Throughout the school year, I often find myself reflecting on how I can help my students to navigate their emotions and prepare them for success. I believe that teaching them to self-regulate isn’t just about managing their behaviour—it’s about giving students the tools to feel confident and in control, no matter what challenges they face.
In my classroom, I’ve learned that building these skills throughout the year is important to creating an environment where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to take ownership of their feelings.
One fun and powerful way I found to support self-regulation is through positive affirmations. Positive affirmations can serve as reminding students that they have control over their thoughts and emotions. This practice can help transform how students approach their day.
At its core, positive affirmations are short, uplifting statements that students repeat to themselves. These phrases support self-regulation by helping students develop emotional awareness, confidence, and calmness. When students practice affirmations, they become more attuned to their emotions, learning to acknowledge and accept how they feel. This awareness helps them recognize when they need to take action to manage their emotions. Repeating positive statements also reinforces students’ belief in their abilities, giving them the confidence to handle challenges and maintain self-control, even during difficult times.
Incorporating positive affirmations into the classroom can be done in several meaningful ways. One effective method I’ve found is using affirmation cards to engage students. Creating a set of cards with affirmations like “I can stay calm,” “I am in control of my emotions,” or “I can handle challenges” allows students to pick one that resonates with them at the start of each day. These cards can be selected by individual students or even by an “affirmation coach” who rotates each week, encouraging a shared sense of responsibility. After choosing a card, students can reflect on the affirmation, either as a class or individually, making connections on how they plan to use it throughout their day. For example, if a student chooses “I can stay calm,” they might write down, “I will take deep breaths when I feel frustrated,” helping them visualize how the affirmation applies to real-life situations. This approach helps students internalize the positive statements and consider real-life ways to bring them into practice.
As students become more comfortable with this practice, I encourage you to empower them to create their own personalized affirmations.