Student Contributor: E. Kruse
Cool down cubes are a simple tool made from reusable ice cubes to help students who become emotional and need help calming back down. Each cube has a different “safe cool down strategy” that the child can complete to aid in bringing their emotions back into control.
For this tool, you will take reusable ice cubes and write a “safe” cool down strategy on each. Examples include, but are not limited to: “3 deep breaths”, “draw”, “talk to a friend” and “count clouds”. Put all of the cubes in a container and let your students know where it is located in the classroom. When a student starts getting angry, upset, or sad, you can ask them to take a cool down cube. They can do what their cube says for 5 minutes and if after that time they still do not have control of their emotions, they can choose to either take another cube or different consequence. These cubes are a good tool because it will minimize class distractions if used properly and the student is able to take some time to cool down without the aid of a teacher.
I placed this tool in the Corrective phase because it is a tool to help with correcting behavior. It could also fit into the Preventative phase if the student recognizes that a strong emotion is coming on and they take a cube to help with their behavior before it starts. Also, this tool is more Collaborative because while the student is the one in control of their behavior, the teacher is initially the one to ask them to take a cool down cube and the teacher is the one who decides how much time a student is allowed to try and calm down before a larger consequence is brought into play. So this tool is a joint effort between student and teacher.
More Information –
Tool Source: I found this idea on Pinterest.
https://bit.ly/28FjgpM
Hello, my name is Mrs. Breaux and I am an In school suspension facilitator at a middle school. I am totally interested in the cool down cubes. I believe this may be effective being that I am with the same group of children for 7 hours out of the day. Activities, interventions, and effective re-directing can be a challenge for me and the students. I have to constantly create what we will be doing and I do need additional resources. I think this would be great for those students struggling with issues while in my care. the cool down cubes seems as though they would give us both a chance to correct the behavior without the next level of consequences. How do I acquire cool down cubes?? are there any other tools that are tangible as such?? I am up for anything. sometimes I feel lost, especially when I have ran out of ideas. I am not a teacher and do not hold a teaching degree. My degree is in business admin. Just looking for ways to help my students but with methods that I would use for my own children at home.