Start With Hello

Start With Hello Week

February 5-9, 2018 at PRAES

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At PRAES, we celebrated Start with Hello week with a variety of activities. Some 6th grade students made a poster for anyone to sign and leave positive messages for other to read. Mrs. Kouba and some 6th grade students made a Scavenger Hunt using QR codes. Students had to follow clues to find the word HELLO in a variety of languages, answer questions and discuss topics. Everyone had fun and learned a lot in the process! Lastly, on Friday, grades 3-6 celebrated No One Eats Alone Day at lunch. 

What is No One Eats Alone?

No One Eats Alone is a lunchtime school event that seeks to reverse the trends of social isolation by asking students to engage in a simple act of kindness at lunch – making sure that no one is eating alone and students are making an effort to eat with new classmates and peers. 6th grade students and Mrs. Kouba used Starburst candies to group students at different tables. At each table, there were discussion questions for them to read. Videos and songs were playing on the TV in the commons area and some students won some fun door prizes.  

Why do No One Eats Alone?

Because it will be the starting place for changing the culture of your school to one where all kids feel included, valued and accepted by their peers.

No One Eats Alone Day works because of three simple ideas:

• Students Can Improve Their Own Communities: No One Eats Alone allows students to make a tangible change in their own community by making sure that everyone is included at lunch.

• Inclusive Communities are H2er Communities: Inclusive school communities create happier and more successful students while also empowering youth to be agents of change.

• Stopping Social Isolation Helps to Stop Bullying: Social isolation is oftentimes the precursor for bullying. School communities with a culture of inclusion have far fewer instances of bullying.

What is social isolation?

Social isolation is the feeling of being left out, lonely, or invisible.

There are students in schools all over the world who quietly suffer from loneliness and isolation throughout each day. This feeling of loneliness is often highlighted at lunchtime, when kids are left to fend for themselves socially.

How are social isolation and bullying connected?

It is our experience that social isolation is often the precursor to bullying. School communities with a culture of inclusion will have far fewer instances of bullying and cruelty.

Why social isolation? Don’t schools have bigger problems like bullying and violence?

We believe that much of the bullying and violence in our schools can be addressed by treating the underlying causes, rather than just the symptoms.

Social isolation is a problem in every school. We have talked to over 10,000 students in dozens of schools and afterschool programs, and we have found the problem of social isolation to be universal. We also acknowledge the relationship between social isolation and bullying and violence. By reducing social isolation, we believe we can help end much bullying and violence.Aggie Vision Start With Hello

The Power of YET!

One small, three letter word. It is my favorite word to say to doubting students as well as skeptical teachers!

YET!!

(Click on the word YET and watch a video)

What's to stop us from beginning our day like Jessica in the video? It may not involve standing on your sink to develop this "YET" sensibility, but it can take a little work! But if we want to achieve more as a student, reach more students as a teacher, or improve in the sports arena, this one little word can go sooooo far! It takes practice, patience, perseverance and TRUST!

So imagine what each of us--teachers, students, and school leaders--could do as individuals, for the people we love, and the world we live in if we give our very best, if we practice smarter, embrace challenge, trust in our teachers, colleagues, mentors, and parents and replace “can’t” with a deafening “yet”! 

Flap Harder Penguin and You Can Fly?

“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish on it’s ability to climb a tree, it’s live its whole life believing it is stupid.” ~Albert Einstein

Now, lest you say that this is another one of those “flap harder penguin and you can fly” type of statements, let me set you straight, because that simply is not the case. Yes, statistics show that low socioeconomic factors vs high socioeconomic factors can determine test scores, but why is that so? A belief pattern perhaps? A fixed mindset perhaps? Maybe, maybe not, but how can believing in someone be all bad? How can having hope be all bad? Many would say that one is setting up one for failure. Yet, how many of us have seen someone believe in inner-city kids and have watched them fly up the ladder of success as a result? So, least you think that building false hope or empty praise is the goal, Carol Dweck, a believer in Growth Mindset addresses this topic. She states that giving praise for praise’s sake is exactly what we are NOT to do. We need to guide students specifically, not superficially; we praise their effort. We are not asking penguins to fly, but we are showing them that they certainly could be excellent swimmers, and celebrating their efforts towards success in doing so. We’ve all seen the students; the one’s that other teachers say will “never amount to anything.” How many times were they completely written off by society and educators, only to find success?

MINDSET

Growth Mindset

                                  

In our counseling classes here at PRAS, we have been learning about having a Growth Mindset. Of course, the material we learn is developmental depending upon the ages of the students, but if you ask your child, they will know about Oreo the Skunk and Bucky the Beaver, the finger puppets I use to help students understand the concept of a Growth Mindset.  

Oreo has a fixed or closed mindset and often is negative. She says things like "I can't" or "It's too hard!" In other words she has Stinkin' Thinkin'! On the other hand, Bucky has a growth or open mindset and is always positive. He says "I can" and "I will, even if it's hard!" He is an Eager Beaver and wants to do well. Below is some information about Growth Mindsets and ways to help instill such thinking in your child.  Click on the links to hear more from the experts!

• Students with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can be developed. These students focus on learning over just looking smart, see effort as the key to success, and thrive in the face of a challenge.
• Students with a fixed mindset believe that people are born with a certain amount of intelligence, and they can’t do much to change that. These students focus on looking smart over learning, see effort as a sign of low ability, and wilt in the face of a challenge.
• Students with a growth mindset do better in school.

What is a Growth Mindset?

Click on the  link above to listen to Carol Dweck to learn more about fixed and  growth mindsets and how they impact learning.

3 Ways a Parent Can Instill a GROWTH MINDSET

Kids Who REALLY Listen--from Kidlutions.com

Raising Kids Who REALLY Listen

When it comes to your kids, is it in one ear and out the other? Want to raise kids who really listen? Chances are you do and we've got a few tips that can help with this goal in mind. While this list is geared towards encouraging younger children, you can change the phrasing a bit and adapt it for older children and teens

Without further ado, here we go:

1.     Listen up! One of the strongest ways that children learn is through modeling behaviors of their parents. You knew this was coming, right?

·       When you demonstrate good listening skills in your everyday life in the presence of your kids, they will learn those skills, too. They can see how it's done by watching you.

2.     Look away from that cell phone. When you want to communicate with your child, look away from your cell phone or stop your current activity to focus completely on them. Whether they initiate the conversation or you do, stop what you're doing so you can concentrate on your interaction. You have no idea how many kids comment on the fact that their parents don’t even look at them when they talk to them. Don’t be one of those parents.

3.     Look into their eyes. In any type of communication, look in the eyes of the person you're talking to and teach your children to do the same.

·       A subtle and special connection is made when people make eye contact. You better believe it! This behavior can be taught and picked up by children as young as two years of age.

4.     Name game. When you talk to your children, saying their namewill help get their attention and set them up to be ready to listen, just like when someone calls your name, you stop what you're doing and look at them.

·       Getting your child's attention by stating his name is an effective way to prepare him to hear what you're going to say. That focus is necessary to begin to develop listening skills.

5.     Take a seat. This suggestion sends the message, "Get ready to listen because I'm going to talk."

·       When your child is very young, try leading him to a chair. Then say something like, "I'd like to talk to you for a minute," which serves as an attention-getter.

·       Once you complete what you wanted to express, be ready to listen to your child's response.

6.     Check for understanding. From time to time, ask your child what you just said. You're trying to determine what your child heard by asking him to paraphrase what you said. When he repeats it properly, praise his efforts.

·       If he doesn't get it quite right, you have an opportunity to repeat what you said for clarification and to enhance his listening skills.

7.     Praise attempts at listening. When your child shows the smallest attempt to listen or to even approach listening, it's smart to reinforce those efforts right away. This is the principle of “successive approximation”.

·       Even with a 2-year-old, you can encourage their listening skills by saying, "Thank you for sitting so quietly while Mommy was talking," or, "You were really listening to Daddy, thank you."

·       After a conversation, simple responses, such as smiling while you say, "Great job on listening," also let your kids know they exhibited the important behavior you were seeking.

Promoting your child's listening abilities is best done in small ways every single day. As a parent, you're the best role model for teaching your children communication skills. Reward their efforts with smiles and positive comments, and you're on your way to building their listening skills for a successful future.

September Theme: KINDNESS

Kindness--Just ONE of the Superpowers!

We are well into our school year by now and students and teachers are getting used to their new schedules.  I am slowly learning the kinderkids' names and getting into the classrooms to teach lessons.  I love this time to talk with all the students and learn about each of them, as well as bring lessons to promote their social/emotional learning!

KINDNESS is our theme for September, although we are reminded that kindness, caring, sharing, helping, gentleness, and love are always important--no matter what time of year! :) Below are some ways to incorporate kindness and remind your child (and hey, we as adults) to be kinder and gentler with one another.

RANDOM ACTS of KINDNESS (RAK)

What is RAK you may ask?  Well it's when people do kind things to others, unexpectedly.  The random act of kindness can be as simple as giving a smile, helping someone with a task or even anonymously leaving something to brighten someone's day. 

Watch this video to get an idea of one man's way of giving back.

Homeless pay for haircuts with hugs in Connecticut town

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

It's no secret that 

 we need to 

affirm more and criticize less.

I love to affirm people, 

to catch them making good choices, 

and to delight in their presence even if their choices aren't all that good. 

To let them know that they are loved.

How about this lovely idea?

Go into backpacks and planners and desks and put sticky-note affirmations

on  students' desks and children's backpacks. 
Talk about love that sticks!

And who doesn't love to be affirmed?

To have someone tell you that you are loved.

That you are valued. And valuable.

It's not always easy.

In fact, most of the time it's hard.

Really, really difficult.

Challenging even.

Some people seem really unlovable.

Those are the people who need our unconditional positive regard the most.

So we must press on.

Because there's too much anguish in this world

not to be the peacemaker who makes a difference.