Celebrating 10 Years of RULER at The Willows

For the past decade, The Willows’ implementation of the RULER Approach has not only transformed how our students learn, but how our entire community understands, expresses, and values emotions. We recognize that emotions matter, and that healthy emotional regulation plays a vital piece in helping to cultivate children’s minds.

Emotional intelligence has been proven to strengthen academic performance, health and well-being, and conflict resolution skills. Because of these benefits, the importance of emotional intelligence in the development of children has always been recognized at The Willows. From the start, our philosophy has emphasized character and heart as essential to the definition of a “great mind.”

In 2015, The Willows implemented the RULER Approach, a nationally recognized and research-based initiative developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Since then, RULER has been imbued in the life and culture of our school, equipping students and adults alike with the tools to navigate emotions with empathy, respect, and confidence. In addition, we are consistently working and communicating with Marc Brackett, the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and other staff members to develop new techniques and strategies to help support emotional regulation throughout our community.

RULER provides concrete tools such as the Mood Meter, Class Charters, and the Best Self exercise, which serve as foundations for healthy emotional regulation. These practices are woven into classroom activities and community events, helping students and teachers pause, reflect, and respond thoughtfully to their own feelings, and to the needs of others.

By encouraging strategies such as deep breathing, visualization, journaling, and physical activity, students learn to regulate emotions in healthy, constructive ways. The result is a community where empathy, respect, and cooperation thrive. Most importantly, these skills are not just valuable for school, but for a successful life.

Milestones over the past decade

●  2015: The Willows launched RULER across all grade levels, introducing students, faculty, and staff to evidence-based social-emotional practices that have become part of our daily culture.

●  2018: In collaboration with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, The Willows hosted the first West Coast RULER Training (Anchors of Emotional Intelligence Institute), welcoming 100 educators from across California, Oregon, and Washington. Our faculty cofacilitated alongside Yale trainers, sharing our early success with RULER with the broader educational community.

●  2022: The Willows was appointed a RULER Mentor School, affirming our commitment to systemic social-emotional learning.

●  2023: The Willows begins a faculty and staff global exchange program with Celsiusskolan, a school in Uppsala, Sweden focusing on our integration of the RULER approach into curriculum. Learn more about our RULER & SEL exchange program.

●  2024: We were honored as a RULER Spotlight School and held our first a Family Charter Night, further expanding the benefits of RULER tools into our community.

After ten years, the RULER approach is deeply embedded in the fabric of The Willows. From life skills classes to service learning projects to visiting speakers, our programs are designed to enrich the emotional and intellectual lives of our students while also engaging parents and families in the process. Together, we continue to grow in our self-knowledge, strengthen our relationships, and promote wellbeing across our campus.

Everyone needs social skills, self control, and empathy to navigate our interconnected world. By equipping our students with these lifelong tools, The Willows ensures that they are not only prepared to learn and thrive in the classroom but also to lead lives of purpose, resilience, and compassion.

As we celebrate this milestone, we honor a decade of learning, growth, and connection through RULER, and we look forward to many more years of nurturing both minds and hearts at The Willows. Learn more about The Willows implementation of the RULER Approach.