I admit that I loved each and every one of them, but the combination of kids was really exhausting. I had behavior challenges, learning challenges, and a whole lot of kiddos who needed to talk and who needed to move a whole lot! They needed plenty of attention and plenty of opportunities to let off steam.
I've faced all these challenges before, but I've never had so many challenges all at once in one group!
After that year, I made sure I enjoyed these luxuries during the summer:
-extra cups of coffee - while they're still warm
-relaxed conversations with grown-ups
-reading books written for adults
-eating breakfast in my jammies
-going to the gym, with the energy to work out
and most of all...
-peeing when I need to!
However, I also spent a considerable amount of time thinking about that group and trying to come up with ideas that I could implement at the beginning of the year to prevent some of the issues I had encountered.
My dad always taught me:
And that's just what I planned to do!
After careful consideration, I identified the most important strategies I wanted to focus on in my classroom.
I spent a significant amount of time at the beginning of the school year teaching these strategies for success.
I created posters with explanations for each strategy.
I made one for each of the six strategies and prepared strategy response booklets for the children to record their thoughts.
Be safe
Be respectful!
Be responsible!
Be a team player
Be mindful!
Be an active learner!
As you can see, the posters are available in both color and black and white, allowing kids to color and reflect on them.
Plus, there are other items to share with the children:
These posters for bulletin boards, student "strategy response booklets, and bookmarks help internalize the concepts of each strategy!
I have students complete self-assessments quarterly, usually just before report cards or parent conferences. If their assessment doesn't match mine, we have a talk!
These pages could also be used in interactive notebooks.
My plan was to take a day or two to discuss the meaning of each strategy, list the children's ideas, provide examples and non-examples, and ensure the children truly understood what each strategy meant before they completed that page in their strategy response booklets.
The Mindfulness strategy took a little longer, especially for those who had not participated in mindfulness activities in past classes.
I found a few websites with some excellent explanations and activities to help children understand and practice Mindfulness.
What Happened Next?
After much discussion, we decided on a gesture for each strategy. Every morning, after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the school chant, my students would recite the 6 Strategies for Success, accompanied by the gestures we had created together. My plan had a significant impact on the classroom community. They were safe, respectful, responsible, team players, mindful, and active learners!
Since I started using this system, my confidence in my students has increased, and their awareness of the social-emotional climate within themselves, as well as among their classmates, has improved significantly.
