Introduction
As educators, we understand the importance of teaching our young students how to stay calm and focused when they encounter situations where others are not following rules. In a PreK classroom, this skill is essential for fostering a positive and productive learning environment. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity that can help students develop this important skill, as well as discussion questions to further reinforce the concept.
No-Prep Activity: The Calm and Focused Game
This activity is designed to help PreK students practice staying calm and focused when others are not following the rules. It requires no preparation or materials, making it an ideal choice for busy educators.
- Have the students sit in a circle on the floor.
- Explain to the students that they will be playing a game where they need to stay calm and focused, even when others are not following the rules.
- Choose one student to start by acting out a behavior that is not following the rules, such as talking loudly, jumping up and down, or making silly noises.
- The other students in the circle should practice staying calm and focused by taking deep breaths, looking away from the student who is not following the rules, and silently counting to ten.
- After about 30 seconds, have the student who was not following the rules sit down and choose another student to take their place. Repeat the process until all students have had a turn to practice staying calm and focused.
By participating in this activity, students will learn to recognize and manage their emotions when faced with distractions, helping them to stay focused on their work and maintain a positive classroom environment.
Discussion Questions
After completing the activity, engage your students in a discussion to help them reflect on their experience and further develop their understanding of the concept. Here are some questions to get the conversation started:
- How did you feel when someone was not following the rules during the game? Were you able to stay calm and focused?
- What strategies did you use to help you stay calm and focused when others were not following the rules?
- Why is it important to stay calm and focused when others are not following the rules in the classroom?
- Can you think of a time when you were able to stay calm and focused even though someone else was not following the rules? How did it make you feel?
- How can we help each other stay calm and focused in the classroom when there are distractions?
Related Skills
Teaching students to stay calm and focused when others are not following the rules is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that can contribute to a positive classroom environment include:
- Developing empathy and understanding for others
- Practicing active listening and communication skills
- Learning to cooperate and work collaboratively in a group
- Building self-awareness and understanding personal emotions
- Developing problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
Next Steps
Implementing the Calm and Focused Game and engaging in thoughtful discussions with your students is a great way to start teaching them how to stay calm and focused when others are not following the rules. To further support your students’ social-emotional learning, consider signing up for free samples of related skill-building materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you enhance your classroom instruction and provide your students with the tools they need to succeed in both their academic and personal lives.
