“The biggest piece is getting the kids to self-regulate,” principal Reiter adds. “Because we are an early childhood school, we help students learn how to put their problems in perspective and develop strategies to resolve them. They learn to size up how big a problem is, like getting teased or bullied — it’s big when someone hurts your feelings. Or middle-sized, like being frustrated with your schoolwork. They can match the problem to a strategy.” The classrooms in P.S. 112 all have a “peace corner,” a special place where any child who needs to can retreat for time alone to calm down.
“Sometimes they just need a break, a few moments alone,” Reiter adds. “But you’ll see a child who is really frustrated or upset go over to the peace corner and apply some strategies they’ve learned. The big lesson is to tune in and know what to do to care for yourself.”
— Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (Daniel Goleman), Loc. 2503–9