The Heartbeat of LEAD Southeast Elementary School: The BeWell Room
What if schools taught students how to understand their emotions with the same intention they teach reading and math? What if instead of asking, “Why are you acting like that?” we asked, “What are you feeling?” At LEAD Southeast Elementary School, that shift is happening every day inside the BeWell room, a space designed to help students slow down, breathe, and learn how to process what’s going on beneath the surface.
What is BeWell?
BeWell, taught by Mr. Ashmal Steele, is a school-based program designed to help students learn about, name, and regulate their own emotions. Built on the belief that emotional intelligence is just as important as academics, the program teaches students how to identify what they are feeling, process those emotions in healthy ways, and express themselves using words instead of behaviors.
Through structured lessons, guided breathing techniques, and a dedicated space, students gain tools that many adults admit they were never taught.
At LEAD Southeast Elementary School, BeWell is more than a program; it’s part of the culture.
The Man Behind the Mission
Leading the work at LEAD Southeast Elementary (LSEE) is Mr. Steele, the school’s behavioral specialist. Before working with elementary students, he spent years supporting juveniles and working in restorative spaces at the secondary level. Now, he describes his current work as “grassroots change.”
His commitment to BeWell is deeply personal. Raised by his grandparents as one of eight children, Mr. Steele understands what it feels like to struggle without an outlet.
“I was one of those kids,” he says. “When I was upset, I was told, ‘Go outside.’ But nobody taught me how to process what I was feeling.” Those early experiences shaped his approach, and today, he extends empathy and humility to his students.
Inside BeWell
Step inside the BeWell room and you’ll notice something immediately: it feels different. It isn’t a place students go to be punished; it’s a place they go to pause, process, and reset.
BeWell is intentionally designed as an open, restorative space. Students have access to the room throughout the day when they need it, while still being held accountable for their behaviors and classwork.
“Of course you can come,” Mr. Steele tells students. “But you need to come for the right reasons.”
That balance of openness and accountability makes the space powerful. Students aren’t labeled as “bad” for needing a break. Instead, they are taught how to recognize when they need one, and how to use that time productively to reset themselves and get back to learning.
The Impact: Changing Classrooms & Changing Lives
In large classrooms, emotional needs can easily go unnoticed. “In a classroom of 40 kids, maybe 10 are actually learning,” Mr. Steele says. “The others might be competing for attention and get labeled as a nuisance. They’re not. They need help.”
BeWell reframes behavior as communication. “Throwing something. Shutting down. Huffing and puffing. Those actions often signal a need for support, not punishment,” explains Mr. Steele. The BeWell room is where students can have a “Me” moment, or a moment to take space, and focus on their breathing to regulate their emotions.
The program creates a dedicated space for students to go when they’re feeling like they need a reset. It also offers more support for teachers, a safe classroom environment, and more productive learning. LEAD Southeast Elementary prioritized the BeWell program from the beginning, and they have already seen a huge difference in behaviors. Mr. Steele notes that in terms of behavioral tiers, LSEE currently has no tier three or four behaviors, a clear sign that the program is effective.
Looking Ahead: The Future of BeWell
BeWell’s vision extends far beyond one school or classroom. It’s about ensuring all students learn emotional and self-regulation skills early, before frustration turns into discipline, and behaviors become labels.
BeWell is preventative, not reactive, and Mr. Steele is eager to see this program progress to middle and high Schools in the coming years.
“This program is going to change the world,” Mr. Steele says.
