“How are you feeling today?” Five simple words can have a profound impact. While often used as a casual greeting, when we pause, reflect, and respond authentically, these words spark deeper connections. They help us build empathy, recognize strategies to manage our emotions, and strengthen emotional intelligence. At The Jones-Gordon School, RULER has equipped our community with tools to become emotional scientists—curious, thoughtful, and intentional about understanding and navigating feelings.
What is RULER?
Developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, RULER is a research-based approach to social-emotional learning focused on five core skills: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions. These skills are supported by four anchor tools, adaptable for all ages and developmental levels—making RULER an ideal fit for our diverse student community, including our neurodiverse learners.
- The Charter establishes safety in a group through shared norms.
- The Mood Meter helps students identify and become aware of their emotions.
- The Meta-Moment provides strategies for regulating emotions during challenging moments.
- The Blueprint encourages empathy and perspective-taking, supporting conflict resolution.
These tools help every student engage meaningfully and authentically, building a foundation for lifelong emotional intelligence.
RULER in Action at JGS
The impact of being a RULER school is evident across all divisions. Conversations and lessons about feelings are normalized; students initiate emotion check-ins, advocate for support, notice when peers are low-energy, and honor the needs of others. Emotional intelligence is demonstrated in moments big and small—when a student requests a meeting with a trusted adult after feeling overwhelmed, when another practices a Meta-Moment before a test, or when one peer checks in with another sitting alone. These daily practices help our students develop empathy, resilience, and meaningful connection.
A Legacy of RULER at JGS
The Jones-Gordon School began its RULER journey with Summer Institute Training in 2016 and implemented the approach during the 2016–2017 school year. Since then, RULER has become an integral part of our school culture. We are proud to have been recognized as a RULER Spotlight School for the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 school years, acknowledging our innovative integration of RULER into lessons and community life.
Sharing Our Work
This fall, we are thrilled to share our experience at the 2025 RULER Implementation Conference. Our session, Feel First; Learn Better: Elevating RULER for Neurodiverse Learners, is a collaboration between The Jones-Gordon School and Westmark School (Los Angeles, CA).
We will explore how educators can meet the needs of neurodiverse students using RULER, incorporating the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework into content and social-emotional lessons. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies to engage all learners in building their emotional toolkit and fostering a school culture where every student can thrive.
At JGS, RULER is more than a program—it’s a mindset, shaping how students understand themselves, connect with others, and navigate the world with empathy and resilience.
Follow Ms. Michaela, our RULER Education Director, on her journey to this year’s 2025 RULER Implementation Conference as we share fun and inspiring moments on Instagram & Facebook.