Cozy Environment for All Learners

Funded Jul 22, 2024

One of my major goals this year was to create a sound calming corner and welcoming room for my students. I wanted it to feel like home. To accomplish that I requested a house tent, plush carpets, and lighting. The calming corner is a great place for students to block out the rest of the room when they just need a moment, by fully enclosing themselves in the house, reading a good book, or using some of the many sensory items available. This has been a huge hit in the classroom and used by many when sadness takes over. Kindergartners deal with big emotions, many for the first time when their first year of schooling comes around. It is nice to have a place for them to call home and develop live-long social-emotional skills.

The rest of the room is decorated with plush carpets, flexible seating options and sensory tools to help keep a calming tone throughout the day and allow for the various needs to be met. Students who visit our in-class library love to spread out on the fuzzy carpet and run their fingers through it while they read, or prop themselves on a reading stump/leaf pillow while they hold a squishmellow and read. I enjoy seeing their faces when they discover new cozy pillows based on the holidays or season in each area. They feel comfortable and are able to learn while relaxed.

I will work to continue to bring calmness, inquiry and play back into the kindergarten classrooms. Next I will be working on sensory bins and inquiry-based materials to allow for free exploration and building problem solving skills.

I appreciate your donations and the assistance to bring to life a calm and exciting world to my kinders. Thank you for helping me inspire a love for learning and a home away from home.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Moore