Instituting a "Cool Down" Spot

Calm down. Redirect. Two mantras that many educators live by when dealing with conflict and behavioral situations in the classroom. If you haven't already, a "cool down" spot can work wonders to help students rethink a decision, avoid a potential loss of control, prevent a classroom disruption, and reflect on their future choices. In short, whether they've just exhibited an undesired behavior or have encountered a situation where the potential for conflict is high, students can visit the "cool down" spot to calm down and redirect their frustration/anger into something more positive!

Brooke, first grade teacher and blogger at Once Upon A First Grade Adventure, set up these rules for her classroom "cool down" spot...

Another great tool that would work well in a designated "cool down" spot is a mind jar {pictured above}. We've seen these floating around on Pinterest and ran across this excellent tutorial over at Creative Little Daisy. For students who are upset, stressed, or overwhelmed, the idea is that, as they shake up the jar, the swirling glitter is mimicking their own whirling thoughts and emotions. And, just as the sparkles begin to settle, sinking slowly to the bottom of the jar, students are invited to imaging their own thoughts/emotions calming as they watch. Once all the glitter has settled, the student will have had time to gather their thoughts and return to the days activities.

Whether they've been sent there by you or decide to visit independently, a cool down spot offers an opportunity for your students to reflect upon their actions, redirect their focus, and calm down so that they can contribute to the learning environment in a positive way!