Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA) staff members Dr. Kristin Huston and Dr. Jessica Kyanka-Maggart recently joined more than 250 educators from around the world at the RULER Implementation Conference, an international gathering dedicated to advancing emotional intelligence in schools.
Participants represented a diverse range of communities and countries, including Australia, Mexico, Spain and England, all committed to helping students and educators strengthen self-awareness, empathy and wellbeing.
Dr. Huston presented at the conference, sharing HBHA’s experience implementing RULER in its middle school. RULER, a K-12 program developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, is designed to help schools create environments where emotions are recognized, understood and managed effectively. After completing a full year of faculty training in the RULER framework during the 2024-25 school year, HBHA began introducing the approach to students this fall.
The RULER implementation model begins with adults, cultivating emotional awareness and regulation among teachers before extending those practices to students. HBHA’s second year of implementation focuses on weaving these skills into classroom life — helping students name, understand and manage emotions in real time.
“By helping students develop emotional vocabulary and strategies for self-regulation, we’re not only supporting their academic success but also their ability to build healthy relationships and improve self-confidence,” Dr. Huston said.
The conference also highlighted emotional regulation in the modern era. RULER founder Dr. Marc Brackett reminded participants of this need, saying, “We live in constant overdrive... If we can’t pause and understand what’s going on when we’re bombarded by messages, that spirals into fear and eats away at our wellbeing.”
Educators and researchers at the conference emphasized that emotional intelligence is not an extra component of education but a foundation for it. Effective emotional regulation supports focus, collaboration and perseverance. RULER provides a framework for developing these skills in age-appropriate ways, integrating emotional learning into daily life at school.