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Just Breathe:

Self-Regulation with Calm Strips

By Andrea Rutledge

This program description focuses on the challenges of dysregulated student behavior and the
exploration of possible remedies for adolescents at a middle school. A Delta Kappa Gamma
grant from a local chapter provided the opportunity for a reading specialist to turn a vision of
teaching self-regulation strategies into a reality for students better positioned to come to the
table being ready to learn.

eelings of being stuck, preoccupied, or unsettled are common human experiences
Fthat can happen to anyone and that make it difficult to steer one’s mood or mindset.
When faced with stressful situations and anxious feelings, individuals often find it
difficult to make decisions about themselves and their current environment. This is
a state of dysregulation.

The Problem
Adolescence is a period of many transitions, and, as a middle school teacher,
I help students navigate these changes and challenges along the way. Social and
emotional learning (SEL) has surged to the forefront to address the needs of not just
a few students but a growing majority, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), 87% of public-
school educators believe the COVID-19 pandemic had negative effects on student
behavior in the 2021–2022 school year. Specifically, at the middle school level, 79%
of educators wanted more support for student and staff mental health, and 82% were
encouraged by their school to address student’s social, emotional, and mental well-
being (Institute of Education Sciences, 2022). The demand remains high: “Kids’
behaviors are bigger, more intense, more disruptive than ever before,” said Lety
Valero, a former teacher and administrator who now trains teachers in Conscious
Discipline, trauma-informed, evidenced-based SEL for all ages (Gonser, 2023).
In the school setting, educators are dually focused on continuing to serve students
by supporting both academic progress and social and emotional development.
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is
a framework that guides the work of school counselors at my site to coordinate
SEL and establish equitable learning environments. Targeted areas include the five
competencies of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making,
relationship skills, and social awareness. Last year, the elementary (K–6) staff in my
district received an SEL curriculum and training; however, despite the need in the
middle school, less is in place.
I continue to observe students with high levels of stress and anxiety—as
evidenced by survey responses and the way they conduct themselves. For example, I
surveyed students in my intervention classes, and, of the 22 respondents, 11 students
reported that they felt anxious, worried, or stressed for 50% or more of their school
day. Attempts to meet this need at my school include counselors and social workers
running skill-based groups, all of which are full. Lengthy waitlists exist for our in-

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