Learn About and Regulate Emotions PDF

This resource APST STANDARDS 3-5 Practice Guide relates to: Standard 3 Standard 4 Social & Emotional Learning NQS Quality Areas EYLF Principles, Practices, Outcomes QA5...

This resource APST STANDARDS 3-5 Practice Guide relates to: Standard 3 Standard 4 Social & Emotional Learning NQS Quality Areas EYLF Principles, Practices, Outcomes QA5 Principle 1 Outcome 1 Outcome 3 Learn about and regulate emotions Purpose This practice in action guide provides strategies for teachers to assist children to understand and regulate their emotions. Learning outcomes Teachers will be able to: Understand the different components of emotional literacy Explain the importance of awareness, understanding and labelling of emotions for self-regulation Identify practical strategies that support children to express feelings and regulate their emotions The evidence Emotional intelligence Often the literature uses the term emotional intelligence. This refers to the processes involved in recognising and understanding our own and others’ emotions, managing our emotions and regulating our behaviour (Salovey, Brackett, & Mayer, 2004). Claude Steiner developed the term emotional literacy to focus on the way the understanding of emotions improves relationships and facilitates feelings of community (Steiner, 2003). Being emotionally literate means understanding emotions, what causes them and how our emotions affect others. Steiner identifies five main skills in emotional literacy development: 1. Recognising your own feelings and identifying the emotion being experienced 2. Empathising – being able to recognise other people’s feelings and emotions by understanding others’ facial expressions, body language and words 3. Managing emotions - talking about and labelling emotions can help us to identify and manage them  4. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions, recognising when mistakes are made and making amends or asking for forgiveness 5. Interacting with others appropriately and effectively Similarly, the Yale Centre uses the RULER acronym to remind us that children need to Recognise, Understand, Label, Express and Regulate their emotions. In order to manage emotions, it is important that children understand both the causes and the consequences of their feelings. It is useful to be able to use words to label our own and others’ emotions and to understand the meaning of emotion words. With guidance children learn how to express their emotions appropriately and constructively in a range of social contexts. They can then use their understandings of emotions to regulate their own emotions and actions, negotiate and resolve conflicts and interact in socially appropriate ways. Why is emotional intelligence important for early childhood education? Emotions determine learning, decision-making, creativity, relationships, and health (Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence). In the early years children are learning to recognise emotions and to express feelings and manage emotions and behaviours in a range of social contexts. These early skills are critical for children’s learning across all areas of development and affect their mental health and wellbeing now and in the future. There is growing research evidence that links emotional intelligence to social competence and overall wellbeing (Hagelskamp et al, 2013) and improved academic outcomes (Moffitt et al., 2011). The Early Years Learning Framework includes a strong focus on the expression and regulation of emotions. This includes children’s developing capacity to: “openly express their feelings and ideas in their interactions with others” and “interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect” (Learning Outcome 1) and “understand, self-regulate and manage their emotions in ways that reflect the feelings and needs of others”, “express a wide range of emotions, thoughts and views constructively”, “empathise with and express concern for others”, and “reflect on their actions and consider consequences for others” (Learning Outcome 3). What this means in practice How can teachers support children to express ideas and feelings and regulate their emotions? Teachers have a critical role in guiding children’s understandings of and regulation of emotions. This includes providing a safe and supportive environment, planning experiences that facilitate discussion of emotions and consideration of diverse perspectives, talking about emotions with children and teaching them strategies to identify and manage their emotions. In order to support children’s emerging understandings of emotions and self-regulation, teachers: Provide a learning environment that is safe and supportive Acknowledge children’s emotions and understand that some feelings may need time to resolve Provide a quiet, safe space for children to go when they need time to calm down and reflect Plan creative arts experiences that encourage children to express their feelings Teach children vocabulary to label their emotions Engage children in dialogic reading that expands their emotional vocabulary. Ask questions such as “How do you think xxx is feeling?”. Encourage perspective-taking and analysis of the causes and consequences of emotions and behaviour Use emotion cards and charts to support children to recognise and name their emotions - – for example, calm, frustrated, proud. Encourage children to express their feelings with the use of language prompts such as “I feel (proud) because….” Plan role plays and storytelling using puppets or persona dolls to enhance children’s capacity to view situations from others’ perspective, develop empathy and engage in social problem solving. Ask questions such as “How do you think xxx is feeling?” “What else could xxx do?” “What would you do?” Teach children to recognise triggers for strong emotions in order to prevent negative behaviours Teach children strategies for responding to feelings of anger – such as stop, breathe, think, and talk about it Engage in conversations with children that encourage self-reflection and perspective taking. Ask questions such as “How did you feel?”, “How do you think xxx felt?”, “What caused you/him to feel this way?” Support children to reflect on the causes and consequences of their feelings and to make informed choices about their behaviours Give children the language and strategies they need to express ideas and feelings, rationalise their decisions and negotiate with peers with consideration of the rights of others Framework information Standard 3 – Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning 3.3 Use teaching strategies 3.3.2 Select and use relevant teaching strategies to develop knowledge, skills, problem solving and critical and creative thinking. Standard 4 – Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments Australia Professional Standards for Teachers 4.1 Support student participation 4.1.2 Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities. 4.4 Maintain student safety 4.4.2 Ensure students’ well-being and safety within school by implementing school and/ or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. Principle 1: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity 1.2 Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, Early Years Learning resilience 25 and sense of agency Framework 1.4 Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing 3.1 Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing QA5 Relationships with children 5.1 Relationships between educators and children Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child. 5.1.1 Positive educator to child interactions Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included. 5.1.2 Dignity and rights of the child The dignity and rights of every child are maintained. National Quality Standard 5.2 Relationships between children Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships. 5.2.1 Collaborative learning Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other. 5.2.2 Self-regulation Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts. Additional reading Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence (2013). http://ei.yale.edu/ References Hagelskamp, C., Brackett, M.A., Rivers, S.E., Salovey, P. (2013). Improving Classroom Quality with The RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning: Proximal and Distal Outcomes. The American Journal of Community Psychology, 51, 540-543. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10464- 013-9570-x#page-3 Moffitt, T. E., Arsenault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H. & Caspi, A. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth and public safety. In J. J. Heckman (Ed.), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 108(7), 2693–2698. doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010076108 / Salovey, P., Brackett, M. and Mayer, J. 2004. Emotional intelligence: Key readings on the Mayer and Salovey model, New York: National Professional Resources Inc. Steiner, C. (2003). Emotional literacy: Intelligence with a heart. Retrieved from http://emotional- literacy-training.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Steiner-Emotional-Literacy.pdf