Monday, October 14, 2013

1st Grade Guidance Class- Tower of Trust

This is such a fun lesson because my students get such a kick out of how high they think they can build the "Tower of Trust" before it comes crashing to the ground.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of them and their nervous looking faces as I added brick by brick!

At the beginning of the lesson we talk about what the word trust looks like and 1st graders have EXCELLENT examples of how they can be trusted.  Some of them shared how they can go to a neighbor's house all by themselves to play with a friend, some said that they help their parents cook or bake, some shared how they help with farm and yard work, and some also shared how they have jobs they need to do at their homes and how they do them right away.  I had one little boy tell me that whenever his mom tells him to turn off his Nintendo DS, he turns it off right away, every. single. time.  (I wish I had that happening at my house!)

On index cards students either write or illustrate a way they can be trusted and then we get started by taping them to my big cardboard bricks and building a "Tower of Trust" (which must be said in a loud, ominous voice :).

We have a great discussion about how trust isn't given right away, it must be built brick by brick, behavior by behavior.  We then talk about how 1 negative behavior affects the tower of trust, and if that happens over and over again, what kind of mess we are left with when it comes crashing to the ground.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

3rd Grade Guidance Class- Friendship Pie

In third grade I am encouraging students to think about what kinds of characteristics make good friends, and a great book to help get us thinking about this is, Enemy Pie by Derek Munson.  In this book a new boy moves into the neighborhood and becomes the narrator's #1 enemy.  Thankfully, his dad has an old recipe for Enemy Pie that helps get rid of them.  All that he must do is spend one entire day with the new kid, and then have enemy pie for dessert.  Soon, the narrator realizes that Jeremy Ross is actually a friend and that enemy pie is really delicious.



After reading the story, students we able to create their own "Friendship Pie" recipes using ingredients that make friendships delicious too!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Denver Defender Bulletin Board

Each month I try to add a new bulletin board to the hallway on the way to the cafeteria.  This month I am really focusing on ways that students can be a Defender (stand up for others) WITHOUT having to say much- or say anything at all.  Some kids think that they aren't bold enough to be a defender, but ANYONE can do it!





Monday, October 7, 2013

4th Grade Guidance Class- Reframing

I always start this lesson off by saying how excited I am to be able to teach my 4th graders a very "fancy" counseling word that I learned in my Master's program.  Kids think that this is pretty cool and get excited to learn a college word!

We then get started with learning about "reframing".  Being able to give a negative experience or conversation a positive spin, is a wonderful skill to have.  Students can begin to see the bigger picture in things that they are going through, and look at things through different lenses.


I read one of my very favorite stories, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.  We then go through the book and work at reframing Alex's negative experiences from his day into something more positive.

Lastly, students work together in small groups to create a skit to perform to the class that displays reframing.  Examples that they have to choose from are: "My brother won't stay out of my room", "My parents won't let me go see the new scary movie", "I got an F on my test", "I didn't get what I wanted for my birthday", "I didn't get invited to the bowling party" or, "My friends wouldn't play with me at recess".  You can probably only imagine how much fun they have with this task!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

5th Grade Guidance Class- Memory Banks


ON THE BOARD I WRITE:

“Our words and actions today create memories that will fill others’ memory banks tomorrow.”

Students are asked to think about acts of kindness, respect, or helpfulness that have taken place in the classroom recently.  Many students gave each other compliments on things that they have noticed.

Then I hold up the Memory Bank.  This represents the “memory bank” each of us has inside.  The things we say and do now will go into people’s memory banks, sometimes forever.

Students pair up and then are asked to think of a time they were treated in a mean way, sharing with their partner what happened and how it made them feel without using real names.  Then students are asked to think of a positive memory that’s stored in their memory banks of someone who was kind to them. 

Lastly, students think about their own place in other people’s memory banks.  I ask them how they would like to be remembered by others.

WE have the power to create positive memories of ourselves through kind words and actions.  If we treat someone in a hurtful or unkind way, how will we be remembered?

HAVE STUDENTS CLOSE THEIR EYES: IMAGINE IT IS 10 YEARS FROM NOW.  THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU NOW ARE REMEMBERING YOU BACK IN 5TH GRADE.  WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY ABOUT YOU?  HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED BY THEM?