While most of my job as a school counselor involves counseling students individually and in groups, a big part is also helping teachers support their students’ social-emotional growth in the classroom. As a team, we promote social-emotional learning in our school by using CASEL’s SEL framework and its five core competencies in social-emotional development: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

Developing these competencies helps students understand themselves, manage their emotions, make responsible decisions, build healthy relationships, and empathize with others. I recommend that classroom teachers do these four things to support students in their social-emotional growth.

Give your students regular “brain breaks.” Students who are easily dysregulated or who are unable to control their bodies need a change of activity to help reset their brain and body. In my school, most teachers take quick, structured breaks throughout the day using physical movement (yoga, stretching and dancing videos) to give students a chance to get up from their seats and move around. Others prefer mindfulness exercises such as deep breathing or relaxing music to help reset students after lunch or to shift focus between periods.

Create a “calming corner” for your classroom. A calming corner is a designated safe space where children can go to identify their feelings, process their emotions, take breaks, practice mindfulness, and/or self-regulate. The goal of the area is to support children in building social-emotional skills while remaining in the classroom. Suggested calming corner tools may include comfort items (e.g., bean bags, small rug and stuffed animals), sensory objects (e.g. stress balls, play dough and fidget toys) and/or visual aids (e.g. glitter bottles, calming strategies flashcards and a feelings chart). You can design your area based on your students’ needs and interests. For older students, you may want to stock the area with motivational books, affirmation cards or journals. In a class with artists, you might want to include drawing materials and coloring books.

Letting students have a voice in what items are kept in the space gives them ownership over the idea, and they will be more likely to use it. Of course, you will need to introduce the calming corner in an SEL lesson and establish guidelines for when and how to use it.

Use visual aids to support students in articulating how they feel. Have feelings charts, posters or cards easily available and/or visible in your classroom. These visual tools help kids to understand themselves, recognize their emotions and regulate their behavior. For older students, consider using mood meters to help students identify their emotions and discuss strategies for managing them.

Consider journal writing. If you have dedicated time during the week or the day for SEL lessons, use that time to have students write in journals. Use journaling prompts to encourage self-reflection. You will be supporting both writing and SEL skills by having students document how they feel and how they are managing those emotions.

Madeline Velez is a bilingual school counselor at PS 58 in the Bronx.