Emotional hydration entails constant regulation of the lower parts of our brain.
Our regulation is affected by our exposure to emotionally challenging situations which is pretty constant in our classrooms.
Neuroscientists tell us the cortical areas of the brain which are required for regulation are not fully developed until age 25.
So, we are looking at a room full of students who do not have very well-developed emotional regulation.
This means we will have to be the regulating presence in the room in order for our students to optimize opportunity for learning (Martin & OSchnser, 2016).
To do this, we need to take small sips of regulation all day to combat our dysregulating experiences.
Brainstem & Midbrain Regulation
Drink water (meet basic needs; food and water are regulating)
Body Temperature (Too hot or too cold is dysregulating!)
Rocking/Rhythm (consider bringing a rocking chair into the teacher’s lounge)
Bilateral stimulation (walking)
Breathing (Belly breathing)
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