Take 5 Calming Breathing Technique

A technique that I often use with students when they are upset and need assistance with calming down is the Take 5 Calming Breathing Technique.  Here is an a example of this technique: Take 5 Calming Breathing Technique.

It's important to teach this technique and to practice it with students while they are calm so that it will become second nature for them and easier to do when they are anxious or experiencing loss of control.

Recently I've worked with two students who like to draw.  I combined the Take 5 Calming Breathing Technique with drawing and created a book for them to use when they are agitated or upset to help them calm down.

In this example, the student is reminded to "Take 5" and draw a picture and then, if calm, to try to return to learning.  If they aren't calm enough, they can repeat this process.