This idea addresses students who become angry or
upset and need time to collect themselves.
Type: Student Strategy
Procedure:
(1) The teacher selects an area of the room (or
area outside the classroom with adult supervision) where the target student can
take a brief 'respite break' whenever he or she feels angry or upset.
(2) Whenever
a student becomes upset and defiant, the teacher first offers to talk the
situation over with that student once he or she has calmed down.
(3) The
teacher then directs the student to the cool-down corner. (E.g., "Thomas,
I want to talk with you about what is upsetting you, but first you need to calm
down. Take five minutes in the cool-down corner and then come over to my desk
so we can talk.")
The teacher makes cool-down breaks available to all
students in the classroom, to avoid singling out only those children with
anger-control issues. The teacher also ensures that students see the cool-down
strategy not as punishment but instead as a support. It is also recommended
that the teacher keep a written log of students using the cool-down location
(at minimum to include date, student name, start time, and end time).
Source: http://www.interventioncentral.org/tools/behavior-intervention-planner
Research Citation: Long, N.J., Morse, W.C., Newman, R.G. (1980).
Conflict in the classroom. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.