The first week of school in my district can be confusing, stressful, and nerve-wracking for some, perhaps even most. Our classes are not set until the end of the first week as we wait for upper management to confirm and crunch the final numbers for student enrolment at each school. Careful thought is put into class composition as we move forward to determining which students we will be working with this year.
But while all of that is going on, we are still teaching. We are not necessarily teaching our kids that we will receive, though we might have a few of them in our midst. We don't know that until the classes are set on Friday. This is something that challenges me year after year as I always strive to create purposeful learning opportunities. I stress over planning aspects because I find it difficult to make my teaching meaningful when I can't continue the journey with the same students. It's all about relationships.
But while all of that is going on, we are still teaching. We are not necessarily teaching our kids that we will receive, though we might have a few of them in our midst. We don't know that until the classes are set on Friday. This is something that challenges me year after year as I always strive to create purposeful learning opportunities. I stress over planning aspects because I find it difficult to make my teaching meaningful when I can't continue the journey with the same students. It's all about relationships.
The MindUP Curriculum for Grades 3-5 But the group I have been working with are a wonderful bunch of Grade 4 students who have made me feel incredibly at home in my new job. Not only have they been welcoming, kind, and receptive to my style, but we have had so much fun in the little time I've gotten to know them. Needless to say, I'm going to be sad to see many of them move on to other classrooms. Luckily, a few of them will be staying with me as I am teaching a Grade 3/4 split this year.
Today we journeyed through the first stages of the MindUP program. I am a huge advocate for promoting social responsibility and self-regulation within students. I believe that everyone, no matter the personality or background, deserves an opportunity to develop the skills needed to become an independent and contributing citizen to their communities. This can translate in many ways depending on the needs of the learner, but as always, I'm challenging them to meet a higher standard than the one in which they enter my classroom.
MindUP is based upon deep-breathing exercises and metacognition. It allows students to understand the parts of their brain at work in social processes and to become more aware, or "mindful," of the impact they have on themselves and others. By using a common language in class that includes brain anatomy and neural processes, students begin to understand that they are truly in control of their reactive selves in social situations, both in the classroom and in real-world contexts.
Today we journeyed through the first stages of the MindUP program. I am a huge advocate for promoting social responsibility and self-regulation within students. I believe that everyone, no matter the personality or background, deserves an opportunity to develop the skills needed to become an independent and contributing citizen to their communities. This can translate in many ways depending on the needs of the learner, but as always, I'm challenging them to meet a higher standard than the one in which they enter my classroom.
MindUP is based upon deep-breathing exercises and metacognition. It allows students to understand the parts of their brain at work in social processes and to become more aware, or "mindful," of the impact they have on themselves and others. By using a common language in class that includes brain anatomy and neural processes, students begin to understand that they are truly in control of their reactive selves in social situations, both in the classroom and in real-world contexts.
The digitized brain model students got to experience using the Daqri app for iOS. This is "4D" augmented reality model allows you to interact with it to learn brain anatomy.
My big edu-win today was that even though I may never teach some of these kids again, the lessons we experienced together were meaningful, filled with enriched discussion, and curiosity. I even had a couple who approached me to say that they wanted to continue learning about "self-control by using their brain." This day made me forget all about being stressed out about creating "one-off lessons" and to remember that every day, every moment, can impact the life of a student.
Thanks for reading! I encourage you to comment below to tell your classroom's stories of building community, relationships, and mindful learners.
Thanks for reading! I encourage you to comment below to tell your classroom's stories of building community, relationships, and mindful learners.
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