It's crunch time around these parts. New teacher orientation begins this week, all staff return next week, and KIDS come the week after that. I am constantly adding things to my ever growing to do list for my classroom. Are you feelin it too?
Well, if you are, you've come to the right place. I've got a freebie for you that'll save the day.
Do you have a safe place in your classroom? The idea comes from Becky Bailey's book Conscious Discipline.
I have had a safe place in my room for over three years and let me be the first to tell you: it works!
A safe place is a small space set aside in your classroom where students (or the teacher!) can go to calm down, cool down, and refocus for learning.
I keep several things in my safe place:
-Shubert
-Huggsie the huggable bear
-a timer
-a notepad and pencil
-charts and reminders of how to calm down
-a mirror
-lotions
Each year I teach my students how to use the tools in the safe place in hopes that they can learn how to self regulate their emotions. One of the best tools my students have are the magical lotions they can use in the safe place.
I recently moved classrooms and chunked my old lotions. I had been needing to make some new lotions so I updated my labels to make them easier for me.
If you want to make your set of lotions for your safe place, here's all you need to do.
Make a trip to your local store and get the following:
-unscented lotion
-empty bottles (I found mine in the travel section at Target, but you could use old bottles at home too!)
-Essential Oils of your choice
To Make:
1. Pour the lotion into the bottles.
2. Put drops of essential oil in with the lotion. I used about 20 drops, but this will depend on your brand of essential oils and how strong you want the scent to be.
3. Shake generously.
4. Slap a cute label on it and viola!
I used peppermint for my Focus Formula, lavender for my Cranky Cream, and Eucalyptus for my Kindness Cream.
Tomorrow I will print my labels on avery shipping labels and slap them on the bottles!
Enjoy the freebie!
