Help support Ms. Akin's Classroom

Education has come a long way since the days of sitting quietly with a text book while the teacher reads the paper at his or her desk. As more and more studies come in it becomes undeniable that students - especially low SES students such as mine - experience greater success when they have established positive, comforting relationships with their instructors. As such, DISD has begun implementing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies in its school, acknowledging that our students need more than a book a test to be successful. "Students who are loved at home come to school to learn, and students who aren't come to school to be loved." Part of SEL is providing our students with welcoming, clean classrooms that often feel more like someone's living room than a traditional classroom. An important piece of accomplishing this is a "Calming Corner," a major initiative at SMS this year. Each classroom must provide the students with a pleasant, quiet space to which they may retreat when they are having a tough time and need to find their center. The school has provided each of us with a "mood map" and a few sensory tools - the rest is up to us. In an effort to create a beautiful calm space I have selected a pair of comfy chairs, a coffee table for the sensory tools and some pretty picture books, a small bookshelf for more books and a lava lamp I'm providing, curtains to make the windows seem less institutional, and some string lights to create a soothing atmosphere in lieu of the bright florescent lights in the classroom ceiling.

About my class

Education has come a long way since the days of sitting quietly with a text book while the teacher reads the paper at his or her desk. As more and more studies come in it becomes undeniable that students - especially low SES students such as mine - experience greater success when they have established positive, comforting relationships with their instructors. As such, DISD has begun implementing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies in its school, acknowledging that our students need more than a book a test to be successful. "Students who are loved at home come to school to learn, and students who aren't come to school to be loved." Part of SEL is providing our students with welcoming, clean classrooms that often feel more like someone's living room than a traditional classroom. An important piece of accomplishing this is a "Calming Corner," a major initiative at SMS this year. Each classroom must provide the students with a pleasant, quiet space to which they may retreat when they are having a tough time and need to find their center. The school has provided each of us with a "mood map" and a few sensory tools - the rest is up to us. In an effort to create a beautiful calm space I have selected a pair of comfy chairs, a coffee table for the sensory tools and some pretty picture books, a small bookshelf for more books and a lava lamp I'm providing, curtains to make the windows seem less institutional, and some string lights to create a soothing atmosphere in lieu of the bright florescent lights in the classroom ceiling.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
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Ms. Akin's Classroom Edit display name

About my class

About my class

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season! Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Ms. Akin's Classroom Edit display name

About my class

About my class

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.