Create a Calming Center for your Classroom

A calming center is a must for all elementary and special education classrooms.  This designated space comes with many names: quiet corner, calm down corner, chill zone etc but they all serve the same purpose,  Emotional Regulation.  

In my classroom, I have two designated spaces set aside for calming.  They are located in opposite corners of the classroom.  They are designed with different purposes in mind.

Corner 1: Peaceful Work

This corner is designed around a cubby.  The cubby and bookshelves set it apart from the rest of the room.  It includes a rug, comfy chair, pillows, books and sensory items.  This area is used when a quieter work space is needed.  The cubby includes drawing supplies, a wiggle seat, and visuals that remind a student about our rules or breathing strategies.  The cubby  can easily be cleared to work on classroom assignments.  It is helpful to drown out the sounds and distractions from the other learning spaces.

The rug and comfy floor chair can be used to work on our learning apps, read, or hang quietly with a friend when the test or work is complete.  Sensory tools and the quiet, comfortable surroundings provide additional input and serene.  This entire corner makes a perfect space for a child who needs a little down time or is over-stimulated.  This provides a safe quiet space to get more centered.  This type of area would be most appropriate for the general education classroom.  
  

This corner can also be used like the one described above, but is designed for breaking the escalation cycle.  The corner is padded.  It includes a bean bag, timer, moveable furniture, sensory bin, visuals for calming, and tools for de-escalating.  These are kept in separate bins for easy teacher access.