This term our Year 4 class had a visit from THEWS (Tower Hamlets Emotions Explorers Service), a project that teaches children how to control their feelings. The workshop was an excellent opportunity for our students to learn the differences between their emotional brain and thinking brain. They learned how they are different and how to control their feelings in a healthy and positive way!
It explored the idea of wild emotions and how feelings, like waves, come and go. 

At the start of each session the children are instructed to indicate their current emotions using thumbs up, down, or in-between as a check-in.

They were also taught critical strategies for regulating feelings, such as the finger pull, hot chocolate breathing, palm pushes, belly breathing, and calming imagery. These activities provide children with concrete tools to regulate feelings in a positive manner.

One of the highlights of the session was the energetic hand signal for sentences like “riding the wave,” stressing that feelings have their ups and downs and should be handled patiently and persistently. 

The children also discussed saying things they wished they didn't, and how this can show self-awareness. These lessons strongly illustrate our school’s fundamental value of aspiration. By teaching children emotional intelligence and self-regulation techniques, we are actively creating an environment in which children feel empowered to grow, learn, and meet challenges head-on with confidence. Aspiration is not merely about success in academic pursuits but also about building the resilience and emotional strength to be successful at everything in life. THEWS visits are a wonderful illustration of our commitment to producing emotionally intelligent, well-balanced children.