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.