Welcome to Coping Skills Cafe: A Lesson in Handling Big Emotions
Students at Radiant Elementary are learning about emotions with a visit to a unique place — Coping Skills Cafe. The sign in the space cleverly reads, “Voted best place to learn strategies to control big emotions.”
Introducing Coping Skills Cafe
“Coping Skills Cafe is fun because we get to learn about stuff and you get to play!” second grader Reese Cheely explains.
“It was a lesson I planned for students to demonstrate productive self-regulation strategies to process emotions. However, it turned into something the students continued to ask about months later,” counselor Dr. Alyssa Harrell says.
After introducing the Cafe in the fall, Dr. Harrell brought it back in February. It doesn’t take much to bring the Cafe to life — just a room at the school with different stations for the students to visit. Each station has a different coping activity to investigate.
Exploring Different Coping Techniques
Dr. Harrell says one of the most popular stops for all the K-5 students is the fidget station.
“Using sensory tools like stress balls, fidget spinners, pop-its, and squishy toys helps students focus and rest their body and mind. They also realize that almost anything that can be manipulated can be a fidget. So, even when they don’t specifically have a fidget during their day-to-day experiences, they can improvise based on what they’ve learned,” Dr. Harrell adds.
Other Cafe tables offer games, creative activities, and Legos.
“Playing games or using Legos focuses the brain on something other than what is worrisome or bothersome. Being creative can help students express their feelings. Art can offer clarity, peace, and calm. Journaling or writing can help students cope by allowing them to process and make sense of their emotions and thoughts. They can feel more in control of their story,” Dr. Harrell explains.
Building Stronger Minds
Learning coping skills is an important life tool that all students need as they grow.
“Coping skills help you handle your feelings by yourself,” second grader Layla Villotti says. “ Like if an adult is not around and you get in a fight — it’s easier to grab a coping skill or you could do a mindful moment. There are a lot of things that could work.”
In addition to learning how to cope, students are also learning how to recognize when they need to use coping skills. They are learning to understand when their bodies feel big emotions.
“Emotions are like when you’re scared, stressed, angry, or sad. Mad and sad are two that I feel a lot. Finger breathing is one of my favorite coping skills I’ve learned,” Reese says.
Once they identify the big feelings, they learn to turn to their coping skills to find something to help them get through the moment, whether it’s fidgeting, journaling, or special breathing techniques.
While this is the first year of the Coping Skills Cafe, Dr. Harrell says she plans to bring back this popular activity every year so students can keep practicing the skills as they grow.
