Throw Back to My Second Grade Classroom: How Kids Take a Break

We use Responsive Classroom in my school.

If you have not heard of it, check it out. We are all trained in Responsive Classroom, and to be honest, when I took the intense course ten years into teaching, I thought, "Yep, I'm doing this." It was validation that I was doing my job right. Kind of a waste of time for veteran teachers who know what they are doing, but helpful to get everyone on the same page in terms of classroom management and expectations. But I seriously wished I had taken Responsive Classroom in college. Or grad school. Or my first year teaching. As someone who always felt nervous about classroom management early on in my career (stemming from some student teaching trauma in an inner-city school), it would be been really useful to get this training right away.

Anyone, one piece of the Responsive Classroom training is to have a break spot in your room. Somewhere anyone can go who needs a minute away from their peers.

I always had this spot in my classroom because I learned early on that if I didn't...kids might just leave the room. And I did NOT want that. Number one: keep the kids in the room. We've had runners in our school before, like kids who not only leave our rooms but might also leave the building. No, thank you!

Anyway, my cool down spot, take a break place, Alaska, whatever you want to call it, as always been a staple. What I keep their has changed for different classes over the years. I always have mind jars that I made - I added water and glitter. Kids shake them up, watch the glitter fall down, and when it is done, it is a timer that gets them back to the learning and not hanging out in the take a break spot all day.

I have also had ipod shuffles pre-loaded with classical music. Listen to a song and come back.

I have sand timers. Basic, but works.

Sometimes I have left paper and crayons or pencils for kids to draw or write their feelings. Sometimes they even turn it in to my teacher mailbox to share with me what happened and sometimes they don't.

Rarely have I had kids take advantage of the break spot. Mostly because we do mini-lessons on how to use it, practice using it, and discuss its purpose. If a kiddo did overuse it, I might initiate daily take a break tickets or chips that kids can turn in when they need that quick break - that way I can monitor how often they are using the break system.

Oh, by the way, work does not go away when kids take a break. The expectation is still that they complete everything we do as a class. 

Do you use Responsive Classroom in your room?

Do you let kids take a break if they feel close to erupting?