Music Tuesday #4

A few songs to check out for the week...

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Modest Mouse - Lampshades on Fire

Kindness #4

This week's kindness video prompt sparked some great conversation. Students connected it to real-life situations which was great.

 Mitchell Marcus Video

#OLW Presentation for My Staff

Yesterday, my colleagues and I had to present something we have done in our classes to the staff. We decided to discuss the One Little Word activity we did when we returned after winter break. Below is the video I made that we showed the staff.

Music Tuesday #3

Some good tunes I am listening to right now...

  Young the Giant - My Body

  Talking Heads - Television Man

Kindness #3 - MLK Jr

Today's kindness-themed video was in relation to Martin Luther King Jr. If you haven't seen Kid President then you must go to youtube and do a search. He is the best!

Music Tuesday #2

Music Tuesdays: My goal is to share tunes that I am listening to right now. Music is a huge part of my life (I DJ on the side) and these songs are in my playlist or are ones I want to recommend.

The Decemberists - Make You Better - just a good, upbeat song. I am looking forward to hearing the rest of this album.

The New Pornographers - Bleeding Heart Show - great song with an awesome ending.

Kindness #2

How Full is Your Bucket?



Another resource used to teach kindness was the book How Full is Your Bucket? The idea behind this book is that each of us has an imaginary bucket. The bucket is full when we are feeling good and having positive moments. The bucket empties when things are not going our way and/or people are being mean. I read the book aloud and the students had to reflect and write about the meaning behind the story. I felt the book made a lasting impression on my 6th graders.

One Little Word...in the classroom

For the past few years, I have started the days after winter break with lessons about resolutions and my One Little Word. I have taken (stolen) ideas from others and now have a pretty lesson plan to introduce the OLW to my students.


First, I like to show them a Year in Review video such as the following just to remind them of the highs & lows of the previous year.

After that I ask them what a resolution means and what the top 5 new years resolutions are?

In no particular order:
1. Quit smoking
2. Lose weight
3. Be more organized
4. Be more spiritual
5. Spend more time with family

I then tell them how almost 90% of people fail and then ask why people fail?
1. Laziness
2. Time
3. Quit

I then start my first activity:  Non-resolutions. I took the idea from Crazy Lady Teacher here. Basically, list the things you will NOT do this year. For example:

I will not travel to Alaska this year.
I will not have another child this year.

Then we share our favorites. Good times!

This leads us to OLW. I explain what it is and then show them this video I found from Holly Mueller at Reading, Teaching, Learning:

After the video, I pull up this emaze for slide #2. It has great questions to think about when deciding on a OLW.

Once words are chosen, students design their construction paper with the word. On the back, they write a paragraph that states:
1. What does the word mean to you. Explain.
2. How will you achieve this goal? What do you need to do?

Here are some pictures of finished student OLW's.

Kindness #1

This year, once a week, I teach a kindness lesson to my 6th graders. I use picture books, videos, articles, poems, etc. I started the year with the awesome book Each Kindness. After each resource is shared, my students will reflect and journal about it. I ask them a guiding questions such as:

1. What is the theme or main idea of the piece?
2. Why is this piece important?
3. Why would I show/read this to you?
4. What is the author trying to teach us?

After a few minutes of writing, we discuss and share our ideas. My goal is to continue teaching kindness throughout the year. Then, in 4th quarter, we will do some sort of final Kindness project/culminating activity. I am still figuring that out.

Here are some resources used so far:

Each Kindness

 Kindness Boomerang

                                              

#OLW - Simplify

My 2015 One Little Word is...Simplify. It comes at the right time as my family is trying to get rid of all the clutter. We have signed up for numerous de-clutter challenges and so far so good. We have created bags for donation, garbage, and recycle. We are reading books on how to Simplify and bring back the peace of a tidy home. We are doing it the konmari way. Simplify seems to be working positively.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

     

Currently, I am reading a book my own brother wrote and published through Amazon. It is called Trader Joe, It is the story of an options trader named Joseph Broad. Trader Joe tells his life story even though it is more of a memoir on my brother's life during the 90's as he was a trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. It is fun to read about this time in his life since I was only 10 and was busy with my own tween years. I had no idea that he went through these events.

 Trader Joe

Music Tuesday

So, here I am again. Trying to kick-start my blog in 2015. This year, though, I am trying something new to keep me going. Each day of the week will be a new topic: 

Mondays - What I'm Reading meme

Tuesdays - Music Tuesdays

Wednesdays - Journal prompt of the day

Thursday - Pinterest finds

Fridays - Free topic

Music Tuesdays: My goal is to share tunes that I am listening to right now. Music is a huge part of my life (I DJ on the side) and these songs are in my playlist or are ones I want to recommend.