#4 SEL RECIPE - MORNING MANTRA

Here are two other ways to put improve self-awareness as you begin each day.

Morning Mantra

Teacher says: Boys and girls, what is my job today?

Children respond: Your job is to teach us and to love us.

Teacher says: Boys and girls, what is your job today?

Children respond: Our job is to learn and to love each other.
           

What Are You?
(Adapted from “The Help.”)

Teacher asks: What are you?

Children respond: I am kind. (Touch the heart.)

I am smart. (Touch the head.)

I am important. (Give self a hug.)
                                                                         

Hint!  Make posters of these and hang in a prominent place in the classroom.

Class Rock
This catchy beat will help children learn each other's names and inspire positive feelings.


                                         

Have children stand in a circle and begin this pattern: stomp, stomp, clap, stomp, stomp, clap.  Chant each child's name to the beat as you go around the circle.

     We think child’s name is super. Super!

     We think child’s name is super. Super!

*Pass a hand mirror around the classroom and ask each child to say one thing they like about themselves.

*Let children draw pictures to contribute to a class book called “The Best Thing about Me!” or "We Are Special!"

                                                     

Icebergs are just one of the ideas you'll find for a sensory motor center.
          

  

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# 3 SEL RECIPE - THUMBS UP!

Positive self-talk is a simple strategy to remind children that they are important and capable. Have children start the day by repeating each line of this chant after you.

               

You’re the Best!

Teacher says: Thumbs up. (Stick out thumbs.)

Children repeat: Thumbs up.

Teacher says: Across the chest. (Bring across to the opposite shoulder.)

Children Repeat: Across the chest.

Teacher says: Pat on the back. (Pat self on the back.)

Children repeat: Pat on the back.

Teacher says: Cause you’re the best! (Wrap arms around self and hug.)

Children repeat: Cause you're the best!

Hint! You can easily change the words to this chant to "I'm the best!" or "We are the best!"

I Am Statements
“I am” statements are another way to encourage positive behavior. (These can be based on your school’s goals or let the children suggest statements.) Write these on a language experience chart and then begin the day by sticking up your thumbs and repeating them.

     I am respectful.

     I am trustworthy.
     I am responsible.
     I am fair.
     I am caring.
     I use good manners.
     I use kind words.
     I can do it!
                                                          


How about some ideas for organizing centers?

  

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#2 SEL RECIPE - MORNING MINDFULNESS AND YOGA

How you start your morning can create positive feelings that will last all day long.  
"Morning Stretch" will encourage MINDFULNESS (self awareness) by having children stretch, breath and focus. 

Morning Stretch

                       

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIq9TbaCokc&feature=youtu.be

If you've never done yoga before, it might me an interesting strategy to explore in the upcoming school year.  As long as you keep trying new things you won't be bored, and neither will your students!

Yoga Letters
There are several videos where yoga poses are related to the alphabet  Here's a poster that you can download free.
                           
http://www.youngyogamasters.com/2014/05/28/yoga-alphabet-printable/

Number Yoga (Michelle Drees, Danbury, IA)
Have children hold yoga positions as you practice counting.
(Scholastic has a cool alphabet book of yoga poses!)
                                            


Monument Yoga
Linda Smith shared this idea for Monument Yoga:
Washington Monument – Feet together and arms up and with pointed fingers.
Statue of Liberty – One arm up holding the torch and the other arm holding a book with feet apart.
Honest Abe – Sitting position with arms out as if on a chair.
Mount Rushmore – Legs apart with chin under fist and switch sides.
The Arch – Arms in an arc twice overhead.
Liberty Bell – Arms down swinging side to side as you say, “Bong, bong, bong, crack!”


Active Learning 
Wouldn't it be interesting to let your students create their own yoga poses for vocabulary, science themes, etc.

Super Hero Yoga
Your students will love doing this Superhero Yoga that Charley Schillinger does with her students.
Superman – Do a plank.
Wonder Woman – Sit in an invisible chair.
Spiderman – Feet together and squat.
Batman – Arms out and one leg up.
Captain America - Squat with legs apart and stretch arms over head and behind as if extending a shield.
Flash Lunges - One foot in front and lean forward and touch the floor.
Black Widow - Take turns stretching out your arms.
Iron Man Pose - Stand straight and look up towards the sky.

Here's here blog so you can learn more about it:

https://mscharleyblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/superhero-yoga/

                                         https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljZWZjN205R0NXMGc/view?usp=sharing 

Use center signs to help parents and administrators understand the value of learning through PLAY.


You'll find more center signs here:
                                  

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#1 SEL RECIPE - I LIKE YOU!

Look at this book I wrote in 1997.  "Wonderful Me!" "Friends, Friends, Friends!" "Feelings and Emotions," "Same and Different," "Changes"...same song, different verse. 
                                    

Those topics have always been important to the WHOLE child. We know that a positive self-concept, self-regulation, and knowing how to get along with others is critical for students today and in the future.

According to CASEL, social-emotional learning can be defined as: “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

My goal over the next 25 days will be to give you "ready to use activities" each day that can promote SEL in your classroom in the new school year.

You'll find the blogs organized around the following categories:
· Activities to help children develop self-confidence
· Songs and cheers to create a classroom family
· Techniques to encourage self-regulation
· Partner projects to develop social relations
· Games and ideas for small group learning

P.S.  I'm also going to share a picture of an activity from our new CENTERS FOR PRE-K packet each day.  

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

SEL #1

I don't care where I go or what age group I work with, all I have to do is sing this song and I've got them in the palm of my hand.  Basically, we all just want to be recognized and feel like someone likes us!

I Like You!  (Tune:  "Skip to My Lou")
I like you,there’s no doubt about it.      (Point to self and then a child.)
I like you,there’s no doubt about it.  
I like you,there’s no doubt about it.
You are my good friend.

You like me, there's no doubt about it.  (Point to a child and then self.)
You like me, there's no doubt about it.
You like me, there's no doubt about it.
We are all good friends.

                      

*Insert children's names in the song.  For example: 
I like Joey, there's no doubt about it.  
I like April, there's no doubt about it.  
I like Leo there's no doubt about it.  
We are all good friends.

Hint!  Glue googly eyes to craft sticks and give one to each child to use as you sing.

Twinkle Friends
Here's a sweet song to the traditional tune that can help children connect with their friends.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star. (Children face partner and touch
                                           fingers gently in the air.)
What a special friend you are.

From your head to your toes, (Point to head and then toes.)
We are special friends you know. (Hold hands and circle around.)
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, (Gently touch fingers to partner.)
What a special friend you are. (Hug friend.)
Now go find another friend (Children walk around the room
                     and find another friend.)
And we’ll twinkle once again.

*Continue singing as children walk around the room and "twinkle" with different friends.

                                                                      

*Teach children how to give their friends a "double" handshake.
Children face their partner and shake hands with their right hand. Next, they cross over and shake with their left hands. Their arms should form an “X” as they do this.                      

How do you manage learning centers????  You'll find lots of strategies in our new book.
      

  

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WE LOVE OUR FLAG

If you missed my video about CENTERS, you can watch the edited version now. You can also purchase the book on Carolyn Kisloski's TPT store.

 http://bit.ly/OnlyFour

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We will celebrate Flag Day on June 14, but here’s a song you can sing all year to prompt your class before saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

We Love Our Flag 
(Tune: “Farmer in the Dell”)
We love our flag.
We love our flag.
We love America
And we love our flag.

Red, white, and blue,
Red, white, and blue,
The colors of our country’s flag
Are red, white, and blue.

50 stars of white
On a field of blue
Stand for 50 states
Where we live, it’s true. 

Thirteen stripes
In red and white
Stand for the colonies
For freedom they did fight. 

We love our flag…

* Use the words in the song to explain the meaning of the stars and strips.

Here’s the link to download the book:
http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2007/06_Jun/1booksJun/WeLoveOurFlag.pdf

AmeriCANS
Check out this video to learn another song about our flag. The last verse is my favorite:

We are all Americans
And so we always say I CAN!
We try and do our best
Because we are Americans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuhI_GXyF90

Flag Etiquette
Teach children flag etiquette and the importance of not dragging the flag on the ground.

Design a Flag
Give children a sheet of white paper and the scrap box and let them design their own flags.

DAD'S DAY IS ON THE WAY

Father’s Day isn't until June 17th, but here are a few ideas for those of you who like to plan ahead.  Your students, children, and grandchildren can all use these to make it a special day.

Breakfast in Bed
Give each child a 2 ½” circle and ask them to draw their father’s face when he is sleeping. Glue this to the top of the flat side of a paper lunch sack. Next, cut 4 ½ ” x 6” pieces of plaid or striped wrapping paper or wallpaper. Let children glue this to the sack under the sleeping head so it looks like their dad is in bed. Finally, let children make a card with this poem:

            Breakfast in Bed
            Since it is Father’s Day
            I have something to say.
            Don’t lift your head.
            Have breakfast in bed!
            In the bag you will see
            Breakfast prepared by me!

                              
Let children make muffins or another breakfast goodie and place it in the bag. Punch a hole in the top and tie on the card with a piece of ribbon.

Shirt and Tie Card
Fold a sheet of paper in half. Cut in several inches from each end about 1” down from the fold as shown. Bend each corner down to look like the collar of a shirt. Add buttons, a tie, and a special message inside.

Belt or Key Rack
You will need scraps of wood (2x4x10 works well), nails, and hammers for this project. Let children decorate the wood with paints or markers. Next, let them hammer 4 or 5 nails in the wood. Attach a hanger to the back.

Tie Holder
Let children cover a cardboard roller from paper towels with masculine wrapping paper. Insert a 24” piece of string and knot the ends so it can be hung from a nail to hold ties.

Note! This is a great opportunity to talk about different kinds of families. Some children may not have a father living with them, so those children can make a gift for a grandfather, uncle, or other special friend.

IT'S VBS TIME!

If you missed my video about CENTERS, you can watch the edited version now. You can also purchase the book on Carolyn Kisloski's TPT store.

http://bit.ly/drjeanUltimate

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Im-Only-4-Ultimate-Center-Packet-for-Pre-Kindergarten-3821900

If you don’t know what VBS means – Vacation Bible School! As a child that was always the highlight of my summer. Back in those days we didn’t have televisions (much less 100 cable channels) or electronic devices. Forget flying to an exotic place! Grandpa’s farm was about as far as we got, but it was the BEST! 

Anyway, Bible School meant being around friends, games, crafts, Kool-Aid, cookies, and singing. Some of those songs I learned over 60 years ago are still in my heart. That’s the power of music. We may forget many things, but songs get stored in the deepest part of the brain. (I hope I’m still singing them loud some day when I’m in the memory loss center!)

                               

Almost 15 years ago Shari Sloane and I made a CD called “Sing, Little Children, Sing” with gospel songs that we grew up with, as well as some songs to teach the books of the Bible, Disciples, Ten Commandments, etc.  If you go to my website (drjean.org) today you can download the entire CD FREE.  You can also download a copy of the lyrics.  (Pick and choose the songs that you like best and the ones that are compatible with your beliefs.)

Thanks for helping me put a song in the hearts of children!!!!

 http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2016/06_June_css/index.html