calming jar.

We have several students in our class that suffer from anger management problems.  They are all sweet as sweet can be, and then out of the blue, something will set them off, and they will become so angry.  Sometimes their anger makes them cry and flail around on the floor.  Other times it causes them to scream, disrespect teachers and classmates, and destroy furniture and classroom surroundings.  I hate to see this happen because I know something is hurting them inside.  I hate to send them to time out because I know this will just give them more time to simmer in their anger and grow even more livid sitting there thinking about it.

That is when I discovered calming jars.  While they do not always work, it is a good way to give the child an opportunity to calm down, control the time he or she needs to take a break from what is happening, and to think about something else other than the situation that just occurred.

A calming jar is a mason jar or old peanut butter jar filled with water, glitter glue, glitter, and food coloring.  When students become angry or need to be taken out of a certain situation, they can shake the calming jar.  They are supposed to sit there and utilize the calming jar until the glitter all settles and they are feeling as calm as the glitter.  If they need more time, they can shake the glitter up again.

While this could lead to children acting up to use the calming jar or saying they are not ready to spend more time away from instruction and activities, remind them that it is a privilege that can be taken away if it is abused.  On a completely opposite note, it will not always work.  I would like to always give them the option, however, to let them be in control of how the situation will be dealt with.  I want them to know that I have the faith that they can pull themselves together and overcome whatever is going on.

I have not perfected the creation of the calming jar, but I will go ahead and post the instructions I have found for making one.  I will update if I discover any other ingredients or methods that produces an even better one.

How to make a Calming Jar:

Materials: glitter glue, hot water, glitter, food coloring

Procedure: Mix 1 tbsp. glitter glue with 1 cup hot water.  Increase the sizes of these depending on the size of the jar.  Mix in a small tub of glitter and a couple drops of food coloring to match the color of the glitter glue.

 

behavior rocket ships.

The behavior rocket ship is something another first grade teacher on my team introduce my mentor teacher and I to.  It is a rocket ship on a piece of paper that has different levels with each part of the day written in each level.  You give one to students who are having trouble with behavior.  As you discuss it with them, you talk to them about a reward they would like to have for coloring in every two sections, the whole thing, whatever is necessary.  Then, throughout the day, the children get to color off each level if they followed all the rules after one warning for that subject.

While it causes minor problems with the children constantly asking if they can color their level in, it is so far the only thing I have seen work with some of our toughest students this year.  In order to alleviate the need to ask if they can color in a level, I suggested to my mentor teacher that we give them stickers to mark off each level instead, and one of us would just put the sticker on their desks after each subject if they earned it.  We have not tried it yet, but I definitely think it is something that could work.

I was nervous about these because I thought once the other students in the class saw them that they would want their own to earn rewards each day, but we have been using them for months now, and no other student has ever said anything about them!

Like I mentioned earlier, you can start out giving rewards for every level or two that is colored in, and as time progresses and behaviors become more controlled, you can increase the amount of levels between rewards.  I think one of the most important parts is letting the children having a say in those rewards.  I think the other most important thing is leaving the children in charge of their own rocket ships.  They need that constant reminder and responsibility in order for it to be effective.