Self-regulation (also known as executive function) is showing up in conversations everywhere—in teachers’ rooms and principals’ offices, at playgrounds and conferences, online, and in the media. Learn key information that’s been missing from the conversation.
What we heard from teachers and administration at after implementing Tools at
Op-ed from Tools leaders urges new approach to self-regulation
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Committee search to choose the right curriculum
Selection of Tools of the Mind curriculum & professional development
Tools training and implementation for all relevant staff
Teaching and learning review and outcomes
The buzz around self-regulation is building because teachers and families are noticing more dysregulation in children, and they aren’t sure what to do about it.
Tools of the Mind Executive Director Barb Wilder-Smith and Tools Board member and researcher Ellen Galinsky are jumping in to share what they know. In their recent op-ed, A skills crisis in our classrooms, the two self-regulation experts draw attention to how self-regulation develops—and what supportive adults can do to encourage children to build more of it.
“It’s time to take action,” say Galinsky and Wilder-Smith, because all learning starts with regulating our attention, behavior, and emotions. “We’ve seen the measurable impact when teachers champion this issue: fewer disruptions, stronger student engagement, more time devoted to learning, and greater teacher satisfaction.”
“Dysregulation isn’t about managing behavior — it’s about building skills.”
- Ellen Galinsky and Barb Wilder-Smith in A skills crisis in our classrooms
Children develop self-regulation “through supported practice in everyday life,” say Galinsky and Wilder-Smith. When adults tweak situations and activities to allow children to practice these skills and introduce strategies to tackle them successfully, children gain confidence in approaching familiar situations and a set of tools they can apply to similar situations in the future.
Galinsky and Wilder-Smith know this may seem hard to orchestrate, but they emphasize:
At Tools, self-regulation is always part of the conversation. We know that children’s brains are primed to develop executive function skills during the early childhood years. In fact, self-regulation can be considered the core developmental domain of early childhood, a chance to build skills children can rely on as they grow.
To learn more about how families and educators can meet this moment, read the op ed in K-12 Dive and share it with friends, relatives, and colleagues.
Tools of the Mind gives teachers the tools to ensure every child becomes a successful learner and reaches their highest potential.
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