During the month of December, students will learn about the E in the RULER acronym: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating our emotions.
As a reminder, during the month of November, Park students learned the difference between the "Upstairs Brain" and the "Downstairs Brain" and the emotionally regulating power of LABELING our emotions; better known as "Name it to Tame it". Our "Upstairs Brain" is where we do our thinking, regulating and problem solving. Our "Downstairs Brain" houses our Flight, Fight or Freeze emotional responses. This is especially helpful when we realize that, generally, when we are overwhelmed with uncomfortable emotions, our natural, protective predisposition is to express uncomfortable emotions as Anger (Fight) Avoidance/Escape (Flight) or Shutting Down (Freeze). These are hurtful and disconnecting responses.
Park students will learn about anger as a secondary emotion; the FIGHT response being employed in our "Downstairs Brain." When we learn to "unwrap our anger" we can more accurately identify our emotions and then choose a more helpful response. We do this by effectively LABELING our emotions, or "Naming it to Tame it". This way, we can move to our "Upstairs Brain" and then STOP-THINK-and CHOOSE the best way to EXPRESS our emotions in a way that is helpful to our relationships and increases connection.
One of the most useful tools that I have learned to effectively express emotions is called "The Magic Sentence''. It goes like this: I feel (label the emotion) when you (name the thing the other person did), I'd like you to (name some helpful next steps.) By the end of December, your student should know how to "Unwrap their Anger" and use "The Magic Sentence" to appropriately EXPRESS their emotions.
We have attached a helpful resource for more information on Anger as a Secondary Emotion.