Big Energy, Better Focus: FYBS in Third Grade
May 2026
Blog by third-grade teacher Alex Stevens
As a third-grade teacher, I see it every day—students have big feelings in small bodies. Whether it’s frustration during math, disagreements at recess, or anxiety about getting the “right” answer, my students are constantly learning how to navigate their emotions. Feel Your Best Self has been a game changer when it comes to handling emotions in the classroom. Each week, we focus on a different strategy to use. We will watch the videos, have discussions, and practice each strategy together as a class. The best part of this program is when I announce to my students that we will be doing a FYBS lesson and they instantly sit up and are excited. The videos, animated shorts, and songs keep them interested and engaged and it really supports the learning for all these strategies.
When people think about social-emotional learning, they often picture helping students work through challenging emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness. While Feel Your Best Self certainly supports students in those moments, I’ve found it to be just as powerful in a different (and often overlooked) area; managing excitement.
In my third grade classroom, I’ve noticed that excitement can be just as overwhelming as frustration. I always notice the wiggles during a fun activity, the loud voices after recess, the bubbling energy when something exciting is about to happen, and even the crazy energy that occurs when students come into the classroom in the morning. Those moments are joyful, but they can also quickly turn into chaos if students don’t know how to regulate that energy. This is where I feel like FYBS makes a huge difference.
Strategies like Belly Breathing, Ground It Down, and Chillax in My Head are a few strategies we like to use when the excitement in the classroom is getting to be too much. This really helps everyone to take a moment to relax our bodies and clear our mind so we are ready to focus on our tasks at hand.
For someone who is implementing the Feel Your Best Self program for the first time, I highly suggest printing and laminating the Strategy Cards and hanging them in the classroom where students can access them at all times. My students constantly refer to the strategies we have practiced to help them in various different emotional situations. As the teacher, I’m able to notice energy in the classroom throughout the day. Oftentimes, I will be the one to point to a strategy that I think will help the class and we will practice it together.
Feel Your Best Self has been an amazing addition to our school day!