4th Grade - Mindful Nature Walk

Friday was the PERFECT day to try the Mindful Nature Walk that I had sent you all home with.  I hope you have found the time and chance to try this at least once since we have left school.  While I have been going for walks every day, I have not taken the time to be really mindful.  I've had a lot on my mind between my own daughter's education here at home, how to still connect with each of you, and how sad I am to not see my friends that I work with.  So on this walk, I really tried hard to just BE.  I focused on my feet and how they felt hitting the pavement.  I paid closer attention to the colors and the signs of spring around me.  I gave my "Monkey Mind" a few breaths to pay attention to.  I have to admit, I started to think about other things that was worrying me or on my mind, but I tried to let them "float down the river on a leaf" like we practiced earlier this year!

I know you probably miss school and seeing your friends.  Maybe things feel really stressful right now and you're worried about the unknown too.  This, more than ever, is a great time to practice mindfulness.  I would love to see any pictures or videos from YOUR Mindful Nature Walks!  :)  If you have not already joined my Google Classroom, use code: y4xcojq for our upcoming "lessons"!

 Wicket joined me for our walk today!  

The bright colors of this Red Asure Dogwood made me pause and just notice.  Pictures never do it justice, but it was so pretty with the beige background!

Solitaire!

One of the silver linings of being cooped up at home is that I remembered how much I loved to play solitaire when I was a kid.  My aunt Heidi is a card whiz and taught me many ways to play.  I was able to FaceTime with her the other day to have her refresh my memory - something that I would not have done had I been able to leave the house and keep busy. 
I hope to do several different versions of solitaire for you to try at home as a fun way to connect with you!
Miss you all so dearly.  Be kinder than necessary to your families! 

YouTube version

One Handed Solitaire - Via Screencastify

Flipping Our Lids in 1st grade!

First graders are learning about self-regulation and have started out by learning how our brain responds when we are experiencing strong feelings.  We have met our "Guard Dog" (aka our Amygdala) our "Wise Owl" (aka PreFrontal Cortex - yes, even 1st graders can say this!) and our "Memory Elephant" (aka Hippocampus - another fun one!).  Students can show these parts of the brain using their hands, which is Dan Siegel's model for explaining what happens when we "flip our lids".  When our Guard Dog responds, it sends our Wise Owl flying and we aren't able to make good decisions nor are we able to transfer our learning to our memory keeper, or elephant.  Ask your 1st grader to show you with their fist where these parts of their brain are and what happens when the prefrontal cortex and amgydala are not working closely together.  For more from Dan Siegel, check out this YouTube video that explains the hand model. 

After learning about the brain and how this works, we tested our self-control with a little "Freeze Dance" game!  First graders did a great job listening and controlling their movements and we talked about how self control is important for being good friends and good learners!

Rude, Mean, or Bullying?

Third graders began our unit on "Rude, Mean or Bullying" this past week with a pre-survey on Kahoot!  According to Signe Whitson's "8 Keys to End Bullying", "knowing bullying when we see it" is the first key to ending the behavior.  Oftentimes, students will come into my office and tell me they are being bullied, when in actuality, it is a conflict that needs to be resolved. 
We will continue to do many activities for the rest of the year to help our 3rd graders identify if behaviors are rude, mean, or bullying and then give them options for handling the behaviors so that they do not continue or escalate. 
If you are interested in reading this book, I cannot recommend it enough to both parents and educators!  It is an easy read with very practical information in it to help us talk about bullying and mean behavior with our kids in a way that empowers them.  I have several copies as well if you would like to borrow one.