Hands up if you experience the most amount of transitions of students in the entire school? Chances are you are a special area teacher and every 45 minutes or so you manage a new group of students in your classroom. Transitioning from their classroom to your space can at times be hurried depending on what is happening with the schedule. Or, kids arrive with extra energy from doing lots of focused academic work. Take a step back and examine the transition into your space and how effectively kids are able to focus on your subject. 

Let’s start with some successful transition indicators: 

• Expectations are posted for students to read upon entering your room
• Time is allocated to gauging what students need in order to be ready for the learning in your subject
• A clear routine is in place for students, from when they arrive at the door to when they settle down in their individual space
• Students are in control of their bodies and voices

You only have a limited amount of time with the students so one of your goals is to maximize learning. If any of the indicators above are not in place, the transition into your classroom will impede the start of teaching.

Now, let’s look at some ways Moshi can help you:

• Play Moshi Music in the background as students enter. Choose a calming track, like Calming Mood Music, that sets the voice level and tone of the class. 
• Once the students are in their individual spaces, start with a short Moshi Moment, like Topsy Turvy’s Time for Calm. This will help students reset from whatever they were doing before arriving in your class and will allow them the opportunity to build the skills needed for self-control. 
• Observe the students. If you notice they are extra wiggly or using loud and silly voices, take a few moments to listen to calming Moshi Sounds together. Encourage students to sit still, eyes closed or focused on one point and listen carefully. Familiar sounds can ground us. Try Moshi Velvet Noise, White Noise, and Pink Noise and vote on which one feels the most calming.
• Create a routine and post it for all to see. For younger students, add visuals and use 1-2 words to describe each step. For older students, create the routine together and ask the students to make a list of what steps the class needs to take to be ready for learning. 

Below are a few ideas that are area-specific. Try them today! 

Art Education: 

• Moshi Moments – Engage students in visualization strategies using colors during 6 Minute Color Focus with Bodge and Inner Peace with Pablo

Music Education: 

• Moshi Music – Introduce or extend your music lessons with Sweet Moshi Jazz, Luna’s Soothing Symphony, or Rocky’s Relaxing Rhapsody

Physical Education: 

• Moshi Meditation – Introduce students to how mindfulness helps our minds to stay in the zone longer with 7 Days of Mindfulness

Library Education: 

• Moshi Moment – Reinforce the skill of calming down before listening to stories in Chop Chop’s 5 Minute Chill

Technology:

• Mr P Lessons – Mr. P, an educator and influencer from the UK, created 6 lessons that integrate technology and SEL.

Allison Henry