Have you ever heard of a classroom quiet zone? Want to learn more? Read on…
We’ve outlined some important elements about using quiet zones in the classroom.
What is a Quiet Zone?
This is an area in the classroom dedicated to providing a calming, quiet, distraction-free zone. Students can use the quiet zone to work, read, or think. It can be a place for students to get caught up on work, take a test, draw, calm down, manage emotions, or just to be alone. Ultimately, the idea is to provide an area where students can get their emotions in check and return to the classroom ready to work.
What Does a Classroom Quiet Zone Look Like?
The quiet zone space should be well-defined. Use study carrels, curtains, tent, or shelves to keep visual distractions to a minimum. Provide a table or desk with a chair. Or, make it a more comfortable and inviting space with a small couch or large pillows. A rug completes the area and provides a clear outline for the space.
What Else Should Be In The Quiet Zone?
You can provide basic supplies, like books, pencils, paper, coloring utensils, clipboard, etc. Stress-relieving tools like squishy balls, fidget toys, stuffed animals. Additionally, to block out noise distraction, offer headphones, or noise-canceling headphones.
What Rules Should The Quiet Zone Have?
Only one student at a time in the quiet zone. A time limit should be implemented; 5 minutes is the suggested time for a student taking a mental health break. Keep a timer in the quiet zone and teach students to operate it. When time is up, students should rejoin the class. If more time is needed, it may be a good idea to process with the student after their stay as there might be a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. A quiet zone is not a punishment and should not be treated as such. The quiet zone should not be a place for students to avoid work.
When Should A Student Go To The Quiet Zone?
When a student: feels overwhelmed, seems distracted, has trouble with a classmate, feels upset, or just needs a quick break from work. The reasons are truly endless. Don’t we all need a short break from time to time?
What Are The Benefits To Having A Quiet Zone in the Classroom?
The most obvious benefit of having a quiet zone is helping students learn to manage emotions. When students recognize something isn’t right, they can comfort themselves using the quiet zone. Also, a quiet zone helps students control their behavior and emotions rather than acting out during class.
Check out some of these calming, classroom quiet zones:
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
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Looking for free and easy Valentine’s Day Lesson ideas for your classroom? Check out some of these ideas for all grade levels!
Elementary (K-5)
Candy Heart Connections (TeachHub.com) If you’re teaching colors, have students sort hearts by color. If you’ve got early readers, have students match pictures related to the messages. You could have small bins with photos of kissing lips (Kiss Me), a phone (Call me), a puppy (Puppy Love), a bride and groom (Marry Me), an angel (Angel), a ladybug (Love Bug). Kids can take turns putting their candies in the proper bins.
There are really endless possibilities. Heart messages can jump-start synonym or antonym brainstorming, act as sentence starters. You could have a worksheet with columns for nouns, verbs, etc.
If you don’t want to use the actual candy hearts, you can start by having students make them. Older students can amp up the vocab by using SAT words to create their conversation hearts.
Flower Math (TeachHub.com) What better time to cover the increments of 12 by calculating flowers by the dozen?
Depending on your current curriculum, adapt word problems that calculate cost per flower, calculate average pedal per flower or per bouquet, etc. You can even use real ads to find the best Valentine’s flower deal. Remind students to factor in tax (practicing percentage calculations) and delivery charge for multi-step word problems.
Younger students can just count, add, subject, multiply, divide the flowers, petals, etc.
Friendship From the Heart (Scholastic.com)
This activity should be completed after you have discussed the characteristics of a friend. Give each of your students a small heart with the name of a classmate on it. Have each student write one adjective that describes that classmate on the heart. Glue each student’s small heart to a large heart in the classroom. Hang it in the classroom so students can remember the qualities of a good friend.
Leaning Tower of Hearts (Scholastic.com) This Valentine’s edition asks students to try and stack as many candy hearts as they can, one on top of the other, in just one minute. Put a countdown timer on the projector and watch your students get to work. Because candy hearts are not perfectly flat, the game is much more difficult than it seems. Your students will love this game and probably beg to play more than one round as they try and engineer the perfect stacking strategy.
Budgeting for Your Date (TeachHub.com) You are in charge of planning your date for Valentine’s Day. You need to take a special someone for an evening out.
First, set your budget. $25 date, $50 date, $100 date and a $500 date
Then, identify the expenses required for the evening. Where will you go? How will you get there? What are some potential unintended costs? Will you bring a gift?
Once you’ve figured this all out, write each item in a list and specify the cost of each item.
(You can either let students do online research to find prices for restaurants/activities OR provide a selection with menus and brochures that provide pricing.)
The Business of Valentine’s Day (TeachHub.com) Have your students create a business plan for a Valentine’s Day product or service.
Step 1: Brainstorm their product or service. Answer the question:
How does this stand out from other Valentine’s Day pack?
Who are my potential customers?
Step 2: Budget for supplies, labor and/or other production costs.
Your produce can be as simple as pre-made valentines, but you need to consider the cost of the paper, scissors, markers or computer products needed to create the cards.
Allot part of your budget for advertising. Even if this just means posters around the school, list the cost of those posts, tape, etc.
Step 3: Set pricing, sales goals and projected profits for your business
Step 4: Compile all of this information into a presentation for the class.
BONUS: Create a prototype, demonstration or drawing of your product to really SELL the idea to potential business investors.
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Teaching is a tough job. If you have school-age children, you probably imagine. It’s easy to admire the men and women who educate and inspire our children, but there are some parts of teaching you just can’t fully understand unless you are a teacher. Like:
How much they enjoy teaching your kids and would do almost anything for them
Just how hard they work during and after school hours
How important it is to create a safe environment for their students
The amount of their own salary they spend on resources and equipment
That last one, about how much they spend, is something California Casualty has been trying to help with for years. We have grants available for educators to help fund classroom projects, materials, and supplies. But, what do teachers really want and need for their classrooms?
Education Week asked their readers what they would want most for their classrooms if the money were no obstacle. Their responses included books, including bilingual reading materials, comfortable couches or bean bags for relaxing reading areas, flexible seating, improved technology, more personal computers and tablets, and new instruments for band and music.
WeAreTeachers joined the effort with their readers. Their list, from A to Z included:
Art supplies
Books
Various paper
Pencils and pens
Crayons
Glue and glue sticks
Highlighters
Sanitizers
Snacks
Tape
Storage containers
Tissues
Whiteboards
California Casualty recognizes these needs and have created Community Impact Programs for educators to help fund many of those items. Recipients have thanked us for allowing them to purchase markers, books and reading spaces, electronic whiteboards, and for making it possible to take students to historical field trips to bring lessons to reality.
“I teach because I want to make a difference in each child’s life. I can now things that I couldn’t before,” said Central California special day class teacher, Elizabeth T., about the $2,500 Academic Award she received in 2014.
Edward N., a science teacher in Southern California, was thrilled that the Academic Award would allow him to purchase essential chemistry and forensic equipment for his students. “This will help ensure that our students have the supplies and materials they need to succeed,” he said.
California Casualty has a passion for helping educators and students. That’s why we give back in meaningful ways, ways that impact classrooms and students. If you have a need, take advantage of these giving programs:
And, educators who take a pledge to “Keep on Course” and avoid distracted driving can enter to win a new Jeep® Compass from California Casualty. Learn more here.
Thank you to all the educators who give so much, care so dearly, and make a difference every day for our children and our communities.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
It’s that time of year again, your students walk into class sneezing into their bare hands and coughing without covering their mouths. You watch as they proceed to touch every surface imaginable- the doorknob, their books, the chairs, your markers, your desk!!! You name it, their germs are on it. Before you know it your whole classroom feels like it needs to be completely cleared out and wiped down (again). There is only one person with the power to stop these little bacteria monsters: the school nurse.
School nurses are unsung heroes at schools lucky enough to have one on staff. Throughout cold and flu season (all winter long) 1 in 10 students become absent due to viruses that they pick up at school, and if it weren’t for school nurses that number would be even higher! Though they are vastly outnumbered by the students that they tend to, 1 nurse per 750 students (and often more), they continue to keep students and teachers, happy, healthy, and informed all year long.
School nurses are often over-looked and deserve to be recognized. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
They can tell by just looking at a child if they are getting sick and need to go back home, so they don’t spread an illness.
They can also tell when a student is trying to fake it to get out of class.
They coordinate with parents and the school to make sure sick students get what they need to get better and back in the classroom.
They care for minor injuries that happen to students (like bumps, scrapes, and bruises), so teachers can tend to the rest of their class.
They provide health education to students and give them the information they need about concerns or changes with their bodies.
They help students with chronic conditions like diabetes.
They also train staff members to deal with emergencies and are often the first to respond when one happens.
And lastly, they look out for our students and put their best interests first. Whether that is intervening if they suspect something is happening to a child at home or just listening when a child needs someone to talk to, they are there.
School nurses have a heart of gold and go above and beyond their job descriptions every day to help teachers and students. Thank you, school nurses, whether you hear it often or not, we are so thankful for you!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote by calling 1.866.704.8614 or visiting www.calcas.com.
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Are you curious about team teaching? We have answers to some of your questions!
What is Team Teaching?
Usually occurs in inclusion classrooms
Two or more teachers working together to teach a group of students
Together, teachers plan, organize, teach, and evaluate
Teams may be single-discipline, interdisciplinary, or school-within-a-school
Co-teaching = general education teacher + special education teacher
Team teaching = both teachers plan and teach lessons
Parallel teaching = each teacher instructs half of the class, the same lesson
Alternative teaching = one teacher instructs a small group of struggling students while the other teachers the larger group, might be the same lesson or struggling group may receive extra support on previous lessons
Teacher and assistant = one teacher instructs while other teacher monitors and assists students as necessary, this can also be used in a teacher/observer manner to gather data regarding student progress
How Does it Benefit Students?
Students receive more individual attention
Students learn from teachers with different teaching styles, experience, perspectives, and ideas
Improved student-teacher relationships
Students achieve at higher levels
Daily consistency: the likelihood of both partners being absent is slim
How Does it Benefit Teachers?
Easier to differentiate instruction
Allows teachers to reflect on personal teaching strategies, style, ideas, perspectives, etc.
Improves teaching skills
Cultivates professional peer relationships
Improves parent-teacher communication
With Your Teaching Partner(s), Be Prepared To:
Plan everything together
Create common grading standards
Be honest, yet tactful
Play to one another’s strengths
Disagree politely
Communicate openly and often
Have humor
Trust your teaching partner
Be organized
Be flexible
Team teaching can be rewarding for students and teachers. If this sounds like an adventure upon which you’d like to embark, begin by talking with your administrator and potential teaching partner(s). In some cases, it may take up to a year to prepare for a team-taught classroom, so begin your team teaching dialogue sooner rather than later.
Have you team-taught or co-taught before? In the comments below, please share your team teaching advice!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Alan Haskvitz has taught for 45 years and has credentials in special education, gifted education school administration, and all core subjects. He has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame and was chosen by Reader’s Digest as a Hero in Education.
Discipline is probably the most difficult of all areas to deal with as it encompasses issues that may be related to a vast array of difficulties that can try the expertise of the most experienced parent and educator. Contributing factors may include personal problems, improve medication, self-esteem issues, and peer pressure.
Indeed, in my 45 years of teaching at every grade level and nearly every subject, I have had my fair share of problems all of which were unique in some regard, but needed to be dealt with in a manner that resolved the issues for all involved. With this in mind, I put together a variety of free resources that may be of value in being proactive and help to prevent a discipline problem. You can read it below:
Be Proactive
Essentially there are three main ways to deal with these issues starting with being proactive. First, let the students know behavior expectations early. From the start of the year be positive. Always look for ways to reinforce good behavior. Developing rapport with students is also essential. I used an information card that included the usual contact numbers and such items as favorite games, people, family pets, and other information that would enable me to get to know the students better. If students feel you are approachable it helps eliminate problems and also encourages them to confide in you of concerns that would otherwise be kept secret.
Consequences
Consequences are important, but they need to be appropriate and consistent, but always leave yourself room for accommodations depending on the circumstances. The ideal combination is to be firm and fair and calm.
Communicate
Perhaps the most important way to prevent behavior issues is to establish good communications with the student, parent, and administration. Keeping them informed of issues can help prevent an escalation that can take the joy out of teaching. I try to contact parents the first week of school and have a handout for Back to School Night that explains classroom expectations. As well, I document what I have done to keep the parties involved aware of the situation.
Expect the Unexpected/Teachable Moments
One day some students in my classes jumped out of their seats and ran to the back of the room. Some were screaming. Now, this could have been a planned event to challenge me, but from experience, I knew I had to remain calm. I walked over and saw a large spider had entered the room and caused the students’ reaction. I quickly handled the situation, but the students were unsettled. And so I turned it into a teachable moment by asking them to describe what they had seen and their actions. Some indicated a fear of spiders and were swept up in the reaction of the crowd. The appearance of the spider provided a teachable moment that even extended outside of the classroom. Most importantly it turned what could have been a behavior problem into a learning opportunity.
Here are a variety of sites that can provide ideas and resources to help you with discipline-related problems. They run the gamut from simple to complex, but each of them does provide insights from teachers, students, parents, and theorists.
Classroom and Site Discipline ideas and strategies
“When a teacher, parent, or paraprofessional engages in a power struggle with a student, the student will always win. While the adult may be able to eventually elicit compliance, the student has controlled the situation.” https://www.teachersworkshop.com/twshop/relationaldisc.html
Sometimes a lesson plan might find some students are done early.This site has some ideas. I would also add that having the students create a newspaper of what happened that day in class is very good and it could be given to those that were absent. You can keep them to augment your lesson plans, too, and check to ensure learning.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
