Local school district providing ‘safe spaces’ for students, teachers to ‘feel better’
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SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (WJW) – It is not your typical classroom.
“They have some books in there, they can building with the mapping tiles,” says Josiah Morgan, 8, describing his classroom’s so-called “safe space” inside Rowland Elementary school in South Euclid.
Utilizing a comfy chair, area rug or pillows, it’s where students dealing with disciplinary issues or mental break-downs can take a moment to self-regulate.
School counselor Lisa Artino says, “It’s not a time-out and it’s not just a quiet corner that you go to. There’s a process of self-regulation where the students are moving from the lower centers of their brain to the higher centers of the brain where optimal problem solving and learning can occur.”
It’s all part of a program called “Conscious Discipline,” unveiled inside South Euclid Lyndhurst City Schools four years ago.
Colorful, posted charts inside classrooms and hallways, enabling students to self-diagnose whatever emotions they may be experiencing, determining if a safe space break is needed.
And the safe spaces aren’t just for students. This is a teacher calming area, where they can get a quick massage, listen to music, anything to help them decompress before heading back into the classroom.
The safe space program has expanded, now in all elementary, middle even high-school buildings.
Assistant principal Sylvia Marshall already noticing major changes.
“You don’t want to go to the principal’s office, but honestly, I don’t deal with a lot of behaviors. I don’t deal with a lot of negative things because what our teachers are doing in the classroom, with their safe spaces, it’s really helping students stay in the classroom,” said Marshall.
Josiah, whose favorite subject is math, says he hasn’t used the safe space inside Mrs. Davidson’s classroom just yet, but says changes in his classmates’ behaviors are evident.
“…they are ready to learn, they’re ready to do their reading and their math and they feel better,” he says.”
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