School for School Counselors Podcast

GRADED: Calm Corners

• School for School Counselors • Episode 167

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Are calm corners helping students regulate... or just giving them a softer way to opt out? 

In this episode of Graded, I take a hard look at one of the most popular SEL approaches in schools today: calm corners. You’ll hear what the research says, what most campuses are getting wrong, and what grade calm corners really deserve.

Plus, I respond to a one-star podcast review that called me condescending and gave me a D-minus.
(I could NOT be more grateful! Listen to find out why.)

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⭐️ Want support with real-world strategies that actually work on your campus? We’re doing that every day in the School for School Counselors Mastermind. Come join us! ⭐️


Annotated References

Brasfield, M., Elswick, S., Raines, S., Peterson, C., & Mboge, S. (2025). Classroom calming corners: Peaceful spaces for times of transition. International Journal of the Whole Child, 9(2).
Mixed-methods study with 1st and 6th graders showing improved coping skills when corners were properly implemented with teacher training.

Budiman, M. E. A., Yuhbaba, Z. N., & Cahyono, H. D. (2023). Calming corner therapy in an effort to increase mental resilience in adolescents. Blambangan Journal of Community Services (BJCS), 1(1), 8–16.
Four-week adolescent study finding that resilience improved only with consistent, well-facilitated spaces—structure and follow-through mattered.

Ewert, C. (2023). Influences of privacy on emotional regulation in elementary classroom calming corners [Master's thesis, Trinity Western University]. Trinity Western University Digital Commons.
Study with 15 second-graders over 4 months. Found 81% success rate, but 7% of uses increased dysregulation due to embarrassment and visibility issues.

Thompson, C. (2021). The impact of a classroom calm down corner in a primary classroom [Master's thesis, Northwestern College]. NWCommons.
Action research with 23 second-graders showing decreased negative behaviors, but only when paired with daily mini-lessons: the space alone wasn't enough.

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All names, stories, and case studies in this episode are fictionalized composites drawn from real-world circumstances. Any resemblance to actual students, families, or school personnel is coincidental. Details have been altered to protect privacy.


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They are supposed to be the answer to classroom meltdowns, disruptions and all those big emotions that tend to derail learning in the classroom.

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Teachers love them because they look trauma-informed, administrators love them because they're cheap to implement and we love them because, well, at least it feels like we're doing something supportive. But here's what happens when you actually watch calm corners in action. I was observing in his classroom a couple months ago. Nothing fancy. I was just checking in on a student I had some concerns about and math was getting started. Pencils were scratching papers were rustling and there was some low-level murmuring through the classroom Pretty normal for a Tuesday morning. But then it happened. One of the students I'll call her Maya looked at her math worksheet like it had personally offended her and her entire family, and she said I hate this. And with the dramatic flair that only a third grader can muster, she swept that paper right off her desk and marched herself to the calm corner like she owned the place. She threw herself in the beanbag like she was a protester staging a sit-in, and then she grabbed a stress ball and she pulled her hood over her face and it was pretty evident that she had done this a couple times before. No one said a word in that classroom. The teacher hardly even looked her direction and the students never even flinched. And I sat there thinking, ok, so I guess this looks trauma-informed, but is it actually working? Because what hit me in that moment was that Maya wasn't dysregulated, she was being strategic. She'd learned that the calm corner was her get-out-of-math-free card. Calm Corner was her get-out-of-math-free card, and when avoidance starts looking trauma-informed, we have to start questioning it, because we tend to take something with good research, strip away all the training and support systems, slap it in a classroom and wonder why it doesn't work. Sound familiar? So today we're gonna grade calm corners, the beanbags, the breathing posters, the fidgets and the folks who claim that they are the solution to every emotional outburst. Hey, school counselor, welcome back.

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In this episode of our graded series. We're taking on one of the most popular SEL interventions in schools today Calm Corners. You've been told they're the answer to classroom disruption, emotional dysregulation and creating trauma-informed spaces. But what do Calm Corners really accomplish and why do they so often feel like they're enabling avoidance instead of building skills? I'll share why the way most schools implement them falls flat the research that shows both the promise and the problems, and four key strategies that can turn your regulation spaces into actual tools for growth. Plus, I'll tell you about my absolute favorite podcast review, a one-star gem that called me condescending and perfectly proves why this show exists. So if you're ready for some straight talk, my friend, a little clarity and maybe a touch of rebellion, you're in the right place. I'm Steph Johnson, and this is the School for School Counselors podcast.

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Here's what's interesting about calm corners Teachers rarely preface them or talk about them. They just one day set them up. Maybe they hear about them at a conference or another teacher mentions it. So they grab a basket, throw in some fidgets and add a calming strategies poster that's hanging by one tack and boom, calm corner complete. You know that corner where the reading pillow has mysterious stains, or the one where the fidget toys have somehow become trading cards in the classroom. This is also sometimes the space that gets overtaken by storage boxes, because that corner probably didn't get a lot of use anyway. And on the other hand, you have some calm corners that look like they came straight out of a Pinterest lineup right, the glitter pillows, the sensory items, the soft lighting, the whole shebang. The level of buy-in with these varies wildly. Some teachers are all in and they research trauma-informed practices and they think strategically about implementation. And then there are others that just kind of go through the motions because it feels like something they should do.

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Calm corners, sometimes also called calming corners, peace spaces or regulation stations, are a physical area set up in a classroom for students to go to when they're upset, overwhelmed or dysregulated. Usually they're stocked with soft seating, sensory tools, visual cues like breathing prompts or zones of regulation charts, and sometimes they even have a timer or a so-called reflection sheet. That's actually just a behavior chart in disguise. The idea is simple Instead of sending a student out of class when emotions get big, we give them a space within the classroom to calm down and come back to baseline. They're rooted in trauma-informed ideas and positioned as a classic tier one social-em emotional strategy. Sounds great, right? But here's where it gets interesting, because teachers are setting these up without necessarily requesting support or training. The implementation is all over the map. So sometimes we see pretty baskets with color coordinated tools, but nobody's actually allowed to touch them. Or we see lots of pretty pictures and motivational quotes on the wall, but those really don't mean anything to a dysregulated seven-year-old.

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As school counselors, we are uniquely positioned to see the patterns that teachers miss. We know the difference between a student who needs sensory input and one that's learned that looking overwhelmed gets them out of work. We see the same kids cycling through multiple classrooms with the same avoidance behaviors. Look, we often assume that calm corners are effective because they look supportive, but when we dig deeper into how they're used, how students are taught to use them, and whether they actually support regulation, we start to see a whole different picture. So let's start with what works, because there are some genuine wins here with Calm Corners. First, they normalize self-regulation. Calm Corners make it okay for students to step away from a problem without shame. Instead of sending a child out into the hallway or down to the office, we're giving them the tools to manage emotions on their own turf, with autonomy.

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Here's what the research actually shows, and this might surprise you. Brasfield's 2025 mixed method study followed kids in first and sixth grade who had access to calming corners across an entire school year. Students reported stronger coping skills and more control over their emotions, and teachers saw fewer meltdowns and a calmer classroom vibe overall. One sixth grader even shared sometimes I just need to go there so I don't say something I'll regret. I mean, there is a middle schooler showing insight and skill, and that is the point. But on the flip side, another student said, my teacher thinks I'm being good when I go to the calm corner, but really I just don't want to do the work. Hold on to that quote. We're going to come back to that one.

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Secondly, calm corners reduce disruption for everyone. I once saw a third grade teacher make eye contact with a student mid-lesson and give just the slightest of nods. The student got up, walked to the corner, squeezed a squishy for exactly two minutes and came back like nothing happened. There was no blow-up or power struggle and there was no loss of instructional time for the class. And there was no loss of instructional time for the class. According to Thompson's 2021 Action Research Project, she saw a noticeable decrease in negative behaviors after introducing a calm corner into her second grade room, especially when it was paired with many lessons on how and when to use it. Notice that phrase paired with many lessons. Keep that in mind too, because we're not talking magic here. We're talking intentional prevention.

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Third, they give young students a physical tool for emotional autonomy. Kids don't always know how to say I'm starting to panic or I don't feel safe. But they can recognize a signal like a calm corner and learn to respond. One study found that after four months, 81% of calm corner visits led to improved regulation and 80% of students gave positive feedback, saying that they liked having a private, safe space when they felt overwhelmed. It's for kids that say things like my brain gets quiet when I sit there. I just need some quiet. That's doing calm corners right, but you also know I'm not here to cheerlead. I am here to tell the truth, and the truth is there are some serious concerns we have to address with respect to calm corners as well.

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First, they're often used as escape hatches. The student that somehow always needs to regulate during math, but never during art yeah, we see them when students are sent, or they send themselves, to the calm corner every time they're asked to work hard, to face frustration or to engage with peers. It's no longer regulation, it's become avoidance. Teachers often report this pattern where they observe students using the calm corner to avoid challenging tasks and then admit that they themselves struggle to hold boundaries around when and why the calm corner can be used. One teacher told me once it becomes the place where kids go when they don't want to try and y'all. That's a problem, and here's why this matters to us as school counselors. Every time a student uses the calm corner to escape instead of regulate, they're not just avoiding work, they're practicing a coping strategy that will backfire as they get older.

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Secondly, calm corners don't teach regulation by default, and this is the thing that most people get wrong. The corner itself isn't an intervention, the skills are. I've seen too many corners with fidgets and posters and beanbags and zero instruction. Teachers just assume students know what to do because the space looks supportive. Research backs this up. Brasfield's study showed that calm corners worked best when teachers received training and modeled coping strategies. But without those pieces, the calm corner became just another pretty corner of the classroom.

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Third, calm corners are wildly inconsistent. Across campuses you might see a sensory-rich, trauma-informed oasis in one room and then a stool with a sad reflection sheet right next to the fire extinguisher in the next classroom. I've even seen calm corners that face the class so everybody can watch the troubled kid have their moment. According to research on calm corners with adolescents, resilience improved only when the space was consistent and well facilitated. The structure mattered, the environment mattered and the follow-through mattered. Without all of those elements, y'all, it just doesn't work. And fourth, calm corners don't work for everyone and sometimes they make things worse.

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Here's what the research has found that will make your stomach drop a little bit. Almost 10% of students actually get more dysregulated in calm corners, not less. Think about that kid that you know, the one you've been worrying about, the one that spirals every time they go to the calm corner. The research just validated your gut feeling. Some students feel embarrassed being watched by classmates. Others escalate in that corner and use the tools as distractions instead of supports. I genuinely had a student tell me once why would I want to go over there? It just makes me more mad when people are looking at me, and that's real right. It means that we need to consider privacy and social context in individual student needs, not just throw a cushion in the corner and call it trauma-informed. So how do we fix all of this?

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Here are four strategies that can turn your regulation spaces on your campus into actual tools for growth. First, you can become the calm corner detective, create a simple audit tool and then just pick it up when you're observing in classrooms and you see someone go to it. When you're observing in classrooms and you see someone go to it. Student stayed five plus minutes. Student returned to task. Student asked for help before going. Teacher checked in afterward. Don't use these as judgment, right, but just use them as data. You could pick three different classrooms and spend 15 minutes in each one and then ask yourself are students using this space to regulate or are they using it to escape? How long are they staying and what happens when they come back? The answers to those are going to tell you everything. And hey, if you want to grab an example of what one of those audit tools would look like, head to the show notes. I'll have a link to one for you right there, ready to go.

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Secondly, address the implementation gap. When you have that teacher who complains that calm corners don't work, you could say something like I've noticed some patterns across some classrooms that might help us make yours more effective. Do you want to talk about what I'm seeing and then offer a little 10-minute mini lesson framework they can use with their class about when, why and how to use that calm corner space? Third, provide a short reflection card that can guide the teacher in talking with the student. Very briefly, what was I feeling before I came here. What helped me calm down? Am I ready to rejoin my class? What helped me calm down? Am I ready to rejoin my class?

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The research shows reflection was one of the key factors in long-term regulation gains with respect to calm corners. We cannot skip that part, and yet that is the part I most often see skipped. And fourth, create some consistency standards across classrooms on your campus. Talk about location, not facing the class. Essential tools for the corner not the broken fidgets and the mystery stain pillows, teacher check-in protocols and clear boundaries about their use. And I feel those are pretty realistic. Right, looking at calm corners when you're already in classrooms anyway, addressing implementation gaps as the conversations come up, helping teachers build in reflection about corners and creating consistent standards on your campus.

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So, with all of that, the pros, the cons, the way that students are using and misusing Calm Corners what's the official grade? I'm going to give Calm Corners a B and remember that in our field, b means promising but needs some work. The research shows potential when Calm Corners are implemented correctly. Students report positive experiences when those spaces are well-structured and they can reduce classroom disruption. But implementation is wildly inconsistent. Most lack the teaching component that makes them effective. They're often enabling avoidance instead of building skills and the majority are set up without training or any kind of ongoing support. A calm corner should not be looked at as a cure and it can become dangerously close to decorative if we're not pairing it with real skill building and adult support with real skill building and adult support, all right.

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Speaking of critical analysis and questioning the status quo, I have to tell you about my new favorite podcast review. It was a one-star. They called me condescending no-transcript, which shows her ignorance of the organization. She mentioned that the fifth edition of the national model was created as a moneymaker for ASCA. While I was at Elevate, the new leadership development intensive, we found out that the fifth edition is a free download. So not really a moneymaker, sad to say. But I give Steph Johnson D minus on her podcast Bam, that's so funny to me. All right, to be fair. They were right about one thing the newest ASCA national model is free and the reviewer admitted they keep listening because the podcast makes them think. So I'll take that. But my point about the model wasn't the current edition, it was about the ones before it when counselors had to pay for the very framework that was supposed to guide their work. If we are serious about elevating this profession, that model should have always been accessible. Elevating this profession that model should have always been accessible, which has always been my point.

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On the TPT, teachers, pay Teachers front, I'm going to say this If someone feels personally attacked because I don't think that $3 worksheets should define the future of school counseling, I mean, I get it, that's their lane, but I think that our kids deserve more than print and pray, and I think you do too. So, yeah, this one star review is my new favorite because it proves that this podcast is doing its job. I'm challenging assumptions, I'm sparking new thinking, and sometimes I'm making people uncomfortable. And I'll tell you, I'd rather be honest and get a one star than be part of the status quo with five stars, because that's exactly what we need to do with everything in the school counseling world. Right, we need to challenge assumptions, even when it makes people uncomfortable, because that's how we grow and develop and debate and think together. How boring would it be if we all just agreed with each other all the time. Right, all right. Here's what I want you to remember from this episode.

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Most calm corners are underused and underexplained and, as a result they typically underdeliver. But that doesn't mean we should toss out the whole idea. It means that we can use our role as a school counselor to reframe it. Start by asking what's the actual purpose of these spaces on our campus. Are we just trying to look like we're doing good social-emotional learning, or are we actually helping students learn to regulate? Every time a student learns that avoidance looks like self-regulation, we're not just failing that student, we're teaching them and every other kid in that classroom a coping strategy that will backfire in middle school, high school and beyond. That is not dramatic. That is developmental reality. But we are the ones who can change it, because calm corners can work, but they don't work by default. They work when we treat them like the intervention they're supposed to be, not the decoration they often become. So if you want help turning tools like this into real strategies that make your job easier and make your students more successful, that's exactly what we do in the School for School Counselors Mastermind.

Speaker 1:

If you're tired of the Pinterest pressure and you're ready to build systems that actually support student growth, you should come hang out with us. We'll show you how to audit what you have and upgrade the things that need fixing. Hey, my friend, thanks for being here this week. If this episode helped you see calm corners in a new light, would you share it with a colleague who needs to hear it? Leave a review or, better yet, join us inside the mastermind and let's get your school counseling systems sharp. Keep being amazing, keep being undeniable, keep being a safe space for your students to land, and I'll be back soon with another episode of the School for School Counselors podcast. Take care.

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Steph Johnson

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