With two years away from in-person instruction and a lack of socialization due to COVID-19, teachers are dealing with disruptions and decreased emotional maturity in their students. Many schools have committed to supporting student mental health and a focus on social-emotional learning.

Recently, the Syracuse City School District came up with a solution that keeps students in class and teaches self-control.

Fourth grader Quy'Dronicus Glover-Moore is a bright and happy student. On a rare occasion, though, he says he can get mad.

"Instead of balling my fist up, I can go to the 'Peace Corner' and do this,” he says, squeezing a stress ball.

The district is funding $500 for each classroom district-wide to provide a “peace place,” or a time away space, to help kids reset emotionally and stay in the classroom.

"If they're feeling upset, tired, or hyper, or frustrated, this is our space in the classroom,” says Glover-Moore’s teacher, Ashlea Vilello.

"I think that coming back from the pandemic into full-time learning, our kids missed out on some of the social learning with each other, just learning to be part of a classroom community, and it can be really stressful to go right back into full-on standards-based curriculum learning."

Glover-Moore’s classmates, like Na’Mya Brown, use the space as well to be able to get back to learning.

"I was feeling a little mad; someone pushed me off the slide,” she said. “It makes me calm and makes me remember what makes me happy."

While in the spaces, there are pop-its, fidgets and other tactile sensory tools to help students calm down. Teachers provide unique seating options and signs with prompts to help articulate and process their emotions.

Vilello also has a reflection sheet that walks them through their feelings to get them back to a calm, classroom-ready mood.

Educators say it is a solution to the post-pandemic classroom disruptions that could work for all teachers.

"Kids can sometimes be mad at stuff, like very mad, so the peace place could be good for everybody in our community so that people can have a better world,” Glover-Moore said.