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Tips from the Educator’s Playbook

A Five-Point Framework
for Regulating Emotion During Challenging Discussions

W

hen faced with uncomfortable or hostile situations, the flight-or-flight instinct often takes over. But there’s another option. Penn GSE Professor Howard Stevenson, the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education, believes managing stress and regulating emotions is achievable through mindfulness and intentional practice.

Howard Stevenson headshot

Howard Stevenson
Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education

Stevenson, an expert on racial literacy, trauma, and stress management, developed a framework called CLCBE—short for “calculating, locating, communicating, breathing, and exhaling”—to help individuals, especially young people, cope with racial insults and threatening language while managing stress in divisive debates or tense situations.

“We teach folks how to notice if they are struggling in conversations, when they’re worried and anticipating what could go wrong, and how to prepare for that with mindfulness approaches,” explained Stevenson, who heads Penn GSE’s Resilience Empowerment Collaborative and is the author of Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools: Differences That Make a Difference (Teachers College Press).

CLCBE benefits educators, administrators, and students, and Stevenson has shared the practice with students as young as third graders. Educators everywhere can use these types of supportive tools. “Now is exactly the time to use these skills,” he said.

According to Stevenson, the key to success is practice—ensuring these skills are ready when needed. He shares these insights on how to apply CLCBE’s steps and help navigate challenging discussions.

number scale set to 8
1.

Calculate

Before you react, Stevenson suggests taking stock of your emotional state. Notice your feelings and their intensity, then assign a value. If you’re stressed, rank the feeling on a scale of one to ten. Conversely, if you’re hopeful or relaxed, what’s that number?
number scale set to 8
digital illustration of woman grabbing her shoulder in pain
2.

Locate

Stress usually settles somewhere in our bodies, so determine where you hold tension. That could be a pain in your shoulders, a stiff jaw, or a clenched fist. Try to get as specific as possible.
digital illustration of woman grabbing her shoulder in pain
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3.

Communicate

Communication is a two-step process: self-imagery and self-talk. In both ways, people guide themselves through tense situations. Self-imagery refers to images that come to mind when we flashback to past situations, while self-talk is the conversations you have internally during a problematic interaction. Notice how you react during and after these experiences.
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digital illustration of man holding hand to chest while breathing
4.

Breathe and Exhale

Modulating your breath calms the nervous system and helps regulate your mental and physical state. Practice breathing in for six seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, and slowly releasing the breath. The exhale should be longer than your inhale.
digital illustration of man holding hand to chest while breathing
5.

Practicing the Practice

Stevenson concluded that if you’ve resolved the tension in your body and internal reactions, you’re better equipped to respond thoughtfully and, if you choose, to use your voice.

“We’re taught to avoid difficult conversations, and we’re so good at it that we need to unteach ourselves,” he said. “Whether it is hate-based bullying or math anxiety, we can use CLCBE to prevent the drain and self-doubt from mismanaging resolvable conflicts.”

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These tips are adapted from the Educator’s Playbook, a Penn GSE newsletter that distills faculty research into useful advice for educators and parents. Visit penng.se/playbook to sign up!
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