Deputy Principal, Wellbeing 

Emotional Literacy and Naming Emotions

I have been to an interesting professional learning session this week which discussed restorative practices in schools, as well as the latest information on brain development in teens and how brain maturation can impact on decision making and emotional regulation. I will speak more about restorative practices in the future, however, this emotion wheel really stood out to me. 

How often do we hear our own children say they are angry or sad? Most of the time, young people need further exploration as to why and what they are feeling. For example, ‘sad’ - they may actually be feeling hurt and subsequently embarrassed about an event or situation that has happened. Unless we give students and our children the emotional literacy around these feelings, we may be addressing the wrong emotion.   A challenge could be to ask your child how they are feeling, and to try and narrow this down to use the language on the emotional wheel. Naming emotions and understanding how they feel can empower young people and improve mental fitness.

Kate Couchman

School Counsellor