My students need sensory tools (gel beads, squishy balls, and beanbags) to use in a "Calming Corner" area of their general education classrooms so that they can remain in their classrooms and return to learning as soon as possible.
My students range from kindergarten to fourth grade. They are all special education students with disabilities ranging from Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, and many more. Not only do their disabilities cause them to fight an uphill battle, but our school is a low-income, high poverty school as well. My students fight to overcome these obstacles daily by pushing themselves academically and emotionally, advocating for themselves, and working hard to make their families proud. When you walk into our classroom, you will see my students hard at work, but not in the traditional sense. You will rarely see all of my students sitting at their regular chairs. That is because in order for my students to fully grasp their academics, they need to be moving. We have a rule in our classroom that allows students to move around the room whether it is sitting, standing, pacing, or laying, as long as they are working.
My Project
Everyone needs a break sometimes. My students oftentimes become anxious, overwhelmed, over stimulated, and need a break to compose themselves to be able to return to learning. The goal for all students is to remain in the environment where the learning occurs, which is the classroom. All too often, my kids' anxieties and sensory behaviors escalate to a point where they need to be removed from the classroom because of disruptions or safety reasons. The items requested will be used to help students regain their composure, calm themselves down, and remain in the classroom before their behaviors reach a point where they need leave their educational environment.
Sensory tools such as squish balls, stretch bands, and gel beads will be used to create "Calming Corners" in each general education classroom as well as the special education classrooms.
Students will be able to access the Calming Corner when they need to compose themselves so that they can remain in the classroom and get back to learning as soon as possible. Calming Corners are meant to be positive areas of the classroom where a student can choose to go when they need a break. The Calming Corner is not a punishment, but rather a way to teach students to be aware of their emotions and be proactive rather than reactive of their behaviors and choices.
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