Expectations with Literature

During the first weeks of school, I teach behavior expectations incorporating character and community building.  Several of my favorite week-one lessons launch with children's literature. 

Self-Control

My Mouth is a Volcano! by Julia Cook

After reading, we discuss the difficulty Louie had with self-control (waiting to speak, although he really had something to say),  This is the perfect opportunity to use what I call 'The Bubble Lesson", with credit to Mr. Justin Smith at TeacherTipster.com   

Character Building

The Way I Act  by Steve Metzger

While reading this book, I list the character words (such as persistent or compassionate) on a chart. We then 'translate' them into kid-friendly terms.  I like to translate in a different color next to the word.  When students have a decent understanding of the "way we act", I display the following Class Promise (discovered on Pinterest).  We'll be reciting this promise each day at the beginning of our class meeting.  Love it!

CLASS PROMISE

I promise to treat my classroom,

And its people with respect.

I promise to solve problems,

And always try my best.

I promise to tell the truth

And take responsibility.

I promise to never give up

And be the best person I can be.

I promise to participate,

And fun with what we do.

I promise to learn a lot

And help others learn too.

The 7 Habits of Happy Kids  by Steven Covey

Another chance to reinforce character, reading one short story a day.  Each story has a moral, such as Be Proactive.  Added bonus, there is a cute little worm hidden in each illustration.  I have seen a lot on TpT about this little treasure book, most are great follow-up lessons involving students making connections to the text and writing. 

Welcome back to school !

~Andie

Take Our Advice

You know the saying, 'Take my advice - I'm not using it!'  That always gives me a giggle.  As teachers though, especially the veterans, we dispense advice that is often valuable (Dare I say, the best of the best?) because we've heard sooooo very much advice from outside sources.  We are forced to pare down the mass to workable bites.  In essence, what works for us. 

Last spring, I was in a training session with a dozen reading teachers.  The average time "in service" was about 15 years.  These women had seen a lot of children, learners, Administrators, programs, and colleagues.  The opening question of our facilitator was, "What advice would you give new teachers?"  Guess what - the responses weren't just for "new teachers":

• Harry Wong !!!!
• Start where you are, Move forward, and Do what you can.
• Document, document, document
• Have a love of children before you meet them as learners.
• Relationships are important - get to know all the people in your building.
• Wait (teach) between your Bachelor degree and starting a Masters program.
• When children know you care about them as individuals, they'll learn.
• Take as many management classes as you can.  Time is a precious resource.
• Take risks, but be sure to have a relationship with a trusted mentor.
• None of us want to be judged by our first year of teaching, so  know you aren't alone.  There will be days you second-guess your career choice.  It will be alright, because it takes the smallest things (kids and student achievement) to endorse your efforts.
• Share sincere compliments.  The practice is contagious and helps trump any negative climate.

Please share any of your own advice, or somebody's words that encouraged you. 
~Andie

Caring Bags Project

Are you looking for a way to encourage compassion in your students?  Why not try Caring Bags?

A colleague and I wanted to come up with a service project idea for our schools to help the homeless and/or less fortunate in the community. We wanted to make a big impact, but two things were very important to us. First, keeping the cost to parents low was a must. Second, to make the idea more appealing to teachers who were already overwhelmed, we did not want to add a lot of extra work to their already tough workload.

We came up with the idea of Caring Bags.  The idea is to collect essential items to be placed in gallon size freezer bags and handed out to those in need.  Items included in our proposal were:  nail clippers, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, tissues, mouthwash, lip balm, comb, soap, wash cloth, lotion, deodorant, band aids, socks, bottled water, and a granola bar. I was able to find each of the items for less than a dollar at our local discount department store. We asked each school to collect one of those items from the staff and one from the students per month on a rotating basis.

You can change the items based on the needs in your community.  Some organizations that may be in need of bags like these include homeless shelters, emergency shelters, shelters for victims of domestic abuse, and churches that provide assistance to the less fortunate.  You may want to include a note in your bags letting the recipients know that your school or district cares about them.

As the organizers of this project, my colleague and I put some work into it up front to alleviate some of the work for the participating teachers. (*If you would like more information about how we implemented this project in our schools, please email us.)  In addition to donating an item if they were able to, teachers only had to send home the letters each month...we created the letters. The representatives from each school placed containers in the school lobbies so teachers would not have to collect items in classrooms.

For the most part, items are non-perishable, so you could collect for several months before putting the bags together if you need more time. With Caring Bags, you also do not need 100% participation to make a big impact. Twenty-five bags means twenty-five people have some essential items that they may not otherwise have. Be sure to set goals that are attainable, and remember that every little bit helps.

We'd love to hear what your classroom or school does to encourage compassion!