We're starting a new lesson in kindergarten tomorrow! We'll learn about careers. My goal is for the students to learn briefly about the wide variety of careers that are out there and to start becoming familiar with some jobs they haven't heard of yet. I also want them to start thinking about how the things they are learning in school are used in grown-up jobs.
So, we will be solving riddles about careers and playing a whole class game of tic-tac-toe. I'll divide the class into two teams and draw a tic-tac-toe board on the classroom whiteboard. Then I'll read a clue to the students on one team, like "This person builds buildings and houses. They use hammers, nails, and big machines like cranes," or "This person knows a lot about books and likes to read. They work in a place with lots and lots of books on shelves and tables." The students will have the chance to talk to their team before they decide on an answer. If they get it right, one student will come up to the board and put an X or an O on the board. Usually this also becomes a lesson in sportsmanship too!
After tic-tac-toe, the kids will play their own guessing game with partners. I have brown paper lunch sacks with a picture of a career at the bottom. Each child will take a bag, look at the career in the bottom, and give their partner clues to try to help them guess the hidden career. There are plenty of bags, so we should be able to spend some time switching them around and taking turns guessing and explaining several different jobs.
I think it will be fun and I am looking forward to the learning and excitement. I will see Miller, Sullivan, Tindle, Henderson, Curry, Henry, and D. Mitchell's classes this week. All other K classes will take place next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
1st Grade Lesson - Coping Skills
I am so sorry for the late notice- this time of year gets crazy, as you all know! We are finishing up a lesson in 1st grade today. We've been learning about coping skills, or how to deal with difficult emotions in a healthy way.
All of us are going to feel angry, sad, or upset sometimes- it's part of life. It is very important for young children to start learning positive coping skills that make them feel better but do not hurt themselves or other people, break things, or make their situation worse. This is a skill they'll need for the rest of their lives, to keep them safe and resilient.
In our lesson we'll talk briefly about how emotions are like a roller coaster: you have ups and downs, but no matter how bad you're feeling you can always look forward to the track going back up soon and know that your sadness will not last forever.
Then the students will work in small groups to unscramble a number of different healthy coping skills that they can choose from in real life, like playing outside, drawing or coloring, talking to someone, reading a book, getting a hug, playing with a pet, listening to music, starting a project, doing something kind for someone else, building a block tower and knocking it down, dancing, singing, etc. Look for your 1st grader to bring home a half-page list of 36 positive ideas for handling difficult feelings. You and your family might find it helpful to keep the list in a handy place for those times when people find themselves angry, sad, or upset at home! Of course you and your child also might want to add your personal favorite ideas to the list, since most of mine are general. If you come up with new ones that aren't on my list, please share them with me! I am always looking for good ideas to help kids cope!
I'll do this lesson today with Bosch and Junkin's classes. All other 1st grade classes took place last week or earlier this week. If you have any questions or comments (or if you don't have a 1st grader, but would like me to send a copy of the coping skills list home to you), please let me know!
All of us are going to feel angry, sad, or upset sometimes- it's part of life. It is very important for young children to start learning positive coping skills that make them feel better but do not hurt themselves or other people, break things, or make their situation worse. This is a skill they'll need for the rest of their lives, to keep them safe and resilient.
In our lesson we'll talk briefly about how emotions are like a roller coaster: you have ups and downs, but no matter how bad you're feeling you can always look forward to the track going back up soon and know that your sadness will not last forever.
Then the students will work in small groups to unscramble a number of different healthy coping skills that they can choose from in real life, like playing outside, drawing or coloring, talking to someone, reading a book, getting a hug, playing with a pet, listening to music, starting a project, doing something kind for someone else, building a block tower and knocking it down, dancing, singing, etc. Look for your 1st grader to bring home a half-page list of 36 positive ideas for handling difficult feelings. You and your family might find it helpful to keep the list in a handy place for those times when people find themselves angry, sad, or upset at home! Of course you and your child also might want to add your personal favorite ideas to the list, since most of mine are general. If you come up with new ones that aren't on my list, please share them with me! I am always looking for good ideas to help kids cope!
I'll do this lesson today with Bosch and Junkin's classes. All other 1st grade classes took place last week or earlier this week. If you have any questions or comments (or if you don't have a 1st grader, but would like me to send a copy of the coping skills list home to you), please let me know!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Kids' Triathatlon Fundraiser
Look for a flyer coming home next week about the Tuscaloosa Kids' Triathalon, a fun event supporting a great cause.
The triathalon is a fundraiser for the "Secret Meals for Hungry Children" program. This is a really awesome partnership between Alabama Credit Union and West Alabama Food Bank. The program provides little packages of "weekend meals" for children who may not have enough to eat between school lunch on Friday and school breakfast on Monday. The food items are always thoughtfully chosen; they're generally things kids can fix themselves without adult help, and they are nutritious, balanced combinations.
The triathalon is Saturday, May 18 at the University of Alabama Recreation Center. Kids ages 5 - 16 of ALL athletic abilities are welcome to participate. Every athlete receives a medallion, water bottle, and t-shirt. The swimming, running, and biking distances vary based on children's ages, but no one runs more than 1 mile, bikes more than 4 miles, or swims more than 150 yards. The event meets the safety standards of USA Triathalon (USAT).
You can find more information at www.secretmeals.org or by emailing Tuscaloosakidstriathalon@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
The triathalon is a fundraiser for the "Secret Meals for Hungry Children" program. This is a really awesome partnership between Alabama Credit Union and West Alabama Food Bank. The program provides little packages of "weekend meals" for children who may not have enough to eat between school lunch on Friday and school breakfast on Monday. The food items are always thoughtfully chosen; they're generally things kids can fix themselves without adult help, and they are nutritious, balanced combinations.
The triathalon is Saturday, May 18 at the University of Alabama Recreation Center. Kids ages 5 - 16 of ALL athletic abilities are welcome to participate. Every athlete receives a medallion, water bottle, and t-shirt. The swimming, running, and biking distances vary based on children's ages, but no one runs more than 1 mile, bikes more than 4 miles, or swims more than 150 yards. The event meets the safety standards of USA Triathalon (USAT).
You can find more information at www.secretmeals.org or by emailing Tuscaloosakidstriathalon@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
2nd Grade Lesson: Bullying
Yesterday we started a new lesson in 2nd grade. You've probably heard of our topic, because it seems to be a current buzzword nationally. It is BULLYING, part of our county-wide 2nd grade counseling curriculum.
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together respectfully and assertively like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to include everyone, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'm seeing Myrick, Singley, Patterson, Whitehead, Johnson, and Frith's classes this week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
For our lesson, we'll read a book called "One." It is a beautiful, simple story in which colors and numbers represent people. One of the main ideas is that if one person stands up and says that bully behavior is not okay, then several other people can join with him or her in saying "No" to the bully behavior. When several people stand together respectfully and assertively like that, they are more powerful than the bully. If we all stay separated and let the bullying happen, the bullying gets stronger and stronger and it is difficult for one person to stop. But if we band together, we are strong enough to change what is happening.
The other main point of the book is that if everyone is included and welcome to join the larger group, there is less bullying for two reasons. First, the students who are likely to be victims have people to play with and be around so they are not as at risk. Secondly, the children who have been doing the bullying can be included in the group too (if they are willing to act respectfully), and then they are less likely to bully because they have friends and feel accepted.
In our lesson I'll also teach the kids a definition of bullying: when someone hurts someone else on purpose over and over again. They will learn that bullying can mean hurting people's bodies, feelings, property, or friendships. (There has been more and more talk about this last type, "relational" or "social" bullying in the media lately.) And I will stress that the best way to stop bullying is to include everyone, especially kids who are likely to be victims. This seems to be the most effective, least risky way to end bullying, and all our kids are capable of doing it. It does not require them to put their personal safety at risk by actually going up to a bully and saying "No!" and it is not as intimidating as confronting bullying head-on.
Your second grader will bring home a half-page called "How To Deal With Bullies and Teasers," in which I've compiled the best ideas I've seen for handling these sorts of problems. If you have any questions about the material, please let me know! And if you do not have a 2nd grader but would like me to send the idea sheet home in your K or 1st child's backpack, please let me know.
I'm seeing Myrick, Singley, Patterson, Whitehead, Johnson, and Frith's classes this week. All other second grade classes will take place next week.
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Anger Lesson in Kindergarten
We started a new kindergarten lesson yesterday that focuses on what to do when we're angry. We'll read the book Mouse Was Mad. (It was purchased for our counseling program last year by a donor at donorschoose.org!) Throughout the story, other animals stomp, jump, roll on the ground, and scream when they are mad. Mouse tries all those things, but they just end up making his problem worse instead of better. Finally he tries standing very, very still, and taking slow breaths. It works! He feels better! The other animals try, but they cannot get it quite right- Mouse is the expert and all the animals admire his helpful skill for feeling better.
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad neccessarily equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see D. Mitchell, Sullivan, Henry, Miller, Henderson, Curry, and Tindle's classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Then, as a class, we'll sort out helpful and hurtful ways to handle anger. Helpful coping strategies are those that make us feel better without hurting people or things with our words, hands, or feet. Some ideas we'll talk about are playing outside, playing a game, drawing or coloring, taking slow breaths, getting a cool drink of water, doing jumping jacks until we get tired, squeezing our muscles tight and then loosening them like a cooked spaghetti noodle, etc. Look for your child to bring home a paper with a few more ideas listed on it, and if you would like a list with even more coping strategies, just let me know and I'll send one home with your child.
We'll also use a balloon to talk about how it is easiest to get control of our anger if we start calming down when we're just a tiny bit angry. Once we start getting really angry, it is more difficult to calm ourselves back down. I will blow up the balloon a little bit at a time to represent several different things making us angry over the course of a day... if we don't do anything to relax, pretty soon we have a huge balloon-sized anger inside us! That is when it is easy to lose control and hard to compose ourselves. If we start making an effort to calm down after just one or two angry incidents, it is usually easier to make it through the rest of the day.
The paper your student brings home will also have The Anger Rule on it: It is OK to feel mad, but it is not OK to act bad! I learned that little rhyme at a conference a year or so ago. Sometimes kids think that feeling mad neccessarily equals hurting people or things, that the two are tied together and there are not other choices when we're angry. I will try to convey in the lesson that feeling mad does not automatically mean hurting people or things. It is perfectly OK to feel mad and everyone does at one time or another, but that doesn't mean we get a free pass to be disrespectful or aggressive. We can feel mad and make respectful, assertive choices to feel better instead of acting "bad."
I'll see D. Mitchell, Sullivan, Henry, Miller, Henderson, Curry, and Tindle's classes this week- everyone else will have their lesson next week. If you have any questions, just let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Children, Stress, and Exercise
I came across this interesting article about children, stress, and exercise. In short, it suggests that children who are more active throughout the day are less prone to anxiety in difficult situations. Children who are less active appear to be less able to cope with stressful life events. You can read more at the link below!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/exercise-may-help-protect-children-from-stress/
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/exercise-may-help-protect-children-from-stress/
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
Monday, March 4, 2013
1st Grade Assertiveness Lesson
We've had in change in plans for our 1st grade lessons. As I mentioned in a letter sent home to you several weeks ago, I'd intended to teach the Safe Child curriculum through April. However, unfortunately, the organization that runs Safe Child ran out of funding, and needed to suspend the program!
Most classes had their lesson with the organization's Safe Child educator before this happened, but a few did not. All first graders will receive safety materials that you can review with them at home. These are great resources, and especially valuable before summer when children will be out and about more often!
Instead of my follow-up Safe Child sessions, I'm currently teaching the first graders the same lesson about anger and assertiveness that I just facilitated in 2nd grade. It is from an awesome curriculum called "Be Cool." You can read more about that lesson by scrolling down the page to the second grade description. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know!
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!
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