Although we are born with the capacity to feel strong, intense feelings, we are not born with the inherent skills necessary to regulate these emotions. Teaching your students how to balance the left and right sides of their brains and regulate their emotions can help them learn self-management skills.
It’s important to help students understand the differences between the left and right sides of their brains. In general, the left side is concerned with logic and facts, while the right side is rooted in emotion. Students can learn to make balanced decisions by looking at the facts of a situation to put big emotions into perspective.
All emotions are valid, and what your students feel inside is real. As an educator, you can help your students learn that, regardless of how they feel, they have the power to make informed choices that consider their own needs and those of others, rather than acting solely on emotion in the moment.
What is a Wise Mind vs. Reasonable and Emotion Minds?
When looking at left and right brain thinking, we can use more helpful terms: Reasonable Mind, Emotion Mind, and Wise Mind. Reasonable mind is the left side brain thinking that acknowledges facts and logic while ignoring feelings. Emotion Mind is the right-brain thinking that allows strong feelings to take over thoughts, words, and actions while ignoring facts and logic. Wise Mind integrates the left and right side brains, using feelings and facts to make balanced and smart decisions.
In this Wise Mind lesson module, teach your students how to access their “Wise Mind”, identifying the various mind states and practicing how to use their Wise Mind in various games and activities with their classmates.
These special education resources for accepting change were authored by the Watson Institute’s special education consultant, Kara Parsons, M.Ed.
PowerPoint Presentations
Wise Mind Presentation
Wise Mind Presentation (PDF)
Wise Mind Presentation Notes
Wise Mind Facilitator’s Guide
Social Skills Lesson Resource Materials
Wise Mind Outline
Wise Mind Mini-Schedule
Wise Mind Activities
Wise Mind Homework
Wise Mind Magnet Cards
Wise Mind Parent Note
Wise Mind Teacher Note
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