A positive school environment can enhance the lives of not only it’s students but the faculty and staff as well. With all of the hard work that goes into teaching and planning, Weiss Elementary welcomed its staff with a new Adult Calming Space. Since October 2019, SEL Specialist Deborah Carey collaboratively worked with Assistant Principal Krishaunda Ivery to redefine the second floor teacher’s lounge at Martin Weiss Elementary. Over the course of three months Ivery and Carey painted walls, collected donated furniture, bought decorations and gathered self-care resources to revamp the teacher’s lounge into an Adult Calming Space.
This space was created so that teachers and faculty could have a designated place to decompress, practice mindfulness and refocus their energy from a demanding day. Staff can also use the Calming Space to speak with students who are working through challenges, making for a much more comfortable environment than traditional discipline spaces. As the Adult Calming Space was announced over the intercom on its first day, teachers were excited to visit the space and access the Swag Table with Sand Timers, SEL Dallas lanyards, SEL Dallas Mood pencils and more calming items for their personal use.
Carey also demonstrated and practiced Breathing Exercises with staff as they stopped by to see the new space. They created a school tree with blank frames in hopes to encourage faculty and staff to include pictures, which will bring a sense of community and belonging.
