February 2017 - Grade 3: Mistakes=Growth Mindset

During April, 3rd grade classes will be viewing a short video called Everybody Makes Mistakes.  Making mistakes typically causes children to feel bad about themselves and may elicit feelings of anger, frustration, embarrassment or shame. It’s important that children learn to differentiate between different kinds of mistakes: silly ones, mistakes that take time to fix, and those that cannot be fixed. 

Children need to understand that making mistakes is part of life, and that it is how we respond to mistakes that really matters. This lesson is designed to illustrate that mistakes of any kind offer a learning opportunity every time.

Key points in this lesson:

• 
  Some mistakes cannot be fixed
• It’s okay to ask for help
• You can learn from your mistakes
• Sometimes failure can lead to success

During our class discussion, many personal examples of mistakes, big and small, will be shared. Students often relate how they felt before and after their mistake, and why certain mistakes loom larger in their memories than others. 

As adults, we need to be willing to admit when we’ve made a mistake and model appropriate reactions. Acknowledging and validating a child’s feelings over mistakes will help them accept the outcome.

February 2017 - Grade 4 "Can you smell me now?"

Hello everyone!
This month we're taking a slightly different viewpoint for our lesson. In school, we often find ourselves in discussions about how to speak with students about personal care, particularly in the spring when the weather gets warm. Let's just say that 4th grade classrooms - especially those in the portables that lack air conditioning - can get a little ripe! Taking care of our bodies is a lifelong job. Practicing good hygiene is more important than ever for young students whose bodies are inching closer to the enormous changes of adolescence. Whether we are talking about body odor, toilet practices, bad breath or the transmission of germs, most students can surely benefit from a reminder of why good hygiene is important.

Practicing good hygiene does more than help us stay healthy. It allows us to look and feel our best. One of the underlying reasons for teaching children good hygiene practices is to help them develop a sense of self-esteem and personal value. A child who cares about himself or herself is more likely to maintain a clean personal appearance. This becomes even more significant as children approach adolescence and their bodies begin to change.

Students were reminded that many adults are available to them to answer any tricky questions they may have about taking care of their bodies. As always, we recommend they go to their parents for advice and support but we are here to help as well.

My collaboration with 4th grade teachers indicated a pressing issue for them was how to broach the subject with a student if a chronic situation should arise. In the interest of respecting student's burgeoning self-awareness, our class discussions revolved around the hypothetical 'what if'. It was very enlightening to the adults in the room to hear the perspective of students. The overwhelming majority indicated they would prefer to hear a discreet message from a trusted peer than an adult.

From there, we modeled the 'who, what, when, where and how' this could be done in the school setting, using very specific examples. Though initially uncomfortable with the topic, students were very animated and actively participating in this discussion. We can hope that by setting up scenarios and fostering thought on the topic, everyone can make an awkward situation less so by gaining understanding of an appropriate way to handle it with kindness and respect.

February 2018 - Wellness (K,1)

Continuing our theme of healthy bodies, we've been learning a little about how our bodies work. We learned that the heart is the hardest working muscle in the body, and everyone figured out how to feel their heartbeat. We all got a chance to get up and move and feel the difference movement makes in our heartbeat!

A fun episode of Magic School Bus showed us how our bones, joints and muscles need to work together to make our bodies move. Students enjoyed finding joints that allow us to bend and figuring out what muscles help us do things like sit, stand or lift.

We will finish out the month of February studying nutrition, exercise and healthy bodies.

February 2018 - Grade 2: Reconciliation

Everyone experiences conflict at some point, and disagreements among peers is quite common. I frequently have discussions with individual students about the art of apologizing, forgiveness and moving forward. This month, we're viewing a short video called Let's Make Up, which shows us examples of kids working through a variety of conflicts. 

The intent of this lesson is to identify and model skills involved in resolving conflicts peacefully. There is a variety of ways to solve problems and resolve differences with others without using violence or relational aggression (i.e.: silent treatment, blackballing, etc).

 Learning how to use positive, productive tools is key to successful social interaction and emotional management.

Key points in this lesson:

• Admit when you’re wrong       
• Learn to make a sincere apology
• Sorry is an action, not just words
• Learn to ask for forgiveness
• Holding a grudge hurts relationships

Each class was unanimous in saying they had all experienced conflicts or arguments at school or home. We discussed the ways in which these situations were resolved, or sometimes remain unresolved.

 We continued the conversation to include whether some relationships are simply not healthy for us. Other times, we may be trying to force a friendship, which does not work either. These are difficult but important concepts for children to grasp and we will continue talking about it throughout the school year.