Students self-reflect to assess whether their emotions are proportional to a situation. They identify patterns in how different situations affect them, and learn to anticipate their emotional responses based on past experiences. They proactively prepare themselves to manage their reactions in these anticipated situations, ensuring they stay composed and ready for whatever comes their way.

Example: A student notices they often get derailed by difficult problems during tests. Reflecting on this, they recognize a pattern and realize their emotions hinder their performance by pulling their focus away from the questions to which they do know the answers. Before the next test, they mentally prepare by reminding themselves that it’s okay to skip over questions and return to them later, and that no single question is worth so much anxiety. Eventually this mindset feels natural not just before a test, but when the student approaches a challenging question in any scenario.

An integrative framework for student success