Student Contributor: K. Nagamatsu
For this classroom management tool, a tapping pillow is for the student who consistently taps their pen or pencil during class. Sometimes the sounds can not only be distracting to other students but also interruptive when the teacher is giving directions.
Students tend to tap their pen or pencil annoyingly on their desk when they’re concentrating or thinking and even when they’re board. Majority of students cannot help tapping; it becomes a bad habit that they don’t really notice is irritating to others. A “Tapping Pillow” can help assist with this issue by placing a miniature pillow on the desk that the student can tap without the annoying sound involved. The pillow can be homemade or you can try to find a small doll house sized pillow at a hobby store.
This classroom management tool fits into the supportive phase since it is supporting the student with a habit that is sometimes hard to control. Tapping sounds on a desk can be distracting and irritating to others in the classroom, so placing a pillow on the desk allows for the student to hit the pillow without making a sound. I thought this tool to be teacher-directed because most students are unaware that they are tapping their pen or pencil, and the teacher would be able to pinpoint if there is a problem arising. At this point the teacher would give the student a pillow to help support not only the student who has this habit but the class as a whole to stay focused.
More Information –
Tool Source: Dr. Donita Torres
