PEACE AREAS* IN THE PCBL CLASSROOM

Personalized Learning is the direction education is moving (legislation has caught up to best practice!!) It's also no secret that the #1 priority of educators AND parents is student mental health and well-being. 

Social Emotional Learning IS as PERSONAL as Personalized Learning gets!

Students must be able to master both social and emotional situations to succeed in our collaborative world. Which means we must provide intentional learning opportunities to build social interaction and emotional regulation skills. 

I know, it's intimidating; letting students talk about their feelings is messy and it always diverts your agenda and pacing. It's uncomfortable because you don't know how to navigate every interaction or conversation. It's exhausting because the emotions of children are heavy and can be all-consuming. It's taxing, because you have to leverage what you know about each student's background, abilities, and family values, to support their social and emotional growth - plus you still have to teach them the content!

However, if students are to learn to regulate their emotions they need to be allowed to recognize those feelings (in themselves and others) and learn from them. They need to be able to express those feelings healthily and safely. They need intentional lessons about emotional management and conflict resolution alongside multiple opportunities to practice these skills. Suicide rates, counseling referrals, school shootings and other violence are screaming for us to "DO SOMETHING!" 

This is it!

You need to implement these two areas in your classroom. Whether you teach early childhood or high school - consider how you can teach students to Be The Change by implementing these two areas.  

#1 - Peace Corner

#2 - Peace Table

These areas will set the stage for the type of interactions that are expected in the classroom. One for individual reflection and/or reset and one for conflict resolution with peers. Both must be present because identifying our feelings and calming ourselves, are separate skills from resolving those feelings with other people. Children need to know, not only how to regulate their emotions, but also how to express themselves with others when they disagree or make mistakes. 

These types of spaces are popping up more and more often in classrooms and some administrators are even requiring them. There are some fantastic models here and a quick google/pinterest/TPT search will give you even more resources and ideas. Here's a simple overview of the two and the critical roles I believe they play in building your classroom culture.  

#1 The Peace Corner 

This area should be used by students who have a physical or emotional need to separate from the group for a period of time. This is not a place of punishment. It's an opportunity for students to self-advocate and re-regulate.

It's important that the teacher can still see the student when they are in this safe space. It's also important that the space evolves with the needs of students and that they are taught (and retaught) how to use the area appropriately. 

There should be calming and reflection activities Peace Corner.  Photos and other items that help students identify emotions remind them that there are a lot of feelings a person can have. Identifying feelings is the first step in being able to reflect on and learn from those feelings. Calming activities like play-dough, sensory bottles, and finger mazes (even for high schoolers!) can then help students to reset and rejoin the group. Asking students to identify certain objects or activities they'd like to have in the Peace Corner will increase their ownership in the process and will help you know what types of things they prefer. 

I know, you're worried that some students will spend all day in the corner. You're right, you will probably (definitely) encounter this situation. Use it as an opportunity to identify this students' individual need. Maybe they like having access to the chalk. Ask them if they'd like to take the chalk to their desk. See if they'd prefer the squishy seat. Give them a timer and set a goal with them...There are many wonderful ways to personalize their experience at school when you notice their needs aren't being met! 

Don't worry! Your relationship with this student and your ability to problem solve together will accelerate learning of the content (for everyone) as soon as the student has their social/emotional needs met. So, keep the most important thing the most important thing! You're building a culture and that takes time. 

Explicitly teach the purpose and appropriate use of any object you place in the Peace Corner. When materials aren't being used appropriately, remove them. If a ball is being thrown instead of squished (when you've explicitly taught that the ball is for squishing), remove the ball and reteach the expectation. If there are students blatantly disrespecting the expectations for the space, close it. Have a class meeting and do some problem solving. Provide examples of the ways adults might use a space like this and have groups design their own solutions. 

The overarching idea of a Peace Corner is that we are in charge of our feelings and our behavior. It's up to us to know how to regulate when we are feeling out of control. 

#2 - The Peace Table 

Every article I've read about how to implement Personalized Learning starts with Creating the Culture and Building Relationships. This doesn't just mean building your relationship with each student, but intentionally planning to build the relationships between students. 

This is where the Peace Table becomes a necessity. Even after all the team building and ice breakers you will do, students are going to disagree with one another. Whether they're five and arguing over who got the blocks first or fifteen and arguing over the best way to approach a group project. Teaching how to disagree respectfully is a prerequisite to collaboration and one that is often overlooked. Providing a space in which students are expected to communicate and problem solve can only lead to better outcomes for our adults. 

The space is intentional and while ultimately we want students to be able to resolve conflict in any location, starting with a specific space provides the framework to start these uncomfortable conversations. Coming to the Peace Table is not a choice in my classroom. You can ask for time, "I'll be ready to talk in 5 minutes", or you can ask for support "Ms. Kacee, can you help me at the Peace Table?" But, if you are invited, you must go. This is a natural accountability system that keeps students aware of how their behavior affects others. 

Teaching students to use "I statements" as suggested by the Responsive Classroom and others, is one step. However, intentionally creating lessons about the elements of effective communication are essential. You must assume students don't know how to speak to one another, especially about difficult or emotional topics. Active listening, body language, cultural awareness, clarity and confidence are all skills that need to be explicitly taught and modeled. Authentic and personalized opportunities to implement these skills will evolve and your job as "classroom manager" just got easier because students will be solving many of their own problems rather than expecting you to do it. 

You must also recognize that not all problems can be solved in one visit to the Peace Table. Sometimes people just don't stop being angry just because you talked about it or apologized. Sometimes we agree to disagree but at least through listening to one another we can practice understanding others' perspectives. 

When an apology does occur I teach my students to say, 

"Thank you for the apology, please don't do it again." 

Instead of, "It's okay." 

Reframing these apologies allows for ownership from both sides. If the friendship has been restored, they shake hands and say "Friends!" If the friendship hasn't been restored, "they shake hands and say "Thank you for your time." This reinforces that we don't have to be friends with everyone, but we do have to be respectful.  (I love the idea of ringing a Peace Bell upon resolving the conflict and will be implementing it into my classroom this year!

Implementing these two areas into your classroom layout, teaching students how to use them, and celebrating those that are using them, will take a lot of time and intentionality in the beginning. Once the newness of these new spaces wear off the students who need them, will use them, and those who don't, won't. (I promise). Plan for 4-6 weeks of focus on teaching the use of these two spaces before you assess the efficacy. Remember - you're creating a culture and this is your most important content of the year. 

You're essentially teaching Self-Care (self-regulation and self-advocacy) through these two spaces! Think about all of the adults that could benefit from having learned this in school and stay strong! It's not easy, but it's worth it!

Lastly, consider it a WIN! when a student invites YOU to the Peace Table. You have created a culture of safety and accountability. 

*I prefer the term "Peace Area", but you can call them "Calming Corners", "Reset Stations" or "Conflict Resolution Spaces" or whatever you're comfortable with.