Promote emotional awareness and self-regulation in your classroom with this desk-sized strategies mat.
Emotional Self-Regulation: A Lifelong Skill
As teachers (who always have a lot going on!), we sometimes forget that our little learners have a lot going on in their own lives, too. This can affect their mood, as well as their readiness to learn. It is not always possible to leave these emotions behind when they walk through the classroom door!
This handy A5-sized desk mat has been designed to help learners of all ages identify how they are feeling. This is an essential emotional awareness skill that, once learned, will stand our students in good stead throughout their lives. The diverse range of emotions that humans can feel on any one day have been grouped into four categories to help them become more recognizable by the students:
- Tuckered Out Team – Uninterested, unwell, unmotivated, sleepy, confused.
- Cool Crew – Motivated, optimistic, positive, happy, collaborative, cooperative.
- Silly Squad – Overexcited, anxious, fidgety, impatient, unfocused, skilly.
- Grumpy Gang – Hurtful, agitated, mean, boisterous, terrified, aggressive.
Next to each group, the desk plate has room to list strategies that could be applied when attempting to overcome more troublesome emotions in a safe and productive way. It is recommended that this section of the desk plate be completed in collaboration with each individual student. Strategies could include:
- Getting a drink of water
- Going for a walk or running an errand
- Putting on noise-canceling headphones
- Doing some mindful breathing
- Doing a calming activity, like doing a puzzle or reading a book
This resource is intended to be used in conjunction with our Emotional Self-Regulation Poster.
Easily Download and Print These Desk Plates
These desk plates download as a full-colour PDF. Access the resource using the Download button above. Note that there are two A5 desk plates per A4 page.
Looking for more great emotional self-regulation resources to use with your students? We have you covered!
teaching resource
How Are You Feeling Today? Poster
Help students to recognise and identify their feelings and emotions with this colourful classroom display poster.
teaching resource
Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
teaching resource
Student Daily Check-In Template
Check in on your students' emotions each day with a printable emotions chart.
Can we get an idea how to introduce this mat to the class?
Hi Molly, a great way to introduce this resource is when you are establishing your class rules or planning strategies for your students with learning needs. You could introduce the class poster version to your class and go over the different emotions, then discuss the different types of strategies that suit your class and school for each emotion stage. If you feel the need, use the desk mats and indicators to cater for your students. I hope these resources will be helpful for you this year.