Cool Tool #12
Respecting Personal Space
Cool tools are one-page lesson plans that assist staff to teach students the school-wide behavioral expectations. Cool Tools are used to teach students procedures specific areas (e.g. asking for help, staying in your seat, organizing for homework completion, etc.). Teachers will spend a few minutes at the beginning of the week to teach hallway procedures from the suggestions below or adapted for their classroom.
Purpose of Lesson
- To assure that each person is able to have room to move and work
- To maintain an emotionally and physically safe environment for children to learn and play
- Jane’s class was asked to sit on the carpet for calendar. Jane noticed that she was sitting too close to her friend Beth. She remembered that everyone has a pretend bubble around them and moved over to give Beth a bigger bubble so that she could have more personal space.
- While the class was working at their tables, Jake was taking up more than his share of the table space. Dan asked Jake respectfully to give him more personal space. Jake did because he did not realize how much table space he was taking up.
Kid Activities / Role Plays
- Ask students how they have felt when they do not have enough personal space. Discuss why it is important to have personal space.
- Have students imagine that each person has a big bubble around their bodies. They do not want their bubbles to pop, so they need to make sure that they leave enough room between them and another person to make sure that their bubble will not pop with someone else’s bubble or body.
- Role-play situations where personal space may become an issue and make sure that you are leaving others around you enough space.
- Role-play situations where personal space may become an issue and practice asking others to give you personal space with respect.
Follow-Up / Reinforcement Activities
- Praise and give “Appaws” Awards to students you catch being aware of other’s personal space.
- Praise and give “Appaws” Awards to students who remind others respectfully about their personal space.