Emotions are universal. They are the projections of our internal state. Emotions are organic and unfiltered. Paul Ekman, a notable Psychologist who dedicated several decades to comprehending Emotions

He has successfully identified six universal emotions which most of us express at any given point in time: happy, sad, tired, angry, surprise and disgust. We also tend to express them at different rates and intervals by reading social and Behavioural cues of others in our environment which is defined to be Emotional Regulation.

Children, particularly in early ages, identify and explore their emotions through play, interacting with their relatives in their social circle and model their elders. Additionally, social behaviours are first introduced in childhood where social and cultural behaviours are imbibed as a part of their holistic development

These emotions and behaviours are reinforced in the school environment through their peers and educators. It is crucial for educators, parents and caregivers to teach children about accepting different environmental circumstances. Additionally, teaching children to express their emotions in a healthy manner gives a sense of security and direction for the child to express his/her feelings.

Certain healthy ways to express their emotions include assessing the severity of the situation to engage in a reaction, venting only to the elders whom they can count on, expressing their feelings of experiencing hurt and disappointment to someone who made them feel bad etc. In school, Maladaptive behaviours are first identified and then replaced with positive expressions along with socially acceptable behaviours which are further reinforced to maintain their states. A key component of harnessing a strong emotional regulation is associated directly with the relationship students maintain with their teacher.

A strong positive bond between teachers and students directly translates to a higher academic achievement, increased social and behavioural engagement with peers and stronger internal locus of control. In early childhood, younger students mirror the bond shared between their teachers among their peers which further reinforces socially appropriate emotional behavior. In other words, the rapport between educator and student is associated with the relationships children share with their peers outside the classroom.

Multiple research studies conclude that early identification of a stressful situation and the coping strategies learnt by the child helps them to better regulate their emotions, and have a neutral or positive outlook towards the stressful situation. Children tend to motivate themselves to perform better in academics and enjoy the success of their hard work. Contradictorily, students who show less motivation, show avoidant behaviors in the classroom and find it difficult to maintain social relationships, tend to perform poorly in their academics

It is important for educators, parents and caregivers to teach, and reinforce appropriate responses to undesired situations to foster a balanced response to their distressing environment. Children form social bonds and relationships with lesser inhibitions so it allows them just as much opportunity to grow and build healthier relationships with their peers. This is also vital for their future academic, social and personal success.