We have a turtle in a basket in our classroom. “Tyler” has moveable legs, tail and head. If a child

is upset about something, rather than acting out impulsively, i.e. screaming, hitting, etc., they go to Tyler to calm down. Tyler goes into his shell to calm down when he is upset, so the children tuck in his head, tail, and legs. They might count to 10, or breathe slowly a few times. When they are calm, Tyler comes out of his shell and the child talks about what has upset him/her with the other child or with the teacher.

– Susan Stickley