Self RegulationStudent and Life Success

Britt Walton

Welcome to Burnaby Mountain

Home of the Lions

committed to providing a safe and supportive

learning environment

individual potential is nourished

all learners are challenged to reach for excellence

to develop and instill lifelong learners

respect themselves, others, and the environment.

active and engaged citizens

“RESPECT, EXCELLENCE,

AND RESPONSIBILITY”.

Presentation Outline

What do we know about the brain and

learning?

What is self regulation?

Why is it important?

What factors influence a student’s ability to

self regulate?

Biological Factors

Social Emotional Factors

Strategies for improving self regulation at

home.

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Task #1

Turn to the person sitting next to you…

Start by introducing yourself and then collectively discuss the following:

What do you know about your brains and how they work?

What parts of the brain are activated when we learn?

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The Brain

“The brain is made

up of 100 billon

nerve cells with more

than 100 trillion

connections”.

These are known as

“Neural Networks”!

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Self Regulation (Frontal Lobe)

Self Regulation is the ability to monitor and manage feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

Teens who can self regulate get along better with others and can maximize their learning. They are able to:

Express emotions appropriately

Control impulses

Ignore distractions

Persevere

Set goals

Follow through on a plan

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Conceptualizing Self Regulation

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Biological Influences on

Self Regulation

Task # 2 Sleep Survey

With a different partner discuss the answers to the

following…

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?

Do you notice a change in your mood?

How about your ability to concentrate or focus?

How much patience do you exercise with others when you

have not slept? Britt Walton 2015

Today’s Kids (Taylor, 2014)

Kids spend on average 7.5 hours a day engaged with/in

technology/media.

Broken down it looks like this:

4.5 hrs on tv

2+ hrs on computers

1+ hrs playing games

38 minutes of reading

25 minutes watching movies

75% of kids own cell phones

Boys send 30 texts a day; Girls send 80 texts a day.

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Problems Associated with

Technology

Today’s kids and adults are significantly sleep deprived.

“Ping” of cell phones triggers a dopamine response in the brain that is similar to a gambling/drug addiction, the addiction then becomes the distraction and leads to a lack of attention….this can be problematic.

Exposure to LEDs or having any screen time 2 hours prior to bed negatively influences the quality of sleep. (Surficial sleep as opposed to restorative sleep)

Challenge your teens to unplug. Do not allow them to recharge their phones on their bedside tables….its more important for them to fully recharge!

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Emotional Regulation

Emotional Quotient - (Goleman)

Identifies 4 key aspects of emotional

regulation:

Self Awareness

Self Management

Social Awareness

Relationship Management

Healthy Self-Esteem (based on personal efforts & achievements)

Emotional Resiliency (recover from disappointment, embarrassment & other challenges)

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Task #3 Watch and identify some

emotional challenges?See link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg

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Today’s Classrooms

Anxiety – “Age of Anxiety”

Depression

Eating disorders

OCD-ODD

Interpersonal Challenges

In fact, mental illness is the third largest contributor to BC’s burden of disease – the greatest contributor for people aged 15-34 (BCTF, 2013)

Nationally, approximately 20% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems severe enough to warrant mental health services. (Canadian Mental Health Association)

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How to Help Your Teen Develop

Healthy Social Emotional Skills

Provide as predictable a routine a possible

Let the teen take responsibility for tasks, for monitoring

their own success at completing each task

Help teens relieve their stress – regular exercise,

connecting with nature, mindfulness and help them to

see the consequences of their decision making

Avoid unnecessary academic stress – select

appropriate timetables and/or course loads and rather

focus on skills, talents and interests of your teen

Model appropriate self regulation and emotional control

Teach the importance of delaying gratification

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More Tips… Listen to your teen - let him/her talk out his/her problems with you

before jumping in with a solution. Teens need adults to believe in them

unconditionally and expect them to succeed. Promote a growth

mindset vs a fixed mindset at home. See link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brpkjT9m2Oo

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More Tips…

Encourage your teen to get involved in activities that engage her/him

with the community in a positive way.

Help your teen to identify other adults to turn to when he/she wants to

talk. Let your teen know that it’s okay to seek help from a counselor,

health care professional, youth services worker, or trusted adult, if

needed.

Encourage your teen to explore solutions. In many cases, he/she will

know about the solutions—for example, extra help after school —but

may need your encouragement to try them.

Everyone experiences anger and stress! Help your teen to find

acceptable ways of working through these feelings.

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Review of Self Regulation

See link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLYkV689s4

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Helpful Web Resources

http://www.parenttoolkit.com/index.cfm?objectid=5

0A8EC10-32D8-11E4-B03B0050569A5318

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Resources Continued

http://www.casel.org/

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A lasting thought…

“Self regulation should now be considered a more important indicator of

educational performance than IQ”

(Blair & Diamond, 2008; Duckworth and Seligman, 2005; Shankoff & Phillips,

2000; Naglieri, 2014)

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References

For a list of references used in this presentation please

contact britt.walton@sd41.bc.ca.