Goal Setting and Responsibility: A 4- Part Lesson

Last year I set a goal to have Brooklyn be able to get her Good Canine Citizen award. Well if you spend more than two minutes around my dog you will instantly know we didn't reach our goal. She is a catalyst of bad behavior. So this year my goal has been for her to walk in Nashville's Christmas Parade with other Nashville Pitties.

I always do a lesson on goal setting, but what good is a goal if you aren't organized enough to ensure the  steps are in place to meet it? My goal for Brooklyn was a lofty one, in fact it was too big. So we are reorganizing to reduce the stress of dog and mother. This reorganization made and the stress I put on myself to accomplish made me think about how I could change my lesson on organization.

After a lot of brainstorming and about 5 drafts here is my new lesson for 4th Grade on responsibility and organization:

Lesson 1:

We started with a scavenger hunt. I gave teams either an organized back pack or a messy back pack and a list of items. I started the timer and they were off. Most of the teams with organized back packs finished the scavenger hunt within 2-3 minutes and the teams with messy backpacks anywhere from 4-8 minutes.

They really got into this, especially because I hid stinky socks, cereal, stuffed animals, and toys in the messy backpacks. Next we discussed that if you were organized that would save you about 2 minutes per day, just enough time to recheck your work, 14 mintues in a week, enough time to read a chapter or two in your new favorite book, and about 56 minutes a month, enough time to watch an entire episode of their favorite Disney show.

We ended with a pre-test of work habits so they could identify what they specifically need to improve on.

Lessons 2/3:

We talked about responsibility and what it means. We watched the video "I Can Do It! Taking Responsibility"  which shows the students different scenarios and allows us time to stop and discuss each one.

Next we charted what kinds of responsibilities they had in 4th grade.



We then role played different responsibilities (the examples are from AIM Education) and in teams practiced what we would do. For example:

A new movie you and your best friend are dying to see has just opened up, and your friends wants the two of you to see it this Saturday. The trouble is, your science project is due on Monday, and you and your project partner agreed you would spend Saturday gathering plants in the park. What should you do?

At the end of each skit we talked about the different feelings that come with responsibility: stress, disappointment, frustration, etc.

That lead us to the postcard activity. I laid several postcards around the room each with a different picture on it. I asked the students to (in silence) find a card that represented how they feel about starting fourth grade and the new responsibilities they are taking on.

When everyone had a card we broke into small groups and shared the card we choose and why.

Next I asked everyone to set 3 goals for themselves:
1) Something they could accomplish this week.
2) Something they could accomplish in the next 2 months. (I like to remind them of their work habits pre test here)
3) Something they wanted to accomplish by the end of this school year.

We then shared our goals with our small group and then with the entire class. I collected the cards and will give them to our students in two months with a personal check in note written on each.

**In the past I have done this icebreaker with my faculty and with 6th grade. They filled out the card like an actual postcard and I mailed it to their homes half way through the year.

Lesson 4:

We continue our talk of responsibility and stress.

First in groups they draw what it feels like to be stressed. Then each group shares and we look for similarities that we all have.

Next we watch the Brain Pop on stress and at the end they go back to their drawings and surround themselves with things they can do to help alleviate their stress.

To finish our series we take the same work habits post test and see if we have improved!

Since I only see this grade once a month this 4 part series starts in Sept and ends at Christmas break. Before I know it the sleigh bells are ringing!

My Book Wish List

My amazon cart is always full of books. Right now it has almost a $100 in books sitting in my cart and I keep talk myself in and out of hitting purchase.

Here is my wish list:

I follow "Ruby" on Facebook and I love seeing all the pictures and read about all her adventures. I really want to get her "pawtograph" one day.

I went back and forth on this book when I saw it in the store. On the one hand I think I will love it, but on the other even the cover makes me want to burst into tears. I am a sap for anything animal related. I want to be brave and get through this one.

Well this one isn't on my wish list anymore, because when I went to blog about it Amazon said they only had 11 copies left in stock. Darn you Amazon and your sneaky ways. I'll let you know how it is.

Recently there was an episode of "Pitbulls and Parolees" where a young pit from Nashville was forced to leave the state for good and live with Tia at her sanctuary for the rest of her life. At first I was furious that this was her only option, but many pits don't get a second chance at life and so for that we are grateful. I have some students that I want to read this with so we can discuss second chances and not taking life for granted.

Our librarian just got a copy of this and I am itching for a copy of my own. This book is very well written and has lots of personal stories. I want to incorporate this into my lessons on judgements and fact vs. fiction.

Speaking of second chances. Here are 3 books about dogs that have all over come struggles. What inspiration!

Amazon got me again! This one came up as a recommendation and it's like Amazon knows I can't say no to that cover.

I might be spending half my holiday gift budget on myself this year =/

Down the Rabbit Hole

This is actually an entry about time, and when I thought of time I thought of Alice In Wonderland.

Here are my current favorite timers. I use these in small groups, in the classroom, and for individual students that have trouble staying on task.

Timer Tools- This software is loaded on my computer so I can easily pull it up on the SmartBoard. There are a variety of clocks; a countdown timer, hourglass timer, stop watch, and spot light timer are among the many.

Visual Timer-  One of our students with Autism had this one day and I fell in love. On a whim I asked our Central Office if I might have a few to check out to teachers and I got two! (Never hurts to ask right!) If I had a limitless budget I would get every teacher in my school one of these clocks. It runs on a battery and you can set it to however much time you are assigning to a project. The red it a nice visual for students about how much time they have and it disappears as their time decreases. I especially love the three sizes, the small is great to put on a students desk and the largest is perfect for the entire class to see.

Sand Timers- I love "old fashioned" sand timers. I have picked up a few on clearance at Kohls and stores such as TJ Maxx. I love them as decor as well as for practical use.

Diabetes: A paws-itively great lesson on health

Diabetes and Dogs make for an incredible class.

This week we had two special guests visit our students in 2nd-6th grade! 

The first was Mrs. Reeves, a mother at my school and a diabetic herself. She read this book with our students:

The Great Katie Kate Discusses Diabetes by M. Maitland DeLand 

The class then discussed what they knew about diabetes and she explained what it meant to live with diabetes. It was so interesting to hear our students discuss this matter. Many of them shared they believed you got diabetes from eating too much candy and that it meant if you had it you couldn't ever have cake or sugar again. She discussed myths (that it is contagious) and explained how they tracked carbs not sugar.

Next Ann Walling, Owner and Trainer of the Diabetic Alert Dog program Borderland explained to our kids how she trains dogs to help alert a diabetic when their sugars are too low or high. She demonstrated the training process, explained the science behind it, and then demonstrated what an alert looks like. What was so interesting was that during the demonstration wonder dog Minnie alerted to Mrs. Reeves to check her blood sugar levels. When Mrs. Reeves did, sure enough she was low!

I loved this new spin on our health lesson on diabetes and health. It was a great way to get parents, stakeholders, and the kids involved.

Our librarian just got this book in so students can continue to learn more about diabetes:

Even Superheroes Get Diabetes (Insulin Comics) by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and Micah Chambers-Goldberg (May 1, 2007)

Reading In The Schools Day

I really enjoy this event every year. This year I was even more excited because a good friend of mine brought her ReadingPaws dog, Stouie, to read with the kids. It was amazing to see how excited the kids were to meet him. They discussed what it meant to be a Reading Paws dog, they showed off Stouie's tricks, and read a book together. Even our most active, hyper students were calmed by his presence. We also got to practice our safety around dogs lesson!

Stouie is deaf so many of the students really connected with him. In fact one student was so eager to share that he was like Stouie, because he had to wear hearing aids. Their connection was instant.

One beautiful girl was scared to death of dogs before meeting Stouie. Now her mom brags on her she meets and greets all the dogs she can.

Although they read a variety of books, we mainly read "Help Me, Mr. Mutt," a book I read every year with my students. At the end I give them a prompt to write Mr. Mutt a letter and then give them to time to write to me or Mr. Mutt with any of their problems or concerns. At the end of reading in the schools day so many students wrote Stouie a letter that we are thinking of starting a pen pal program with him.

Do Role Models Wear Toilet Paper Rolls? Yes They Do!

Me as a "roll- model"

Yesterday for Halloween we had a Vocabulary Parade at school. Each student in 1st-5th grade picked a vocabulary word (preferably one they didn't know) and dressed like that word. It was fantastic to see all the creativity and play on words.

Our music teacher was "instrumental"

 I was a role model! I wore my most fashionable clothes and covered my self in toilet paper roles that had characteristics of a good role model written on them.

I was surprised how many older students asked me what I was and when I told them responded with "what is a role model?" So I decided to do a lesson on what is a good role model and this lead to me to the discovery of an amazing Ted Ed.

Richard St. John interviewed over 500 people to come up with 8 traits of successful people. I love the researched based background of this list and his humor that makes the video seem relatable and not like a lecture.

I want to run this class like a Socratic Seminar and so it will look like this:

3 mintues- Introduction and Review of Rules/Goals
8 mintues- Watch the Video silently
1 minute transition to small group
10 minutes- In small group I had them discuss what characteristics they believed made someone successful, were any traits he listed that they disagreed with or any that they believed he had left off, and did they think you needed all 8 traits to be successful.
1 minute to transition to a small group
15 minutes- Discuss as an entire group. Are there any trends? Did the small groups have similar answers?
7 minutes silent reflection- the students are given time for a written reflection: What did they contribute to the group? Did anyone contribute something to the group that helped shaped your opinion? What characteristics do you have or would you like to develop?

I love the dig deeper section of this and so for homework I would like them to interview three people they consider role models. They can have a general conversation with that person about their life, how they accomplished their goals, etc. At the end I would like them to create their own list of 8 characteristics based on the characteristics their role models demonstrate.

Here is my homework:

My Role Models

Mike- the most amazing dog I have ever met. I wish he was mine. While his history is unknown you can tell by his ears he has had a tough life. If it weren't for the scars you wouldn't know that he had his ears cut off, that he had been fought or passed around from home to home. You wouldn't know this because he is the most gentle loving bear. I love watching him around kids! So calm and patient, he lets them give extra big hugs and squeal in delight. His unconditional love melts my heart. 

My co-workers. They are patient, kind, and steadfast. They are my role models because they constantly push me to be better - to do better. They do not pull out lesson plans from last year. They spend hours upon hours, sometimes still working minutes before their classes enter their room, creating the most current, relevant, and interesting lessons. I can't get lazy in my school! I also admire their energy. There is never a dull moment at my school. Just when you are about to think about a nap- "surprise!"confetti is going everywhere and our teacher of the year and her cohort are getting our students organized into a real life element chart, making everyone laugh with a video they created to beat the Friday blues, or creating a robot that will beat out robots designed by high school students. I love that fourth grade doesn't take tears or excuses, they just accept hard work.

There is NEVER a dull moment at my school! Oh and they never judge my poor grammar.

Blue Moves-  My Family. This group of dancers is truly my family. We have been through the happiest and saddest of times together: graduations, weddings, births, deaths, birthdays, celebrations, job changes, and drinks on porches. On the dance floor we move as one, pushing each other outside the box and challenging our bodies. Sometimes we get frustrated and angry at each other, but no matter how mad we get I know with certainty that if we need each other we will always be there.

Jana and Carlene- Founder and Volunteer Extrodinary for Nashville Pittie.

There is no stopping these two- not even a heart attack. I admire their steadfast conviction to educating the community about the unfair and unjust discrimination towards Pit Bulls. They open their homes to pups in need, create unforgettable events, and change the lives of dogs and their owners (or future owners) one by one. I think anyone who knows the many volunteers of Nashville Pittie would agree that this group is made of many sensational role models. I love that they take time out of their busy lives to change lives. Jana is my role model because she reminds me that it just takes one! One person can make a difference, one person can create a group that will change a community, one person can change the life of a dog forever. No wonder Jana was named one of Nashville Paws Humane Heros of the Year.

Christy R. and Jennifer C.- yoga gurus. These ladies are the epitome of Zen. Their soothing voices, unwavering calmness, and even keeled and positive attitudes are inspirational  There has never been a time that I have been around these ladies when I haven't thought, "Gosh I want to be like that!"

Jen and Stouie! This amazing pair do extraordinary things for me, but that's just one reason they made the list. I admire they way they take on any challenge- like the challenge of reading to and greeting 400 students in a day.  I also love the bond they create with everyone they meet. You can't meet them without a) falling in love and b) knowing your life with never be the same. We had several students who instantly connected with Stouie (who is deaf) and connected with his disability. One student wrote him a letter later saying that he changed how she viewed her dyslexia. They take the time to connect with everyone they meet, how many of us can say that?!

Brooklyn- my dog of course. I love her forgiveness. Maybe it's just her short term memory, but I love the way she doesn't hold a grudge. It also means that I have my patience tested and can't hold a grudge when she is eating my sofa. I look at forgiveness in a way I never did before her. What I love the most is that she constantly wants my attention and tries to get it by sneezing in my face. She reminds me to be present, that when I am with her I have to be totally focused on her or "ah-chew!" I love this because it reminds me to be present with all the people in my life- students, teachers, friends, and loved ones.

Is That Bullying?

I was recently talking to our behavior specialist about my theory that you could incorporate dog training techniques into classroom and behavior management. She didn't laugh, in fact she agreed. We discussed the idea that classroom are much like packs. You have the dominant dogs as well as the submissives, that much like a pack there will be a student (or students) fighting for their role as alpha (much to the dismay of the teacher.)

In a pack dogs are looking to understand where they fit, similar to our students. Where do they sit at lunch? Who do they hang out with? In a group who is the leader and who are the followers?  Watching our students interact with each other isn't too much different from watching a group of dogs get together, except there is no name calling.

What does this have to do with bullying? I can't tell you how many times I get a "bullying" report from a parent or student that is actually not bullying. The most common scenario is this:
Three girls: Girl A is friends with Girl B and Girl C, but Girl B and Girl C do not get along. So Girl A and B get along fine, Girl A and C get along fine, but B and C not so much. This means when all three get together there are fireworks. This normally means Girl A gets put in the middle, trying to figure out her role. Should she be a peacemaker and encourage everyone to "just get along?" How should she divide her time? If she doesn't divide it equal an encore of fireworks. Similar Girls B and C are fighting for her attention, each one trying to dominate.

This is not bullying, and yet I get the "bullying report" weekly. So right now I am working with my fourth grade students to discuss what is bullying and what is simply students trying to work out group dynamics.

To tackle this issue I came up with a three part plan.

First, I am going into the classroom to do a seminar with my students on "what is bullying and what is not?" I gave them a list of scenarios and asked them to discuss as small and then large group. (I wish I had a video of this discussion because it was unbelievable- also I found my alpha, a young man who would "interrupt" and assert his dominance by talking over everyone and if they tried to stop him he just got louder.)

I put the survey on my website so parents and students in other grades coud take it together.

 Next,  I  sent home follow up information with my students to share with their parents.

Lastly, I will host a parent workshop on bullying. I am asking one of our counselors/school psychologists who has received Olweus training to be our speaker.

Bullying is  a serious issue, but in my school it's a buzz word that is being overused. I am hoping my three part plan will help my students understand what bullying really is.

On a side note, I hung out with the best dog ever this weekend. Sweet, calm, loves children, well behaved and well mannered. His name is Mike and some might say he is a bully breed. I saw he is a sweet heart breed. He also needs a home! If you or anyone you know want to adopt this handsome man please contact Nashville Pittie.

Can your body language determine how you feel?

Today I did a Socratic Seminar on body language. I asked the students three questions:

Can your body language change how you feel?
Can changing your body language give you more pride?
How does body language impact bullying?

The topic of body language has come up a lot not in my recent dog training. The Doggie Lama has given many good words of wisdom about believing what I say and not just changing my tone of voice. In essence just because I say it with a deeper, louder tone doesn't mean Brooklyn is going to respond unless I mean it; unless I set the expectation that I won't accept anything less than what I want.

I've been trying to practice this with her, so I have been trying to silently think about what I want and then say it with purpose. Todd can give commands with a simple whisper, I am not even close to that, but I am working on it. The idea that if you truly believe in what you are saying, your body language will change, your posture will change, and thus increasing the likely hood that your expectations are going to be met (thus increasing your pride) is a complex one that I threw at my sixth graders, but it was amazing.

I loved how they brought it back to bullying. That telling a bully to stop was much more likely to be successful if you meant it, and didn't just say the words, because a real bully could read your body language. What do you think? What impact does body language have on your life? How does it shape who you are?

Here is the Ted Talk that we did our seminar around:
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html


This is Brooklyn sitting outside. I didn't tell her to stay I just gave her the "I mean it look!" and it worked =)