K- Learner Skills. We started talking about the increased expectations in 1st grade. We talked about how to use our whole body to learn: quiet legs & feet, quiet arms & hands, ears listening, eyes on speaker, mouth quiet, raise hand and wait to be called on. We read Howard B Wigglebottom Learns to Listen and talked about the problems Howard had when he was not listening. Then we talked about the positive consequences he received when he DID listen! :) 

1st- Learner Skills. We talked about how to use our whole body to learn: quiet legs & feet, quiet arms & hands, ears listening, eyes on speaker, mouth quiet, raise hand and wait to be called on. We read I Just Want to Do it MY Way! and talked about the importance of staying on task, following directions, and asking for help when we need it.

2nd- Careers. We talked about how they are all on a journey from birth to a career! We brainstormed things they have learned so far in their lives and how those activities connect to the 6 career paths. Then they took a career interest inventory that I will be using to put them into groups for a fun activity in a few weeks! :)

3rd- Test Taking. We talked about strategies for dealing with stressful or anxiety-producing school activities such as taking a big test. (We also reminded ourselves that tests are just FEEDBACK! We should take them seriously and do our best, but we don't need to worry too much!) We read Tyler Tames the Testing Tiger and learned to: develop a relaxing routine, talk and think positively, don't get stuck, practice to make progress, and prepare our bodies physically (sleep and healthy food).

4th- Time Management. We talked about how to schedule our time to make sure we get everything done that we need to. We listed activities we might do each week, put them into categories (scheduled things we have to do, unscheduled things we have to do, and things we want to do), and then put them onto our calendars. We also talked about breaking tasks down into pieces and starting early to make sure we get everything done that we need to ON TIME! :)

5th- Careers. We started using MO Connections to do some research that will help us with future career plans. The first activity was a "Reality Check" that let kids choose what kinds of things they might want when they grow up and will have to pay for. The website figured for them how much money they will need to make each month and their total annual salary. This gives us a starting place for what kind of job they will need to support their anticipated standard of living. If the job they want doesn't support their cost of living, will they find a different job? Change what they expect?

Child Safety and Abuse Prevention!

Over the last 4 weeks, all my classes (with the exception of a couple KD classes that will get caught up this week) have had two lessons intended to help them handle safety issues.

The first lesson covers safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches. Students have the right to assertively refuse all unsafe and unwanted touches. We talked through different age-appropriate scenarios and practiced our assertive refusal skills. We also talked about our ability to report if someone hurts us or makes us feel uncomfortable.

The second lessons reviews the first week and then adds another safety rule: that no one should look at or touch the private parts of your body except to keep you healthy. We talked about adults who can help us if something like this ever happens to us. A letter should have come home with your child after the second lesson. The letter outlines our lesson and gives an access code to the online materials so you can see the lesson yourself! I can't post the codes online because they were purchased by our district just for our use and my website is public. If you are a current Fairview parent and didn't get your letter or lost your code, email me and I can send it to you! :) 

5th- The importance of an educational plan. We talked about what happens when you don't plan- you don't end up where you want to. We talked about ways to plan in middle school and high school. **Due to crazy weather days, not every class got this lesson. Some will make it up later in the year!

4th- Goal Setting. Continued working on our goals from last lesson. Finished up our steps for setting goals and practiced writing a specific, measurable educational goal with an action plan, timeline and plan for self-assessment.

3rd- Multiple Intelligences. Used our survey results from last time to talk about areas of strength and areas of personal growth. We discussed how we can use what we know about ourselves to figure out ways to grow and stretch our brains and learn more!

2nd- Listening. Talked about the steps for being a whole body listener and sang our listening song.  We also discussed following directions. Read The Worst Day of My Life EVER! Did a smartboard activity to practiced listening and following directions.

1st- Problem Solving. We reviewed our STAR cheer, S, and T, then we learned A-Act. This means after we think about our choices, we act on one that will make the problem smaller/better, not bigger/worse. Then we learned R- REVIEW. If our first choice doesn't solve the problem we can try another positive choice. We read What Should Danny Do? a fun, choose-your-own-adventure book that let the kiddos make good and bad choices for the main character to see what would happen.

K- Feelings.
-We reviewed our basic feelings and how to identify them. Then we talked about anger. We met Cloud who keeps his feelings in his tummy and practiced some different strategies to use when WE are angry (different ways to breathe, thinking positive thoughts, taking a break). We read Cloud's Best Worst Day Ever.
-We talked about how some people associate feelings with colors. We used The Magic Coloring Book of Feelings to identify how other people were feeling and why. We read The Color Monster then students threw their feelings into our coloring book to color the pages!! It was magical :) Once we gave their feelings back, we let them actually color a person to represent their feelings. 

5th- Organization. We talked about different tips to organize our work, agendas, lockers (next year), desks, work space, etc. We discussed the benefits of being organized and the consequences of NOT being organized!

4th- Goal Setting. We started talking about the steps to setting goals. The main focus for goal setting in fourth is setting educational goals and being able to self-assess. To be able to self-assess, our goals had to be specific and measurable! We spent most of today figuring out what specific and measurable goals sound like--not as easy as it sounds! :) 

3rd- Multiple Intelligences. We talked about how they are ALL smart kids!!! There are different kinds of "smart" and they all have different strengths and areas for personal growth. We took a survey to see in which areas we might be strongest or most interested.

2nd- Growth Mindset. We continued talking about making mistakes and trying new things. We read When Sophie Thinks She Can't... and discussed the magic word: YET! We filled out a paper that helped us identify some strengths, areas for personal growth, and things we could do to persevere when tasks are tough!

1st- Problem Solving- We started learning how to be STAR problem solvers! We started by learning a STAR cheer. Then we discussed the first step:S- STOP. We talked about strategies for calming down and deciding if our problem is kid sized or adult sized (tattling vs reporting song). We used A Kid's Guide to Staying Awesome and in Control to learn some calming strategies. Then we started on step 2:T-THINK what are my choices? We practiced with a few situations. 

K- Feelings. We are working on identifying feelings in ourselves and others. We read Happy Sad Grouchy Glad. We identified how the characters in the book were feeling and talked about what we could do if we or someone else had that feeling.

5th- Testing and Study Skills.  We created study and test taking tip folders. We brainstormed different strategies to help us do well in class, on projects, on tests, etc.  We created an example of a tool that could be used to study and practiced our note taking skills.

4th- Growth Mindset. We talked about how the brain works and how we can grow and stretch our brains by trying things that are hard for us and not giving up! We read Your Fantastic Elastic Brain and did a hard activity to practice working together and persevering when tasks are difficult.

3rd- Diversity. We talked about some vocabulary: prejudice, discrimination, and culture. We read Children Around the World and discussed things that we have in common with kids from different places. We filled out a "Me and My Family" worksheet with information about us and if there was time, students shared with each other how THEY are similar and different. We focused on understanding that it is okay to be different and disagree, but never okay to be disrespectful. 

2nd- Growth Mindset. Students thought about their strengths and areas for growth. We discussed how there are lots of things we aren't good at YET--that's why they go to school and learn. We talked about how making mistakes means you are trying and learning and that is GOOD!! We read The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes and talked about the things she missed out on by thinking she had to be perfect. When she changed her mindset she was much happier.

1st-Growth Mindset. We talked about the difference between fixed and growth mindset. When our mindset is fixed we think we can't do it. When we have a growth mindset we know that we can't do it YET, but that we can if we stick with it and try hard! We read When Sophie Thinks She Can't... and discussed the book. We practiced changing our mindset!

K- Problem Solving. We reviewed problem solving steps- STOP, THINK, ACT, REVIEW and read What Should Danny Do? again. This time we had him make choices that made the problem bigger, not smaller to see how his day would turn out. When Danny made positive choices, he was happy and good things happened in his day. When he made poor choices, his day turned out sad.

K- We have continued to talk about being problem solving STARs! We practiced sorting problems into our 2 categories: kid sized and adult sized. We reviewed how to report adult sized problems and talked about who to report to. Then we talked about the "T" of STAR: Think! We can think about different ways to solve the problem. One of the ways we practiced was being assertive: using our strong, respectful words to get what we need, but we brainstormed other ideas, too!
The next week we talked about "A" Act- we have to make the choice that will get what we need/want peacefully. We started to read a story called, What Should Danny Do?, a fun book that allowed us to use our STAR steps to make decisions for Danny!
**Below I included a copy of the parent letter I sent home to summarize these lessons in case you didn't get it!

1st- Life Changes. Talked about big events that change our lives. We talked about how those changes affect us--our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Read We are Best Friends and talked about the change he had and how he felt about it. We talked about how to cope with big feelings and did a guided relaxation script together to practice taking deep breaths, relaxing our bodies, and thinking positive thoughts.

2nd- Diversity. We talked about ways our families and their traditions are different. We talked about why diversity is good and how we should treat people who are different--even if we don't agree we can be respectful! Read How My Parents Learned to Eat and talked about how they could have decided they were too different, but instead decided to learn about each other and respect their differences.

3rd- We reviewed feedback and talked about how it might make us feel. Feedback doesn't mean we are bad-it means we have an area in which we can improve and we ALL have things to improve on! It's okay to need help, to ask for help, and to get help. We talked about strategies for dealing with feedback that doesn't feel good. We also practiced giving positive feedback in the form of compliments to a classmate. We also complimented ourselves! 

4th- Using positive to cope with negative. Building on our conversation from last time, we talked about how life sometimes has "sour" patches. We listed some events that might seem sour to us. Then we talked about adding a little "sugar" to help us cope. We discussed positive coping strategies that help us to deal with those tough times. The positive doesn't take away the sour in this case, but it does make it a little easier to take! We used Sour Patch Kids candy as part of our example :)

5th- Coping Strategies. Building on our self-control lesson from last time, we talked about feelings that have different intensities and needing coping strategies to deal with them all. We also talked about positive note taking strategies--how to know what to write down to remember the key points later. We read Soda Pop Head and took notes about the coping strategies in the book that can help us when we are upset. 

 K- Kindergarten finished up bullying by talking about bystanders. A bystander is someone who sees or hears something happen. We talked about how we can help others if we see bullying (being mean, on purpose, over and over) or any kind of unkindness. If we need an adult we can report. We can also be a good friend to the kiddo who isn't being treated kindly.
We also started talking about how to be STAR problem solvers!! We discussed the difference between kid and adult sized problems: things we can solve on our own and things we need adults to solve with or for us. We talked about the "S" of STAR, which stands for stop! When we have a problem, it often causes big feelings. We need to stop to calm our bodies and minds so we can solve the problem! We practiced "soup breathing" to help us get calm.

1st- Diversity. We talked about ways we are different and being different is a good thing! We read the book It's Okay to be Different and discussed the diversity in the book. We don't have to be the same or even agree, but at Fairview we are always respectful to ALL people!

2nd- Life changes. We talked about what life changes are (big things that change your life), brainstormed examples, and discussed the different feelings people might have about those changes. We talked about some coping strategies to use with big feelings-no matter when you have them! We did a guided relaxation script to help us practice our breathing, relaxing our muscles, and thinking about positive things/memories. 

3rd- Feedback. Feedback is just information! We talked about times we get feedback and how we can use it to improve ourselves. We read Thanks for the Feedback, I Think and talked about the main character's strategies for responding to feedback (both constructive and positive). 

4th- Attitude and feelings. We talked about the ripple effect of feelings-how they can get passed along to others (positive OR negative). We talked about what we can do to stop negative attitude from spreading. When we are negative back, we just get more yuck, but when we are positive it can get rid of the negative.

5th- They decisions and self-control. We talked about who makes decisions for us and what kinds of decisions are made for us. We don't always agree and that can cause tough feelings. Why is self control important? What are positive ways to deal with decisions we don't like? We read a short story about the lasting effects of our behavior and connected that to our Character Connection lessons about reputation.

5th- Cooperative decision making. We talked about working together with others in groups. We brainstormed ways to help group work go well and strategies for making decisions together. We then practiced making decisions in a group.

4th- Differing Perspectives. We talked about how two people can see the same situation in very different ways. Seeing things differently doesn't mean that one person is right and the other wrong. We discussed looking at all the possibilities and trying to see the other person's point of view before jumping to any conclusions. We can at least listen and be respectful even when we don't see things the same way.

3rd- Conflict Resolution. We discussed what "fair" means--not always just getting the same thing! Fair is each person getting what they need to be successful. In class, fair might look like different assignments, seating arrangements, extra help, etc. Then we talked about how when we are solving a conflict with another person, we really want the solution to be fair. That means that everyone involved gets what they NEED. That might not mean they get exactly what they want, but the solution is something that works for everyone: a win-win. 

2nd- Tattling vs Reporting. We talked about reporting in our bullying and safety units, but we got more specific about when to tell and what we can do instead. We read A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue and discussed how to solve some problems on our own.

1st- Friendship. We talked about ways to be a friend. Then we read Hunter's Best Friend at School. During the story we discussed how part of being a friend is being a learner and allowing others to learn. Being a friend isn't about just doing what your friend is doing or wants you to do, but being your best self and helping your friend to be his or her best self.

K- Bullying. We learned how to refuse bullying by being assertive: standing up tall, looking the person in the eyes, and using a strong respectful voice to tell them to stop. We also learned about being a bystander--someone who sees or hears bullying happen. Bystanders have lots of power to either make the problem bigger or smaller. We discussed what we can do to be assertive and helpful if we are a bystander.

5th- Peer pressure. We talked about how peer pressure can be negative OR positive. We brainstormed and made a list of different things we might be peer pressured to do in middle school. We talked about what we want to be known for and thought about how we could respond to different situations we might be in (ex- being at a sleepover with friends and being pressured to drink alcohol). We reviewed our problem solving model and talked about how using those steps can help us in tricky situations. We also reviewed I-statements and being assertive with our friends.

4th- Teamwork/Cooperation. We did an activity in which most of them thought they were competing when really, to succeed, they needed to cooperate! We talked about how our class is a team--one person doesn't win by being THE best, everyone wins by being THEIR best. We talked about some strategies for cooperating and working together.

3rd- Rumors. We thought we were spreading respect, but accidentally spread a rumor instead! We talked about what a rumor is, why they are hurtful, and Mrs. Hoell's rumor rules. We TRIED to take the rumor back, but discovered that once it is out there, it is impossible to completely take it back. 

2nd- Feelings. We reviewed our basic feelings (happy, sad, mad, scared) and then read How are You Peeling? to discuss other feelings and how to appropriately express them. For example, being mad is okay, but yelling in someone's face is not. Instead we can take deep breaths, ask for a break, try to solve the problem, walk away, tense and relax our muscles, etc!

1st- Bullying- Bystanders. We finished up talking about bullying (being mean, over and over, on purpose) by discussing what to do if you see it happening to someone else. We discussed how we can support others by being kind and including them, using our assertive words to help them refuse (when appropriate), and if the person wants help, we can help them report to an adult.

K- Bullying- Recognizing and Reporting. We spent our first lesson talking about what bullying is (being mean, over and over, on purpose) and practicing recognizing it in different situations. We also talked about how we can recognize unkindness even if it isn't bullying.
The second lesson was about reporting bullying. We talked about who we can tell (different adults we trust) and how to report to them. I'm asking my students to give this information: *who the problem is with, *what exactly happened and when, *then ask "can you help me?"

Kindergarten- We talked about how to ask someone if we can play. We can choose that person by looking for someone who is doing an activity we enjoy. Just like when we introduce ourselves, we stand up tall, look them in the eyes, and smile. We ask, "Can I play with you?" At Fairview we try to include everyone so if there is a way for them to play we say, "yes." We talked about sharing and how to make an apology if we do the wrong thing while playing. During the lesson we also practiced *introducing, *asking to play, and *saying "I'm sorry." I had the kiddos practice saying "I forgive you" as a response rather than "It's okay" because sometimes whatever is being apologized for is NOT okay!

1st grade- Talked about how to refuse bullying (when someone is mean, over and over, on purpose). We practiced being assertive by standing up tall, looking the person in the eyes, and using our strong respectful voice to let them know we don't like what they are doing. It helps if they are specific about what they don't like (rather than just saying "stop") because some kids don't realize what they are doing that bothers other people! We looked at some examples and talked about how they can refuse any behavior/treatment that they don't like--even if it's not bullying!

2nd and 3rd- We finished up our lessons on bullying by talking about bystanders. A bystander is anyone who sees or hears bullying happen. Bystanders have a lot of power to make bullying better OR worse! We talked about how they can use the 3Rs (Recognize, Refuse, Report) and also how to support a person who is being bullied. 

4th and 5th- We finished up our lessons on bullying by talking about cyberbullying. We talked about different types of electronic technology and examples of how they can be used to be unkind. We discussed the ways we deal with unkind behavior in this format.

Letters should have gone home with 1st-5th graders last week about our bullying unit. The letter explains how you can get access to the information I was teaching so you can use it with your kids at home! :)