Educators Discuss the Strategies They Learned Through a Neuroscience-Based Approach Through the DOE’s Partnership with The Regulated Classroom
On the latest episode of her What Holds Us Together podcast, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin talked with three educators about the strategies they learned through the Maine DOE’s partnership with The Regulated Classroom to improve staff and student wellbeing, increase student engagement, and help with regulation.
Special education teacher Jenn Whitney, second grade teacher Cecilia Dube, and first grade teacher Sierra Blake were among the 600 Maine teachers trained as trainers in the Regulated Classroom approach, and they shared how they are using the research-based tools and techniques in their classrooms and training other educators on wellbeing and regulation strategies.
“We continue to hear that student behavior, mental health, and dysregulation create some of the biggest barriers to success in the classroom. The Maine DOE offers several programs for student and staff wellbeing, and I loved talking to three educators who were part of a cohort for one of those programs called The Regulated Classroom. This program leverages what we know about neuroscience and the parasympathetic nervous system, offering practical strategies to help students engage in the learning process,” said Makin during her introduction to the podcast episode.
On the podcast, the educators discussed the techniques and strategies they are using and the results they are already seeing for themselves, other staff, and students. The educators report increased wellbeing, attendance, and engagement at their schools.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a tremendous toll on educator and student wellbeing, with educators reporting increased numbers of dysregulated students, stress, and classroom disruptions. Many educators feel overwhelmed by these pandemic-induced behavioral issues. The Regulated Classroom utilizes a neuroscience-based approach to help educators create calm, engaged, and supportive learning environments by cultivating conditions for felt safety. Felt safety references a regulated state in the body’s stress response system.
The program helps educators recognize and manage their own stress levels. It also helps educators manage increased levels of stress in students, which can be displayed as aggression, poor impulse control, limited attention span, and lack of motivation. Educators received access to a collection of practices and sensory tools to embed into daily routines and activities to promote a more regulated and stable environment for learning. This program supports student achievement and increased job satisfaction for educators.