Emotion Wise: Helping Children Understand And Regulate Their Emotions
When a child learns how to handle their feelings, everything changes: behaviour improves, relationships strengthen, and learning becomes easier.
Let’s raise emotionally intelligent kids, one calm conversation at a time.
GET STARTED NOWBIG FEELINGS DON'T HAVE TO LEAD TO BIG PROBLEMS
Help children understand, express, and manage their emotions in healthy ways
Emotional outbursts, frustration, shutdowns, we see it every day. But what if children had the tools to recognise their feelings and respond with calm, confidence, and control?
Our programme, "Emotion Wise: Helping Children Understand and Regulate Their Emotions," is designed for educators and support staff who want practical, age-appropriate strategies to support children’s emotional growth. The benefits of this programme include:
✅For Students: Increased self-awareness, emotional resilience, and confidence in managing feelings.
✅For Teachers / Support Staff / Programme Facilitators: A clear, step-by-step curriculum that supports emotional literacy across the classroom, including over 30 structured resources.
✅For Schools: A proactive, positive approach to wellbeing that supports safe, caring, and connected learning environments.
Join schools across Aotearoa empowering tamariki to take control of their emotions, develop empathy, and thrive socially and emotionally. Invest in emotional intelligence today, because tamariki who understand their emotions, and the emotions of others, are tamariki who can learn, connect, and flourish.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLSA FANTASTIC RESOURCE FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS!
Lesson Plans. Resources. Videos.
Unlock the Power of Emotional Wellbeing in Your School
In today’s world, our tamariki face more emotional challenges than ever. Understanding, managing, and expressing emotions safely is essential for their wellbeing, learning, and social growth. The Empowering Tamariki Emotional Regulation Programme gives students aged 7–12 the tools to recognise, regulate, and respond to emotions, in themselves and others while building empathy, resilience, and strong, supportive relationships.
Why This Programme Works:
- Research-based and classroom-ready: 10 engaging, 60-minute lessons designed for primary school students, with 30+ well-structured resources.
- Practical skills: Students learn self-regulation, empathy, friendship support, and safety strategies, skills that last a lifetime.
- Creative and interactive: Activities include role-plays, reflection exercises, breathing practices, comic strips, posters, and group games.
- Holistic wellbeing approach: Integrates all four dimensions of Whare Tapa Whā, taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha tinana (physical), taha whānau (social), and taha wairua (spiritual).
- Culturally grounded: Key values woven throughout, including manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, mauri, and rangimārie.
- Teacher-friendly: The programme is delivery-ready, coming with detailed instructions, all lesson plans, and 30+ printable resources.
This is a complete resource, with style and delivery detail.
It is Ready-To-Deliver in classrooms today!
Each programme begins with a professional development session led by Sensei Shane, providing essential support and preparation for delivery success.
GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS NOW
Module 1 (Lessons 1 & 2)
What are Emotions and when they Change:
Introduction to emotions using colours and simple labels. Students identify basic feelings, notice them in the body, and understand that emotions are normal and can change throughout the day.
Module 2 (Lessons 3 & 4)
Why we have Emotions and how to Calm them:
This module explores the purpose of emotions as messengers that guide behaviour, protect us, and help us connect with others. And teaches practical strategies for managing strong emotions.
MODULE 3 (Lessons 5)
Taking Responsibility for our Emotions:
Students learn that while feelings are natural, their actions are their own responsibility. Focus on differentiating between feelings and behaviour, and practising responsible responses.
MODEULE 4 (lessons 6, 7 & 8)
Recognising and Supporting Emotions in others, and staying Safe:
This module focuses on developing empathy and social awareness. Students learn to identify emotions in peers. This module teaches students how to support peers experiencing strong emotions safely introducing the SAFE steps and recognising when someone’s emotions may become unsafe.
MODULE 5 (Lesson 9 & 10)
How to Be a Good Friend When Someone is Regulating Their Emotions
In this module students learn how to support friends who are self-regulating, respecting their space and using appropriate, caring behaviours. Lesson 10 consolidates all learning, and celebrates individual and class achievements.
Empower children with the lifelong skill of emotional regulation.....
Using simple language, effective strategies, and ready-to-use tools, this course turns emotional struggles into teachable moments.
Because when kids understand their feelings, they thrive.
Don’t wait! Talk to Sensei Shane now about how this resource could work in your school!
BOOK A CALL WITH SENSEI SHANELET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF!
I am Sensei Shane ...
With over two decades of experience working with children as a martial arts instructor, I have dedicated my life to empowering tamariki through martial arts and education.
As a father of five and a grandfather too, I understand the profound responsibility we have in shaping the next generation.
We've created this programme to equip children with practical tools for understanding and managing emotions, helping them build resilience, empathy, and stronger relationships both inside and outside the classroom. Skills that will last a lifetime!
Making a positive connections...
This programme is grounded in Te Ao Māori perspectives on wellbeing, using the Whare Tapa Whā model to help students understand that emotional health involves all four dimensions of wellbeing: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha whānau (social), and taha wairua (spiritual). By connecting learning to these dimensions, tamariki grow emotionally, socially, and spiritually while developing values such as manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and rangimārie.
Recognising the need for a sustainable impact, we have created our programmes so that they can be delivered by teachers and support staff.
These resources are designed to integrate seamlessly into the school environment aligning to a number of key literacy components, ensuring that the principles of empowerment and respect continue to thrive beyond my direct involvement.
On-going Professional Development is available to schools delivering this programme both in-person and virtually.
See what just a few of the schools I work in have to say...
"The Empowering Tamariki Programme has been an invaluable asset to our school for the past two years. Initially introduced to address and reduce playground behaviour incidents across the school, it has far exceeded our expectations. The programme has successfully provided our staff, teachers, students, and wider community with a common language, fostering a more cohesive and understanding environment. We've seen a profoundly positive impact on our students, who are now equipped with diverse strategies for being a good friend and navigating tricky situations where unkindness arises. The inherent physicality and fun embedded in each lesson truly uplift our students; their excitement to participate is always palpable. As Hauora is a huge focus across our school, the Empowering Tamariki Programme aligns perfectly with our holistic approach to well-being. We are committed to continuing this programme for as long as our community and students benefit from its empowering lessons."
- Natalie Looney | Tumuaki (Principal)
BEd (Teaching), Post Grad. Diploma (Physical Education), Master of Contemporary Education.
Hurangi School, New Plymouth
"At Waitara Central School, we have had the privilege of hosting the "Empowering Tamariki" program, led by Sensai Shane. This initiative has brought about remarkable positive changes in our students. We've observed a noticeable increase in their confidence levels and their ability to self-regulate. The children are demonstrating greater respect towards their peers and exhibit a general sense of happiness and well-being.
The program's emphasis on values such as unity, learning, responsibility, and compassion aligns seamlessly with our school's core principles. By fostering these values, the program not only enhances individual student growth but also strengthens our school community as a whole.
We wholeheartedly endorse the "Empowering Tamariki" program and encourage other primary schools to consider implementing this transformative initiative. The positive outcomes we've witnessed affirm its effectiveness in nurturing well-rounded, confident, and respectful young individuals."
-Vickie Kahu-Pukoro | Principal
Waitara Central School
"Puketapu School has had the privilege of having the Empowering Tamariki Programme in our school over the last year and the results are amazing!
- Katherine Pascoe | Principal
Puketapu School, Bell Block
"The Empowering Tamariki Programme with Sensei Shane has been running at St Joseph’s School Waitara for over a year now, and we’ve seen a clear, positive impact on student behaviour and wellbeing. Since introducing the programme, incidents of bullying have reduced, and our wellbeing data shows significant improvements in how our tamariki manage themselves and relate to others. We’ve found it to be a highly effective, values-based programme, and we fully recommend it to other primary schools looking to strengthen positive behaviour and support student wellbeing."
- Rachel Gibbons | Principal
St Joseph School Waitara
COST EFFECTIVENESS:
Let's break it down...
Each lesson runs for 60 minutes. There are 10x lessons in this programme (with over 35 supporting resources) and can be delivered in line with a standard school term.
Deliver this programme 3x per week to groups of 15-25 students each term (new groups each term) and in just the first year you will reach around 300x students in a single school!
That's a cost of just $2.33 per student.
The cost per child then drops to less than $1 per child each year after!
Included is an essential initial Professional Development session led by Sensei Shane. Further Professional Development can be arranged as requested by schools.
LAUNCH SPECIAL!
$699+GST
+ ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $199+GST TO GET:
- Significant discounts on all Empowering Tamariki Programmes: (ETP 1: Bully Awareness and Prevention Programme; ETP 2: Manners and Good Behaviour; ETP 4: Character and Leadership; and ETP 5: Stranger Danger Safety)
- Regularly updated resources
- Additional resources
- Access to training and upskilling (provincially)
- Online support
- To continue to use this resource year after year, again and again at no extra cost!
Children's Books
Also available! Our Sensei Shane says: Stop! Breath! Choose! children's books are vibrant, engaging, and perfectly aligned with this Emotional Regulation Programme.
We have a range of ways you can access our books in both English and Te Reo Māori.
Use the Sensei Shane Says books as your next fundraising campaign!
Get in touch now!
Let's make change happen
Emotional Regulation Resource for Primary Schools
Help your students understand, manage, and thrive with their emotions through a fun, practical, and classroom-ready programme. Designed for ages 7–12, this 10-lesson series teaches tamariki how to:
- Recognise and name their emotions.
- Calm big feelings and practise self-regulation.
- Take responsibility for their actions.
- Read and respond to others’ emotions with empathy.
- Support friends safely and maintain positive relationships.
- Stay safe when emotions become intense or dangerous.
Each lesson is interactive and engaging, with role-plays, creative activities, reflection exercises, and printable resources, all designed to build emotional resilience, social skills, and confidence.
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