Happy Halloween

I do not have a child to dress up, but luckily I have a dog.

Paradise

A day after Hurricane Sandy tore through the east coast, I decided to pay a little tribute to the most amazing place on Earth, Dewey Beach, Delaware. I had been hoping and praying that my small beach town would stay safe from the storm, but those hopes were a bit too high. Today, I saw Dewey businesses posting aftermath pictures that broke my heart. I want to remember Dewey for everything that it ever was  . . .

Friendship Candy Game

That’s about as creative as I could get with a title. But actually it perfectly describes the lesson I did this past 2 weeks with 1st grade.

I must (once again) give my plug to the Creative Small Group book, which inspired this lesson.

Happiness

It’s as easy as spending 30 minutes everyday with Kindergarteners.

I know. I talk about it all the time. Perhaps I need a back story to help explain my obsession.

Words that Help or Hurt Friendships

Is this like Deja Vu? That may be what you are thinking. The answer is yes and no.

Yes – I have done a VERY similar lesson in second grade which I adapted from Creative Small Groups.

No – I did not do that exact with my 1st graders. Instead I did the original lesson straight from Creative Small Groups with a touch of read aloud.

Workout Obsessed

If I could give myself a diagnosis (which I technically can in approximately 2 semesters, 4 classes, or 7 months however you’d like to look at it) it would be Obsessive Compulsive, with a touch a of Perfectionism.

Button Makers and Recipes

I am getting a button maker!

It is all I have been able to think about since yesterday when I decided that I wanted to make buttons for the yearbook staff. My creative was bubbling over with all the buttons I could make and hand out.  People still like buttons right? Oh and by people I mean little boys and middle schoolers on the yearbook staff.

If I could make a button right now, I’d make one for myself saying, “You Joined Boot Camp. Hooray!” or I’d make all my Number 1 listener stars into buttons . . .  100’s of them!

A Determined Engine and Courageous Caboose

I Think I Can

Topics Covered: Responsibility, Courage, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Responsible Behaviors

As I mentioned before, our Mater virtue for the month of October is Courage. I have been trying to incorporate a little aspect of this into all my lessons this month.

The thing I struggled with most was how to translate this into 6 year old language (a feat these 1st grade teachers deal with daily).

I decided to take a book that they are very familiar with and revisit it’s well-known message.

The Little Engine That Could . . .

Say You Are Sorry, And Mean It!

This is perhaps the single hardest thing to teach a child.

I have seen the scenario play out time and again, and I hate to say it, but as a teacher I was guilty of the same thing.

Teacher: “Say you’re sorry to Johnny.”

Adam: “Sorry.”

Teacher: “And Johnny, what do you say to Adam?”

Johnny: “It’s okay.”

I Really Am A Star

Investigating Feelings and Our Enthusiastic Me

A Kindergarten lesson introducing many different feelings, developing the understanding that feelings are not bad or good only our actions, and investigating how our enthusiastic me acts.

Because of our Number 1 listener lesson during small group, I decided to add in a little bit more of this (this as in listening skills) for the whole group (it’s my whole idea of reminders. . . eventually it sticks right?).