Follow your passions!

My dad was a high school football coach and the town's physical education director. He was an amazing man who taught many things to many people. 

Most of all, he taught me the importance of being passionate about some things.

Everyone needs to be passionate about something. Having passions and hobbies benefit us in many ways:

1. Stress Relief: Engaging in activities you love helps relieve stress and provides a mental break from daily responsibilities. Hobbies like painting, gardening, or playing sports can be calming and therapeutic.
2. Personal Growth: Hobbies allow you to learn new skills, challenge yourself, and grow as an individual. They can also build self-confidence as you achieve milestones or improve at something.
3. Creativity and Expression: Passions give people an outlet to express their creativity. Whether it's through music, art, or crafting, they provide a way to communicate emotions and ideas that might be difficult to express otherwise.
4. Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment: Being passionate about something gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It helps you feel accomplished and motivates you to pursue personal goals.
5. Improved Mental Health: Many studies show that people who actively engage in hobbies and passions are more likely to experience higher levels of happiness and mental well-being. Hobbies provide joy, distraction, and a sense of achievement.

Many of us are passionate about many things! It's lovely when one of our passions is also our chosen career, but in most cases, our passions won't pay the bills. As teachers, we are probably passionate about teaching. (Why else would we do it?) But I'll bet most of us aren't passionate about everything to do with the job. Plus, I'm sure there are plenty of other passions among us. 

Our students need to develop passions and hobbies for the exact same reasons. I'm sure you're already seeing some of these passions appearing in your classroom!

We all know those kids who are passionate about sports:

Not only are many little ones participating in many of these sports, but many also enjoy watching them! Despite my dad being a football coach, I've never been a big football fan, but I sure do love watching the Red Sox!

If you have any sports fans in your classroom, try some of these sports-related skill-building games: 

Sports Learning Games

I'm pretty sure you know which kids in your class are passionate about visual arts!

There may be a few who haven't figured out what they're passionate about yet. As teachers (and parents), it's up to us to expose them to many things so they can begin to develop their own passions.

The performing arts are my personal passion! I'm a big musical theater fan and love a good song and dance! Yes, I can sing, act, and even tap dance!

Many students, particularly some of the shy ones, seem to come alive when performing! These kiddos really benefit from group songs, reader's theater, and presenting research or sharing in front of the class.

Who doesn't love exercise? 

Even though I'm not athletic, I love many forms of exercise, and I'm sure your students do, too!

As teachers, we hope your students develop a passion for reading, but this isn't always true. 

We can help them learn to enjoy reading by directing them toward different kinds of reading. 

Writing can also be a passion for many people. (As a blogger, you probably know that I'm a fan of writing!))

Sometimes just offering a different kind of writing helps them learn to enjoy writing!  

If you're looking for more ideas for writing in the classroom, try some of these:

Writing Resources

I'll bet you know plenty of people with a passion for cooking!

Although cooking isn't typically part of the classroom curriculum, it's a wonderful experience for many children in so many ways! For one thing, most recipes include math and reading directions. Plus, it's a life skill! Cooking has its own reward: you get to eat what you make!

There are many rewards in gardening. My dad (the football coach) often came home from coaching a game and would find solace in his garden.

Children LOVE gardening; some of those little ones have "green thumbs!" Growing a garden can be very educational and bring great joy.

Most kids LOVE animals. I think I've had one or two students who were passionate about horses in every class I've had. My sister was one of these, and we both went to horseback riding lessons frequently. To this day, she still owns horses.

After a couple of months of school, you can probably name the pets of most of your students, right?

Who doesn't love nature? There are several benefits to being outside in nature, including improved mental health, improved memory, improved sleep, and even boosting Vitamin D levels!

Here are a couple of articles about the benefits of nature:

Nurtured by Nature

How Can Nature Benefit My Mental Health?

How Connecting With Nature Benefits Our Mental Health

In other words, get those kiddos outside! 

In case you're interested, here are a couple of posts I've written about my dad:

What does a non-athletic girl learn from a football coach?

Speaking of Heroes

I'm sure you recognize many of your students in the passions and hobbies I've listed, but I hope you also recognize some of your own passions. Plus, these lists are only the beginning!

What are your passions?

Baseball Fun and Learning!

I'm so excited that baseball season is finally here! Baseball means spring! 

 After a tough winter, anything that means spring is OK by me! 

 

I've been doing a lot of baseball reading this week, in honor of the opening of baseball season. Here are some favorites: 

• H is for Homerun: a Baseball Alphabet
• My Baseball Book
• Goodnight Baseball
• Play Ball!
• The Lucky Baseball Bat
• Babe Ruth Saves Baseball
• The Berenstain Bears Go Out for the Team
• Baseball Ballerina
• Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia
• Pete the Cat: Play Ball

Baseball and April bring another opportunity: It's National Poetry Month! What a great opportunity to write Diamantes!

Why Diamantes?  Because they are shaped like diamonds!(Get it? baseball diamonds?)

Or check out this resource, with plenty of examples and options!

Speaking of shapes... a baseball diamond could be called a square or a rhombus, but did you realize home plate is shaped like a pentagon?

Have you noticed, when we connect learning to sports, all those little boys perk up?  (Many of the little girls do, too!)

I have a resource I'm VERY excited about called Baseball Geography! 

These are all task cards based on the locations of major league baseball teams! I had such a blast putting this together, and so far my students can't get enough! Plus, they're really getting to know the locations on the US maps!

Here are a couple of other baseball-themed games I've got:

Baseball Antonyms combines a couple of popular games with antonym practice. 

Plus, I have a couple of BINGO games with a baseball theme:

Home Run Two Digit Addition gives the children practice adding 2 two-digit numbers, along with a little strategy. 

 

Home Run Two Syllable Words is a similar BINGO game, but this one gives the children practice reading two-syllable words. 

The students LOVE these BINGO games! 

Come to think of it, they love any time I combine learning with sports!

And, of course, there's one more! A bundle of all of the baseball-themed activities:

How do you integrate sports into the learning process?

What Does a Non-Athletic Girl Learn From a Football Coach?

It hardly seems there is much of anything that a non-sports type like me might learn from a football coach, but I'm living proof that a football coach can teach plenty that has nothing to do with the gridiron.

I've been thinking a lot about my dad today. He would be 97 today if he were still alive.

My dad was a football coach. I never had much luck with sports, although I was expected to participate back then. (It was very frustrating since I was downright awful!) 

However, I learned a whole lot about life from my dad! So did his players!

Optimism! My dad taught his players to believe in successful outcomes. "I can, and I will!"

Empathy! My father taught his players to show empathy for the losing team and, on rare occasions, the winning team. (Our team rarely lost!)

Creativity! Although football players learn drills and plays, there are plenty of times on the field they need to think for themselves and create their own path. 

Grit! Playing football involves courage and strength of character. He taught them to work hard to attain their goals. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!"

Self-Control! Football players need control and discipline to perform as a team. It takes willpower to put personal emotions and impulses aside and focus on the task at hand!

Resilience! No matter how often they were tackled, they got up and tried again!

Wait... those qualities—optimism, empathy, creativity, grit, self-control, and resilience—aren't important skills for all kids to learn?

Although they're not actually part of the curriculum, don't you think these are important for children to learn?

Clip Charts, Yay or Nay?

Many teachers use a clip chart for behavior management in their classrooms. I know of many parents and teachers who have strong feelings about these clip charts.

 

 

 

Here are some of the arguments against the clip charts:

 

1. It's too public.

2. It upsets children when their clip is moved down.

3. They don't change behavior.

4. It's negative.

Well, despite all these beliefs, I use a clip chart in my classroom, and I love it!  Here's why:

1. It holds the students accountable for their actions.

2. It gives the children a chance to change things around.

3. It motivates the children to want to do well.

4. It's positive and honest.

Does it sound like some of my reasons for using it are conflicting with some of the reasons some have for not using it?

Well, I think the difference lies in the execution. 

I find the clip chart to be a positive experience because I make sure it is a positive experience. 

Most of the time, most of my students end the day well above green, and very rarely does a student end the day below green. 

If they do end below green, then they must have needed that communication. 

Do you know who else needs that communication? 

The other students in the class. 

They see the inappropriate behaviors in the classroom. It makes them feel insecure and sometimes scared if the child isn't held accountable for their actions. When they see that the teacher does something about inappropriate behavior, it makes them feel more secure. 

When I have to move a clip down, I make it clear that the child made a bad decision and is NOT a bad child. Then I repeat one of my famous phrases: "You have the power to change this!"

Then I make a point to find them doing something well, and make sure that clip gets moved in the right direction.  

It's all about positive execution! 

The teacher has the power to make it a positive experience or a negative experience. I choose to make it positive.

I have a music theme in my classroom, so I designed this Clip Chart System:

 

It has music pictures and music themed words like "Rhythmic Day", and the most desired level: "Symphonic Day". It's tough to get to that top level, but I make sure it happens, and I make sure even the most challenging kids find their way to the top level. 

For children who struggle, there is a more private option.

Each day, the children record where they end the day. Each week, they do a self evaluation and choose a goal for the week.   Sometimes they do need a little help coming up with appropriate goals, but sometimes I am amazed at how insightful these goals can be!

There is also another incentive built into my clip chart system:

Beanie Babies!

Depending on where they end up at the end of the day on the clip chart, they'll get to start the next day with a certain amount of beanies on their desk! It may seem like a little thing, but this is HUGE with my second graders! Those beanie babies are like trophies to those little guys!

I've been using beanie babies as rewards for years now, and I've never had a class that didn't love them. Yes, they play with them at first, but they don't want to lose the privilege of the beanie, so they learn real fast to leave it alone.

All in all, I love the clip chart system, but it is indeed a lot of work to make it work in a positive manner. 

If you're interested in the Clip Chart System I use, See the image above or see THIS LINK.

I also have a version of the clip chart with a sports theme!

 

 

Click the image or click HERE to see this resource!

I also use other methods of classroom management such as the scoreboard from Whole Brain Teaching but I believe in the Clip Chart because I make it work!