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Figure 4
Lesson on Breathing and Use of Calm Strip
Photo copyright: A. Rutledge, 2024
Two weeks after the self-regulation lesson and distribution of the calm strips,
I followed up with students in my intervention class to see how the initiative was
going. The sticky notes (Figure 5) were an informal way to see whether we were on
to something that might be working. Teachers shared that they noticed kids touching
the strips and admitted that they used theirs when they needed the reminder to
breathe. One example I observed was a seventh grader sitting in the hallway during
class time. As I approached, I asked him if he was ok, and he said he just needed a
breather from class; I noticed he was rubbing his calm strip. Later, the teacher told
me that the student had asked if he could take a break. The language from the self-
regulation lesson, coupled with the strategy and tool, created a combination that was
getting traction and transferring across settings.
Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 47
