Over the last several years, schools have increasingly recognized the importance of social-emotional learning.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which people understand and manage their emotions, achieve goals, feel empathy for others, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible choices. These factors all contribute to a positive school climate where students can learn.
As the understanding of SEL has increased, so has the use of classroom safe spaces, often described as “SEL in action.”
Safe spaces are places where children can go to calm down, be alone, and recharge so they are ready to learn.
Experts know that when children don’t feel safe or are emotionally upset, they can’t learn. Safe spaces are an effective way to help children return to a relaxed state that is optimal for learning.
These spaces also support social-emotional learning by providing children with tools to manage and regulate their emotions.
Although safe spaces are helpful for all children, they are especially effective for children with high levels of stress or trauma. These children often come to school feeling sad, scared, or angry. Having a safe space allows them to relax enough to learn, which is vital for leveling the playing field.
Safe spaces are classroom management, self-regulation, and social-emotional learning tools that promote healing and teach healthy life skills.
Safe spaces don’t have to be fancy. You just need a cozy nook in the classroom (where you can still see the child and the child can see the classroom).
Ask your students for input on what to put in the safe space. In general, you may have comfortable seating, such as beanbag chairs, as well as stress balls, stuffed animals or pillows, books, pictures of friends and family, or anything else your students find calming.
You can even add posters and/or activities that teach children how to calm down, solve problems, or take care of themselves in this corner.
If you decide to implement a safe space, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Safe spaces can go by many names and take many forms, but one effective example is a self-care, cool-down, or conflict resolution corner.
These safe places provide children with a space to self-regulate and serve as the centerpiece for helping them take control of their own actions and emotions.
When students are dysregulated, their brains’ “fight or flight” response is activated. Providing a self-care corner provides students with tools to calm themselves enough to move on to the next steps in the self-regulation process.
The self-care corner might include mirror affirmations, reflection exercises, or reminders about self-love and acceptance.
A cool-down corner provides students with a variety of techniques and options for self-soothing. One important component is identifying their current feelings. This can be accomplished by providing a feelings poster featuring feeling words and corresponding face pictures. Students identify how they are feeling. Labeling an emotion often makes it less scary and easier to manage.
You may also create your own feelings chart. The key idea is to provide students with visuals that help them label their emotions. Some safe spaces also have mirrors with the words “How do you feel?” to help children “name and tame” their emotions.
Sometimes students are dysregulated due to conflicts with their peers. Teaching them to independently solve those issues requires direct instruction and a safe space to practice.
A Conflict Resolution Corner gives students a dedicated space to work through disagreements calmly and constructively. Stocked with step-by-step tools and visual guides, it walks kids through identifying the problem, listening to one another, and reaching a fair solution, without needing the teacher to mediate every dispute.
Over time, students build communication skills, empathy, and independence. As a safe space in the classroom, this corner empowers kids to manage conflict productively and take ownership of their relationships and emotional well-being.
The safe space should be gradually introduced to students. Naturally, students are curious and begin asking questions. You can start by teaching one component of the safe spaces at a time.
Once the safe space is open, encourage its use by going there when you’re upset, too.
Whatever you call your safe space and however you set it up, what matters most is your intention. Remember that the goal of the safe space is to give children a place to calm down, feel safe, and regroup when they are overcome with big emotions at school.
Reasons to visit the safe space may include:
In these scenarios, learning is difficult, if not impossible. Allowing your students a few minutes to manage their emotions makes it possible to focus on the lesson or task, collaborate and interact politely with others, and learn vital life skills.
Creating your safe space and teaching children how to use it does take some time. But in the long run, you’ll increase teaching time and give all students the tools they need to problem-solve, learn, and thrive.
Don’t forget to snatch up FREE Growth Mindset Bell Ringers for 4th Grade and Up! Do you teach 2nd or 3rd grade? No worries! Grab your FREE Growth Mindset Bell Ringers for 2nd and 3rd Grade!
I am Kirsten Tulsian, an elementary educator with 18 years of experience as a teacher and counselor. My passion lies in empowering students to discover their inherent brilliance through the use of engaging, rigorous, and meaningful activities. I look forward to connecting with you!
