![]() But now the children and I think together about its contents. Young children tend to like enclosed, private spaces. Then, when we feel better, I say, we’ll make better decisions about taking care of ourselves and others. I tell them that everyone feels that way sometimes and that by taking some time alone, we can help ourselves feel better. I begin by talking with the children about times when we’re too sad or upset to think. With this reassurance, children will be free to think about the needs of others and able to open their minds to learning. ![]() Just as these classroom routines provide a sense of order and security, the quiet place reassures children that their personal emotional needs will be taken care of. I introduce the quiet place in the first week of school, before we launch into academics, before we learn to use classroom materials, before we even begin thinking about our hopes and dreams for school or what our classroom rules should be.ĭuring this week I introduce basic classroom routines such as responding to the quiet signal, raising a hand to speak during meetings, circling up, and walking in a line down the hall. The quiet place is different from the time-out space: in my classroom these are two separate places with different purposes. Not that Alison wasn’t sad the next day when her dad left, but she had a way to help herself feel better.īased on ideas in Jane Nelsen’s book Positive Discipline in the Classroom, the quiet place is a space in my classroom where children can go voluntarily to comfort themselves. After ten minutes of cuddling with her stuffy and looking at a book, she joined the group, happily and on her own. She grabbed her stuffed animal and made a beeline to the quiet place. On one particularly difficult day, she went through all the usual routines-blowing a kiss, waving goodbye at the window, drawing a picture for her dad-but was still distressed. She had a hard time saying goodbye to her dad when he dropped her off in the mornings. ApCategories: Classroom Management & Discipline / Classroom OrganizationĪlison, a young five-year-old I taught recently, struggled with separation anxiety at the beginning of the year.
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