Showing posts with label film clips. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2016
PPBF: In My Heart
Today I'm excited because my guest post at Free Spirit about helping grieving students is now live; click {here} to go there for resources and strategies that I think you'll find helpful. Assignment writing is such a fun challenge for me. Another engaging, thought-provoking post I came across this week
{What's Wrong With Overachieving} might also interest you.
Scott Shickler, one of The 7 Mindsets authors, and I will both be keynote speakers at this Character Conference in Wisconsin this summer and I can't wait.
{What's Wrong With Overachieving} might also interest you.
Scott Shickler, one of The 7 Mindsets authors, and I will both be keynote speakers at this Character Conference in Wisconsin this summer and I can't wait.
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| Click the banner for more details. |
I'm also tickled pink because our PPBF pick is just perfect
for a counselor (and mom!) like me.
Title: In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Author: Jo Witek
Illustrator: Christine Roussey
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Date: October 14, 2014
Suitable for: Preschool and up
Theme: feelings exploration
Brief synopsis: A whimsical, flowery look into the young narrator's heart,
which houses a wide array of fabulous feelings.
which houses a wide array of fabulous feelings.
Opening page: My heart is full of feelings. Big feelings and small feelings. Loud feelings and quiet feelings. Quick feelings and slow feelings. My heart is like a house with all these feelings living inside.
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| Look at how adorable the little superhero on the back cover is! |
Resources:
Read a review at Books That Heal Kids {here}.
A template to make a My Feelings book {here}.
My Feelings Management Pinterest page {here}.
Find a template to make Feelings Tellers {here}.
Share this Dr. Sood clip about feelings and the brain:
A template to make a My Feelings book {here}.
My Feelings Management Pinterest page {here}.
Find a template to make Feelings Tellers {here}.
Share this Dr. Sood clip about feelings and the brain:
Compare and contrast this book with:
Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Today I Feel Silly by Jamie Lee Curtis
The Way I Feel by Janen Cain
Why I like this book: I'm a school counselor and this little treasure is meant to encourage feelings exploration, so to start with, there's that. But beyond the obvious, I love the way the narrator tries to put into words how she interacts with certain emotions ~ happy, brave, mad, calm, broken, sad, hopeful, afraid, silly, shy, proud ~ and how they interact with her. It's a refreshing look at what happens to us when the feelings that live inside of our hearts awaken and choose to come for visit. I also love how she refers to her feelings on the opening page as big and small, loud and quiet, quick and slow. To that list, I'd add easy and hard, comfortable and uncomfortable.
Check out this book for yourself or a friend;
I think it'll make you feel happy.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Thursday Treasure Trove
Today, a few treasures.
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?
Why not take the Dear-Me Challenge?
Next, this growth-mindset maxim to remind us that
anything is possible.
Then, from Daily Good: What If Schools Taught Kindness?
And from Edutopia: Three Videos on the Importance of Empathy
NPR's thoughtful post about What Kids Need From Grown-Ups
Play to Your Strengths from our friends at The 7 Mindsets
And from PBS, Teaching Frustration Tolerance
For comic relief, this Social Skills for Politicians clip
Finally, check out this passionate and innovative superhero:
E is for enthusiasm.
Don't you just love how excited he gets?
Talk about your Thursday treasure trove!
Happy reading {and watching}.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Hugs From Home
Happy Great Kindness Challenge Week 2016! I'm super excited about our kindness project as we've been working hard to make Valentines for those military personnel who won't be home with their loved ones on Valentines' Day this year. Just look at these beauties, which our heroes refer to as hugs from home.
It has been so much fun creating these treasures together
in Leadership Central.
We're using crayons and colored pencils,
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| Where's Whitlock? Can you spot Westwood's AP? |
scissors and glue,
construction paper, lined paper and plain white.
So many choices, so little time.
While we worked, we listened to Red Grammer, the singer and songwriter who's coming to Friendswood to share his Bucketfilling songs with us this week. If you're local, join us Friday night at 7 pm at Friendswood Junior High for a free concert.
On Wednesday, we'll be painting a Conflict-Resolution Peace Labyrinth on the slab outside between the two schools, another perfect complement to our
Great Kindness Challenge.
Each student received a Kindness Matters wristband and have been encouraged to start each day wearing it on their left wrist. When they do an intentional act of kindness, they move it to their right wrist to remind them that showing kindness is the right thing to do.
To be clear, kindness knows no calendar, but isn't it amazing to be celebrating it with nearly 5 million other students around the world? Here's to a kinder, gentler, more peaceful place as we warm the world with kindness.
Friday, January 22, 2016
PPBF: Penelope Perfect
Today's PPBF pick is perfect.
Well, uh, Penelope Perfect that is.
Title: Penelope Perfect
Author: Shannon Anderson
Illustrator: Katie Kath
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Date: August 20, 2015
Suitable for: ages K - 3rd
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Themes: anxiety, perfectionism, resilience, growth mindset
Brief synopsis: After her house losing power causes Penelope to oversleep, the mishaps in this young perfectionist's day align to brew the perfect storm. Can she survive an imperfect day and learn to let go of some of her perfectionism in the process?
Opening page:
They call me Penelope Perfect.
If you know me, I'm sure you agree.
Have you ever heard of Old Faithful?
Well, that geyser has nothin' on me!
Copyright © 2015 by Shannon Anderson.
Excerpted with permission of Free Spirit Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.
Resources:
*Read this article for tips on Putting Perfectionism In Its Place.
*Read Magnificent Mindsets to spark a growth-mindset discussion.
*Play the So What? game with your child(ren) to help get to the root of worries, anxieties or fear and change errant thinking about the end result. Start with a statement: You wake up late for school. Then ask {in a kind, non-judgmental tone} So what? Well, I'll be tardy. So what? I'll miss the morning warm-up. So what? Well ... you get the picture. It's a great way to get perfectionists to see that making the mistakes they fret about aren't likely to ever be something they can't rebound from and resolve.
*Springboard a geography lesson about Old Faithful and geysers. Look up where on the map it is, then challenge students to research other National Parks and find out what, if anything, sets them apart.
*Watch this video clip on resilience and discuss it:
*Make an anchor chart H-map and compare and contrast Penelope's tale with
Why I like this book: I see a lot of Penelope in me; she loves order and wants everything to line up thrives when everything aligns. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, it does pose a problem that could easily spin her out of control when her orderly routine is upset. In true perfectionism form, the more we control, the more out of control we feel. So when stuff that we can't control takes over, it's how we bounce forward from those upsets that will ultimately make a difference. Such an important life lesson for people of any age.
The activities and suggestions in the back of the book will help the readers who tend toward perfectionism work toward letting go of some of the worry and anxiety that's associated with that fixed mindset. Life will go so much more smoothly when we learn to celebrate mistakes instead of letting them paralyze us, a gift Penelope receives in the aftermath of her imperfect present and the laughter that ensued. Use the claim ~ Laughter is a resilience skill. ~ as a conversation starter or as a writing prompt to find out if/how they've used laughter to jump a high hurdle or overcome an obstacle.
Check out this book; I think it'll be the perfect addition to your collection.
Then head to Susanna's blog for today's other PPBF titles.
Update: The evening of the day this posted, my Dad sent a message to me with a quote he'd just read: Perfection is the enemy of good.
We are all connected, aren't we ...
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Singing My Song
Today I'm excited because the leaf-sized hearts, filled with the things we're grateful for, are filling up this tree in the entrance to our school.
The most beautiful, heartfelt things.
Families & friends.
Sunshine & rain.
God & Jesus.
Gratitude, from the bottom of our students' hearts.
I can't wait to share a picture of it once it's complete.
I'm also eager to share this recap of my visit to
Charlotte Anderson Elementary in Arlington, Texas, last week.
I arrived on Thursday evening in time for Family Character Night. Picture the scene: 50 families coming together for dinner, for a singing performance by their kids, and for some time with an author and character educator, me. The coolest part is that those angelic voices were singing one of my songs.
On stage.
Live.
To me.
I wish you could have been there to hear them singing my song,
the one called Talk, Walk, Then Tell,
set to the music of The Chicken Dance:
If a bully bothers you,
and you don't know what to do,
out at recess or in school,
talk, walk, then tell.
I'll be a buddy, not a bully.
I'll be a friend and take a stand.
I can swarm or go get a grown-up,
so we can all lend a helping hand.
What an honor, to have those superheroes singing my song. It was a hard act to follow, that's for sure. For my part of the program, I chose to read aloud Maria Dismondy's Chocolate Milk Por Favor, and intersperse the text with a few of my other poems, ditties, and songs. I drew a parallel between my story about Carlos (how he came to live on our farm not knowing a lick of English and how his predicament taught me empathy) and Gabe in Maria's masterpiece. When I'd finished, a young boy came to thank me, and his mom shared that that was his story just two years prior, coming to America to school and not speaking the language. Then she asked if she could take a picture of her children with me.
Be still my beating heart.
Friday was equally as heartwarming. I played my ukulele as students arrived at school. They'd stop to talk - Thank you for the music. - and ask questions - Do you get paid to play that for us? and more questions - Wait, are you the author? And I felt right at home, in my element.
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| Kindness: The writing's on the wall at CAE. |
Routines changed a bit that morning because the school was on an early dismissal schedule that day but it didn't seem to phase the kiddos one bit. I met them in the gym where they were sitting respectfully and the Art teacher and I led an impromptu ukulele-guitar sing-along using the song You Are My Sunshine. Such an AmAzInG way to launch into a fantastic Friday!
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| Don't you love the kid-friendly LOOK? |
I spent two hours with the Character Crew before being interviewed by this Viking News Network Crew. Here are two excerpts from that time with them; prepare to be WoWed by these articulate budding reporters.
I truly could have visited with them all afternoon, without question. After their dismissal and our lunch, I led a two-hour afternoon session with the staff on school climate. Before I was whisked away to the airport, I was given a very special gift, one that I'll never forget. The CAE school family has commissioned a Buddy Bench to be built and installed on their playground in my honor. Such a generous gesture of caring, support, kindness, enthusiasm and love.
Oh yeah, they're singing my song alright.
Who's singing your song?
Monday, November 16, 2015
A 'Tweet' Way To Give Thanks
Today I'm grateful because Free Spirit Press invited me to be a guest blogger in their Counselor's Corner column while Danielle is away on maternity leave. My first post for them, After The Trauma: Treating PTSD in Children, is now live.
I'm also happy because of the fun I had with this idea:
It's gratitude with a twist because I put this basket in the staff lounge ... at my old school, to 'tweet' my former faculty, to #CelebrateMonday by being thankful.
Author Douglas Wood said it best: We don't give thanks because we are happy. We are happy because we give thanks.
I also updated my Connections Countdown calendar with a few new connection ideas as we prepare for the holiday season.
Might be kind of cool to give your students a blank copy
and see what innovative ideas they'd like to try.
Megan over at Coffee Cups and Crayons has something similar, a Random Acts of Christmas Kindness calendar; click {here} to download hers.
Even NBC is climbing aboard the Kind-Acts Train.
Finally, check out this Gratitude Experiment clip.
I think you'll be glad that you did.
How did you #CelebrateMonday?
Friday, October 30, 2015
Can You Stay?
With another Red Ribbon Week celebration in the books,
I'm tucked in comfortably on my couch, reflecting.
I'm tucked in comfortably on my couch, reflecting.
One of my all-time favorite days of the school year is the day we set aside for our Hometown Heroes Pep Rally. This year marked our 15-year-anniversary of this celebration. We invited members of our High School football team to open up car doors and greet our students as they arrived for school. The smiles on our star-struck students said more than my words possibly could.
Inside the gym, our superhero role models signed autographs before school.
The gym was packed with FHS role models from the band, most sport teams, the color guard, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the student council, and the Peer Assistance and Leadership students, all there to remind their littlest fans about the importance of making healthy choices, not just this week, but for life.
I seriously did not think the week could get much better.
Until this morning.
I was invited to be a mystery reader in Jennifer Collins' first-grade class. I chose the book The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin.
Until this morning.
I was invited to be a mystery reader in Jennifer Collins' first-grade class. I chose the book The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin.
I took my ukulele so I could play and sing the last two pages. It was the cutest thing when they sang with me: Maybe one day we'll all discover, that you can't judge a book ~ or a pumpkin ~ by its cover.
Then a little girl whom I can't say I recognized raised her hand. I thought that she might have a connection. Or a story to tell. Instead, she had a question:
Can you stay?
Can you stay?
Well, dear reader, let me just say that words can't adequately describe how it felt, to hear those beautiful words of affirmation. And it got me to thinking about some other three-word phrases that people might need to hear more often.
Three words that send a heart soaring.
Three words that someone might be waiting for.
Three transformational words.
Here are a few of those phrases that I think could positively impact a moment, a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, a lifetime.
*I see you.
*Are you okay?
*Let me help.
*Come with me.
*I forgive you.
*I am sorry.
*Please forgive me.
*You're a light.
*You're a light.
*I admire you.
*Let's be friends.
*Help me understand.
*Tell me more.
*Help me understand.
*Tell me more.
*You're so caring.
*I trust you.
*You inspire me.
*I miss you.
*Let's get together.
*Please be careful.
*I appreciate you.
*I am grateful.
*Thank you kindly.
*You come first.
*I love you.
*Please stay longer.
*Be the reason.
*Be the reason.
Don't those three little words feel AmAzInG?
What would you add to this list?
And who do you know that needs to hear these from you?
Before I sleep, a few resources to wrap up Red Ribbon Week, starting with this visual display that the first-grade team put up ...
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and some energy-saving tips from our district Energy Guy. |
Watch Fresno Unified District's Human Kind masterpiece {here}.
And check out the newbie bullying-prevention emoji.
And check out the newbie bullying-prevention emoji.
What a week!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Keep It Golden
Our favorite ventriloquist, Dennis Lee, traveled to Friendswood to help us kick off Red Ribbon Week, and look who he brought with him to remind us that as we travel through life and as we write and tell our story that we should always be mindful to keep it golden.
Wolf E. and Sweetie Pie
and Nicholas, oh my!
They talked with us about moving from me to we ...
and reminded us that everybody has somebody who loves them.
We loved how he spelled the word LOVE out of his props so much that we drew it in our some of our reflections.
Spending the day with ventriloquist Dennis Lee is a special treat that we've looked forwarded to with delight and anticipation every year for the past fifteen. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and your camera and join us in Wolf E. Lodge, where you'll enjoy a few memories from this year's show.
Thank you, Dennis Lee, for the booster shot of laughter and love.
Friday, October 23, 2015
PPBF: The Rechargeables
How was your Character Counts! Week? Since many pay-it-forward opportunities came my way, my heart is overflowing with delight. Next week is National Red Ribbon Week, our chance to spotlight saying no to drugs and alcohol and yes to healthy choices, perfect timing for today's PPBF pick.
Title: The Rechargeables Eat Move Sleep
Author: Tom Rath
Illustrator: Carlos Aon
Publisher: Missionday, LLC
Date: May 5, 2015
Suitable for: ages 3-8
Themes: healthy choices, energy, hope
Realistic Fiction
Brief synopsis: In the village of Verve (don't you love that name?), the people are running on empty. Can one little girl help them recharge?
Opening page: In the village of Verve, a mysterious thing has occurred ... all of the people are completely still.
*Compare and contrast the book with the people in this clip
from Pixar's Wall-E.
Why I like this book: In this clever reality check, brilliantly illustrated by Aon, children will journey through the pages with Poppy and Simon as they not only yearn to reawaken the life that they've slowly seen slip away in Verve, but actually look for and find ways to make it happen.
Today's pick beautifully complements Tom Rath's first picture book, How Full Is Your Bucket for Kids, which was all about taking care of our hearts and refueling our emotional reserve using a bucket-filling metaphor. This one's message about the health of our bodies is supercharged using the battery metaphor. Just like with a battery's power, our energy wears down and we need to recharge to stay in the game, to be fully present. When we start to run on empty, we owe it to ourselves (and others!) to plug in to healthy habits like eating the right foods, drinking plenty of water, getting adequate amounts of sleep, and engaging in meaningful movement so we can be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
To maximize learning.
And growth.
So that we can serve.
And lead.
There's so much food for thought in this little nugget; follow the read-aloud with a goal-setting session after discussing what steps your students think they (and their family members) could take in order to positively recharge and live life with more verve.
I'm super excited and grateful that my friend Shelley at The Write Stuff Teaching blog has generously donated one of her Mindful Bodies, Mindful Learning packets to one lucky reader of this post, so leave a comment and we'll randomly select the recipient from all of today and tomorrow's reflections.
This offer has now ended and the winners have been selected. Thank you all for your reflections.
Oh, and don't forget to check out today's other
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