After recess & lunch transition
Ah the chaos. Screaming, running, crying, arguing about games you didn’t even know existed…and then they have to sit there and be quiet.
It’s very hard for students and it can be hard for you to manage. I like to have a bit of transition time to help bring the body and mind down and get ready for work/learning again.
Below I will outline some options. The amount of time you dedicate to this transition will largely depend on the age of your students, how you schedule other parts of your day and where preps may fall. In general, I suggest 10-15 minutes.
Music & lighting
Using music as a cue for calm is a great way to remind students about what they should be doing. Choose something calming and instrumental, nature sounds, a crackling fireplace. I often find those ambience videos on YouTube. Who doesn’t want to curl up with a good book when you can hear a crackling fire and rain outside.
Turn down the lights. No one wants bright fluorescent lighting when they’re trying to calm their bodies.
After recess - independent silent reading
I like to have students do independent silent reading. Your grade and language may mean this looks different but generally the idea is that everyone is picking a book and enjoying it quietly. Want to look at the pictures, sure. Want to read a novel, sure. Want to read an English book, fine by me. As a French teacher who also teaches ELA, I have English books in my class and students have access. I don’t police who takes which books (even if the grade 2s aren’t supposed to have English yet). For me, this is reading for enjoyment time and you can choose whatever you want. In my experience you get the whole spectrum of which books kids are interested in.
After lunch - quiet “zen” time or meditation
For my French teachers, there are tons of cute names you can use: la pause paisible, le cocon de calme, le moment de paix, le temps tranquille, le moment zen…
The idea here is that by 12:30/1:00, you’re losing steam. This is why the reading time is scheduled for earlier in the day. This time allows for more student choice in an activity that feels calming to them. Their choices may include: reading, drawing, colouring, lying on the floor.
Another option is a guided meditation. Headspace has a great series for kids (their subscription is free for educators). There’s also Mind Yeti and I’m sure many more on YouTube.
Coming back together transition
To bring your students back together after either of these suggestions, I recommend a story. It could be a picture book or a novel. Listening to someone read to you is not only very calming, but it also allows for imagination and makes stories that may otherwise be too challenging for a student to become more accessible.
After lunch you might do agenda, another calm activity but gets them working again before jumping into a more demanding task.