♪[theme music]
Okay so we have a letter. What do we call a letter in math?
Joe? A variable.
Everyone say variable. Variable [students reciting]
Oh that was table E and D. I didn't have table A.
Everyone say variable. Variable [class in unison]
Okay so we have a variable, we have a plus sign...
So a calm down center to me is a safe place in the classroom, it can also be called
a safe zone. And I started putting it into my classroom over the past few years when I
noticed that students have a hard time dealing with their emotions in the actual
classroom. So I felt like they needed a space in the room where they can go and regulate
their own emotions and you know manage them.
Students use the calm down center of a average maybe once a day and sometimes
kids it could once a week, or even once a month.
It depends on the student. Um some of our students who have more emotional needs
might use it once a day verses a student who you know maybe just needs to check in
every once a month.
It's important to make sure when you're using a calm down center to teach the procedure.
Because you don't want it to become an interruption in the classroom.
So they go in their basket, they pull out a it's called a brain break card.
And when they pull it out they can sit it on their desk and raise their hand and they
let the teacher know, hey, I need to go take a break.
When I visually see that card on their desk, I just signal to them to go ahead and go.
And then they know the steps to go sign in, set the timer, but that was all taught through
a procedure which we spent a whole class period just going over and having kids
actually practice it.
Okay, I want to see if we've mastered how to go to the calm down center.
So I'm going to call on someone and we're going to practice every part of the steps.
Just to remind us, who can tell me what's our first step?
Brianna?
Take out your brain break card. Step 2. Who can tell me step 2? Albert?
Raise your hand. Okay.
After I've given you permission, what would be the next step? Tyler?
Sign in. Next step?
Turn on the timer. Okay.
So you guys ready for this? So I'm going to see. Albert.
So Albert, I want you to model for us the correct way for how we go to the calm down
center and what we do once we get there.
Everyone should be watching Albert.
Giving him our attention.
Go ahead.
So after the students have set the timer and they're ready to engage in one of the
activities back at the calm down center, they can choose.
We have kinetic sand, I have drawing activities, I have breathing technique cards,
like orbies, legos, different kinds of century activities for them to do.
And they all decided on these. We voted as a class what are some things you want um
back there to help calm you.
I use the calm down center to help me to be a little more proactive and notice students'
emotions and how they're feeling before it grows and then you get reacted.
So for my students a lot of the time they're going through some home life issues
so they bring that with them to school and so in the morning I actually get a great
deal of the students who actually want to use the calm down center.
And for me, I have to step back and make sure I'm not taking it personal and be very
proactive in a way I'm allowing them to go to the calm down center and make a choice.
I call it a better choice...and regulate their emotions.
I use the calm down center in a special education classroom, but I think every general
education teacher should have some area in their room that resembles the calm down center.
It doesn't necessarily have to have all of the items that I have in my calm down center,
but maybe you could just have a desk and maybe like a bean bag chair.
Or something for them to use so that they can go to regulate their emotions.
Some of the problems that I have had over time with the calm down center when I first
started initiating it was having it run smoothly. So it became a distraction at some
points where I had it located in a different area in the classroom.
And I was like okay, I noticed a lot kids are looking in that area, they're not focused
on me during instruction so that made me realize, hey, I need to put it to the back of
room where everyone's back is to that person and they're not giving them eye contact.
And then also just choosing some of the item wisely. We try not to choose too loud
of items, um so that it's not distracting the other kids.
And just making sure we have options for everyone because maybe a kid wants to go
to the calm down center but they don't like play dough or they don't like sand so what
do I have out back there for them.
So it's important to find um student interest and needs when you're building it.
This is a slide run. So you're going to skip this one right now and you're going
pick up with this...
I think it helps keep the kids within the classroom so I don't really have a lot of
kids who are trying to escape the room. And sometimes you'll get those kids where,
I need to go get some water, I need to go the nurse, I need to go to the bathroom.
And honestly, I've cut back on a lot of the kids missing instruction due to this, and
I've also have kept a lot of my kids' focused because if I'm not dealing with it and
allowing them to control their emotions, then they're going to be at their desks causing
a distraction. They're also going to be at their desk maybe just shutting down.
And it's going to become a bigger problem. So having this and taking out those 5 to 10
minutes that I give them from instruction, pays off in the long run.
It's literally taking away from them having a melt down in the classroom and causing
you know the behavior management to fall apart.
♪[theme music]