Teaching Assistant

Big Feelings, Safe Spaces: A TA’s Guide to Emotional Support

What do you do when a child’s emotions seem bigger than the moment? This course is designed to support Teaching Assistants (TAs) in understanding how young children experience and express big feelings, and how these are shaped by development, environment and individual needs. Through a focus on emotional literacy and co-regulation, you will develop practical, evidence-informed strategies to respond with confidence during moments of distress, conflict or overwhelm. You will explore how to recognise triggers, use calm and supportive communication, create emotionally safe spaces, and build children’s ability to understand and express their feelings. By the end of the course, you will feel more confident, reflective and equipped to provide consistent, inclusive emotional support that strengthens relationships, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
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Yiotina Achilleos-Dania, Ruth Wallwork & Carly Watkins

2 hours

Online Course

By completing this course, you will:

understand how young children experience and express emotions, including recognising common emotional triggers and the developmental factors that shape emotional responses;
develop confidence in responding to big feelings through attuned, relational approaches, using co-regulation strategies to support children during moments of distress;
create emotionally safe environments that support children through overwhelm, conflict and dysregulation, fostering a sense of security and trust;
support children’s emotional development by building their emotional vocabulary and enabling healthy, appropriate expression of feelings;
reflect on your own emotional responses and practice, recognising how adult attunement contributes to inclusion, belonging and strong relational connections, and identifying areas for professional growth.

Course Lessons

Written by: Yiotina Achilleos-Dania

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Yiotina has spent over a decade immersed in the world of primary education. Most of her teaching career, she juggled the roles of Science and Maths subject leader, while working across key stage 1 and 2 (mainly based in years 2 and 6). Armed with degrees in Marketing Communications, Business Analysis and Primary Education (plus a National Qualification of Middle Leadership), she’s been at the forefront of introducing new initiatives, reshaping curricula and championing practical, hands-on learning to ensure every pupil thrives.

From training staff to supporting long-term skill progression, Yiotina has always been passionate about helping both pupils and teachers grow. Now, as a Twinkl CPD Content Writer and Editor, she’s swapped the classroom for the creative space of professional development, using her expertise to craft engaging, impactful resources that continue to support educators and learners.

Presented by: Ruth Wallwork

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Ruth is a Video Content Creator on the CPD team at Twinkl. She is an experienced primary teacher, having taught across both key stage 1 and key stage 2. Ruth has worked as part of a music partnership, delivering high quality music lessons in a range of educational settings, including SEND and secondary schools. Ruth has also held leadership roles, including Head of Primary Music. She holds a degree in Music and Musical Theatre, a PGCE in Primary Education, and is currently working towards a qualification in Primary Music Leadership.

In collaboration with: Carly Watkins

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Carly is the Quality of Education Lead at Twinkl PD, overseeing the development of Teachers' Standards courses. She is an experienced primary school teacher and senior leader with a MA in Education Practice and NPQ in Leading Teacher Development. Carly also facilitates the ECF, delivering training for current mentors and ECTs; she is passionate about accessible and actionable professional development for all educators at all levels.