Second Grade: Being Respectful

We started out today's lesson by watching the Respect Rap. Because we were focusing on being respectful, I thought this would be a great way to get students' thinking about what it means to be respectful here at school. Click play on the video to watch for yourself.

Students used their assigned classroom partners for our Think, Turn, Tell discussions. During Think, Turn, Tell students are asked a question and then told to think about their answers. Once students have their answers, they are able to turn and tell their partners. This allows students to have time to think and then share meaningful ideas with  their partners that facilitate our discussions.

Students shared what being respectful means to them with their partners during Think, Turn, Tell. We shared some student answers and then discussed the definition of respect: treating others the way they want to be treated. We also talked about the fact that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. After this discussion we moved into our lesson.

I showed the students a picture of students listening respectfully to their teacher. Students had to identify ways the students in the picture were being  respectful and share their ideas with their Think, Turn, Tell partners.We also discussed how all of the students seemed to be having fun and learning, and connected this point to how being respectful helps students learn. In turn, sometimes when students aren't  being respectful they make it hard for other students to learn.

To conclude our lesson, students were asked what they do in the classroom to be respectful. After taking time to think, partners took turns using Think, Turn, Tell to share their ideas. Most students then shared their answers with the group. We concluded with a final note: Being respectful helps us learn, and all students deserves a chance to learn (which comes with all students having respect).

Kindergarten: Learning to Listen

This week, we are focusing on the importance of listening and how we use our different body parts to show we are listening. I started off the lesson with Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen, a book about a rabbit who doesn't listen and finds himself in trouble. Once Howard learns to listen and starts listening in class, he receives a #1 Listener award and stays out of trouble.

We also discussed my classroom expectations for our lessons. Here are my expectations:

After this, we moved into an activity called "Follow, Follow." During this activity, students must use their listening skills to follow directions. This game is very similar to Simon Says, with the students listening for me to say "Follow, Follow" and then I tell them to touch a body part (ex: Follow, follow, touch your nose). After our listening ears were all warmed up, we moved into our lesson about listening.

We spent the rest of the time discussing The Listening Rules, four rules that show the teacher I am listening. These rules are:

• Eyes watching (point to eyes)
• Ears listening (cup ears)
• Voices Quiet (finger over your mouth)
• Body still (hug torso)

We practiced going over these rules and looked at a picture of other a student sharing, making sure to point out any listening rules we saw other students using in the picture. We also talked about how we can talk to ourselves (silently) when we want to share but know we need to wait. This helps us prevent Blurt-out-itis and be successful Panthers who can follow the listening rules!

Week 1: Introduction Lessons

This week has been such a fun and exciting time getting to visit with your students! I was able to visit with all classes, which is a rare occasion for one week! My main focus this week was introducing my counseling program and explaining how I can help students be successful Panthers here at Chinn.

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Kindergarteners learned about all of the body parts a counselor has that makes him or her successful. These parts include:
  

• On the go feet - I go here, there, and everywhere around the school to help all of my students!
• Open arms - My arms are open to help everyone: teachers, students, and parents.
• Caring eyes - My eyes are full of care and concern for all students. I use them to watch out for all of my Panthers at Chinn!
• Listening ears - I use my listening ears to listen to student problems.
• Warm heart - My warm heart is full of love for all of my students.
• Special mouth - My special mouth is full of special words to help students feel better.

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First and Second Graders played "Who is Your School Counselor?," a game where they viewed pictures of other staff members and had to indicate whether he or she was the school counselor, and if not, who this person is and what they do. View the prezi here: http://prezi.com/fgxmlkphlttn/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

We spent the remainder of our time playing a game where I showed students different pictures and they guessed what they represented. These pictures were used to explain the different characteristics of a school counselor and how they help me do my job.

The characteristics we discussed were:

• Problem Solver - I help students with determining what the problem is and some options to solve it, but they decide what to do
• Listener - I am here to listen to their problems
• Friend - I am their adult friend at school who is here to help. They are not in trouble when they come to see me!
• Helper - I help students to do their best in school by helping them solve their probems and return to class ready to learn.
• Secret Keeper - I am able to keep students' secrets most of the time! Exceptions to confidentiality include students being hurt, hurting others, or hurting themselves. It can also include being involved with potentially dangerous situations.

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Third, Fourth, and Fifth Graders viewed and discussed a prezi with me that explains a little about me and my program here at Chinn. We also played "The Counselor Game," where students were divided into teams and tried to earn points by answering questions correctly about the counseling program. View my prezi here: http://prezi.com/8n6ek-q5-kl3/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy