#selfreg

This year I am working as a substitute teacher at all the schools in Hay River: a primary school, an elementary/intermediate school, a high school, a French-language school, and Chief Sunrise, the school where I taught last year.

This first week back, I was able to work in the high school class with students I know from last year, and in the French maternelle (pre-kindergarten and kindergarten aged students. I was struck both by how incredibly different the two sets of students were, but also by how much they have in common.

It seemed that most behaviour issues in both groups stem from not having a clear understanding of expectations, desperately wanting to be independent, difficulty navigating social relationships, and emotions that were too big to be self-regulated without help. With both groups, it was important to be calm, to co-regulate and offer support, to restate rules and expectations, to model clearly what needs to be done, and to be warm and kind.

I was nervous going into the kindergarten class, both because it has been a long time since I’ve practiced my French, but also because I’ve never worked with students so young. The problems are a little simpler at that level (more zippers and shoes are tough, than peer-pressure and inappropriate texting), but the emotions, the fears, and the uncertainties are the same. Big emotions, and not enough tools to use to get through it all.