Headings keep essays tidy.

When I teach writing, I tell my students that a good heading is like a tidy shelf: it makes everything easier to find and less scary. For kids who are learning to organize thoughts—or who are having a tough day—a clear heading gives permission to take a breath and look at one small part at a time. In the same way that an essay that uses headings becomes calmer and clearer, a strong little phrase can act like a heading for your feelings: short, simple words that help you name what you’re going through and decide what to do next. Try labeling your page or your day with headings such as "One Thing at a Time," "What I Know," "What I Wonder," or "Next Small Step." Those headings are not tests; they are friendly signs pointing you toward the next idea. When a problem feels big, put it under a heading called "Today I Can Try," and list one small action. When a worry keeps looping, write a heading called "What I Felt" and just write one sentence about it. Teachers can model this by writing their own headings on the board and reading them out loud: "I notice," "I try," "I ask for help." Tiny phrases help students pause and remember that the whole story is made of smaller parts. You can also use headings to organize feelings: make a quick chart with "Upset," "Okay," and "Glad" and let kids add a line under the right heading—this helps students see change over time and notice progress. Simple phrases that pack a lot of meaning are great to put beneath headings: "This is hard, and I can learn," "I can ask one question," "I am allowed to take a break," "I will try again tomorrow." Read them aloud, put them on sticky notes, or tape them beside a heading on a worksheet. In the classroom, encourage students to give each paragraph a little heading before they write: it could be as small as "Big Idea," "Example," "How I Feel," or "What I Learned." That habit not only improves essays, it teaches planning, focus, and emotional checking-in. When students fall behind or feel discouraged, remind them with a heading like "Today’s Step" instead of a long list of everything left to do—small wins under tidy headings build confidence. Headings also make group work kinder: if a group writes a shared plan with headings for who will do what, everyone knows where to look and how to help. The classroom becomes a place where messy thoughts get sorted into neat sections, and where short, caring phrases act like little anchors. Try it this week: pick one problem, add a heading, and write one honest line under it—then add one small action. Over time, heading by heading, students learn that big things become manageable, one tidy step at a time.