This week Joelle and Gillian took a look at a pattern where students might learn how to use breaks out of the room to self regulate (great!) but then might become over-reliant on this one coping strategy, contributing to extra time out of the class and also perhaps getting in the way of opportunities for belonging and co-regulation in their classroom community (not so great!)
Often our over reliance on breaks results in lowered stress tolerance and stamina. Often what the student is doing on a "break" is not directly related to their unmet need. For example, if a student is worried and walking alone in a hallway, that is likely to make the worry worse. If you need movement, a short walking break could be helpful. If you are worried, you might be more supported by a task that distracts you from the worry or support in focusing on the task for a few minutes by working with a partner or an adult.
We introduce a "Break the Break Habit" protocol in which we can teach students to identify the unmet need that they were hoping a break would address, self-advocate more directly for what they need, meet those needs in direct and efficient ways using a broader palette of coping strategies, and stay on routine while meeting the need (or return to routine as soon as the need is met).
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Joelle: https://www.instagram.com/joelle.vanlent/
