4 Things You Need in Your Calm Down Corner
What is a Calm Down Corner?
A Calm Down Corner is an area of your classroom in which students can go to regulate their emotions. This does not have to be a corner, but it does need to be a place away from the group with a semi-private feeling. The teacher should be able to supervise the child while they’re there, but should really allow the student space to regulate their emotions using the strategies you have taught them. This space is safe and filled with objects that will assist the child with regulating their emotions. Too much clutter can cause overstimulation and potentially a mess. I have not always used a Calm Down Corner, but I think that in a day where many kids struggle to regulate their emotions, or appropriately engage in social and emotional ways that they’re more important than ever.
How to Use a Calm Down Corner
The most important thing to remember when implementing a Calm Down Corner is that you need to teach the children how to properly use the Calm Down Corner. You cannot and should not just place a Calm Down Corner in your room and tell students, “This is the Calm Down Corner. You come here when you need a break or to calm down from strong emotions.” That would be a recipe for disaster because in many cases (not always) the student using the Calm Down Corner may need assistance in identifying and controlling their emotions. This means that Calm Down Corners are work on the front end, but the hard work pays off in the end for you, your class, and most importantly the student.
Establish Expectations & Routines
Just as you explicitly teach phonics to your students, you should explicitly teach when and how to use the Calm Down Corner. I recommend teaching this through examples, and letting students practice. A good rule of thumb to remember is to never make the negative behavior in a teaching example seem fun. Explain to students what emotions and behavior would warrant a break in the isolated area, and show them how to use each object. I’ll go into more details below with my suggestions of objects to place in your Calm Down Corner. I would review this for about 5-10 minutes each day the first 10 days of school, and again after school breaks. You can review and practice the Calm Down Corner expectations and routines as often as needed in your classroom, and remember that new students will benefit from learning this, too. I like to use dismissal time & morning meeting for this work.
4 Things to Include in your Calm Down Corner
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Tear it up Towel
A tear it up towel is a great tool in your Calm Down Corner. It can be a wash cloth, hand towel, or kitchen towel. The goal of the Tear it Up Towel is for the student to try to rip it apart. This is a great object for students who are feeling angry or aggressive. Have you tried pulling a hand towel apart? It’s pretty impossible. What if they do tear it apart? Then great! You now have 2 Tear it up Towels in your Calm Down Corner.
Routine & Expectation
When teaching the expectation for this tool, I would explain what anger looks and feels like. Students can practice making an angry face, and sharing what they do when they are angry. You may explain that sometimes when people are angry they feel like they might explode. Some people want to yell, rip things, or throw things. Instead of doing that in this classroom, let students know when they feel angry they can take their anger out on the Tear it up Towel. Allow students to practice feeling angry and trying to rip the Tear it Up Towel. Remember this will need to be practiced and reviewed multiple times before students can be expected to use it correctly.
Playdough
Playdough is a great tool in your calm down corner for students who need a mental break. Perhaps they are overwhelmed with a task or feeling anxious. Playdough allows students to engage in a sensory activity that takes their mind off of whatever is causing them distress. I would limit the Calm Down Corner to only have 1 jar of Playdough. I think less is more in this case.
Routine & Expectation
When teaching the expectation for this tool, I would explain what anxiety or frustration looks and feels like. I would provide examples of when students feel that they truly just can’t do it anymore (whatever that task might be). Students can practice making an anxious or overwhelmed face, and sharing what they do when they are feeling this way. Allow students to practice feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious and then using Playdough to clear their mind and calm their bodies. Remember this will need to be practiced and reviewed multiple times before students can be expected to use it correctly.
Mirror
A mirror is a great tool to have in your Calm Down Corner because students can see what they look like during times of needing emotional regulation. Sometimes seeing themselves in the mirror is enough for them to want to calm their emotions. Many times it is a way that students can identify how they are feeling and which Calm Down tool to use. I recommend getting a mirror with a stand or securing one. Be sure it’s not going to be easily breakable.
Routine & Expectation
When teaching the different emotions and having students practice making the faces that indicate those emotions, let students see themselves in the mirror. This will help them see what the emotions look like and how others perceive them when they feel this way. I have noticed an increase of students since 2020 needing more support with reading nonverbal communication, so using mirrors is very helpful!
Timer
You may be wondering how to regulate the time spent in the Calm Down Corner, or perhaps you are fearful this will become a way for students to avoid their work. These are valid concerns and could definitely happen if you don’t teach the expectations and routines until students understand them. One important tool to have in your Calm Down Corner is a timer. The timer provides students with a constraint in which to use the Calm Down Corner. I like sand timers because they are not loud when the time is up, keeping the private feeling for the student who is regulating their feelings.
Routine & Expectation
When teaching the expectations and routines of the Calm Down Corner, be sure to always mention that you have x-amount of time in the Calm Down Corner. I would recommend 3-5 minutes. You can practice this with students and may need to remind them when they first begin to use the Calm Down Corner.
Final Thoughts
Not all students will use the Calm Down Corner, but it should be offered to all students. You should never stop a student from properly using it. The timer will ensure they are only there for a short amount of time. When students first begin to use the Calm Down Corner, they may need coaching from you.
Possible Scenario in which a student needs coaching:
A student is mad that he has to stop reading to start writing. He begins to get angry and refuses to put his book up. You calmly and privately tell the student that he needs to put his book away and get his writing notebook out. The student throws his book and yells out in anger.
The teacher should calmly tell the student that she can see he is angry that he has to put his book away and write. Encourage the student to come with you to the Calm Down Corner for an opportunity to reset. Once the child is in the Calm Down Corner, remind them of the tools they can use & how to use them. Tell them they have 5 minutes in the Calm Down Corner to reset and then they can go back to their seat to start writing. Start the timer and leave the student. When 5 minutes have passed if the student has not returned to their seat, go over to the student and calmly explain that their time is up and it is time to return to their seat to begin writing.
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