Separation Anxiety or "Clinginess" and Kids

Do you have a child who has difficulty letting go of you when you're dropping off at school, a playdate, or another activity?  I've been following "Hey Sigmund" who talks a lot about anxiety in general, but this latest video on why kids cling to us is interesting and it offers some suggestions to help your child "self-soothe" so they can be more successful with the transition of saying goodbye to you.
Check the video out here!
Hey Sigmund - Clinginess and Kids

Peaceful Conflict Resolution!!

Second graders are learning how to use our Peace Path that is located on the playground and on portable yoga mats in our school!  The Peace Path gives students words to help them talk through their conflicts with peers and build skills for future problem solving.  I tell the kids if I had learned how to resolve conflicts like this when I was in 2nd grade, maybe I wouldn't yell at Mr. Flier for not doing the dishes and I would use "I" language instead 😆

Here are pictures of Mr. Murray's class practicing on the Peace Paths we have available when conflicts occur indoors!

SMART Goals in 3rd Grade

Third graders are talking about what makes a goal SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding and Timely!  While this is a tricky concept for kids to grasp (it's even hard for me as a grown up!) we took the idea of "attainable" and "rewarding" and did an activity to illustrate why it is important to set goals that are possible and yet not too easy.

Students threw bean bag "frogs" into a bucket.  The first time around, they were just one step away.  Waaaaay too easy and not at all rewarding to get all three into the bucket.  The second time around, I asked them to take 25 paces away from the bucket.  With our low ceilings in the hallways, this was impossible!  We reflected after each round and talked about what it felt like.  Was it all that exciting to get the three in when it was too easy?  Were you ready to give up when it was nearly impossible?  Then we discussed the importance of setting our goals so that we will feel really proud when we reach them, but making sure they are possible.

Next time around we will begin "Ready for Success" curriculum which challenges students to create small SMART goals every week to help them build their confidence in academics and beyond!

 Too Easy!

Too hard!!!