RULER, a Program You’ll Hear a Lot About The RULER program is a holistic, social-emotional learning (SEL) toolkit that develops five essential emotional skills:

• Recognizing: Identifying emotions in oneself and others.
• Understanding: Recognizing the causes behind emotions.
• Labeling: Accurately naming emotions.
• Expressing: Appropriately communicating emotions.
• Regulating: Managing and controlling emotions.

In the spring and summer of 2024, four BPS teachers participated in an international training where they learned the RULER methods, which they are now passing on to all BPS teaching teams. First, they will try out the tools themselves and within their teams. Once they feel confident using them, they will gradually introduce them into school practice, involving students in the process. The final step will be to involve parents, so that developing emotional intelligence becomes a shared goal for the whole community.

RULER Methods

Mood Meter:

This tool helps recognize and label emotions using a simple 2x2 matrix. Teachers and students plot their emotional state along the axes of pleasantness and energy level, which helps identify their feelings. The goal is to raise awareness of emotions and understand their causes, aiding in better self-awareness and emotional regulation.

EQ Charter:

This is an emotional statement created by the community through mutual agreement, fostering a positive emotional atmosphere. Its purpose is for group members to consciously manage each other’s emotions and support one another in experiencing positive feelings, which is crucial for strengthening community cohesion.

Best Self:

A self-reflection tool designed to help participants bring out their best selves in conflict situations or challenging conversations. By reinforcing a positive self-image, it promotes constructive emotional regulation and effective communication.

Meta Moment:

This tool allows participants to pause in difficult situations, rather than reacting automatically. It encourages thoughtful decision-making by relying on one’s best self and helps in handling conflicts more effectively.

EQ Check-Ins:

A toolkit of questions designed to resolve conflicts and increase empathy within communities. The aim is to prevent and manage tensions through facilitated conversations.

These methods all contribute to taking EQ development at BPS to the next level. Currently, teaching teams are learning the basics and how to use the tools. The methodology will gradually make its way into classrooms, where we’ll experiment, draw conclusions, and, after much coordination, we expect to launch the new school year with a ready EQ curriculum early next year.