Settle in Practices

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January 5, 2026

Choose Your Own Adventure

Check in with your 5-Star Student App by scanning the code below (using the app) or entering the code:

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Code: 1430

Settle In Practices: What? Why? How?

Creating Calm, Focus, and Connection in the Classroom

Ms. Vanessa Ridley

Math Teacher, Kaivalya Yoga Instructor, BSU Advisor

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Ms. Colleen Robinson

Chemistry Teacher, B4C Yoga/SEL Instructor, TOSA

Opening Question:

How do you help students transition from chaos to calm at the start of class?

Let’s settle in together:

4/8 Breathing

What are Settle In Practices?

Definition: Short, intentional routines that help students regulate emotions, focus attention, and build community before learning begins.

Examples:

• Silent reflection or journaling
• Deep breathing
• Check-in prompts
• Brief movement or stretch

Student Voices: Why It Matters?

Sebastian: "It slows everything down to make learning easier."

Lylah: "It refocuses you after passing period. It’s crazy out there in the halls."

Why They Work (The Science Behind It):

• Transitions activate stress and attention shifts.
• Calm, predictable openings lower anxiety and prepare the brain to learn.
• Engage the prefrontal cortex (focus) and quiet the amygdala (stress).
• Aligned with SEL: self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills.

Student Voices: The Impact

Clarity: Evelyn: "It declutters your mind."

Focus: Derek: "Setting an intention is the best thing to get me focused."

Calm: Braelynn & Olivia: "Taking deep breaths before we start is the best thing we do!"

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Reflect & Connect

Which of these student voices reminds you of what your students might need most?

Experience

Instructions:

1. Let’s experience two of these settle-in practices
1. Tapping
2. 3-2-1 Action

Think-Ink-Pair Share

• How did that feel? What did you notice about how the practice changed your focus or energy?
• How could it look in your class?
• What adaptations might help it fit your students?

6 minutes total (2 per practice, 2 for debrief)

1. Find a partner
2. Choose who will go first
3. Pick a practice to try from the available slide deck printouts
4. Person 1 Leads Person 2 through the settle in practice
5. Switch Roles and repeat with a different practice
6. Debrief your experience: how did it feel to lead?

Wrapping up: Insights from Student Survey Fall 2025

Pro-Tips & Resources

Pro Tips

• Not everyone will take part, but everyone can be still and silent during this time
• If students enter the class in the middle of the practice, have them wait silently near the door until finished.
• Repeat the practice several times before moving on to another
• Have fun with it… it is not about being super serious all the time!

Resources

• Slide deck of tried & true settle in practices
• CASEL Competencies

Returning to Student Voices

Sebastian: "Slows everything down to make learning easier."

Evelyn: "It declutters your mind."

Derek: "Setting an intention is the best thing to get me focused."

Braelynn & Olivia: "Taking deep breaths before we start is the best thing we do!"

Kenzie: “First period is really stressful, so being able to refocus and start period 2 fresh helps me so much!”

Take- Away & Closing

Exit Ticket

One settle in practice I commit to using in the coming weeks is….

Closing

If our students feel calmer, clearer, and more ready to learn, that’s two minutes well spent.

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Thank you for investing in calm beginnings.

Round Robin Schedule

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