Tag: elementary-classroom

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Back-to-School: Start the Year Strong- Teaching Kids to Manage Emotions from Day One

Starting the school year isn’t just about setting up your classroom—it’s about setting the tone. Helping students understand and manage their emotions from the very beginning lays the foundation for a calm, connected, and resilient learning environment. Whether you’re introducing SEL routines, creating a space for emotional regulation, or simply looking for ways to support your students’ social-emotional growth, these tools can help. From printable reflection prompts to cozy corner essentials, here are some of my favorite resources to get your classroom emotionally ready for the year ahead.

🌧️ Rainstick-Inspired Calming Tubes
These hand2mind sensory tubes gently mimic the sound of falling rain, providing a soothing experience for kids who need a quiet moment to reset. A must-have for any calm down corner or sensory station!

😌 Express Your Feelings Sensory Bottles
These colorful bottles help students identify and express more complex emotions like frustration, excitement, or nervousness. A quiet, hands-on tool perfect for emotional regulation and SEL routines in your calm down space.

🌬️ Breathing Meditation Lamp
This guided visual tool helps students slow their breathing and self-regulate using calming light cues. Perfect for mindfulness practice, managing anxiety, or winding down after a tough moment in your calm down corner.

🛋️ Feelings Pillow Cover – Calm Down Corner Decor
Add a cozy and functional touch to your calm down space with this 18×18 “Feelings” pillow cover. It’s a great visual tool for emotion identification and doubles as inviting decor for classrooms, therapy offices, or counseling spaces.

🌈 “You Matter” Inspirational Doormat – Welcoming Classroom Vibes
Start the day with positivity! This 30×17 “You Matter” doormat promotes inclusivity and belonging right at your classroom door. Perfect for entryways in classrooms, homeschools, or playrooms, it sets the tone for a safe, supportive learning space.

✨ Cozy Rainbow Classroom Lamp – Calm Corner Lighting
Add a warm, soothing glow to your calm down space with this small USB-powered rainbow lamp (11.6 inches tall). Perfect for classroom calm corners, reading nooks, or playroom areas—this soft lighting creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere that helps students feel safe and settled.

🧠 SEL Strategy Cards for K–3
Looking for a simple, visual way to teach calming techniques? These Printable SEL Strategy Cards are perfect for classroom calm down corners, brain breaks, or emotional regulation lessons. Each card includes a kid-friendly strategy like deep breathing, movement, or visualization.
👉 Grab the set here

🗂️ Calming Strategy Choice Boards & Mini Menus
Empower your students to take ownership of their emotions with these Calming Strategy Choice Boards and Mini Menus. With multiple formats—including full-page boards and smaller, printable menus—this toolkit is ideal for calm down corners, student toolboxes, or even as part of a morning check-in routine.
👉 Check it out on TPT

🗣️ SEL Scenario Cards for Real-Life Classroom Situations
Support student decision-making and emotional growth with these Printable Social-Emotional Learning Scenario Cards. Featuring 40 real-life situations, these cards help children reflect, discuss, and problem-solve common challenges they may face in the classroom. A great addition to your calm down corner or morning meeting routine!
👉 Explore the resource here

🎉 Want It All in One Easy Download?

If you’re ready to stock your calm down corner with everything mentioned above, the SEL Calm Down Corner Bundle is your best bet! It includes:

  • Feelings check-in tools
  • Printable strategy cards
  • Calming choice boards & mini menus
  • Real-life SEL scenario cards

Perfect for K–3 classrooms and easy to implement starting Day 1 of the school year.

👉 Click here to grab the full bundle on TPT

Creating a classroom where students feel safe, seen, and supported doesn’t happen overnight—but with the right tools, it’s absolutely possible. Whether you’re just getting started with social-emotional learning or looking to refresh your calm down corner, I hope these ideas help you kick off the school year with confidence and heart. 💛 You’ve got this—and I’m cheering you on every step of the way!

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Helping Students Manage Big Feelings: Free SEL Calm-Down Toolkit

If you’ve ever had a student burst into tears over a broken pencil or get so frustrated they can’t keep working, you know this truth:
Kids need tools to handle big feelings.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is more than a buzzword—it’s an essential part of building a positive, supportive classroom. When students learn how to recognize emotions and use calming strategies, they feel safer, more confident, and ready to learn.

Today, I want to share some of my favorite ways to teach SEL skills in the classroom—and give you a free printable toolkit you can start using right away.

💛 Why Teaching Self-Regulation Matters

Self-regulation is a skill that takes time (and practice) to develop. Even adults sometimes struggle to pause and think before reacting!

When we teach students how to:
✅ Notice what they’re feeling
✅ Name their emotions
✅ Choose a healthy way to cope

…we’re setting them up for success far beyond the classroom.

🌟 3 Simple Strategies to Help Students Self-Regulate

Here are a few techniques I’ve used with my students over the years:

1️⃣ Feelings Check-Ins
Start the day or a lesson by asking students to share how they’re feeling. This can be as simple as pointing to an emoji chart or writing a feeling word on a sticky note.

2️⃣ Calm-Down Corners
Create a cozy space with tools students can use when they feel overwhelmed—like stress balls, breathing cards, or reflection sheets.

3️⃣ Reflection Time
After big emotions, give kids a chance to think about what happened and what might help next time. This can turn a difficult moment into a learning opportunity.

✨ Grab Your Free SEL Mini Toolkit

To help you get started, I’ve created a FREE printable SEL Mini Toolkit with:

✅ A Feelings Check-In Sheet
✅ Calming Strategy Cards
✅ A Reflection Page

These printables are perfect for calm-down corners, morning meetings, or one-on-one support.

👉 subscribepage.io/hm89J8

🌱 More SEL Resources

If you find these helpful, be sure to explore my other SEL resources for K–3 classrooms, including scenario cards, daily check-ins, and more.

Together, we can make social-emotional learning an everyday part of our classrooms—and help kids build skills that will serve them for life.

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How to Use SEL Scenario Cards to Build Empathy and Problem-Solving Skills

If you’ve ever had a student shout, “That’s not fair!” or melt down because a friend didn’t want to play the same game, you already know:
Learning to manage feelings and solve conflicts takes practice.

One of my favorite ways to help students build social-emotional skills is by using scenario cards.

These simple tools open the door to big conversations about kindness, empathy, and making good choices.

Today, I’m sharing tips for using SEL scenario cards in your classroom—and a resource that can make it easy to get started!

💛 What Are SEL Scenario Cards?

Scenario cards are short, kid-friendly situations that students might encounter at school or in daily life.

Each card describes a problem or feeling and includes reflection questions like:

  • What could you do in this situation?
  • How might someone else feel?

They help students practice:
✅ Recognizing feelings
✅ Thinking before reacting
✅ Considering others’ perspectives
✅ Solving conflicts respectfully

✨ 5 Simple Ways to Use Scenario Cards

Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:

1️⃣ Morning Meetings
Choose a scenario to read aloud and discuss as a class. This is a great way to start the day with empathy and connection.

2️⃣ Small Groups
Use cards in SEL rotations or counseling groups. Students can take turns reading and sharing ideas.

3️⃣ Writing Prompts
Have students respond to a scenario in their journals. They can write or draw about how they would handle it.

4️⃣ Role-Playing
Act out scenarios and practice calm responses. This is especially helpful for kinesthetic learners.

5️⃣ Calm-Down Corner
Keep a ring of cards available for students to read and reflect on when they need a break.

Check out this example from the set:

This simple prompt can lead to powerful conversations about inclusion and kindness.

📚 Ready to Try Scenario Cards?

I’ve created a set of 40 printable SEL Scenario Cards covering these topics:

✅ Friendship & Inclusion
✅ Managing Emotions
✅ Conflict Resolution
✅ Kindness & Empathy

Each card includes a clear scenario and reflection questions, plus a teacher guide to help you get started.

Click here to check them out in my TPT store!

💖 Let’s Support Our Students Together

When we give kids the tools to talk about feelings and practice empathy, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of healthy relationships.

If you try these scenario cards, I’d love to hear how you use them in your classroom!

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Must-Have SEL Printables for Your Calm Down Corner

As teachers, we know that helping students identify and manage their emotions is just as important as academics. But finding simple, ready-to-use tools to support social-emotional learning (SEL) can feel overwhelming.

Today, I’m sharing two of my favorite printable SEL resources that make it easy to create a calm, connected classroom: the Feelings Check-In Tool Kit and the Calming Strategy Menus.

1. Feelings Check-In Tool Kit

This resource is designed to help K–3 students name and share how they’re feeling in simple, developmentally appropriate ways.

What’s Included:
✅ 1–5 Feelings Scale
✅ Weather & Animal-themed check-ins
✅ Sentence starter page
✅ Teacher guide with ideas for use

These printable pages are perfect for:
✨ Morning meetings
✨ Calm down corners
✨ One-on-one check-ins
✨ Counseling sessions

Teachers have told me their students love the variety of visuals—especially the weather and animal options!

👉 Check it out on TPT here.

2. Calming Strategy Choice Boards and Mini Menus

Once students have identified how they feel, it helps to give them concrete strategies to self-regulate. The Calming Strategy Menus are printable posters that guide kids through simple calming techniques.

What You’ll Find Inside:
✅ A large visual choice board of 9 calming strategies
✅ 3 mini-menus focusing on:

  • Breathing exercises
  • Movement strategies
  • Mindfulness activities
    ✅ A teacher guide with suggestions for classroom use

You can display the menus in your calm down corner or print individual copies for students.

👉 See the resource here.

Ideas for Using These Tools Together

  • Start the day with a check-in so students can share how they feel.
  • Help them pick a calming strategy if they’re dysregulated.
  • Use the sentence starters as a journaling prompt or reflection activity.
  • Keep copies handy for transitions or times when emotions run high.

🌟 Ready to Get Started?

Both resources are designed to save you time and support your students in building lifelong SEL skills.

✨ Explore them on TPT:

If you have any questions or want ideas for implementation, feel free to comment below or reach out—I’d love to hear how you use them in your classroom!