Facilitator’s Guide to Calm

Preparation (Before Session)

• Arrange calm corner supplies on a side table (pillows, fidget tools, calming visuals).
• Queue up the Designing Your Safe Spot slide deck.
• Place collage materials (construction paper, magazines, scissors, glue, markers) at student workstations.
• Have the Self-Regulation Checklist printed and ready.

1. Introduction to Calm Corners (5 minutes)

Teacher says:

“Good morning, everyone! Today we’re going to set up our very own calm corners—special spaces you can visit when you feel upset, frustrated, or just need a moment to breathe.”

Display Slide 1: Designing Your Safe Spot

“Calm corners help us notice our feelings and choose a strategy to feel better. Having our own safe spot gives us control over our emotions and helps us learn better.”

Display Slide 2: Why a Safe Spot?

“Can anyone share a time they felt too upset in class? What might have helped you calm down?”

Wait for 2–3 student responses.

Display Slide 3: Example Safe Spot Elements

“Here are some things other students have in their calm corners: pillows, fidget tools, calming pictures, headphones, or a favorite book. Let’s keep these in mind as we build our own corners.”

Transition:

“Now that we know what a calm corner is and why it helps, let’s plan what goes in yours.”

2. Brainstorm & Plan (10 minutes)

Teacher says:

“Turn to Slide 5: Brainstorm Your Calm Items & Routines. I’ll give you three minutes to write or draw:

• Three items you’d like in your calm corner
• Two routines you enjoy when you need to relax
• One visual or sound that helps you feel calm”

Display Slide 5: Brainstorm Your Calm Items & Routines

“Use the paper I handed out. Ready? Go!”

“Time’s up! Who can share one item from their list?”

Call on 2–3 volunteers.

Teacher says:

“Great ideas! Next, let’s sketch where each item will go in your calm corner.”

Display Slide 6: Sketch Your Safe Spot

“On this sketch template, draw and label each calming tool or routine. Think about how you will sit, breathe, or use each item.”

Circulate and prompt: “Tell me about that stress ball—how will it help you breathe?”

Transition:

“Nice sketches, everyone! Now we’ll make a colorful collage to bring these ideas to life.”

3. Design & Personalize (10 minutes)

Teacher says:

“Let’s move to our collage station and begin the Create Your Corner Collage activity. Choose magazine pictures or draw your items, then glue them onto your paper. Be sure to add labels for each tool or routine.”

Materials at each spot: construction paper, magazines, scissors, glue sticks, markers, labels.

Circulate and guide:

• “I see you picked a picture of a puppy. How will looking at this picture help you calm down?”
• “Can you add a short sentence explaining your breathing exercise?”

Transition:

“Wonderful collages! Let’s share what we created.”

4. Reflection & Closure (5 minutes)

Teacher says:

“Let’s sit in a circle and share one element from your collage.”

Invite each student to present briefly.

Teacher says:

“Thank you for sharing. Now, take a look at this Self-Regulation Checklist. We’ll use it to practice when to use our calm corners.”

Distribute or display the Self-Regulation Checklist.

“Remember: when you notice a big feeling, you can pause, use your calm corner tools, and check off the steps on this list. You’re ready to start!”

End with:

“Great job today, everyone. Your calm corners are going to be amazing. Feel free to visit your safe spot anytime you need a moment to reset.”

Create Your Corner Collage

Objective:

• Allow students to visualize and personalize their calm corners using images, labels, and captions that reinforce self-regulation strategies.

Time:

• 10 minutes

Materials:

• Construction paper (one sheet per student)
• Old magazines or printed calm-corner clip art
• Safety scissors
• Glue sticks
• Markers or colored pencils
• Pre-printed labels (optional)

Instructions:

1. Distribute one piece of construction paper and collage materials to each student.
2. Invite students to flip through magazines or draw their own images to represent each item and routine they brainstormed earlier (pillows, stress balls, deep-breathing steps, etc.).
3. Have students cut out or sketch each image and glue it onto their paper, arranging it as a mini-map of their calm corner.
4. Ask students to add labels or short captions beside each picture, explaining how or when they will use that tool or routine (e.g., “I will squeeze this stress ball to help me slow my breathing”).
5. Encourage creativity—students can add borders, color in backgrounds, or include a personal title for their corner.
6. Circulate to prompt deeper thinking: “Tell me why you chose this picture of the puppy—how will it help you feel calm?”
7. When finished, have students set their collages aside so you can collect and display them in the classroom calm corner.

Reflection Prompt (optional):

• What is one new idea you saw in a classmate’s collage that you might add to your own calm corner later?

Use this activity right after the Brainstorm & Plan step. It solidifies students’ choices, gives them a visual reminder, and makes their calm corners feel personal and engaging.

Self-Regulation Checklist

Use this checklist each time you visit your calm corner. Put a ✔️ in the box when you complete each step.

Reflection:

• What strategy helped me the most today?