Discussing Emotions
Overview
Discussing emotions with students consists of supporting their ability to identify, label, and manage their feelings. Providing students with language to discuss Emotion helps students to learn Self-Regulation skills, which can support their Learner Mindset to engage in learning opportunities and grow their Core Academic Literacies. Discussing emotions can also build the Social Awareness skills needed for students to navigate social situations and develop positive relationships with others. Emotions also play a critical role in creating safe spaces for students in classrooms.
When practiced through a culturally responsive lens, educators' facilitation of discussions on emotions can foster safe spaces for all students, including those who are minoritized. It's important for educators to develop their own cultural awareness in order to understand that students' cultural background may affect how they show emotions. Additionally, students, especially those who have been historically and systematically excluded, can experience emotions related to the stress of external, socio-political circumstances. It is important to understand that students with learning disabilities or ADHD may have ways of expressing their Emotions, perceiving Emotion in others, and reacting to Emotions that differ from what we'd expect to see from learners. Not accounting for these factors may limit the resources educators' provide when discussing emotions. Educators should draw from students' backgrounds and lived experiences to shape conversations on emotions. A one-size-fits-all approach to these discussions limits their effectiveness.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how this high school teacher facilitates whole-class discussions focused on identifying stressors, attaching emotions to those stressors, and working through coping exercises.
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Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
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