Throw Back Thursday Update

I can't believe i originally posted this on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015! wow how time flies. 

I recently got to visit some of my favorite 4th grade teachers who also used this book for their back to school lessons. Here is how I used it and here's how they used it:

"What If Everybody.."

I love this story for so many reasons:

1) The illustrations really engage the students.
2) You can introduce so many topics with it:
           - Character Education Traits like responsibility, respect, and citizenship.
           - The importance of classroom, school, and community rules/laws.
           - Rules and consequences
           - Cause and effect
3) It works for a variety of ages. It's always hard to find a book that appeals the masses, but I've used this book for grades 2-5th and they all love it.

In fact I love it so much I made some discussion cards for students and FREEBIE activities here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_6T4rR2pFj5MEVnUjNCQWE1cE0/view?usp=sharing. You can use the cards to help facilitate discussion as you read or as a game (Quiz Quiz Trade) at the end of the story. You could also use the cards as writing prompts!  Get them at my TPT store.

These discussion cards are a companion for the book "What If Everybody Did That" by Ellen Javernick. You can use the cards as you read the story or as a discussion/review game at the end. This 20 page packet includes: 80 question cards, directions to play Quiz Quiz Trade, and connections to Common Core and ASCA Mindsets. Some of the cards ask similar questions, but they are differentiated for your grade and reading level of your students. There is also a blank card for you to create your own question.

I also like partnering the book with A Perfectly Messed Up Story to talk about how you can take care of school supplies? What if everybody ate snack while reading library books? 

Here is how my 4th grade teachers used it:

Agenda: 
Listen as I read.
Model expectations for materials.
Discuss in small groups.
Create a class chart.
Independent Work.



You can get all the worksheets here on TPT.
Check out more back to school activities from Jillian Starr here.

Don't Be A Bossy Bear

Today we did a lesson in being bossy!

First we read this book, which I love because my dog is Boss and I often call him Bossy Bear.


When reading this story we stopped at the "oh" page. I used to always fear not reading an entire book, but through a lot of encouragement through my librarian friends I have embraced the idea of not reading the entire book.

So after stopping on this page we discussed what he might be thinking. If the author had added a thought bubble, what would it say? You could give students a page or paper with a thought bubble and have them write it down if you want.

Here are some other books you might like to use:



Follow up videos:

Here is a very bossy frog that the students can follow along to:

This is a very cute video with a very bossy sister bear:

Practical practice:

Follow it up with giving a direction for example- passing the crayons, and have students act it out in a bossy or non bossy way!

What would you do to address bossiness?

September Lesson Plans

Finally getting around to sharing what I've been up to. What a school year!!

Here's what we are doing in our class in September. I'll upload my lesson plans to Google Drive and keep updating them there so check it out here.

gonoodle.com

K and 1st: Let's Listen

We started by reading Interrupting Chicken.  Then we practiced our skills by learning the chicken dance on Go Noodle.

gonoodle.com

Then we talked about all the body parts it takes to listen (eyes, ears, body, brain, etc).  We then met Howard B Wigglebottom who is also learning how to listen. After watching our story,
we practiced again by playing Freeze It on Go Noodle.

http://speech-specialed.blogspot.com/p/whole-body-listening.html

Follow up: We did a cut and paste activity about whole body listening.

Oops I went book shopping.

Oops I did a little bit of book shopping today! Here's a sample of what I got:

The Black Book of Colors

I love the sensory text and how it also incorporates braille. What a great way to introduce what it is like for students to be blind and awareness of differences. I think my special education teachers are going to love it.

Stuck

What do you do when you get a kite stuck in a tree? What do you do when you have a problem that needs to be solved?  I love this book for problem solving. 

If You Were a Bear

I love this book for kids to imagine what it would be like if there were a bear. What a fun way to introduce empathy! I love this idea of having kids research nonfiction animals and then create a video of what that animal would do if there were human with a career. 

Ron's Big Mission

I love that this story covers so many things. You can use it to talk about the real Ron McNair and his journey in becoming an astronaut to focus on the non fiction elements. You can also use it to talk about tolerance, perseverance, or career interests. It really is a book you can pull out and use for so many topics it's a great book to have on the book shelf. 

E-mergency!

This book is so fun. You could talk use it as a fun to way to introduce lessons on safety (running down the stairs causes E to fall), tattle vs. telling (E is hurt should be tell?), teachers could borrow it to talk about the letter "e", you could talk about friendship (when all E's friends come to help him feel better), and even how everyone on a team is important (how 'e' is used in the English language.)

How Dogs Really Work

I once had a student make me a poster based on the illustration of this book. I loved it. How fun would it be for students to do make their own version- "How friends really work" (as written by Sheldon Cooper) or "How could students work" etc. 

Embarrassed

This is a great book to talk to students about a tough feeling.  Perfect for young students and students on the spectrum. 

Dog Breath!: The Horrible Trouble With Hally Tosis

A fun book to talk about hygiene and loving someone even when their breath stinks. 

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

Do you have a students who really really really wants something, only to get it and they don't want it anymore? This book is for you. I think this would be fun for jealousy (always wanting what someone else wants), patience, and thinking big decisions through. 

Shark vs. Train

I love this story because it reminds me of the "Who Would Win" series. I do a how would win type lesson for careers- who should get paid more? The kids enjoy it. This will be fun to read with them. I also love the dialogue in this book and having the kids figure out how the characters are feeling as the story continues. 

Today I Will Fly! (Elephant & Piggie #1)

This is such a fun book. I love all the different topics you can use it for. Believing in your dreams (even if you are a pig that wants to fly), not giving up, asking for help, encouraging others, being a good friend, and more. I also love these books are perfect for students to do as readers theaters to practice taking turns.

Late for School

I'm going to focus on improving attendance this year, so I can't wait to use this funny book about being at school on time.  Plus it's written by Steve Martin and comes with a fun cd and sing along for large classrooms. Maybe I can collaborate with our music teacher?!

Lessons for April

K and 1st- Fairness

We are talking about our character education word "fairness" this month.
We started by reading one of my favorite books It's Not Fair.

As a follow up we used this super cool activity from www.teach-a-roo.blogspot.com 

The kids had to cut a pizza in a "fair" way for 5 people. It was awesome to see them problem solve. 
When we were done we did a fairness coloring sheet.

2nd Grade- Choices and Consequences

We started by reading If You Give A Dog A Donut or If You Give A Cat A Cupcake.

 

We talked about cause and effect. Then we did a venn diagram about consequences and punishments. We had a great discussion. To finish up we played a Plicker or Kahoot game based on Win Or Lose It's How You Choose.

 3rd grade- Test Taking

We started by watching a Brain Pop Test Taking Skills video and taking the quiz.

Visit TPT for the test taking version.

Then we completed "teat taking" gold pot activity by the amazing Savvy School Counselor. Get yours here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Counselors-March-Activity-Pack-Savvy-School-Counselor-1110842

As a final follow up we drew comic strips about testing perseverance.

Promoting Character Education Books

This year we started doing class meetings school wide. Several of the teachers decided to use the time  to read to their students and discuss character education and life skill topics. To help promote some of my favorite books I set up several books in our conference room so teachers could browse them when they met for their weekly PLC. On each book I put a post it note with ideas for topics, discussions, and activities. I was very excited when several teachers borrowed the books to read with their class. What a simple and effective way to promote literacy and my counseling program.

Here are some ideas:

Mr. Wuffles- check out the lesson here

Everyone Loves Bacon- popularity, jealousy, and friendship

Friendshape-  tolerance, friendship, resepct

Say Hello To Zorro- new student, friendship, getting along with others

Journey-  need a new spin on New Year's Resolutions? Talk about what personal and classroom 

journey the students would like to take in the new year. How will get there? 

Crenshaw-  this chapter books is perfect for the mornings, because each chapter is very short. Use it to talk about homelessness, perseverance, imagination, stress, struggles, and more.

Kid President's Guide To Being Awesome  - each week the classes can talk about and practice one way to be awesome

Clark The Shark- review rules, new student, skills for success

Numberlys-  team work, goal setting, imagination, journey, mindset, work ethic. This book also has a companion App for your teachers with iPads.

check out all these resources

I am so in love with the amazing group of counselors I work with. Once a month we meet to learn, share, and have fun. I am like a kid in a candy store- acting like a crazy sugar driven maniac, but instead of sugar I am buzzing off good ideas.
Today we shared our favorite books and activities and you know I love a good book. Check out these awesome ideas:

A book to encourage good character. This books is great because it's universal and touches on many cultures and religions. Learn more here. I also found this activity guide online from Lakeview Elementary. 

Another Miranda Peabody goodie! I also like books that talks about what to do if students see or are bullies and this book is especially great because it comes with activities in the back.

The counselors and I also talked about the power of role play. One idea that really struck a cord with me is discussing the role bystanders take having them role play what they nonverbally say simply by where they stand. You can have the students role play a situation where the bystanders stand close to the "bully" and then stand close to the target. It's a great way to lead a discussion on how we can use our bodies to stop bullying if we are too scared to use our words. 

A a word web to generate a definition of bullying. 

This is Mrs. Mimi and she might own more books than me. This book is "Tiger, Tiger Is It True?"

It seems like the universe is really pushing me towards cognitive behavior therapy lately. I love using it with older students, but I defiantly have been looking for a way to introduce it to our younger students who are having "irrational thoughts/fears." This book looks perfect for K-2 students who need a change in mindset. 

 Separation anxiety  is a topic that every elementary counselor encounters and it's great to have a lot of resources on hand. This is a sweet story about a little girl scared to start K. 

Check out this story and activities about separation anxiety by Mental Fills. What a great addition and follow up to the these books. 

What if you were so scared of school your parents spent the day at school with you? Find out with "Jake Starts School." This is a great book for students in K-2.

Another great addition for books on separation anxiety.  

How can you go wrong with a book written by a leading authority on ADHD. This would be a great way to discuss multiple intelligences. It's also perfect for those students with self doubts and may say things like "I'm stupid." The best part is there is information for teachers and parents at the end. What a great way to connect with stakeholders. 

Insomnia got the better of me, but it's great for you!

Last night I found myself wide awake at 3am. My mind running in circles of lists of things I needed to do.  So at 3am I made an activity sheet to go with "What If Everybody Did That".

So I hope you get some use from my lack of sleep =)
Get the activities here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_6T4rR2pFj5MEVnUjNCQWE1cE0/view?usp=sharing

"What If Everybody.."

I love this story for so many reasons:

1) The illustrations really engage the students.
2) You can introduce so many topics with it:
           - Character Education Traits like responsibility, respect, and citizenship.
           - The importance of classroom, school, and community rules/laws.
           - Rules and consequences
           - Cause and effect
3) It works for a variety of ages. It's always hard to find a book that appeals the masses, but I've used this book for grades 2-5th and they all love it.


In fact I love it so much I made some discussion cards for students. You can use the cards to help facilitate discussion as you read or as a game (Quiz Quiz Trade) at the end of the story. You could also use the cards as writing prompts!  Get them at my TPT store.

These discussion cards are a companion for the book "What If Everybody Did That" by Ellen Javernick. You can use the cards as you read the story or as a discussion/review game at the end. This 20 page packet includes: 80 question cards, directions to play Quiz Quiz Trade, and connections to Common Core and ASCA Mindsets. Some of the cards ask similar questions, but they are differentiated for your grade and reading level of your students. There is also a blank card for you to create your own question.

Helping With Jealousy

With field days and contests upon us we have started talking about jealousy, pride, and self esteem.

I got to share a super fun book "Ping and Pong Are Best Friends Mostly."
It's about two friends (Ping and Pong) and one of the friends Pong is better at everything than Ping. It's a great way to introduce the feeling of jealousy. When I asked the 1/2nd grade students how Ping must be feeling, many said mad or sad, but none could identify the feeling of jealousy. When I asked by students why he was having those feelings, many said because Pong was bragging. As you will notice in the book Pong doesn't brag. In fact he's a good friend that just happens to be better. This lead to a very interesting discussion!!!

I love the book so much I made a TPT packet for you.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Activity-Packet-For-FriendshipSibling-Rivalry-1785793

I love the book "Ping and Pong Are Best Friends (Mostly) to discuss feelings of jealousy. I created this packet for small groups, individuals, or classroom lessons. It can be used for feelings of rivalry between peers or siblings. The packet includes: 6 versions of Venn Diagrams to compare characters, students, and siblings, 2 self esteem pages where students write/draw about what they are good at, 2 feeling and strategy pages, a problem solving page.

*please excuse that it prints out a few blank pages. No matter what I do it won't delete them =/

Not soon after I started this lesson I got a request for help with sibling rivalry so I added some sibling questions and pages to my packet. 

Perseverance as summer approaches!

This time of year is all about testing, field days, and more testing. I know this time of year I start to lapse on my training with Brooklyn and the dogs get away with a lot.

This time of year I love to do lessons on perseverance (although I still need spell check to help me with that word after many years of teaching.). My favorite book this time of year is "The Three Ninja Pigs" by Corey Rosen Schwartz. I love it so much I've blogged about it many times . I love it so much that I created a packet designed to help teachers and counselors tie it into testing, perseverance/resiliency , team work, problem solving, cultural appreciation, and of course CCSS.  Also, you can connect this book to bullying (link at the end of the blog post).

So here is my latest packet for a book you all NEED to have on your book shelves:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Three-Ninja-Pigs-Activity-Guide-a-lesson-on-perseverance-test-prep-and-more-1792121

Funny Friends

Are you guys loving this Android commercial as much as me?

I adore it!  I knew I had to sneak it into one of my lessons. I also had to share with one of my favorite collaborators, S. Svarda, School Librarian extraordinare. Check out her blog here!!!

 This month my lesson with 2nd/3rd really continues to morph, especially with Valentines Day. Here's a rough sketch of what I did and how I used this wonderful video.

Introduction: This month we are talking about respect, being a considerate classmate, and bullying prevention. I introduced the topic asking students to share with a neighbor one way they include others at school.

Lesson: Next I asked them to look and see if they could see any of their answers in our story and we read the  award winning and wonderful book "Each Kindess" by Jacqueline Woodson.

Next (depending on time) we played Quiz Quiz Trade using my "Each Kindness" cards. You can get them on my TPT store for $1. Some classes we played a short game (find 5 partners) and some classes we played a longer game. It really depended on time and what I had planned next.

Follow Up Fun - Here are 2 options for what to do next.

Field Day Fun

It's the end of the year- which means days filled with fun, balloon tosses, tug of war competitions, and snow cones.

This year I was able to collaborate with our PAC (Personal Accountability Coach) teacher (who is a behavior goddess) and we came up with some good lesson ideas on being a good sport.

So here is my list on resources/lesson ideas on sportsmanship!

Online Resources:

Howard B Wigglebottom Learns Winning Isn't Everything.

Howard B Wigglebottom- If you haven't checked out the Howard B Wigglebottom website you should bookmark it immediately. The younger students love him and the website is full of animated books, songs, lesson ideas, coloring pages, and more. After watching "Howard B  Wigglebottom Learns About Sportsmanship" she asked them great questions like: "How are you like Howard?" "What actions made Howard a bad sport?" "Do you know anyone like Howard? Describe them without using names."
Follow up ideas: Have the students create a comic strip about Howard. You could have them draw two comics, one representing bad behavior and one representing good behavior. For younger grades, start the comic for them and have them fill in the blanks. Get a layout for a comic here.





BookFlix- Book Flix has two stories you can watch/read. "Miss Nelson Has A Field Day" and "This is the Way We Play" by Scholastic News. Follow up ideas: Use these stories introduce the expectations for field day and discuss social skills involved in playing. Create a word web of actions that good sports demonstrate and then bad sports.





Book/Printable Resources:

"Ready, Set, Swim" by Marcus Pfister. What young student doesn't love Rainbow Fish? This is the story of how Rainbow Fish and his friends decide to create their very own sports day and run into so problems.  Follow up ideas: Discuss problem solving ideas for when friends get upset and act like enemies. Discuss words to use when playing games, acts of kindness to show on field day, and adjectives that describe good sports. Then using one of the discussion topics have students design their own Rainbow Fish. You can write the adjectives in his one of his fins or perhaps a problem solving idea. You can get a free outlines of Rainbow fish here, here, and here.