My March Must Haves

Around this time of year things start to blur.  I have a million things going on when all I want to do is start enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.  Hopefully the later will be coming soon and todays 50 plus degree weather was much needed.  Below are my must haves for making it through March.  Luckily spring break is only a few weeks away. 
1.  Sharpies are a staple in my office.  I get bored very easily and using blue/black ink on all my important documents (504s/IEPs). If I could I would use bright pink for everything.  Sharpies come in handy for everything else.

2. Koosh balls come in handy for all sorts of activies.  I leave some on my desk for when kids visit me in my office.  I don't know what it is but kids gravitate towards the balls all day.  The koosh balls are also great for all sorts of guidance games.  For extreme cases the ball can be used as a talking stick or in this case ball - only the person holding the ball may talk.

3. For the days I have not fully prepared for class Classroom Guidance from A-Z is a must have.  No matter what subject I am teaching there is a lesson in this book.  From bullying to stress management to body odor and everything in between this book is essential for all middle school counselors.

4. Target is by far one of my top three favorite stores.  The other day I had the rare oppurtunity to go to Target All By MYSELF.  The Target dollor bin is great for finding counseling supplies.  I've found balls, play doh, candy and other snacks, stickers, books, pencils, prizes, and many other items all for ONE dollar. 

5. I saved the best for last.  When I have one of those trying days I simply look at sweet M and C and there is an instant smile on my face.  .

Friday Funday

We've all heard of Sunday Funday. It usually has something to do with going to the beach, a baseball or football game, or a day out with friends. In most cases it involves large amounts of alcohol. My Sunday Funday's are a thing of the past for me. In my class Friday's are reserved for fun and games. Here are some of my recent games.

1. 3 wishes - pretty simple. Students answer the following questions. I have also used this question as a writing prompt.

3 Wishes

One wish for yourself…

One wish for the class/group…

 One wish for a friend or family member…

2. Your House Is On Fire - Please stress to students all people and pets are safe. It is interesting to hear the answers. I also question why they picked their answers. Many kids will say they will take money but you get a much better understanding of their character, who they are, and what they are worried about by asking why. For example one student may take money because they don't want the money to burn, a second may say they will need money to buy food and clothes, and a third may say Mom/Dad had to work really hard to earn the money.

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Your House Is On Fire!

List 10 things you want most to save.  You, your family, and pets are all safe.  

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2.

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7.

8.

9.

3. Compliment Toss - you will need one or two small balls for this one. Students stand or sit in a circle. As the ball is passed around the student passing the ball gives a compliment to the person catching the ball. I tell students they may not use generic compliments such as I like your shoes or nice shirt.

Middle School

I have used these Dateline videos the past two years with my 7th and 8th grade students. Hosted by Rosalind Wiseman teenage boys and girls are put in bullying situations and video taped as their parents watched. It is great for students to see what the kids in the videos do and there are many discussion points.

Dateline video link - My kid would never bully

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Dateline Video – My Kid Would Never Bully

Discussion Points

o   Bystanders?

o   Is ignoring the right thing to do?

o   Would your parents be proud of you?

o   How is bullying different with boys and girls?

o   Mean Girls Movie

o   What do you think after watching this video?

Video Questions

            For Boys Video

·         Review negative comments (you suck, running like a girl, sissy, anti-gay slurs)

·         Getting on the floor as a distraction

·         How do you think Brandon felt when he found out his Mom was watching?        

·         What would you do if you were Isaiah?

For Girls Video

o   Do you know a Veronica? NO NAMES

o   How would your Mom feel if you were laughing?  How would you feel knowing your Mom saw your laughing?

o   Do you know a Lilly?

Free bullying curriculum & downloads

The Ophelia Project is now offering all FREE resources. There are fact sheets, handouts, parent information sheets, and curriculum guides available. The Ophelia Project has materials for all age groups from elementary through high school.  The Ophelia Project is a great tool for bully, cyberbullying, and relational aggression.

RUMORS....

I don't know what it is about this time of year but it never fails. Middle school girls start going CRAZY! Maybe they are sick of being trapped inside. Maybe they are burnt out from school and need a break before spring break.  It seems like the past few weeks have been a string of she rolled her eyes at me, she won't let me be friends with so and so, she is leaving me out, and so on and so on. It is during these times I'm thankful I will never have to be a middle school girl again. It is also during these times I dread the thought of my own daughters walking the halls of middle school. 

There is a great activity called he said she said I like to play with my students to reinforce how quickly rumors can be spread and how information changes. Select 3/4 students to be volunteers (don't tell them why). One student stays in the room and you read the story below. One by one each student repeats the story to the next student. Tell students in the class they may not say anything to help the volunteers and can only observe. Most likely by the end the story will be missing a lot of detail. 

Ask students what message this activity is about. Discuss what to do when they hear a rumor and how to stop rumors. After a class discussion I follow up with a game of telephone which is always a big hit with the kids. 

He Said/She Said

This is an idea to help students learn how rumors begin and spread and how the information changes from one person to the next.  

Ask the class for 3 volunteers and ask them to go in the hall.  Ask for one more volunteer from the class and have them come to the front.  Read a detailed description of a person to the student.  Then invite one person from the hall to come in.  Ask the student who just heard the description to repeat it to the student from the hall.  Repeat this process with the next 2 students.  

Conclude by asking students to share their observations and ask them how they will handle the situation the next time they hear a rumor.  Below is an example but feel free to make up your own.  

Susan is 12 years old.  She is wearing blue jeans and an orange shirt.  She has sneakers on her feet.  Her hair is brown and her eyes are blue. She is wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, turned around backwards and her hair is in a ponytail.  In her hands are a lunch bag and 2 books. She is also carrying a black book bag with white polka dots.  

Valentines Day Lesson

Here is an easy lesson with very little prep and can be used with pretty much any grade level.  All you need is a big heart. I like to use Microsoft office. Go to shapes and you can make one as big as you would like. The only materials you will need are the hearts and writing utensils. 

•      Ask students to divide the heart into 5 sections. The sections do not need to be equal. 4 lines could be drawn horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Students can also come up with a combination of their own. 
•       Next students will be asked to write answer different questions in each box.
• Box 1- people they love. Includes family, friends, and pets
• Box 2- places they love
• Box 3 - what they love to do
• Box 4 - why they love them
• Box 5 - ideas they love. This can be hard for some students. I share examples for this one. Recycling, being active, eating healthy
• From here it is really up to you to decide what to do. I ask students to share at least one item off their heart and post around the room. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

apps #2

1. app gratis is great.  It offers you at least one free app everyday.  Sometime the second app is free as well or it is deeply discounted.  I have only been checking for the past couple weeks and have a few good work out apps.  There have been some good apps for History/Social Studies teachers and there have been many photo/picture apps.  Best of all it is free on itunes.

2. TED - Videos galore.  My new favorite being A message from kid president.

3.  iphoto - I usually don't spend more than .99 for an app.  Call me cheap I just know once I start buying apps I won't be able to stop.  At 4.99 I kept looking at the iphoto app but would never buy it. Luckily Santa came and filled my stocking with lots of itunes gift cards and I finally caved and bought iphoto.  I love the everything about the app even though it is very addictive.  Take a look below at my two cupcakes.

Pep Talk

Here is a great video that could be used with all grade levels, for advisory, or with staff members. Enjoy!

Snow Day

Friday turned out to be an unexpected snow day and nothing is better than a snow day on a Friday to make it a long weekend. I spent the day having a play date with my BFF, making Valentine's cards with M, and cuddling with C who had an ear infection. To make things even better today I got to go to Target by myself today! An hour and a half later I was heading back home with a Starbucks.  I ended the day making M&M oatmeal cookies and now get to cuddle with C! It's been a great weekend so far.

Apps

There are so many great apps out there. I don't even know where to start. I'm a little obsessed with my iPad and always searching for a fun and cool app to play around with.

Brain Pop  - Tons of great lessons, quizzes, and games. Subject areas include Science, Social Studies, Math, English, and Technology. The technology section offers lessons in digital citizenship, blogs, and cyberbullying to name a few. There are videos, vocabulary lessons, and on-line quizzes. Great for elementary and middle school students.  Brain Pop is great for all disciplines.

SweetTweets

I have been talking a lot about cyber bullying this week with my fifth graders. Yesterday we made Sweet Tweets which the kids will update each day when they come into class.


Materials - strips of paper, markers, dry erase markers, magnets

Day 1 - Discuss definition of cyberbullying (bullying using technology) and different ways cyberbullying can occur. This may include texts, emails, Facebook, video games, and Instagram to name a few. I also do an informal poll of how many students have a Facebook account to twitter account. Pass out strips of paper and have students write their names any way they would like. Explain to them the idea of a sweet tweet. Basically they can write down anything that does not hurt or offend another person, including themselves.

Laminate the students strips of papers.

Day 2 - talk about sweet tweets again. No put downs. Can say hi, say something nice to another person, make it positive. Pass out wet / dry erase markers for students to write their sweet tweets. Share the tweets with the class. The next day when students come to class they erase the previous days sweet tweet and make a new one.
*** stress that online tweets can never be 100% deleted ( the same with texts, Facebook posts, ect). Once the student posts a message online it is there forever.

Have fun!

My kids are having a lot of with their messages.

3rd Quarter - Getting down to business

With 3rd quarter under way I'm beginning to meet with the students who earned Ds and Fs on their report cards. Many of these students may also be in danger of failing for the school year. This week I will be meeting with all the students and developing 3rd quarter goals. Check back to see the weekly study tip or skill of the week.

Week #1 is pretty simple. Students will develop their goal for the 3rd grading period and list steps to reach their goal.

New Year-New Kids-New Goals

This week I got a new group of 5th graders. It was also the first week of the third grading period. I had my students complete the following activity as a kick off to the class.

Materials - colored paper & markers

• I discussed responsibility with the class and brainstorm ideas of what responsibility means (areas of discussion could include school, home, with friends, teams, or clubs)
• Divide paper into 4 sections. Students will write what they are responsible for doing in each section.

Possible discussion questions:
What would happen if you did not follow through with your responsibilities?
What would your parents think? Friends? Coaches? You?
Are there any consequences for not completing your responsibilities?

Classroom guidance

One of my go to favorites for classroom guidance. Classroom guidance from A-Z is a great resource for all sorts of lessons. From bullying to study skills to anxiety this book has a little bit of everything. In fact, I just ordered my second copy this week. It seems I lost my original copy and I just couldn't live without my Classroom guidance from A-Z.  I would recommend this book for middle school students. 

Friendship Links

Friendship Links

This activity can be used with groups or classrooms of all ages. 

Objective:  To facilitate student’s abilities to express positive feelings towards another person and to build class harmony.  

Materials: Strips of colored paper, markers, crayons

Procedure:

1.

Discuss  friendships

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qualities to look for in friends

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where they see their friendships in 1, 5, 10, 10 years,

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how might friendships change when moving to a new school or school building

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what makes them a good friend

2.

Ask students to begin thinking about the people around the classroom and to brainstorm as many positive attributes as they can about their peers.  Teacher may demonstrate by brainstorming on the board about someone whom they all know (principal).  Emphasize the importance of listing only POSITIVE characteristics.

3.

Pass out strips of paper to each student and yourself.

4.

Explain that the strips of paper will be used to make a friendship chain and stapled together (similar to ones made at Christmas and used to decorate).  

5.

Students should write their name on the strip – big enough for other students to know who the strip belongs.

6.

Students will pass the strips around the room and will write a positive statement or compliment on the strip and then sign their own initials.  Please monitor for positive statements only.

7.

Students will review the nice statements made about them.

8.

Discussion points:

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How did you feel when the person read nice things about you?

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Did you agree with what people wrote about you?

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Why is friendship so important?

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What makes you a good friend?

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What things could you work on to become a better friend?

**It makes it easier if students only pass slips of paper when instructed to do so by the teacher

**Monitor slips to make sure the same statement is not being written over and over (i.e – smart, funny, nice)

Is it the (long) weekend yet

I went through the whole day thinking it was Wednesday. I also was ready to plan for a group which ended last week. I might be going crazy. Maybe it's because it is the end of the grading period? Maybe it's because my two year old and I were sick this weekend?  In any event this only means one thing - the rest of the week is going to go by super slow. At least I have a three day weekend in my future. Check back soon for updates to the lesson plan and games pages. And happy long weekends to everyone!

No Name Calling Week

No name calling week is fast approaching. January 21st thru the 25th is dedicated to a week without name calling. The No name calling week website will provide you with all the tools you need for a successful program. There are free posters to print, lesson plans, and activities to get you started. The lesson plan are divided into elementary, middle, and high school levels.

I am planning on having a Mix It Up Day at lunch during the week. Another activity in the works is a friendship chain. Students will have a slip of paper with their name on one side. On the other side students in the class will write positive statements or compliments (you're a great friend, thanks for helping me with my homework, ect).  After students have a chance to see all the nice things about themselves the links will be connected into a chain. Think of this as a chain made during Christmas for classroom decorations. I'm not sure what other activities I'm doing the rest of the week but will keep you posted. What are you doing for No name calling week?

Character Bulletin Board

Well 2013 is off to a great start. The kids are rested and ready to work. And so am I. Here is my latest bulletin board creation . I have to admit I am not the best at creating bulletin boards. I blame it on being short. Standing on a chair and trying to line everything up has never proved to work for me. I am afraid of one, falling off the chair, or two, stapling my finger.

Hello 2013

Well, today is the last day of winter vacation. The last two weeks have been filled with cleaning, cooking, baking, decorating, play dates, taking down decorations, and many visits with all the Grandparents. It has been a blast to hang out with my favorite girls and it is going to be tough to leave them tomorrow morning. I mean look at those adorable faces. I'm almost thinking going back to school tomorrow will be somewhat of a vacation. Happy 2013 everyone!

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