Hey there!!!
Thank you for all the support for Ally week! I was amazed at the creative posters kids came up with. I’m hoping the theme will last long after the posters have come down.
These days, my curriculum will be turning more towards problem-solving and brain health.
In Kindergarten, I’m introducing Kelso’s wheel. Nine choices for small problems, students will learn the importance of cooling off before problem-solving, and working with others to avoid continuing problems. This will hopefully turn into interesting conversations about Nonviolent Communication.
In 1st-2nd grade, we’re reading “Have you filled a bucket today?” by Carol McCloud. We’ll be learning about our brains and how we promote our own mental health by actively working on positive relationships with others. I’ll start the “MindUp” curriculum in November, which supports mindfulness and optimism. I will probably tie a lot of Nonviolent Communication (see link above) in with these lessons.
In 3rd-5th grade, we’ll also be starting “MindUp” and learning about our brain health, particularly how our Limbic Systems (emotional brain) can hijack the rest of our brain when we are angry – so it’s important to cool off before trying to work something out.
Finally, I want to plug the Career Fair again. I’ve brainstormed a “wishlist” of career areas (follow the link for the list) that I would like to have represented on April 30. I would love to have people volunteer to seek out one or more of the presenters for a splendid SMORGASBORD of careers! Let me know if you’re interested. It would simply involve calling organizations like the Oregonian or OHSU to find people from diverse backgrounds who can represent the diverse career fields and answering questions about Ainsworth.
Thank you for all the support for Ally week! I was amazed at the creative posters kids came up with. I’m hoping the theme will last long after the posters have come down.
These days, my curriculum will be turning more towards problem-solving and brain health.
In Kindergarten, I’m introducing Kelso’s wheel. Nine choices for small problems, students will learn the importance of cooling off before problem-solving, and working with others to avoid continuing problems. This will hopefully turn into interesting conversations about Nonviolent Communication.
In 1st-2nd grade, we’re reading “Have you filled a bucket today?” by Carol McCloud. We’ll be learning about our brains and how we promote our own mental health by actively working on positive relationships with others. I’ll start the “MindUp” curriculum in November, which supports mindfulness and optimism. I will probably tie a lot of Nonviolent Communication (see link above) in with these lessons.
In 3rd-5th grade, we’ll also be starting “MindUp” and learning about our brain health, particularly how our Limbic Systems (emotional brain) can hijack the rest of our brain when we are angry – so it’s important to cool off before trying to work something out.
Finally, I want to plug the Career Fair again. I’ve brainstormed a “wishlist” of career areas (follow the link for the list) that I would like to have represented on April 30. I would love to have people volunteer to seek out one or more of the presenters for a splendid SMORGASBORD of careers! Let me know if you’re interested. It would simply involve calling organizations like the Oregonian or OHSU to find people from diverse backgrounds who can represent the diverse career fields and answering questions about Ainsworth.