Begin remote lessons with grounding and centering exercises to help students focus¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief recommends that educators "Begin interactions and lessons with grounding and centering exercises that help students focus on what is happening in their mind, body, and/or surroundings," stating this can help students engage and stay focused. Suggested exercises include deep breathing, naming something in the environment that makes the student happy or calm, and body scans in which students silently tell tense parts to relax. Exercises can be recorded, spoken, written in instructional packets, or read aloud by an adult.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Exercises must be developmentally appropriate and can be delivered in recorded, spoken, written, or read-aloud formats for virtual or nonvirtual settings

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in virtual or nonvirtual distance learning

Target Learning Goals¶

• Emotional regulation
• attention and focus for learning

Affordances¶

• Perry 3 Rs Regulate Relate Reason

Related Strategies¶

• Begin class with a mindful moment to settle students’ minds and bodies in preparation for learning
• Breathing Exercises
• Mindfulness Breaks
• Mindfulness And Breathing Exercises
• Create structure and consistency through schedules, regular communication, and clear instructions in distance learning
• Mindfulness Techniques for Self-Regulation
• Mindfulness Techniques for Managing Emotional Impulses
• Screen lessons, texts, activities, and videos in advance to ensure they are not activating for students and families
• Deliver scalable socio-emotional support in ITSs via LLM-based mindful chat, breathing exercises, and mindful hint language

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Pate, C. (2020). Strategies for trauma-informed distance learning. Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED606091