Introduction
In an elementary classroom, it’s essential for students to learn how to stay calm and focused when others around them aren’t following the rules. This skill is crucial for maintaining a positive learning environment and ensuring that students can continue to work effectively even in the face of distractions. By incorporating principles of Social-Emotional Learning, educators can help students develop the ability to manage their emotions and reactions in such situations. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement activity, thought-provoking discussion questions, and related skills that can help students learn to stay calm and focused when others aren’t following rules.
No-Prep Activity: The Calm and Focused Challenge
This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and can be easily integrated into a classroom setting. The goal is to help students practice staying calm and focused when they encounter distractions or disruptions.
- Ask students to sit at their desks and work on a quiet, independent task, such as reading or writing.
- Intentionally create a distraction, such as dropping a book, talking loudly, or playing a short audio clip.
- Observe how students react to the distraction. Encourage them to take a deep breath and refocus on their task.
- Repeat this process a few times with different distractions, allowing students to practice staying calm and focused in the face of disruptions.
- After the activity, discuss with students the strategies they used to stay calm and focused, and how it felt to successfully ignore the distractions.
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to stimulate further conversations and reflections on staying calm and focused when others aren’t following rules:
- How did it feel when you were able to stay calm and focused during the distractions in the activity? How did it affect your ability to complete your task?
- What strategies did you use to stay calm and focused during the activity? Can you think of other strategies that might be helpful?
- Why is it important to stay calm and focused when others aren’t following rules? How does this skill help you and your classmates in the learning environment?
- Can you think of a situation outside of school where staying calm and focused when others aren’t following rules might be important? How could you apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to that situation?
- How can you support your classmates in staying calm and focused when they’re struggling with distractions or disruptions?
Related Skills
In addition to staying calm and focused when others aren’t following rules, there are several other relevant skills that can help students thrive in a positive learning environment. These include:
- Conflict resolution: Learning to address disagreements or conflicts in a constructive manner, without escalating the situation.
- Active listening: Developing the ability to truly listen and understand others’ perspectives, which can help create a supportive and respectful environment.
- Self-regulation: Practicing the ability to manage one’s own emotions and behaviors, which can help students respond appropriately to challenges and distractions.
- Empathy: Cultivating the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which can help create a more compassionate and supportive classroom community.
Next Steps
Ready to help your students develop the skills to stay calm and focused when others aren’t following rules, as well as other essential Social-Emotional Learning skills? We invite you to sign up for free samples of our resources at Everyday Speech. Our sample materials offer a wide range of activities, videos, and lessons designed to support educators in fostering a positive learning environment and helping students develop key skills for success.
