Stimming behaviors are a natural and meaningful way many children regulate their bodies, emotions, attention, and thinking. While stimming is often misunderstood in school and community settings, a neuroaffirming perspective helps shift the focus from stopping behaviors to understanding what students need to feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. To support educators, therapists, and […]
When behavior feels challenging, overwhelming, or confusing, it is tempting to focus on stopping it as quickly as possible. However, behavior is rarely the problem itself. More often, it is a signal that something beneath the surface is not working as smoothly as it could. Understanding what system is under stress is often the key […]
This is a simple way to bring calm to the classroom. Finding small, peaceful moments in the school day can make a big difference for students. This 3-Minute Mindfulness Meditation for Students is a free sample from the complete Mindful Classroom Packet available at Your Therapy Source. It’s short enough to fit between lessons yet […]
If your students need a little boost of encouragement, this Positive Affirmations for School song and printable are perfect! You can play the song video, display the lyrics, and then hand out the printable as a colorful reminder to “talk yourself up.” The free PDF is available in color or black and white, so students […]
When children understand how their brains work, they gain a powerful tool for success, at school, at home, and in life. Instead of feeling frustrated by big emotions or unexpected reactions, they learn that these moments come from how their brains are wired to protect them. These Calm Brain resources teach students how to notice […]
When students struggle to begin assignments, the issue is often more than reluctance. It can reflect difficulty with task initiation, an executive function skill that allows learners to start a task efficiently and independently. For some students, beginning work is the hardest part of learning. By understanding the barriers to task initiation and using research-based […]
Every teacher has met them: the students who shut down. Arms crossed. Head down. Blank stare at the paper. A quiet “I can’t” or complete silence when you prompt them to start. At first glance, it looks like defiance. But what if that refusal is really a clue? With the right approach, we can decode […]
Every teacher has met them, the fidgety kids. The ones who bounce in their chairs, drop pencils, rock back and forth, or tap their feet during lessons. At first glance, it can look like misbehavior. But what if those wiggles are really clues? With the right approach, we can decode what’s happening and respond in […]
Children experience the world in ways that can sometimes feel overwhelming. One helpful way to explain these experiences is through the emotional cup analogy. Imagine that every sensory or emotional event a child encounters adds water to their cup. A scratchy tag on a shirt may only add a little water, while being overtired or […]
Helping students reflect on their own effort is one of the most valuable ways to build independence, persistence, and self-awareness. When children pause to think about how hard they tried instead of only focusing on the outcome, they begin to develop a growth mindset and stronger self-regulation skills. To make this process easier, we’ve created […]