Learn how to create a peaceful and effective Calm Corner to help children self-regulate in your classroom or home.
CREATE A TRAUMA INFORMED CLASSROOM This Classroom Values, Expectations & Rules Poster & Banner Kit was designed to build community, foster a trauma sensitive classroom environment, and add a bit joy-filled cuteness to your room. Each expectation, value & and rule delineates positive behaviors and empowering beliefs that support a successful and safe classroom experience. Aligns with your Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) practices and proactive classroom management system. Plus, all banners and rule cards are editable, too! The underlying belief and philosophy which guided the creation of this resource is this: Every child is lovable, belongs and is doing the very best that they can given the resources and skills that they have at any given moment. What's Included ✔ 20 Rules, Expectations, Beliefs & Guideposts ✔ Ready to Print & Display Posters (portrait & landscape) ✔ Ready to Print & Display Rule Cards (full page & half page) ✔ Ready to Print & Display Banner Flags (full page & half page) ✔ EDITABLE Rule Cards and Banner Flags (PowerPoint files) ✔ 3 worksheet and writing prompt activities to choose from ✔ Lesson Ideas and Teaching Tips ✔ Full Color, Light Color & Black/White Printing Options, too!! ✔ 4 Heading/Title Choices: In Our Classroom, In Our School, Our Classroom Expectations & Our Classroom Rules. Ideas for Use: •Hang posters & banners in your classroom to remind students of what they CAN do, that they belong, are safe, important and cared for •Fun Bulletin Board Display •School Counseling Office Decor •Back to School lessons •Use Black/White posters and banners as classroom coloring activity •Prompts for Morning Meeting discussions and Community Building ❤️If you like the graphics in this resource and are looking for a new Calm Corner resource, or would like to expand on your already existing one, be sure to check out: ⭐Our Classroom Calm Corner Toolbox ⭐Breathing Exercises for Kids: Book & Task Cards for Calm Corner ⭐Self-Regulation Coping Tools Desk Reference Name Tags ⭐Feelings Check-In and Calming Strategies Choice Board ⭐Feelings Card Games
Do you know these paintings or who painted them? Guess and discuss. This conversation worksheet with 10 photos of paintings and 9 conversation questions can be used as a basis for an informal discussion about art, paintings, museums and more. It can be used for Internet research and/or giving short presentations as well. Teacher notes included. - ESL worksheets
Our Calm Down Corner Kit has 100 mindfulness coping tools & SEL activities that help students self-regulate; great for classroom management.
Today I'm energized because I've been working on my keynote and breakout session for my trip to Indiana next week. I've been invited to work with and grow alongside their school counselors, who've chosen the Starfish Thrower as their conference theme; the amazing Julie Woodard created this Sketchnote from things that I learned from my Starfish through the years. What I find as I craft these growth sessions is that our work, and life really, is all about relationships. Truly. That's it. It's about how we treat people. Not that that's easy. At all. But once we have established our why, our what and our how can fall in place more handily. For sure. Last week when I was asked to pitch a proposal for Region 5 in Beaumont, I found myself thinking of all things SEL. Here's what I came up with: A School Counselor's SEL Smorgasbord: If you're looking for a day-long growth session that will fortify what's already on your plate with engagement and empowerment strategies that you can use in your character building as soon as you get back, then this interactive, high-energy workshop is for you. Prepare to be positively inspired and intentionally moved by the wisdom, enthusiasm, and joy that veteran school counselor Barbara Gruener brings to a room. Soar on in to stretch and grow with this passionate life coach, mentor, and author in the areas of mindset, emotional regulation, character development, mindfulness and self-care. Cape up and unleash the power within with us. There will be an elementary day and a secondary day; won't it be fun to plan for those sessions? Then it got me to thinking that you, my dear reader, may want to grab a plate and jump in line at the SEL Smorgasbord. First, my friend Houston Kraft wrote this epic piece on building emotional vocabularies and elevating empathy. What a promising practice, to invite students to mark the spot on the emotions chart that aligns with how they're feeling that day. Imagine how your teaching might change, transform even, with this insightful information. Next, today's Character Speaks episode featuring Canadian kindergarten teacher Laurie McIntosh will blow you away. I have listened three times and each time don't want the interview to stop. I especially connected with the part where Laurie battles fear and uncertainty with kindness, an incredible antidote for anxiety. Then, as a part of the ongoing Friendswood ISD SEL movement, high school students are producing student-led PSAs; I'm so proud of my former student, Elizabeth, and everyone who helped bring this goodness to life. For the FISD comprehensive list of SEL resources, click {here}. Check out my SEL Pinterest Board {here}. Visit the Zen Zone at Quincy Elementary for a mindful moment. Next, my Twitter friend Kristin Wiens creates {and then makes them available at no cost} these incredible Sketches {here}. Talk about the generosity of walking the talk. It's goodness in motion, for sure. Speaking of goodness in motion, have you seen this clip featuring Andrew Sokatch from the Character Lab and his bicycle metaphor? Their statistic about only teaching content meaning only reaching 30-50% of a child's needs reminds me of this Liberty insurance commercial in which your insurance will only fix a portion of your total-loss car: "What are you supposed to do, drive three quarters of a car?" Newsela just launched an SEL component to help teachers organically teach relevant topics while simultaneously covering curriculum requirements. The topics cover self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building and responsible decision making-all designed for targeted age groups from K-12 and available as a free and a for-purchase option. Finally, for our learners in the upper grades, check out this title from our friends at Free Spirit Publishing. So many stellar supports on our SEL smorgasbord; what's a go-to favorite on your plate to help your students thrive?
Practice words of feelings with your students with this fun cut out worksheet!
Encourage language development, while fostering fine motor skills, following directions and other functional life skills. Cooking in the classroom with visual recipes, step by step recipes to foster those super important life skills, and work on those IEP goals and objectives... all at the same time!
Here are the most useful expressions of classroom language that will enhance your classroom workflow and keep students happy.
Hello! This is Tanya from Teaching Music: Tanya's Kodály Aspiring Blog talking today. Several grades in my school are currently focused on standardized testing this week and, honestly, there is a feeling of stress radiating off the classroom teachers and many students. This has caused me to refocus on a few basic ideas that are important in my music classroom. What do I do with my students that will contribute to their growth as people? There is a well known quote from Maya Angelou that I think rings true: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." My goal is to make them feel joyful, empowered, and confident through music. I have a faded purple notecard pinned above my desk that has lived there since I saw Julie Swank present a ROCKE workshop in 2006. Julie Swank spoke of how she aimed to include these 3 activities in every class every day. This really resonated with me and right after her workshop I wrote out this purple card and tacked it up on my wall. Here are a few reasons and examples: 1. Sing (Of course!) If you are reading this blog, I'm assuming you already understand the value and importance of singing. In tune, artistic, musical singing is a skill that can be taught and learned. Our communities should be reminded frequently that singing is a skill and not a magical talent that some have and others do not. If our society valued singing as much as we value reading and writing, and our schools and families were focused on strengthening singing, wouldn't everyone be able to sing? (I realize I am preaching to the choir!) In my music class, we will sing in every class. When we are playing recorders in 3rd and 4th grade we sing our recorder pieces on solfa and letter names first. There are many strategies to get students singing and keep them singing. (Aileen gave some excellent examples of how to incorporate more singing throughout the class period.) Fun, non-sensical, quality songs can be included to turn kids on to the joy of singing. As Ella Fitzgerald said: "The only thing better than singing is more singing." Here's a 4th grade favorite song, The Hippopotamus. It's a good song for anacrusis and tim ka (dotted eighth sixteenth), and students love singing it in canon. It can be found in Katinka Daniel's Kodály Approach Book 4: 2. Connect Julie Swank mentioned that she uses the word "connect" rather than "join hands." I like the term "connect" because when we engage in a dance or play party that is what occurs; we are communicating and connecting with others. Sometimes a new student will come to my school and is initially taken aback by all the "connecting" that happens in music. Once he sees that this is the norm and everyone is doing it, he joins in. (We take hands, not sleeves or wrists, please.) Students most likely won't be joining hands during math class or during reading. Even during team sports they will not get to work together in same way a folk dance, a singing game, or a play party, requires. What a great opportunity we have in music to show the social bonding and community building that can happen with music! So yes, we will connect! This week my 3rd graders are letting off steam after their testing with the dance Galopede from the Amidons Chimes of Dunkirk. 1. Solo Why solo? These are my top two reasons: Students improve their skills at a faster rate than if they are only performing within a group Solos build independent, confident singers who begin to feel comfortable taking musical risks There are many songs with solo opportunities. Yo Ho, I Pull the Anchor is a favorite with older students. (The opportunity to pull on a big, heavy rope with classmates sure is enticing!) This is another great tim-ka song. I have a collection of finger puppets that I pull out for short solo singing activities. My collection is a bit out of control, I have more than one for each student in my largest class, but hey, if they continue to increase my class size at least I'll be prepared with finger puppets. Once upon a time Starbucks sold seasonal finger puppets, (they came atop sticks of candy,), and I just could not stop buying them! You can play Who Has The _______? with anything, when I was student teaching, my cooperating teaching used every opportunity to connect with classroom themes and students sang. "Who has the igneous rock?" "Who has the sedimentary rock?" "Who has the metamorphic rock?" I'd rather use my Beatles's edition finger puppets: In the younger grades many solos are not sung, but very short spoken solos within chants. A good example is Rooms to Rent. Rooms to Rent Rooms to rent, apply within. When I move out let _________ move in! Solo work is not regulated to singing; there are many opportunities for students to solo as the drummer who chooses our tempo, the xylophone player who plays the ostinato, or the hand chime player who accompanies with a simple harmony. I want my students to build their musical independence and feel good about making music. Have a great week!
Help your students begin to explore historical fiction with this collection of resources that are just right for intermediate classrooms!
Section general grammar tips. Teaching English online has become more and more popular in recent years. Through the following courses below, we will show you how to adapt your existing skills and knowledge to suit this specific area of the teaching world.
Section speaking tips. Teaching English online has become more and more popular in recent years. Through the following courses below, we will show you how to adapt your existing skills and knowledge to suit this specific area of the teaching world.
This is an easy classroom activity to encourage your ESL students to speak in English. All you have to do is cut out these fish with the questions to play.
Bullying is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days when anything goes wrong between peers. It is our job to make sure students understand what constitutes bullying in order for them to use it appropriately when uncomfortable or unsafe circumstances arise. With my fourth graders I handed out a quick 10-question true/false survey to find out what they already knew about bullying: Then I created a chart, inspired by fellow blogger Mrs. Sinclair, that clearly identified the differences between teasing, conflict, a mean moment and bullying. You can download a copy of it here. After discussing this, I elaborated further on the definition of bullying by using Savvy School Counselor's "The A, B, C, and D of Bullying" poster: I called out different scenarios and had each table discuss and come to consensus on where it feel on the chart. We spent time debating and advocating for where it would best fit under by utilizing the criteria for each. Some examples included: Martin called Tom a freak. Each morning Sam tells Jarod he has to let him copy his homework or Sam will embarrass him in front of the whole class Sue rolled her eyes at Kendra when she walked into the room Every day at lunch Sarah tells Joan whom she can sit with at lunch Finally, we went through the original bullying survey to see how accurate we were and if we had any further questions. I made students a copy of both the handouts as well as printing out a color poster of each for the teacher to post in the room.
There's more to the instrument than "Mary Had A Little Lamb.”
As part of our SEL curriculum through Second Step, students learn about the S.T.E.P. method for solving their everyday problems. The last 7...
Let's take a look at how to correctly use
Hidden pictures is an amazing and fun way to revise vocabulary, colours, shapes, etc. Students love these activities!Hope you really enjoy this as much my students have enjoyed it! - ESL worksheets
Make worksheets using programs you probably already have! These 6 steps will get you started creating your own resources today!
Relationships are at the heart of all we do as teachers. Knowing how to build positive relationships with students is a cornerstone teaching skill. If you think back to the teachers you had who really influenced you in a positive way and had an impact on your learning you will probably not remember the content of what they taught you. What you will remember is the way they treated you, how you felt in their class and the types of interactions you had.
In fifth grade, the classroom teachers and I are piggy-backing off of each other to reinforce Sean Covey's The Seven Habits of Healthy Kids ...
Classroom commands - ESL worksheets
Tonight I'm enjoying the sound of wind chimes through the window as the winds shift and winter blows back in. It's cold outside, so I'm staying bundled up inside and checking in just long enough to share a bulletin board I made today, to complement a lesson I'll be starting tomorrow on friendship. And, before I unplug again, some reflections on friendship: Making and keeping friends is an important skill for children to learn. Not only are friends fun to have around, but healthy attachments are an important part of a child's experience in school. Children that can form friendships tend to adjust to the school experience better because they're more likely to develop self-esteem and build important social skills, like getting along, cooperating and problem-solving. Since students don't come to school with these skills neatly tucked away in their backpack, we must be modeling, teaching, and practicing them in our day-to-day interactions right alongside of and, dare I say it, woven into academic content. How do you help your children find friends that fit? Here are some goals that friends can work on as new relationship opportunities present themselves: *Cooperate and be kind to others. *Be willing to play fairly, take turns, and share. *Listen to others' ideas. *Apologize and forgive one another. *Express feelings appropriately. Use "I" statements to share how you're feeling and what you need from your friends. *Practice empathy to respond to friends' feelings in an understanding, helpful way. *Be honest and loyal to your friends. *Keep a positive attitude and hang out with friends who uplift you. *Show respect. Be the kind of friend that you would want to have. *Express gratitude and appreciation. Encourage your children to choose one of these goals at a time to work on as they learn how each one looks, sounds, and feels in their world at their age. Remember that how these goals play out will change slightly through the ages and stages. Talk with your child(ren) about the qualities that they look for in a friend. Ask questions like these: *How did you decide on those qualities? *What do you usually do to make a new friend? *What advice would you give a classmate who is having a hard time making friends? *Would you want to be your friend? Why or why not? *What qualities do you have to offer to someone that might make you a good-fit friend? To enrich the discussion, have students trace their hands onto a paper, left on one side, right on the other. On the right hand, have them write five strengths that they bring to a friendship. On the other hand, have them write five areas for growth, things that they could do better in their friendships. If you don't have access to paper-pen supplies, partners can put their hands together as if they're giving a high-five and take the Five Finger Friendship Challenge aloud. Finally, check out these resources for additional friendship tips: 1. Do Kids Need Friends? 2. The Art of Boosting Your Child's Friendship Skills 3. Fostering Friendships
Use these STEM Experiments in your classroom to engage your students! Free from The Curriculum Corner and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Check out these tips and tricks that school counselors can use for effective classroom management with a trauma-informed lens.
This educational poster features a clock for telling time in a stylish, boho-inspired design. It's perfect for decorating a child's room, playroom, or Montessori classroom. The neutral color palette and simple yet attractive layout make it easy to read and understand, while the digital download format allows for easy printing and display. Whether you're teaching skills or simply looking for a fun and educational decoration, this poster is a great choice. Whether you're a teacher, homeschooling parent, or simply looking for an educational decoration for your child's space, this poster is a fantastic choice. It's an excellent tool for reinforcing early language skills and helping your child develop a strong foundation for future learning. This products contains 1 poster with a clock. ................................................. This product is a digital download. This means that there will be no delivery of a fysical product. The digital pdf's are immediately available after purchase. ................................................. Do you want to order different posters in the same style? Here you find other posters in the same style: https://www.etsy.com/be/shop/LearningFromTheStars?ref=profile_header§ion_id=42525899 ................................................. All documents can be printed larger or smallers. For example: A2: A3, A4, A5 16"x20": 32"x40", 16cm x 20cm, 40cm x 50cm 36"x48": 18"x24", 15cm x 20cm, 30cm x 40cm 24"x36": 12"x18", 12cm x 18cm, 24 cm x 36cm 22"x28": 11"x14" ................................................. How to print? 1. download the pdf's Desktop computer: Go to "purchases and reviews" in your etsy account and download the documents. Mail: The link to download the documents will be sent to your email immediately. Be sure to check your spam. Gsm: You can't download the print's true the app, go to a browser and follow steps above 2.choose size + the poster you want to print 3. print at home or order online
Maria Dismondy of Be the Difference has started a series of monthly linky parties called Make a Difference Monthly. In case you missed it, I’ve already blogged about empathy and respect. This month’s topic is fairness. I hope my perspective of fairness isn’t too far off from the mainstream because this approach has greatly reduced […]
Today, we welcome back Vicki Clarke with more helpful information on conducting AAC assessments. If you work with individual who are at the early stages of communicative development, this post is f…
Section speaking tips. Teaching English online has become more and more popular in recent years. Through the following courses below, we will show you how to adapt your existing skills and knowledge to suit this specific area of the teaching world.
Do you know these paintings or who painted them? Guess and discuss. This conversation worksheet with 10 photos of paintings and 9 conversation questions can be used as a basis for an informal discussion about art, paintings, museums and more. It can be used for Internet research and/or giving short presentations as well. Teacher notes included. - ESL worksheets
Where in the world were these photos taken? What do you think? Guess and discuss. This conversation worksheet with 2 photos and 18 questions can be used as a basis for an informal discussion about cities, leisure activities, tourism and more. It can be used for Internet research and/or giving short presentations as well. Teacher notes included. - ESL worksheets
