Three moves. First, lower your own state — one long exhale, feet on the floor. The class regulates off the teacher, not the other way around. See facilitation.
Second, name the room, not the child: “The room is loud. Let's find the floor.” Third, anchor — sixty seconds of a chosen micropractice: breath, sound, or body. Do not skip the anchor when the class is loud; that is exactly when it works.
If a specific student is dysregulated, don't stop the class — anchor the room, then approach the student privately. See working with anxious students.
#calm-class#breath#micropractice
Last reviewed: 2026-06-10
See also
- The first five minutesThe highest-leverage window in the school day, and how to spend it.
- Micropractices for K–5Twelve two-to-five-minute practices you can drop into any lesson.
- Working with anxious studentsEveryday classroom moves for the students you're most worried about.
- Building emotion vocabularyWhy the words a class uses for emotions may be the highest-leverage change you make.
- Being a good facilitatorThe core stance of a specialist working inside a school — and what breaks it.