This week I wanted to explore whether cozy corners can be implemented across all age ranges, or if they are only beneficial in elementary and preschools?
Research
Katie Doherty, a grade 6 middle school teacher in Oregon explains that she wanted her classroom to be a place that students could make their own and feel comfortable in. How she made this space welcoming was by bringing in:
- comfortable stools
- a cozy rug to sit on
- laying out books against the wall.
Though this may seem like a very minimalistic cozy space, she argues that by even having one cozy reading nook, students felt that they had a space just for them. To read more about her experience with cozy spaces visit this article.
My opinion
Though cozy corners may look different in middle schools or high school classroom, they are still beneficial! There are numerous reasons why all students deserve a space for self-regulation and comfort, but I will list my 5 top reason.
- Every student deserves to be feel safe in their environment
- Cozy corner teach student they can deal with their emotions without having to “leave” a space
- Cozy corners are a great space to deal with conflict resolution
- Cozy corners give student autonomy to deal with their feelings in a safe way
- Cozy corners are inclusive to every child’s needs.
How I would do it
How I would set up my cozy corner would largely depend on the space I had access to and the needs of my students. As mentioned in previous blog posts, I have created spaces in outdoor centres, personal caregiving, and preschools. See posts for more information Outdoor Cozy Corners My Experience.
An excellent example of possibilities for a cozy corner in a middle school, it at my practicum in a grade 6 classroom at Arbutus Global Middle School. My partnering teacher has created a space called “Kyle’s Corner”, which is primarily a space for a student to work in when he is over stimulated. Though this room is intended to be mostly used by one student, the other students have access to it if it is not being used. Inside this space there are stemming tools, a fan, a spiny chair, an iPad, and noise cancelling headphones.
So can they be used with any grade?
YESS!! As long as the educator is aware of the students needs and the space itself, any space can be transformed to include a cozy corner.
