![](\"https:\/\/truthforteachers.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/calm-a-class-after-lunch-or-recess.jpg\")
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1. Allow only a few students\u00a0to enter the room at a time.<\/h3>\n
Rather than having\u00a030\u00a0overexcited students tear into the classroom all at the same time, set a calm, controlled atmosphere right from the moment they step through the door by allowing them to enter\u00a0and settle down in small batches. Stand in the doorway and let the first 5 kids in, pause for a few seconds while the area around your coat hooks clears out, then let in the next 5 children, and so on. You can have a student helper lead stretching or breathing exercises with the group waiting in line while you focus on getting everyone\u00a0transitioned inside.<\/p>\n
Be careful not to make this a long, drawn-out process, because then you\u2019ll have kids playing around in the hallway AND in the classroom! The idea is to get everyone inside as quickly as possible without having the entire class crowded into a tiny corner of the room hanging up coats all at once.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, you could have the whole class enter the room at one time, go\u00a0straight to their desks to take off coats\/hats\/mittens\/etc, and then walk over to hang up their belongings once all the winter gear is off.<\/p>\n
2. Set a calm ambiance with dim lights and relaxing music.<\/h3>\n
The old \u201clights half on\u201d trick really does help,\u00a0and\u00a0playing classical music is a great way to further the calm atmosphere.\u00a0Classical music is known to have a calming effect<\/a>\u00a0on kids\u2013and adults. This can be a great way for you to\u00a0decompress, too! I downloaded\u00a0a number of\u00a0classical music songs and organized them in\u00a0iTunes by tempo so that I had a\u00a0playlists that ranged from super mellow and relaxing to more upbeat and energizing.<\/p>\n If you need quick song recommendations, check out this post with the\u00a010 best classical music tracks for calm and tranquility<\/a>, which has YouTube videos embedded so you can just hit play.\u00a0Of course, you can venture beyond the realm of classical music:\u00a0you might find jazz, Native American flute music, piano solos, and other instrumental tracks very calming for your students.\u00a0I love to expose kids to all kinds of genres, and you can make playlists with relaxing\u00a0songs of any type.<\/p>\n My teachers used to use this strategy when I was in elementary school, and I still remember everyone gathering around the rocking chair, enjoying the special treat of sprawling out on the rug and having a moment to unwind, listen to a story, and maybe even daydream a bit. You may want to read\u00a0a chapter of a novel per day, or\u00a0choose classic stories that are known to be very engaging for kids. Try to give kids input on the books you choose\u2013the more interested they are in what you\u2019re reading, the\u00a0more likely they are to pay attention\u2013and they\u2019ll make sure their peers aren\u2019t preventing them from hearing\u00a0the story.<\/p>\n If you have a D.E.A.R, S.S.R., or other silent reading time built into your reading instruction, after recess is the perfect time to schedule it. Let the kids self-select their books\u00a0and choose \u201ctheir spot\u201d in the classroom to read: on the carpet, at a table in the back, on a bean bag, and so on.<\/p>\n It\u2019s helpful to have students stick with the same spot for about a month so you don\u2019t disrupt the calm atmosphere with kids trying to figure out where they\u2019re supposed to sit. This provides a great opportunity for kids to reap the benefits of\u00a0independent reading, and the element of choice as well as the break from the normal \u201csit at your desk\u201d expectation creates a routine that kids\u00a0are often anxious to dive into. A similar option is to have them do journal writing or other silent writing time.<\/p>\n GoNoodle<\/a>\u00a0is a website that provides very short video brain breaks. These are games and exercises designed for helping kids stay focused and motivated, and they\u2019re free! GoNoodle has an entire section dedicated to calming activities. I recommend doing the same brain break each day for a week so it becomes automatic for students and they can reap the calming benefits instead of focusing on the directions.<\/p>\n You can find these within the GoNoodle video collection, or lead them yourself! Having students spend a few moments stretching,\u00a0practicing yoga<\/a>, taking deep breaths, doing\u00a0breathing exercises<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0yoga\u00a0breathing exercises<\/a>.\u00a0Meditating<\/a>\u00a0or directing their thoughts toward particular topics can also be very calming and\u00a0focusing. Once students get good at this, you can have them take turns leading the exercises.<\/p>\n Even if\u00a0your district\u00a0doesn\u2019t require handwriting practice, 5 minutes a day can make a difference in students\u2019 legibility\u00a0and could be a great use of their time\u00a0while\u00a0they wait for the class to finish\u00a0hanging up their coats, getting drinks, and using the bathroom. And if your state standards include legible handwriting, there\u2019s no better time for kids to write\u00a0than after recess.\u00a0Practicing handwriting is a slow, repetitive task that requires concentration and helps students slowly adjust back to the quiet energy of the classroom.<\/p>\n Transition times tend to expand and fill however many minutes you allow, so I often prefer to give kids 30 seconds to enter the room, hang up their belongings, and start right away on a warm-up activity. \u00a0Try to choose tasks that are not too complex (as students will need to be able to work independently while you get everyone settled down and prepare to start teaching), but do select activities that require some level of focus.<\/p>\n You might choose vocabulary building exercises, a simple math game, or practice problems similar to ones students learned how to complete the day before. I find it helpful to give similar warm-up tasks each day for several weeks so that students get used to the format and know exactly what\u2019s expected. The idea is to help kids switch back into learning mode and prime their brains for the next lesson you\u2019ll be teaching.<\/p>\n Kids love going to the water fountain and they\u2019re usually thirsty after recess, so establish a routine in which kids complete a warm-up activity and the quietest table is\u00a0called to get drinks first.<\/p>\n If the class is especially rambunctious, resist the urge to nag or threaten,\u00a0and up the ante a bit by\u00a0approaching it like a game in which getting called to get drinks is the prize: \u201cI wonder which team will be the first to get drinks today? Team 1 is all sitting down, they\u2019re getting their pencils out for the warm up, it could be them! Oh, but wait! Team 2 is also all in place! Team 3 has only one person they\u2019re waiting for\u2026oh, this is going to be a close one today!\u201d<\/p>\n Keep the hype going even after you called the first team: \u201cNow, let\u2019s see which team is going to be next \u2026 I see a lot of people following directions, so it\u2019s going to be awfully tough for me to decide!\u201d No child wants to be the person that causes their team to lose because they were off-task, so this technique tends to be really effective.<\/p>\n This is a great\u00a0special incentive to use on hectic days right before long weekends, holiday breaks, and so on. More than just a relaxing activity,\u00a0doodling is proven\u00a0to increase concentration, memory, and focus<\/a>, and\u00a0giving your students a few minutes to\u00a0doodle or draw anything they want can be a great calming activity after recess. Play some soft music if you like, or, make the task more academic by having students doodle while listening to audio content that is related to your lesson.<\/p>\n Many textbooks and curriculum series come with CDs or MP3 downloads that read the text aloud: play a section of the recording that reviews yesterday\u2019s lesson or introduces students to today\u2019s topic, and then begin your lesson by asking questions about what students heard. You can also play podcasts, web clips,\u00a0radio interviews, or any other media form that\u2019s relevant to your subject area.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve collected all kinds of\u00a0practical teaching strategies on<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Pinterest<\/a>\u2013make sure you\u2019re following me there, or you can follow just my<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Classroom Management Pinterest board<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n3. Engage kids in a\u00a0read-aloud.<\/h3>\n
4. Have kids read (or write) independently\u00a0in different places around\u00a0the room.<\/h3>\n
5. Use GoNoodle brain breaks.<\/h3>\n
6. Lead students in\u00a0yoga, breathing, or stretching exercises.<\/h3>\n
7. Do handwriting practice (yes, really!)<\/h3>\n
8. Dive right into a warm up activity.<\/h3>\n
9.\u00a0Call the quietest group to go to the water fountain first.<\/h3>\n
10. Let kids\u00a0doodle while listening to audio\u00a0content.<\/h3>\n