One of my students, Max, has been having trouble during transitions and new activities. When something is not going his way, he shuts down and I can see him tense up. Sometimes it escalates to screaming, crying, and flailing. When this happens, I find myself pulled in many directions. I want to support Max individually, and yet I have a full class waiting for me, so it's hard. Those are really stressful moments for me.

I've tried encouraging Max to take deep breaths, to do butterfly breathing, or to practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation when they are upset. I can see that these strategies definitely help when he engages in them, but he doesn't always use them. I've been reflecting on this and I think it would be helpful if I give my students more opportunities to practice these strategies when they are calm so that these can become their "go to" when they really need them. And, honestly, I know I need to practice these myself so I can stay calm, too. I'm happy to say that I found some fun and creative ways to practice in cool moments. Last week, we danced with scarves and sang as a way to practice taking deep breaths in and out. The students were moving, using their bodies, and breathing deeply to sing the song. Here's a video about the activity that I used. Afterwards, we talked about how they needed to take a deep breath to sing the song and how they felt. My students told me they felt "silly", "calm", "relaxed", and "happy" when they sang the song and took deep breaths. They ask about the song almost every day.

Now, when I notice my students tensing up, I remind them about how we can sing, move, and breathe during the song feel relaxed. Works every time... well, almost!