Exploring Feelings

     So K-1 students are working on Feelings Awareness.  In Kindergarten we'll be focusing on vocabulary. Kids will often choose one of three feelings words to describe their emotions – Happy, Sad, or Mad.  And often, how they really feel is jealous, disappointed, or left out.  We are working hard to develop a vocabulary that helps them really describe what’s going on inside them.  And they love experimenting by using words like clever, blue, curious, irritated, and shocked.

 We will be reading a selection of books that expose them to different feelings vocabulary.  I'll be using the characters from the movie Inside Out to guide us in our discussions and lists.  We’ll also watch some video clips and do some fun activities.   One of the favorite activities I’ll be doing with the K’s later is the music activity where they get to decide how a piece of music feels and then move their bodies to demonstrate the mood.  They have a lot of fun – the budding dancers really get to show off!  And we get to talk about how we tend to move slower, faster, louder, etc. in response to our feelings.  We’ll also do a similar activity with color.

In first grade at Murray and 1-2 at Red Hill, we explore the more difficult feelings – the angry, upset, and fearful ones – we’ll also talk about strategies for dealing with them.   I will stress over and over all feelings are OK (it’s not bad to get angry), but it’s what you do with them that counts.  They love bubble breathing and using our sense of humor to combat new or scary situations.

Next week, we'll explore anger.  We talk about what happens in our brain and watch a video called "Just Breathe."  We discussed the importance of calming down before you try to problem solve. They had fun visualizing a jar of glitter while we practiced breathing, but more importantly they got to see how we all need different time and space to calm down. 

    

Growth Mindset

 

  Third and Fifth graders have been discussing a growth mindset vs. a "fixed" mindset during Core time.   We started with some brain basics.  We learned about neural pathways and synapses.  We even got to play with licorice when we looked at how those neural pathways get stronger and synapses get smaller the more we do something.  And we learned that our brains like challenges!  If things were always easy, our brains would fall asleep instead of growing and getting stronger. And if we never made a mistake, we couldn't learn something new!
 
      Next we talked about the "Power of Yet."  Adding the word yet, makes a powerful difference in our language and thinking.  Imagine the difference between "This is hard. I can't do it." and This is hard. I can't do it YET." We had fun with all kinds of brain games from word puzzles to picnic patterns as we looked at how our brains learn patterns when we stick with something.
   
     We also spent time talking about GRIT.  That's the combination of determination and resilience. We looked at strategies that help us push through challenges, like self talk.  And we even measured our grittiness.  We also talked about how everyone is unique and how our own strengths and flaws drive each person's grit in different ways.

Kelso's Choices

1st Graders at Murray and 3-4 kids at Red Hill are working on a unit on Kelso’s Choices.  Kelso is a pretty smart frog that teaches students the difference between big problems and small problems.  Big problems are those that are scary or recurring and should be shared with a grown-up they trust. Small problems are those that are more everyday problems that may cause you to feel irritated or annoyed.  Kelso encourages students to recognize they are smart enough and capable of handling many of these small problems on their own.  And then he shares 9 choices they have to do this.  I suggest that can try 2 of these before deciding they need to take it to a teacher (reminding them anything dangerous or uncomfortable should always go right to a grown up).

We'll discuss all nine choices and will be practicing them.  They are:

· Walk Away · Tell Them To Stop · Talk It Out · Make A Deal · Share and Take Turns

· Apologize · Wait and Cool Off · Go To Another Game · Ignore