Five Tips for Surviving the End of School!

"These kids are driving me crazy!"
"They've got spring fever!"
"They should know better than this by now!"
"Boy, my class has gotten squirrely lately!"
I CAN'T WAIT TILL SUMMER VACATION!!!!!

Do any of these phrases sound familiar?  It is not uncommon for behaviors to change toward the end of the school year leading to lots of frustration.  It can be such a bittersweet time of the year for students and teachers alike!

The end of the school year is the splattered with a large array of emotions. One of the key triggers is all the pending transitions from what is familiar into the unknown.  In just a few short weeks children will be leaving a familiar children, teachers and routines to prepare to do it all over again in the fall with a new children, teachers and brand new routines.  This can create a lot of anxiety which results in "mis"behavior and leaves you feeling like your backpedaling!

The good news is we have a CHOICE!!!  We can choose to punish these challenging behaviors and get all stressed out about how out of control it has become OR we can see the behavior as communication of some unmet needs.  If we choose the later, then we remain in our brilliance and have the ability to manage our own stress and help the children do the same! 

I have had many colleagues over the years who do end of school countdowns.  I have mixed opinions about such countdowns.  Although they give us a timeline for the end of the school year, they also tend to come with the message "I can't wait till its over."  This creates a survival mindset.  It increases anxiety, sadness, and frustration.  You have spent all year building safety, trust, and loving relationships with these beautiful children and now you can't wait till it ends?

Perhaps you could choose to see it differently this year...

Are you willing to take a new perspective?  Let's try this:  "How can I make the days count rather than counting the days?"  If so, you will create new possibilities for yourself and your students!

Here are a few tips you could try to help you manage stress AND make the last precious days with your students count!

1.  Maintain a routine as well as you can.  Although many of the academic requirements are winding down, do what you can to give your students the structure they need in order to be successful.  Continue the rhythm of your day that they are used to!  This video demonstrates the arrival routine in a first grade classroom.  Your routines are like the skeleton that "holds up" the rest of your day!  Make sure you include visuals and model your expectations or "remind" them of the routine even though it is the end of the year.   

 

 

 

2. Be very intentional about including stress management strategies throughout the day.  These might include music and movement, deep breathing exercises, stretching, brain breaks, and visualizations.  Here is a video of Dr. Becky Bailey demonstrating some breathing strategies with a group of young children.  Take time to breathe every day!

3. Provide more information about the upcoming grade level.  For example, have an "ambassador" from the next grade level come and tell your students what to expect in Kindergarten.  I often hear teachers use threats such as, "they won't let you get away with that in Kindergarten" in an attempt to make children behave.  That strategy relies on fear in an attempt to manipulate behavior.  It would be more helpful to see the transition as similar to a visit to a foreign country.  Provide children with a tour guide, road maps, and all the helpful information you can as they plan for their new adventure!  This will be very beneficial in managing much of the anxiety that is bubbling up inside your little ones!

When I taught preschool, we planned a "field trip" to kindergarten.  Each of my preschoolers were paired up with a "tour guide" who showed them around the kindergarten classroom and helped them become familiar with this new environment.  The kindergarten children created books for the preschoolers about what to expect in kindergarten!  It was such a fun activity!

4. Increase rituals and focus on relationship and  remembering.  Make time to connect daily with your children.  You can do this through songs, finger plays, partner games, and whole group activities.  Be sure to include opportunities for eye contact, touch, presence, and playfulness.  Here is an example of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with kindergarten students as a connecting activity.  This activity is also great for increasing impulse control and cooperation because it helps children access their executive function.

 

 

Wishing Well!  All year long we practice wishing well when members of our School Family are missing.  We tell the children that we will hold them in our hearts while their upset, sick, or absent from our School Family.  A couple of years ago we added this end of the year  ritual to symbolize our connection as a School Family.  Each child's name is written on a puzzle piece.  At our end of the year celebration, each child adds their piece to the puzzle to represent the fact that they will always hold a very special place in our hearts.  We also use this special heart with the new preschoolers the following year to represent the special children that have come before them!

   

Safekeeper Ritual!  The Safekeeper Ritual is a representation that we use in our Conscious Discipline classroom all year long.  It symbolizes the teacher's commitment to "keep the children safe" and their commitment to "help keep it safe."  This commitment becomes especially important as the end of the school year looms near.

5. Focus on the Favorites and HAVE FUN!  One thing I did at the end of every school year was to allow the children to vote on their favorite activities.  This was a great opportunity to "remember" the many fun and meaningful activities we had done in just a few short months.  During the last couple of weeks of school we revisited those activities and did some literacy activities associated with them as we wrapped up the year.

Of course, one of our all time favorites was Pete the Cat.  Pete was such a great example of keeping your cool by taking a deep breath and being a S.T.A.R. (smile, take a deep breath, and relax) when the world wasn't going your way.  So it only seemed appropriate to use these favorite children's books as a part of our end of the year activities!

Pete the Cat Bulletin Board for upcoming students

Pete the Cat book with group photo gift for each student





 

I hope this helps you have a new perspective on the "end of the year crazies".  Yes, it is frustrating when you have so many things that need to be done and the children's behavior is more squirrely than usual.  You hope that they would behave differently and demonstrate the skills you know they have.  Using just a few simple strategies can really help you AND your students have a more positive experience and leave you feeling full of joy and happiness as you stroll into summer with a smile on your face!  Because it's "all good!"

As always, I'm wishing you well!
Jenny Spencer, Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor
Ignite Learning LLC
www.ignitelearningllc.blogspot.com

 

 

FREE Printable for FUN January Greetings

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!!!  Time to head back to school after a LOOOOONNNNGGGG Winter Break!!!  In our house the day is full of mixed emotions!  While we are all excited about getting back to the routine and seeing friends again after the long break we are also a bit sad to see the days of long naps, playing as long as you want, and time with family come to an end! (sniff, sniff)

Hopefully this post will PERK you up a bit with a FREE PRINTABLE!!!  Who doesn't LOVE FREE STUFF!!!  :)

One of the most important things you can do tomorrow morning is remember to GREET your students warmly as they arrive!  As difficult as it may be for you to get out of bed and come back to school after so many days at home, it is just as challenging or maybe even more so for your students!!! 

These fun new JANUARY greetings will help you reconnect with your students and warm things up before you begin your activities for the day!!! 

Remember, always include eye contact, touch, being present, and playfulness in whatever connecting activities you use with your students! 

The little bit of time that you invest in creating these meaningful connections with your students will pay back BIG dividends!!!  When you connect through playful activities and build relationships with your students you are actually creating neural pathways in the brain!!!!  WOW!!!  How cool is that?!?  Those are the same neural connections that lead to willingness, impulse control, attention, and cooperation!!!  Now who doesn't want that the first week back from Winter Break????? 

Just follow the link below to my Teachers Pay Teachers store to get your FREE Printable so you can start tomorrow right!!!!  It has everything you need for FREE!!!! 

 

This post was written by Jenny Spencer, Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor, at Ignite Learning LLC.  Connect with Jenny at her blog www.ignitelearningllc.blogspot.com!!! 

 

Independence Day: The Power of Free Will

 

I was working with a child recently as we were preparing to go outside to play.  He was resistant to putting on sunscreen. I had already set an assertive limit that all children must wear sunscreen for their safety.  So, I knew right away that I needed to exercise the Power of Free Will.  The Power of Free Will helps me deliver two positive choices, connect with his need for control and reach our goal of getting outside to play safely!

 

I took a deep breath and said, "You can help me put lotion on your right arm or your left arm.  Where shall we start?"  He paused and looked and me sort of stunned and then said "right!"   Then he proceeded to put out his hand for sunscreen so we could get started.   

 

This Independence Day lets focus on the Power of Free Will.  The Power of Free Will is one of the Seven Skills for Conscious Adults from Dr. Becky Bailey.  This power reminds us that the only person we can make change is ourselves. 

 

Many of us have the belief that if we come up with just the right reward or punishment we can get children to do what we want.  This belief often leads to power struggles and frustration.  It is true that we may be able to use manipulation and coercion to make children behave, but they are doing it out of fear, not by choice.  This type of behavior is driven by external forces.  What happens then when you aren't around to make them behave (or heaven forbid there is a substitute teacher)?  Isn't it our goal to help children develop the internal desire to make helpful choices and reach their goals? 

 

Dr. Bailey teaches us five steps to help us get started empowering children with the skills needed for cooperation, impulse control, and attention.     

 

Delivering two positive choices:

 

1. Breathe deeply.  Think about what you want the child to do.

2. Tell the younger child, "You have a choice!" 

    Tell the older child, "Seems to me you have a couple options."

3. State the two choices.  "You may _____ or _____.  What is your choice?"

4. Ask for the child's commitment.

5. Notice the child's choice.  "You chose _____!"

 

Let's try an example using the picture below.  This was taken in my preschool classroom.  Children love learning about the science behind popcorn!  As you can imagine it could be dangerous unless we set some clear limits for safety.  I put a large quilt on the floor and place carpet circles around the edges for each child to sit on.  If there were any issues with children staying within these limits I could use Two Positive Choices to help them.  It would go something like this...

 



If the child gets off their circle rug I would do the following:

1. Take a deep breath and remember that I want them to sit on their carpet circle.
2. Say, "You have a choice!"
3. "You may sit on your circle on your knees or on your bottom with your legs folded."
4. "How will you sit?"
5. "You chose to sit on your knees so you would be safe.  That was helpful!"

If the child is touching things I would do the following:

1. Take a deep breath and remember that I want them to keep their hands in their space on the rug.

2. Say, "You have a choice!"

3. "You may put your hands on your knees or fold them just like this."

4. "What do you choose to do with your hands?"

5. "You chose to fold your hands so you would be safe.  That was helpful!"

 

Whether you are cleaning up, getting coats on, or listening to a story giving two positive choices  helps you connect with children.  They also feel empowered to make decisions, follow the rules, and be safe at school--by choice!

 

It's difficult when you are faced with a resistant child.  Some days you just wish they would comply and do as you say.  Wouldn't it be nice if there were an easy button?!?  Adults hope to raise children who are cooperative, willing, and respectful.  We  have to accept that  it is not force that creates a respectful child, it is connection!   

 

If you have an especially resistant child that needs special help follow this link over to my blog and learn more about using choices with more resistant children. 

For more about the Seven Powers for Conscious Adults see my blog post Becoming Your Best Self:  Super Powers.  There is even a free printable poster for you to use as a reminder. 
 

 

I wish you well!

Jenny Spencer

Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor--Indiana

Ignite Learning with Conscious Discipline LLC

www.ignitelearningllc.blogspot.com

ignitelearningllc@gmail.com

Stickers, Stamps, and Stoplights...Oh MY!

Let's see a show of hands...

How many of you have ever tried some sort of behavior management system such as a stoplight, alerts, or writing names on the board in a last ditch effort to make kids behave?

I have to admit, for many years I used systems that included a stoplight, stickers, stamps, time out and a treasure box. 

Honestly, I thought I was doing the right thing.  I really didn't know any differently! 

That is, until one day when I was at our state early childhood conference with a coworker.  She wanted to attend a workshop titled:  "How to Handle all the Fussing, Fighting, Fits, and Tantrums."  Honestly, I didn't want to go.  I figured it was going to be "just another behavior workshop" telling me what I already knew.  At the time I truly believed I had this behavior thing all under control!

Since I didn't want to walk around the conference all by myself, I attended the workshop with my friend, and to my pleasant surprise what I discovered that day would change my life over the next few years!  That workshop was about Conscious Discipline and once I got a little nibble, I wanted the WHOLE BITE!

I came to discover over the next few years that the systems of stickers, stamps, and stoplights I was using were actually interfering with my relationship with my students as well as their optimal development.  In my attempt to control their behavior and I wasn't teaching them a great amount of self-control.

Conscious Discipline has given me tons of new tools that help me connect with students rather than attempting to control them.  I want to share one of the first rituals I started using in my classroom that made a tremendous difference in the sense of unity that we felt.  My hope is that you have time to prepare some rituals this summer so you can begin the next school year building connections with your students rather than planning how you'll control them!  It sure is easier on the pocketbook too! 

You can get started with your Wish Well Ritual with one easy visit to the Dollar Store.  All you need is a pizza pan, clear contact paper or packing tape, a red heart, magnetic tape, and photos of your students (or some other icon to represent all your students and classroom staff). 

It looks something like this...

 

 

Put all the pictures around the edge of the pizza pan with the heart in the middle.  We call this our "circle of friends."

 

This isn't your typical attendance routine!  It will transform your classroom!  Each day, at the beginning of the day, have one of the children count to see if everyone is present. 

 

If anyone is missing from your "circle of friends" they move that picture to the center of the heart and lead the class in singing this song.  "We wish you well, we wish you well.  All through the day today, we wish you well."  We send them heart felt warm wishes as well as prayers for safety and healing while they are away from our school family.

 

To make this more concrete for the younger children I use this little doll with a photo of the absent child in the plastic sleeve on the front.  We pass the doll around and give it a hug while we sing the song!

 

 

 

When the absent child returns to school the following day, we have another special ritual we do for them.  We call it our Absent Child Ritual.  To welcome them back to our "circle of friends" we recite this little chant and give them a butterfly kiss like this...

 

 



With the younger children we use a shiny little heart-shaped box filled with kisses to welcome the absent child back to class.  While the child is gone we pass the box around and "fill it with kisses" for our friend.  Upon their return, we "shower them with kisses" by shaking all the love out of the box  onto their head.  :)

 

This was only the beginning of our journey from a climate of control and competition to a climate of caring, connection, and love!  Connection leads to impulse control, willingness, and cooperation.

 

Suddenly, parents started telling me that instead of coming home and reporting who had to move their clip, sit in timeout, or miss recess, their children were sharing about who was missing from class that day.  They would include them in their bedtime prayers and really began caring for their classmates in a new way. 

 

I used stickers, stamps, and stoplights because I didn't know any other way.  That's what I was taught to do in college and it was what everyone around me was doing.  I didn't realize that these fear-based methods actually created more stress and inhibited learning and connection.  Now that I know better, I choose to do better.  Will you join me? 

 

Perhaps you could watch some of Dr. Bailey's videos on Youtube this summer, read one of her books, or check out Shubert's Classroom for more ideas about how to get started with Conscious Discipline or continue growing in your journey!  As always, I wish you well!

 

Jenny Spencer

Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor

Ignite Learning with Conscious Discipline LLC

www.ignitelearningllc.blogspot.com

Creating a Safe Zone For Kids

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations. 

Childhood is a magical time. It can also be very frustrating! Learning to navigate our own feelings and emotions and dealing with others' as well can be a slippery slope. Much of the time that children are acting out, they are actually struggling with managing their emotions. 

One of the ways I help children in my classroom learn to deal with emotions is by providing a "safe zone" for them to get away. Not so long ago, "time out" was the suggested way to deal with difficult behavior. A safe zone is NOT a "naughty chair/spot" or a time out area in the traditional sense. It does provide the child with an area to go for a "time out", but not as a punishment. The safe zone is a place where children can go to release emotions and take a few moments to regain composure. There may be a few times that I might suggest a child go to the safe zone to collect themselves, but most of the time the area is self-selected by the student without any adult prompting. Again, this is NOT a "time out" or punishment area!

One of the big conversations we have at the beginning of the year centers on talking about our safe zone. We discuss the reasons we have it, how to use it properly and the items that are available in the safe zone. I emphasize that it is not a punishment and that it is to be used only for a few minutes. 

Some of the items in our safe zone:

***soft toys to cuddle

***puppets to help act out frustrations and feelings

***a "squeeze" toy to release anger

(This one is just a stocking with a few rags stuffed inside and a face drawn on. )

***calming toys (I sometimes have a pinwheel in my box.)

***sensory bottles

***a writing box so children may write or draw about their problem

***picture chart of emotions

***books about emotions or anger

(I change the book titles out regularly. See below for some other great titles to add to your safe zone.)

***cushions, pillows, rocking chair (soft seating of some sort)

If a student has a particular item like a doll, blanket, book or other item that is soothing, they may bring it into the safe zone, as well.

I also have a few "portable" safe areas that can be used if the safe zone is in use, or the child prefers a different setting.

Some of the other "safe zones" in classrooms around our center:

One of the things I keep an eye out for is making sure that shy students are not using the area to withdraw from socialization. While this does happen, I have found that with guidance, the children most likely to withdraw can use this space as a place to "warm up" to the idea of interacting. After a few minutes, most children are ready to join a friend and begin playing.

I have also found that this is a great place for children with separation anxiety to transition to for a few minutes until they are ready to join the group. It is much less traumatic to sit in the quiet zone for a few minutes than to break down in the middle of the class. 

The sensory bottle pictured above is sweeping the blogosphere as a "time out" bottle. It is so easy to make and is so soothing to watch. I wish I could capture the beauty of the glitter in pictures, but photos just don't do them justice. All you need is a clear bottle and some glitter glue. I used about a half bottle of glitter glue and some warm water to dissolve the glue. I glued the top on to the bottle to secure it.

If you are looking for more sensory bottle ideas, I've devoted an entire post to sensory and discovery bottles here on PreK+K Sharing. You can find it here.

I hope you'll consider offering a "safe zone" in your home or classroom for the children in your care. It is one of the easiest ways to to help children self-regulate their emotions. I've found that the more ways I help children learn how to mange their emotions and frustrations, the less conflict and behavior problems I have to help them handle. 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook! And be sure to check out PreK+K Sharing EEE!

 

Warm Up Your Classroom with Some HOT CHOCOLATE Fun and Freebies!

One of my favorite things about winter is HOT CHOCOLATE!  I have such warm memories from my childhood of coming in after hours of playing out in the cold and being greeted by my mom's homemade hot chocolate!

This book, Frozen Noses, by Jan Car is a simply beautiful illustration of the flurry of fun children have in the snow! (*Amazon affiliate link)



It lends itself beautifully to sequencing activities such as how we get dressed to go out in the snow, the steps to making a snowman, and then what we do when we come back inside and make hot chocolate to warm up after a cold day in the snow.  Here is a link to a fun hot chocolate sequencing activity I found over on the Fox Toy Box blog.



Hot Chocolate Sequencing Activity
 

Hot chocolate is such a fun sensory activity too!  There are so many ways we can use our senses and involve hot chocolate too!  One of my favorite things to do is to simply pour some dry mix into a plastic tub and let children stir, sift, scoop, and pour the dry mix into cups.  You can also add some large and small marshmallows to include size concepts as well as counting activities! 

Here are a few of my favorite hot chocolate sensory activities I found on Pinterest.  You can find me on Pinterest too by following this link!  I would love to continue sharing ideas with you there!!!

 

This is a recipe for Hot Chocolate Paint found over on the blog Bath Activities for Kids.  It is such a simple recipe!  All you need is some shaving cream and some dry hot chocolate mix!  An alternate activity would be to add some liquid Elmer's glue to the mix and when you are done painting with it the mixture will dry like puffy paint!  What fun!

Imagine the response you would get if you set out these supplies and, to their surprise, the children open the hot cocoa mix and find none other than CHOCOLATE PLAY-DOH!!!  This idea came from Deborah over at Teach Preschool.  Deborah shares several other hot chocolate ideas in her blog including this one...

She simply added a few drops of chocolate extract to some brown paint for chocolate scented paint!  Provide the children with some mug shapes, cotton ball (or real) marshmallows, and a paint brush and they will be busy exploring for hours! 

Draw children into the dramatic play center by adding a Hot Chocolate Shop!  This idea was shared by the Preschool Playbook.  Look at all the great supplies she added to help the children get started!  There's a sign, cash register, recipes, cups, Nesquik containers, spoons, tea pots, cookies, plates, cotton balls (marshmallows), and milk!

Of course your hot chocolate activities won't  be complete without an opportunity to teach the children some relaxation techniques to help children (teachers and parents too) keep their cool while they are inside for the remainder of these looooong cold months!

When I am teaching children to relax by taking their deep calming breath I find it helpful to give them concrete items to help them practice!  The younger the child, the more concrete it must be so I came up with this idea for a "Breathing Mug"!  You can learn more about how to create "Brain Smart" activities throughout the day over on the Conscious Discipline website!

 Make your own breathing mug by following these steps:

1. Cut a mug shape out of craft foam.
2. Add some brown construction paper at the top to imitate the look of hot chocolate.
3. Spread some liquid glue around on the brown paper.
4. Sprinkle with dry hot chocolate mix like you buy at the store.
5. Using one cotton ball, stretch the cotton out to make it look like steam and glue it to the back of the mug.
6.  Secure the "steam" in place by gluing another piece of brown construction paper to the back of the mug just as you did on the front.
7. Glue on several marshmallows, let it dry and you are good to go!

                                                                      Front View

                                                                      Rear View

Gather a small group of children around and have them practice deep breathing by "smelling the hot chocolate" and then "blowing off the steam (cotton)".  Once they have grasped the concept from a sensory standpoint, it is time to let them practice on their own with these breathing sticks. 

To make your own set of breathing sticks simply print out this free printable and follow the instructions.  Give one to each child and guide them as they "smell the hot chocolate" and "blow off the steam".  These are a great tool for children to take home so they can continue practicing with their parents!

Go ahead and warm up your classroom or home with these "HOT" ideas that will make your imagination stir as the whole room begins to look, smell, and feel like a Hot Chocolate Shop!  That's not all...for more ideas that are sure to warm your heart click on over to my blog at www.ignitelearinngllc.blogspot.com and ignite learning with more Hot Chocolate Fun!

(This blog post is submitted by Jenny Spencer.  Jenny is a Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor and former early childhood teacher who blogs over at www.ignitelearningllc.blogspot.com and provides training opportunities for parents and teachers on the concepts of Conscious Discipline.  Jenny is passionate about helping teachers and parents plan meaningful activities with that will ignite learning for their children and help them become life-long learners!)