Many months ago, I came across a post on social media where a teacher had placed a plastic bag outside of his/ her classroom. The goal of the bag was to have the children throw away their bad thoughts before entering. The idea resonated with me and had always been in the back of my mind. I just needed the perfect time to implement it in my daily classroom routine.
Then, just a few weeks ago, a co-worker came to me with one of our students. She explained to me that our little cutie was having a hard time concentrating on school work because his brain was riddled with anxiety and worries about an issue happening at home. My co-worker asked me if I had any strategies to help our student let go of his negative thoughts so that he could just relax and focus on his studies. It was at that moment that I remembered the social media post and introduced my little darling to the Bag Vibe Bag.
I explained to my student that I would hang a garbage bag outside of my classroom. When he arrived the next day, he would be able to put all his negative thoughts and energy from the night before into his hands, stuff them into a ball, and throw them into the Bad Vibe Bag before entering our classroom. That way, he would enter on a more positive note and leave his worries outside. I explained to him that our classroom is a place where he should be able to relax, have fun, push himself to be the best he can be, and to leave his worries behind while in my room. It was important for him to know that I wanted him to feel loved, happy, and accepted when he is with me – with his attention on all the great stuff we are learning. I wanted him to realize that having a positive mindset opened him up to being more focused and calm in our classroom.
Once the bag went up, my class and I had a circle time to discuss the bag and its purpose. I explained that whenever we feel overwhelmed, stressed, frustrated, angry, or any other negative emotion, we can grab those ugly feelings in our hands, squish them up, and throw them into the Bad Vibe Bag. These thoughts could come from something happening at home, something that happened on the playground, or from a fight with a friend during lunch hour. I am an open-door policy teacher (I teach with my door open all the time) so I told the children that they can throw those negative emotions from their desks when they need to. I also explained that the Bad Vibe Bag has a “magnetic force” so no matter where they throwing their negativity from, it all winds up at the bottom of the bag. As well, I assured my students that each and every night the Bad Vibe Bag would be emptied in the hopes that the negative thoughts and feelings go away, too.
It’s amazing to see my students using this technique to help with their self-regulation. Since implementing this idea, I see students who would have given up on tasks, complain, or whine, take a moment to pull the thoughts out of their heads, throw their negativity into the bag, and continue on with their work. Children who would normally yell at classmates in frustration are now gaining muscle on their throwing arms and using their voices less! Whenever I see a child’s demeanour change for the negative, I encourage him or her to use the bag. Having the students make a conscious effort to change their mindset has made a world of difference in my class.
I use the technique, too! For example, when I have to ask my class to quiet down for the 100th time, I will take a deep breathe, close my eyes, gather my thoughts into my hands, and throw the frustration into the Bad Vibe Bag. Not only does it help me to calm down, but it lets my students know that I am struggling with a negative moment of my own. After all, teachers are human, too! Plus, using those moments of my own to model the actions I want to see in my students is a great lesson in itself.
If you would like to try this technique for yourself, please feel free to download a copy of the Bad Vibe Bag for FREE from my TpT store! Click on the photo below to get your own copy today!
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Have a great day!
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