first grade class and they were running to their seats like it was actually going to explode.

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Welcome to our amazing Classroom Timer Section! We've decided to put our new fun timers, and timers for classrooms into a nice sub-section. These are great timers for children, or maybe meetings, or anything really.

They just add some extra fun to the usual countdown timers :-)

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A range of fun timers! Great for the classroom, or meetings. Bookmark some new educational materials today! All Free, all for download.

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I know that this not a podcast, but I could not pass this for my positive classroom environment. Something I really want to do in my classroom, no matter the grade, is make it endlessly inclusive. It is going to take practice, but I know I could do it eventually. I want to be inclusive with pronouns, images, and disabilities. As well, I want to teach my kids to be inclusive and to teach them WHY and HOW. Besides teaching them about pronouns, I want to be inclusive in the way that we defy gender norms. I want my he and theys to know that it's not 'girly' to do something. I want my she and theys to know that its not a "boy thing". I want them to make their own choices and defy society. I want them to know that a wheelchair does not mean you are weird or incapable of doing something. If there is someone with a disability in the classroom, I want them to understand the disability and how to use people first language.

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When you know better, you do better. Thank you 💕 #shapes #drawing #inclusive #icandraw #kindergarten #teachersoftiktok

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I will take any chance I can to use this website. It has so many materials for teachers that are all adaptable for students with disabilities. The three main factors it highlights is trust, respect, and support. We have to build trust between students and teachers, support our students needs, and respect their differences and boundaries.

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Jack Hans Intervention Specialist Brooklyn City School District

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Trust, Support, and Respect: Creating a Safe Classroom Environment | n2y Blog

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An n2y expert shares how to create a supportive physical environment and clear teacher-student communication to build a safe learning space.

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I like these simple tips that we sometimes forget about. Some of them include modeling kindness and letting them follow and allowing the students to contribute to the classroom. I love the one that says when we ask our students to do something, whether its be brae or vulnerable, we have to be able to do the same thing.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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I love this for primary grades. A lot of the time young kids talk without thinking it through. They may blurt out something that is untrue or that doesn't pertain to the topic. I think this is a simple and effective poster that can be referenced by the teacher to become the student's inner voice.

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I love this article because it criticizes the typical response of identifying one or two students as the "problem". Typically, we label them as the problem and the source of the rest of the classes behavior. It compares a classroom to an ecosystem. Saying, a classroom is its own environment and every aspect influences the behaviors of the inhabitants. However the inhabitants bring in non native plants and pollution from other environments, causing a disturbance. We can not solely work on one student's behavior because then were ignoring all of the other factors. You can pick a piece of trash off the ground, but you missed the ten other candy wrappers on the ground.

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This article is directly aimed at primary students. With young children, there is less shame in admitting what you did, making it easier to talk them through the process. You can start with asking what happened and then moving to how they felt in the moment that they committed the behavior. it also talks about asking how they felt after their action and if they have thought it about since. The list of questions is really nice for getting them to think about the consequences of their actions, and if done enough, they can begin to ask themselves the questions.

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More and more schools are adopting a behaviour model that encourages kids to take responsibility for their actions. So how do restorative practices work?

At some point during their primary school years, all children - even the very best behaved - are likely to find themselves in hot water after committing some sort of misdemeanour.

How these incidents are handled will vary from school to school, and also within schools, depending on the severity of the behaviour.

And while many schools still use traditional punishments, such as keeping children in at breaktime or sending them to the headteacher, a growing number are adopting restorative practices to improve the behaviour choices of their pupils.

What are restorative practices?

Restorative practice is a set of principles and practice that encourages children to take responsibility for their behaviour by thinking through the causes and consequences.
'In a rules-led system, the tendency is for the teacher to tell the child what they've done wrong, and how they're going to pay for it - for instance, by sending them out of the classroom if they're disrupting the lesson,' says Chris Straker, a former headteacher and interim Chief Executive Officer of the Restorative Justice Council.

'The problem with this system is that children don't learn about the responsibility they had in that situation and how it affected other people, because an adult has intervened and told them what they've done wrong.'

Restorative practice, on the other hand, involves helping the child think through their behaviour, its consequences and what they can do to make it better.

' It's all about developing, maintaining and repairing relationships, building a community based around empathy and self-learning, where children take responsibility for their behaviour,' Chris says.

Primary school restorative practice in action

Restorative practices centre around a set of key questions that help children think about their behaviour and understand how they can correct it:

What happened?

What were you thinking and feeling at the time?

What have you thought about it since?

Who has been affected and in what way?

How could things have been done differently?

What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

For example, Max has hurt Sam in the playground. They sit down together with a teacher, who helps Max think through the above questions:

What happened? 'I tripped Sam up in the playground.'

What were you thinking and feeling at the time? 'I was angry because he laughed when I fell over playing football.'

What have you thought about it since? 'I'm still cross that he laughed but I feel bad that he got hurt.'

Who has been affected and in what way? 'Sam grazed his knees and it made him cry. He had to stop playing football because it hurt too much.'

How could things have been done differently? 'I could have told Sam that I was angry that he laughed at me and asked him not to. I could have walked away and found someone else to play with.'

What do you think needs to happen to make things right? 'I need to say sorry to Sam and try not to lose my temper next time.'

Sam is also asked the same set of questions. This helps him identify his part in what happened, and communicate how Max's actions affected him.
In another situation, Joanne was continually chatting and distracting the children on her table during a maths lesson. After the lesson, the teacher asks:

What happened? 'I was talking too much in maths.'

What were you thinking and feeling at the time? 'I was bored because I don't like maths.'

What have you thought about it since? 'I'm sorry I disturbed the class but I didn't understand the work.'

Who has been affected and in what way? 'I stopped my friends from doing their work and I made you [the teacher] cross because you had to keep stopping to tell me off.'

How could things have been done differently? 'I could have put my hand up and asked you to explain the problem to me.'

What do you think needs to happen to make things right? 'I need to say sorry and ask you to show me how to do the work.'

'Exactly what restorative practice looks like will depend on the children's age; for example, with very young children, teachers might use puppets to encourage them to talk about their feelings in a safe way,' says Chris.

'The important thing is that you're not pointing the finger of blame, so children don't get defensive.'

How schools use restorative practices

'Primary schools are a great context for restorative practices, with exercises like Circle Time where children can discuss incidents that have happened and the consequences they had,' says Chris.

Some schools have chosen to formalise restorative practices using the Restorative Thinking Toolkit, which is endorsed by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the Department of Health.

This involves six two-hour sessions, implemented over half a term, often in PSHE lessons.
It gives pupils the skills to manage conflicts, strengthen relationships, and take responsibility by developing empathy and emotional literacy.
'We even see Year 5 and 6 children acting as peer mediators and helping younger children work through playground conflicts, which is a great way to model restorative practices to the rest of the school,' Chris adds.

What are the benefits?

Restorative practices in schools have a number of proven benefits. Children show:

Improved positivity, resilience and responsibility-taking

Better behaviour management

Greater respect and courtesy towards teachers and each other

Increased empathy

An understanding of how to make wrongs right.

Schools that use restorative practices have also reported significant reductions in the number of detentions and exclusions.
Headteacher Diane Gallaher of St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School in Preston commented on how, following restorative practice training, the children in her school were putting their new skills to good use:

'I could hear a Year 6 child trying to sort out a tiff between two Year 1 children. She went through all the restorative questions... All sorted, no adult needed.'

The skills children learn in primary school are also transferable to life outside school, including within their families, and to secondary school and beyond.

Is there a place for 'traditional' methods of discipline?

Chris emphasises that restorative practices shouldn't be seen as a 'soft option.'

'We're not explaining away or excusing behaviour, but trying to stop repeat offending,' he says.

'Once we've encouraged children to take responsibility for their behaviour, it becomes a lot harder for them to repeat the harmful behaviour.'

Chris explains that traditional methods of discipline can also be counterproductive. 'If a child doesn't like maths, and they get sent out of the room every time they disrupt a maths lesson, there's no incentive for them to change their behaviour,' he says.

'They'd rather be outside in the corridor than taking part in the lesson.

'Restorative practice encourages them to think about what their problem is with maths, and what triggers the behaviour.'

Of course, schools do still need rules, and in some cases formal punishments are still necessary.
What matters is that the child who has caused harm and the child they harmed are given the space to hold a restorative conversation.
'This is so much more powerful than a simple "Sorry," and allows children to understand responsibility and develop empathy for others' feelings,' says Chris.

And in many cases, restorative practices lead to long-term and lasting improvements in behaviour and an improved culture of learning.

'Often, having to sit down and hear how your behaviour has affected someone else is much harder than being kept in at playtime, and leads to much more noticeable changes that can last a lifetime,' Chris says.

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Discipline in primary schools: restorative practices

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More and more schools are adopting a behaviour model that encourages kids to take responsibility for their actions. So how do restorative practices work? At some point during their primary school years, all children - even the very best behaved - are likely to find themselves in hot water after committing some sort of misdemeanour.

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This article talks about how young the assessment for the cradle to prison pipeline starts. It talks about how it is our job to attack the stereotype for these students early. Having a good and supportive primary experience can prevent the self-doubt and zero-tolerance behaviors.

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I like this idea as a way to teach responsibility and respect. This rhino visits people who are showing respect by taking their turn, raise their hand, and show kindness to those around them. There is a whole collection of behavior buddies like patient parrot, top-notch toucan, generous giraffe, and happy hippo. This is a visual reminder of their awesome behavior or that they may need to work on their behavior to be visited.

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488 Likes, 12 Comments. TikTok video from Aimee | Elementary Teacher (@aimeesedventures): "Follow me for more classroom management tips!🍎 #classroommanagement #TalkingTree #classroomfun #classroomideas #teachertok #teachingkids #homeschool #homeschoolingmom #teacherlife #thirdgrade". The Best Time.

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I liked this article because it reminded me of the pyramid in the Oprah book. It talks about how you can not talk with a kid who is running so high on Cortisol. The goal is to guide a student into a self-regulated mindset, and it provides steps moving down towards a calm state. We want to redirect their thoughts or we can ask them to explain their body's responses. We can ask them to explain how their feeling or what their body or mind feels like in that moment. We could also use that moment to do breathing or a brain break as a class.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

So often we find students in a stressed or anxious state of mind. The most telltale signs are inappropriate behaviors or outbursts, negative comments, and anxiety-ridden movements such as fidgeting, leg shaking, and fist clenching. These signals should raise immediate concern and indicate to educators that a response may be needed. The goal is to guide the student to a self-regulated mindset, but how does a teacher do that?

First let's review what is going on with a student in the middle of an outburst. Cortisol, which is responsible for keeping people alive in the face of danger, is being released. Often referred to as the stress hormone, cortisol plays a crucial role in our ability to protect ourselves. When we experience stressful situations, the release of cortisol helps us respond rapidly, but it comes with a cost, as it negatively affects the brain's ability to function at an optimal level.

Think of it like this: You're in the ocean on a surfboard waiting for the perfect wave. A short distance away, you see a shark fin pop out of the water, heading your way. Immediately two chemicals- cortisol and adrenaline-are released and you enter the fight, flight, or freeze response: You can fight the shark, flee by paddling as fast as you can, or freeze and hope the shark loses interest in you. Whatever your response, you find yourself in a moment of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear due to heightened cortisol levels.

Now let's consider how this might look in a learning environment. At the end of a class, two students learn that they have received a poor grade on a science test. This is not a life-or-death situation like the approaching shark, but the physiological response is the same. The students' cortisol levels are high and they are anxious, a state of mind that doesn't support clear, conscious thinking. Upon entering their English class, the two students are visibly upset. One heads straight for their seat and begins to cry, while the other throws their book bag on the floor and punches the desk. For the teacher, recognizing these signs before beginning class is important.

The Stress Response and the Brain

The young brain can be confusing, complex, and often misunderstood, not only from the perspective of adults but more importantly from that of the students themselves. In order for students to understand how their brain functions, it's important to teach them about a few parts of the brain and their functions. To keep it simple, teach them about the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.

The amygdala directs rapid responses when necessary-the fight, flight, or freeze response. When the amygdala detects a threat, it responds faster than the prefrontal cortex, which directs the ability to make decisions and problem-solve, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for remembering details and storing memories. The two areas of the brain most needed for academic work are thus bypassed. As a result, an anxious, stressed, or fearful state of mind can lead to poor decision-making, inability to think with clarity, and impulsive behaviors.

Learning how to calm ourselves is imperative for our well-being, and the following technique, which is designed to decrease negative impulses and emotions, can be shared with students. The goal is to lead them to more regulated thinking and learning.

A De-escalation Technique

Let's go back to the two upset students in their English class. They aren't ready to work, but the teacher can help by taking a few minutes to guide them back to a state of calm.

This process should take anywhere from four to six minutes and be centered on the student. I've provided a sample of what a teacher might say at each stage, but you should modify those statements so they feel natural to you.

If you have a paraprofessional or in-class support teacher, you can ask a student who seems upset to step out into the hallway or into an area of the classroom set aside for de-escalation. Or you can do this as a whole-class starter activity for anyone who might have something worrisome on their minds. Students can either choose this de-escalation technique-thinking over their answers instead of sharing them out loud-or engage in a warm-up activity connected to the class such as completing a journal entry or worksheet.

Give the student time to regain their calm: Say, "I notice you're really upset. Let's work together on breathing slowly for one minute in order to manage your impulses."

Direct the student to be aware of their thoughts and feelings: Say, "What's going on in your brain and body right now? Tell me how you feel and what you're thinking, and if you're ready to focus on moving forward with getting calm."

Have the student redirect their thoughts: Say, "Take a minute, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and think about something that makes you happy. I know you told me how much you love your grandma's fresh-baked cookies. Think about walking into grandma's house in a calm state of mind as you smell the cookies, taste the cookies, and feel the warmth of them right out of the oven."

Give the student positive feedback on becoming calm: Say, "Now open your eyes. How are you feeling? If you need more time to settle down, let me know. You should feel happy and excited about your work in getting to this point."

Give the student a little more time to refocus: Say, "Take a minute and do something for you. Go for a walk and get some air, or tell me about your baseball game the other night."

Have the student reflect for the future: Say, "The next time you're feeling this way and I'm not with you, what can you tell yourself in order to take charge of your thinking and behavior, and get yourself to a regulated place?"

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A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students

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A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

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She opens the video by stating what we shouldn't be "dealing with" difficult students but trying to teach difficult students. She also "defines" what a difficult student is and makes it known that it is behavior and not academic. One of her main questions is "do you want peace or do you want control?" Having a set consequence ladder that you stick to. You do not want to come across as picking on one student if you pick the consequences in the moment. I love her point of grades need to be left out of behavior consequences.