Below are the learning domains and objectives that we aim to teach though the school year in conjunction with The Creative Curriculum. We will assess each child three times a year in the fall, winter, and spring to document progress toward these learning objectives. This is done through observations and data collection in various forms. We realized there are MANY objectives here, and mastery is not expected. Each objective has an age appropriate expectation. For example, a child who is 3 would be expected to join in rhyming songs and poems, where we would hope by the end of the year for a 5 year old to determine if two words rhyme or not. If you ever want more information, please reach out!!!
Conscious Discipline
Please visit www.consciousdiscipline.com for more information on one aspect of our school wide social-emotional initiative.
Our goal is to TEACH children how to begin to self regulate in times of distress, frustrations, sadness, or anger. We try to see behavior as a form of communication and instead of trying to control and stop the behavior.
Our goal is to TEACH children how to begin to self regulate in times of distress, frustrations, sadness, or anger. We try to see behavior as a form of communication and instead of trying to control and stop the behavior.
The Safe Place (TM
(The Power of Perception & the Skill of Composure)
Call this whatever you'd like, as long as it implies that this is a safe haven, a place where students can safely self-regulate and gain or maintain composure!
The safe place is not to have a negative connotation, or to be used as a punishment. The goal of the safe place is to provide students with a place in their classroom that they can go when they are angry, sad, frustrated, anxious, etc. or need quiet time. This place will have tools they need to help them identify their emotion and gain control and composure. Here, they can do deep breathing by being a star, pretzel, drain, or balloon. They can squeeze a stress ball, sit on our bean bag with a blanket, write or draw their emotion, as well as other calm down tools. This is just like any other center in the room. Students may go on their own, or the teacher may direct them. If it is teacher directed, it is done in a very non-threatening, safe manner. Again, this should ONLY have a positive connotation. We want children to become self-regulated adults, we have to show them how and give them the opportunity to practice and put these skills in place. In our safe place we have a bean bag, pillows, stuffed pandas, soft emotion babies, calm down board, and posters that show how to self regulate.
Thinking about creating one at home?
The printables section of the Conscious Discipline website has things you can print for your safe place and the book has many great ideas. You should make it clear when you teach how to use the safe place that it's only to be used for the purpose of self-regulating or in kid terms, getting it together.
(The Power of Perception & the Skill of Composure)
Call this whatever you'd like, as long as it implies that this is a safe haven, a place where students can safely self-regulate and gain or maintain composure!
The safe place is not to have a negative connotation, or to be used as a punishment. The goal of the safe place is to provide students with a place in their classroom that they can go when they are angry, sad, frustrated, anxious, etc. or need quiet time. This place will have tools they need to help them identify their emotion and gain control and composure. Here, they can do deep breathing by being a star, pretzel, drain, or balloon. They can squeeze a stress ball, sit on our bean bag with a blanket, write or draw their emotion, as well as other calm down tools. This is just like any other center in the room. Students may go on their own, or the teacher may direct them. If it is teacher directed, it is done in a very non-threatening, safe manner. Again, this should ONLY have a positive connotation. We want children to become self-regulated adults, we have to show them how and give them the opportunity to practice and put these skills in place. In our safe place we have a bean bag, pillows, stuffed pandas, soft emotion babies, calm down board, and posters that show how to self regulate.
Thinking about creating one at home?
The printables section of the Conscious Discipline website has things you can print for your safe place and the book has many great ideas. You should make it clear when you teach how to use the safe place that it's only to be used for the purpose of self-regulating or in kid terms, getting it together.
So how do we teach children to calm themselves and deal with life’s upsets?
- Teach ourselves calming strategies first, and teach our children second. It’s the airplane oxygen mask scenario – you are no help to those around you if you’ve passed out.
- Model calming. A young child’s self regulation system is not developed enough to self-soothe, so if we are calm, they can start to calm.
- Breathe. Getting enough oxygen permits us to access the higher centers of our brains that house executive skills like impulse control, empathy, and flexibility.