Isabelle Lynagh (S00132901)

Name: Quiet Corner

Target age group: Year 1 s

Brief description:
This space can simply be a place to read. It is a soothing area where a child can
go if they need some space or quiet time to calm down over a situation or take
their mind of something, it is a soft area that encourages the children to relax,
reflect and rest (MacNaughton and Williams, 2009). The features include the
tee-pee, the cushions, books, stationery and the calm down board. It is
aesthetically pleasing and we decided to use the blue toned cushions as they
help to create a calm and peaceful environment (Thornton & Brunton, 2010).
The teepee allows children to have some privacy to self reflect and identify their
emotions, the cushions are for comfort and make the area aesthetically
pleasing, the stationery gives students the opportunity to write about how they
are feeling or draw a picture to share with the teacher or keep to themselves
and the books are for quiet time and can be used as a strategy to calm down.
Clearly the area connects to literacy and the area can be used for quiet reading
after lunch to calm the students down and get them ready to learn again.

Identify curriculum links from Australian Curriculum:

This space links to the year one Australian curriculum, English in language for
interaction as it is a place where the children can explore different ways of expressing
their emotions including visual, body language and facial expressions. Reading in this
area ties in the general capability of literacy and will promote the children to be
independent readers (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority,
2014). The personal and social general capability from the Australian Curriculum is
also evident as the area will foster students to understand themselves and others and
manage relationships more effectively. Involving students in a range of practices
including recognising and regulating emotions, developing empathy for others,
understanding relationships and making responsible decisions (Australian Curriculum
Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014).
Identify curriculum links from Early Years Learning Framework:
Outcome 3, Children have a strong sense of wellbeing as students will show an
increasing capacity to understand, self-regulate and manage their emotions in ways
that reflect the feelings and needs of others Australian Government Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace. (2009).
Identify curriculum links from Early Years Curriculum Guidelines:
In social and personal learning the child will be supported to become more aware and
identify their own needs in the environment.
Explain how positive learning interactions and pro-social behaviour between
children are encouraged and promoted:
Students can use the area to regulate their emotions, calm down, talk quietly, look at
books and think. Challenging events that teachers typically face often involve
interactions with students who are not emotionally well regulated, including those
caught in anger, anxiety, and sadness. Young children often have difficulty regulating
their emotions. A student with emotion regulation difficulties may exhibit challenging

Isabelle Lynagh (S00132901)

classroom behavior. In order to promote positive and pro-social learning interactions,
rather than reprimanding a student for such behavior, a well-informed teacher would
find ways to help the student self-regulate. This is the aim of the area (Jennings &
Greenberg, 2009). Research shows that when educators teach children key skills they
need to understand their emotions and the emotions of others, handle conflicts,
problem solve, and develop relationships with peers, their problem behaviour
decreases and their social skills improve (Strain & Joseph, 2003). The board allows the
child to identify what their emotion is or how they are feeling, it also provides strategies
to assist them in calming down and gives them the opportunity to identify or think
about the goal associated with their behavior. As adults When we are upset, we often
withdraw to a private sanctuary where we can do something soothing until we feel
better (Porter, 2008), children should be able to do the same.
Link features to relevant perspectives and theories about:
It is a space that promotes security and competence, it allows for children to spread out
for moments of peace and reduces the need to share continuously (MacNaughton and
Williams, 2009). It is a site where conflicts can be negotiated through children
practicing reflective thinking and problem solving with each other. It is important that
teachers schedule in quiet times for rest and recovery in between, or after more
intense and active experiences, the area can be utilised for this recovery time (Holmes,
Pelligrini and Schmidt 2006). The area fosters the Neo-Adlerian theory; to increase a
feeling of belonging in the classroom. When students are acting out it is likely to be
driven by a goal that they are unaware of such as power, attention, revenge or
withdrawal from a demand. These goals often result in emotions such as anger, anxiety
or sadness. This is an area the teacher can send children to think about their behaviour,
reflect and use different methods to calm down before discussing with the teacher and
being ready to re-join the group. This area could be viewed as positive time out as
recommended by Nelson and colleagues (2000), students should not be punished for
being upset however there will be times before they can behave better, they will need
to take time away to calm down in a pleasant area. When students use the area they
are to calm down and they can be here for only ten minute increments. If using the
area for this opportunity is exploited by using it to escape commitments the teacher
would diagnose which goal is motivating their behaviour and solve it (Porter, 2006).
Sending children to the area can intervene disruptive behaviour, using different
strategies and communication techniques to solve the problem rather than punishing
the student which ties in the humanism theory of behaviour management.
How learning environment works as part of Behaviour Plan:
The classroom rules are:

Respect Yourself
Respect Others
Respect the environment

In order for children to be able to respect themselves and others they need to be able
to regulate their emotions and calm themselves down which children will learn to do in
the area.
There will be rules specific to the area:

Only allowed in the area for 10-minute increments.

Cannot exploit the use of the area to escape commitments.
Must be quiet or use their inside voice.

Only one student in the tee-pee at a time.

Respect the environment.