Focus on...Classroom Management Part Three: Cool Down and Reflect

Thanks so much for stopping by for the third part of my series on Classroom Management! If you missed my first two blog posts in this series, feel free to check out Part One: The Wheel of Choice and Part Two: I-Statements and Apologies. Today's focus is Part Three: Cool Down and Reflect.

As someone who is always on the go myself, I can totally relate to my students when it comes to sometimes not wanting to take a break. It seems like kids just want to go, go, go, and while this is great in many ways, sometimes it is important to teach kids to stop and think every once in a while about their actions. Teaching children to take a break to reflect allows them to think about how their actions impact themselves and others, and it encourages them to consider alternative behavior choices that might have a better outcome in the future.

To teach students to take a break to think about their actions, I really like to implement a Cool Down Spot in my classroom. This spot, which doesn't actually have to be a permanent location (a bucket of cool down tools works great, too!), gives students a safe place to take a break and simply think. I try to make this spot a safe zone, which means students are not "in trouble" when they come here, and they can do so by their own choice, although I do sometimes give students the option of going to the Cool Down Spot when I can see that they need a little help in regulating their behavior.

I like to keep a timer with my Cool Down Tools as well as some hand fidgets and stress reliever balls. When students visit the Cool Down Spot, they follow the procedures below, which we practice at the beginning of the year.

Here is one of our most-used Cool Down Tools...The Feelings Chart. Students are encouraged to think about how they feel about the choice they made. Sometimes having the visual really helps students to identify exactly which emotion they are feeling, and it helps them branch out from the typical answer of feeling "sad."

Here is an example of a reflection sheet I keep at the Cool Down Spot. I keep a few different versions in the Tool Box so that students can choose to write or draw depending on their level.

When students feel they are finished reflecting, they are welcome to return to their spot with the rest of the class. Sometimes, I will chat briefly with a student to help them in processing their reflection, but other times, I don't always do this. I think the most important idea to remember is that this is not a punishment, but rather, a learning experience.

If you would like to download my Cool Down Spot Tools and Reflection Sheets for your own classroom use, click the image above to head to my TeachersPayTeachers store for the FREEBIE. Thanks so much for popping in, and I hope that these resources can be helpful to you as I know they have really made a difference in my own classroom!

If you found this blog series helpful and would like to learn more classroom management tips, check out the posts below!

   

Focus on...Classroom Management Part Two: I-Statements and Apologies

Thanks for joining me for this second part in my three-part focus on Classroom Management! If you missed my first post, please check out Part One: The Wheel of Choice. Today we'll be talking about Part Two: I-Statements and Apologies.

As a teacher who likes LOVES to talk, it is sometimes hard for me to imagine that children sometimes do not know the words to say in certain situations. And, let's face it, even as an adult, telling someone how you feel or giving an honest apology can be a truly difficult task.

To help my students in these tricky situations, I try to set my students up for success by giving them the words that they need in order to talk respectfully with their peers during problem-solving situations. Simply modeling and giving my students the framework for positive speech has made all the difference in the world in my classroom!

To introduce the ideas of giving I-Statements, I love to have my students role-play situations in which they are not getting along with a peer. We talk about what things friends sometimes say in those types of situations, and we talk about how hurtful friends' words can be when they are angry or upset. Then, we practice giving I-Statements for various imaginary situations using the sentence frame, "I feel ___ when you ___. Please ___."

As for Apologies, we talk about the difference between sincere apologies and insincere apologies. We talk about how it feels when someone just says, "Sorry," and walks away. Then, we talk about how important it is to give Apologies of Action where we not only say we're sorry, but we also show we're sorry by offering to make a change or to help the friend we've upset.  We then role-play and practice using the sentence frame, "I am sorry for ___. Next time I will ___. How can I help you feel better?"

If you'd like to download the I-Statements and Apologies Sentence Frames for FREE, simply click the picture above to be directed to my TeachersPayTeachers Store. Thanks for visiting, and I'll see you next time for Part Three: Cool Down and Reflect.

Focus on...Classroom Management Part One: Wheel of Choice

Hi there! Thanks for joining me for a three-part focus on Classroom Management! After teaching for nine years and blogging for the last five years, I thought I'd share some of my most successful strategies for setting students up for success when it comes to their behavior.

A few years ago, I posted about my success in using a Wheel of Choice in my classroom, and to this day, it is one of my most-used strategies and most-pinned resources on Pinterest. Because it has been such a staple for me, I thought it was time to give it a fresh look and a little bit of time in the spotlight. Hence, today's focus is on The Wheel of Choice!

Basically, the Wheel of Choice is a tool that I have available in my classroom for students to use whenever they have a problem to solve. I try to encourage my students to become independent problem-solvers, so I teach a series of lessons introducing each option on the Wheel. I introduce things such as what it looks like to talk to a friend about a problem, how to use their "I Mean Business" voice to ask a peer to stop doing something, and how to visit the Cool Down Spot, which we'll talk more about in a later post.

Once the students have learned what each item means on the Wheel, I set the expectation that my students attempt to solve their problem on their own using a choice from the Wheel before asking me for assistance. Most times, this helps my students to feel more empowered in being able to solve their own problems, and it keeps me from having to deal with all of those itsy bitsy problems each day.

If you'd like to try the Wheel of Choice in your own classroom, please click the photo below to download it for FREE from my TeachersPayTeachers Store. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I'll see you next time for Focus #2: I-Statements and Apologies.