Labels on axes, pride in graphs.
When a child looks at a messy line on a page it can feel like the whole world is messy; when we teach them to put labels on the axes, suddenly the story makes sense. As a teacher, I like to think of feelings and progress like a graph: one axis for what we feel, the other for time or effort. Naming things—anger, tired, proud, confused—gives students a simple map they can use to travel through hard moments. It’s not about fixing everything at once; it’s about giving children language so they can point to a place on the map and say, “This is where I am right now,” and then notice that tomorrow or next week the dot might move.
Kids ages 7–14 respond to short, clear phrases that feel honest and doable. In the classroom I teach students to use small sentences that help them label their experience and acknowledge their strength. When a child says, “I’m frustrated,” we follow with, “That makes sense. What helped you last time?” This encourages problem-solving and also honors their feeling without making it bigger than it needs to be. Over time, labeling emotions becomes a skill they can carry—like reading ticks on an axis—so they don’t feel lost in a sudden spike of worry or a dip of sadness.
Because children often want quick tools, I give them simple phrases to keep in their pockets or on a desk card. These are meant to be repeated until they start to feel true. Short, repeatable lines build a private script kids can use when grown-ups aren’t nearby. I also ask students to draw their own mini-graphs: label the bottom axis “Days” and the side axis “How I feel” or “Try / Confidence.” Then, each day they place a dot. Seeing a trend—even tiny upward moves—creates pride. We celebrate increments: a small step is still a step.
Encourage classroom routines that normalize change. Make a moment for sharing one “today” graph each week: one sentence about a feeling and one sentence about something they tried. Teach peers to respond with curiosity and encouragement—“That sounds hard. What helped you?”—rather than judgment. This turns the classroom into a lab for emotional growth, where mistakes are data points and persistence is progress.
Below are some short, powerful phrases I bring to class. Invite students to pick two to carry with them and use when they need steadiness: - I’m feeling ___, and that’s okay. I can try one small thing. I am allowed to ask for help. I tried today, and that matters. I can take a break and come back. This is hard, and I’m learning. One step at a time. I noticed something changed. I’m proud of a small win. I can name my feeling and choose my next move.
When children learn to label the axes of their lives, they gain clarity. When they learn to celebrate the dots that move up, they learn pride. As teachers we give them both the language and the permission to chart their own path.