The Quiet Lamp sits in my friend's classroom, which is right across the hall from my room. One afternoon I happened to be in her classroom when I noticed a little girl go over to the lamp to turn it on and move its arms around. When I questioned her about this, she told me that this was her job because she was the Star Student of the Week. She then turned off the ceiling lights, leaving the soft glow of the Quiet Lamp to warm the room. The rest of the children were quietly resting, having just come in from outside recess. They knew that when the Quiet Lamp was on, it was time to rest.
My teaching buddy later told me that she wanted to give the children more responsibility for the classroom setting and tone, and chose this odd and unusual lamp to incorporate into this plan. Giving the Star Student this job was a way to give the class ownership of their classroom and at the same time, a way to calm the children down after their recess time. The lamp is first grade friendly because its arms are easily adjustable and at the correct height for little 6 and 7 year olds. On top of that, the lamp came from a yard sale! Score!
What a terrific and very effective strategy! Kudos to my teaching friend across the hall!
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