Anger management lesson

In all of the classrooms I do a lesson on anger management.  I focus on having the students come to realize what their anger "buttons" or triggers are, how their body feels when they are angry and various relaxation strategies to utilize.  Often I read children's literature to help the students relate to the characters and to show them that being angry is a very natural emotion.  I stress that they can learn how to control their anger so that it doesn't boil over and lead to making poor choices.  It's important for students to realize what makes them angry so that they are aware of these triggers and then they are better able to calm themselves down.

In the classrooms we practice many various deep breathing exercises, movement activities that lead to relaxation, thinking happy thoughts/places that are calming, and counting backwards.  The students also brainstorm what works for them to calm down - exercising, reading, being alone, having a snack, singing/listening to music, writing or drawing.  It helps the students to hear what helps others because then they can possibly incorporate those ideas into their own lives.


If you are looking for some good children's books that address anger I would recommend; When I Feel Angry by Cornelia Spelman, Howard B. Wigglebottom learns to back away by Howard Binkow, Danny the Angry Lion by Dorothea Lachner, and When Sophie gets Angry, Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang.

Friendshape lesson by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

In 1^st grade the classrooms did problem-solving activities where they were asked to solve a given problem by coming up with as many different solutions as they could.  For every solution they were asked if it was safe, fair, and how people would feel.  This allowed them to determine if it was a good solution that might work or a solution that shouldn’t even be attempted.  At this stage, children need adult support to help them choose and use solutions.  The students will continue to work on problem solving skills in order to help them internalize how to solve their own difficulties as they grow older. 

This week the student’s in 2^nd grade discussed friendship and the qualities that are important in a friendship.  They listened to the story Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  This story utilizes basic shapes to illustrate what the great things about friendship are such as; making you feel happy, playing fair, being welcoming and understanding and filling our lives with joy.  After the students listened to the story they illustrated their own picture with three basic shapes – triangle, square and circle – showing what they like to do with their friends.  They enjoyed manipulating their shapes into various designs to depict the positive nature of friendship. 

Getting to know your classmates

Last week I talked with the 3rd grade students about the importance of recognizing the unique qualities that they each possess.  These qualities shape them into who they are right now as friends and classmates.  The students took time to think about the things that they enjoy doing, family traditions, sports, vacations, favorites (food, color, place, etc) and personality characteristics that make them unique.  Once they had written these things down I read them aloud and the students needed to guess which classmate it was.  Almost all of the students were guessed correctly on the first try - it was so amazing to see how connected they were to each other and to see how gratifying it was to the student when they guessed their name correctly.  

Classroom community is important to the students for so many reasons.  In true communities of learners a support system is built in which we can share not only tragedies, but triumphs, and bits of joy or fun from daily life.  From within that context, the emotional environment, we are safe to take risks, to grow, and develop into our true selves.  A successful classroom community promotes positive social skills and academic achievement.  Children learn best when they feel they are part of a community, where everyone feels accepted and where individuality is encouraged.  I think we took a step in the right direction by celebrating the uniqueness of each student and how well they then fit together as a 3rd grade classroom of learners.

Trust and Cause/Effect lessons

In first grade the weeks lesson focused on trust.  The importance of identifying individuals that they trust who they could talk to when they are having a problem or a bad day was the primary focus of this lesson.  Students first globally brainstormed all of the people at home, in the school and in the community who they may have a trusting relationship.  They then identified the three people in their own lives that they feel they have a trusting relationship with and they illustrated their own trust tree with those three individuals.  It is important for all students to understand that adults and peers are there for them when they need them and to stress how important it is to talk to someone when you are struggling with a bad day.  This is the first step for students to begin to get support with and internalize their own problem solving strategies to use when they are needed.

This week the second grade students all had a lesson that focused on cause and effect.  Kim Emerson, the art teacher, and I went over many examples both positive and negative regarding how our actions have "ripple effects".  We illustrated how every action is like a rock being dropped into water and every effect is like the ripples that we see in the water.  Oftentimes students don't think before they say or do things, thus not thinking about the effects that they have on themselves and others.  After the lesson, each student was given three circles of graduating size that they need to use to illustrate a cause and effect situation.  It was impressive to see all of the examples that the students were able to generate on their own.  The students cause and effect examples varied from someone hitting them, helping their parents, giving flowers to a friend, to helping classmates with their schoolwork.

Classroom Feelings Lessons

I'm excited to make my first blog post of the school year!  I have been privileged to have completed two lessons in each classroom.  It has been wonderful to get back in the classrooms after the summer break and get to know all of the new students and became reacquainted with all of the familiar faces. In all of the classrooms, the students have been learning about feelings.  We have spent time naming feelings, practicing what various feelings look like on our face and talking about how the different feelings make us feel inside.  In Kindergarten I read a brand new book entitled, In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek.  This story is a great way to introduce feelings to young children and the illustrations are beautiful.  The book starts with these words:

"Sometimes my heart feels like a big yellow star, shiny and bright.
I smile from ear to ear and twirl around so fast,
I feel as if I could take off into the sky.
This is when my heart is happy."

Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how children feel physically, inside. With language that is lyrical but also direct, all children will be empowered by this new vocabulary and it helps them better be able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. After I read the story to the students they each had a chance to express the feeling that they were having in their heart at that moment in time.  

Disney/Pixar's upcoming movie Inside Out

Disney/Pixar has a new masterpiece that opens on June 19th and the movie focuses on our emotions.  The story is based on a little girl named Riley, "Growing up can be a bumpy road, and that is no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when he father finds a new job in San Francisco.  Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness.  The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley's mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.  As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters.  Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school."

Any movie that helps adults and children overcome their fears and handle their anger and sadness is a must see in my opinion.  Have a wonderful summer and I'll see you at the movies!

movies.disney.com/inside-out




   

June is National Safety Month

With summer vacation right around the corner I thought it would be timely to write about some summer safety tips for your children.

• Beat the Heat

  
  

  ​Whether you’re working or playing outside in the summer, anybody not accustomed to the heat is at risk for a heat-related illness. Take steps to protect yourself:

  Wear appropriate clothing, including a wide-brimmed hat

  Take frequent water breaks

  Apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15

  Never leave kids or pets unattended in a vehicle

  
  

  • Water Safety

    
    

    More than one in five drowning victims are children 14-years-old and younger, and most incidents happen when a child falls into a pool or is left alone in the bathtub. Keep your kids safe in the water:

    Enroll children over the age of three in swimming lessons

    
    

    • Don't rely on lifeguards to watch over your children
    • ​
    • Never leave your child unattended

    
    

    
    

    Source:  www.nsc.org

    
    

    Bike Safety

    
    

    Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet

    
    

    Adjust your bicycle to fit

    
    

    Check your equipment (brakes and tires especially)

    
    

    See and be seen - always wear something that reflects the light to make sure drivers can see you

    
    

    Source:  http://www.nhtsa.gov/