Well, I didn't pick a great week to begin my focus on my 2012 goal of "live in the moment". I was sick and my moments were filled with flu like symptoms! My kids did a good job putting up with a teacher who couldn't get through a lesson without a coughing fit and one who gave far too many independent activities. A sweet moment came when a boy entered the room one morning, looked at me and said, "Oh thank God! I was sure we were going to have a substitute!" He then proceeded to greet kids as they came saying, "It's OK guys, Mrs.Young's here." Honestly, I was touched. I wouldn't have wanted me for a teacher last week! (:I try to go for a good run every day if I can. Last week I was doing good just to drag myself out the door and into my classroom. I missed my workouts and felt myself getting crankier and crankier. I got back on the treadmill this weekend and am a new person!
So true for me! Do you think this works for our students too? In the book, "The Highly Engaged Classroom", Robert Marzano shares research that indicates that programs which promote physical movement have a positive effect on students' ability to attend and focus.
He mentions a school that created an "Exer-learning Lab" that is equipped with treadmills and stationary bikes connected to video consoles. Selected students with academic concerns spend time here prior to reading to help them focus better when back in the classroom. What do you think about that?
I wanted to finish this post by mentioning Rachel's word for 2012 posted in the comments last week. It is BREATHE! I loved it...awesome! It made me think of what a great destressing strategy just breathing is! I got a chance to hear someone speak on High School Student Stress a few years back. She shared the 1-3-10 strategy with us. Do you know of it? I train my students to use it in the beginning of the year. It uses slow breathing as a way to help students deal with school stress and to get them ready to learn. I use it if the energy level is too high in the classroom, like sometimes after recess or lunch or if we are ready to learn something new and hard. (Or sometimes if their teacher is feeling stressed and needs it!) It really does work. Here are the steps below if you want to give it a try:
One Three Ten
How about you? Do you have a calm down strategy that you use with your students? I'd love to hear!!
I wanted to finish this post by mentioning Rachel's word for 2012 posted in the comments last week. It is BREATHE! I loved it...awesome! It made me think of what a great destressing strategy just breathing is! I got a chance to hear someone speak on High School Student Stress a few years back. She shared the 1-3-10 strategy with us. Do you know of it? I train my students to use it in the beginning of the year. It uses slow breathing as a way to help students deal with school stress and to get them ready to learn. I use it if the energy level is too high in the classroom, like sometimes after recess or lunch or if we are ready to learn something new and hard. (Or sometimes if their teacher is feeling stressed and needs it!) It really does work. Here are the steps below if you want to give it a try:
One Three Ten
How about you? Do you have a calm down strategy that you use with your students? I'd love to hear!!
youngdor8@gmail.com
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