2016-17 Classroom Guidance
I will be going in to each K-4 classroom twice a month for thirty minutes to cover a wide range of topics. The following is a list of topics that I hope to cover during classroom guidance time; friendship, kindness (bucket filling), team building, bullying prevention, personal safety, feelings, empathy, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and career awareness. Please check back for updates throughout the school year!
Below is the bulletin board that displayed some of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders "What if Everybody Did That" pictures...
September 2016-I will be reading, "What if Everybody Did That?" by Ellen Javernick to students in grades 2-4 at S.R.E.S. This book teaches kids the importance of rules and how each choice they make (good or bad) has a consequence. During classroom guidance, students will be creating their own page that could be added to this book. When the pages are complete, I will be displaying them on the bulletin board outside Mrs. Gravelle's classroom. Check out the read aloud of this book below...
During the month of October, S.R.E.S. students will learn the importance of being a bucket filler! Check out the Bucket filling song as well as a read aloud of "How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids" by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.
In October 2016, students in grades K-4 decorated their own bucket with examples of how they can be a bucket filler. Here is a picture of the bulletin board displaying all of their buckets!
Above are the friendship crayons that students in Miss Herman's second grade classroom designed after reading, "Friendship Is An Art" by Julia Cook. During classroom guidance we discussed the qualities of a good friend.
November 2016-Students in Grades 1-4 learned about bullying during classroom guidance. Students in Grades 2 and 4 read "The Juice Box Bully" and then we discussed and signed a copy of "The Promise" (pictured above). Students then decorated a juice box with one thing they can do to put a stop to bullying and be an upstander instead of a silent bystander.
Students in Grade 1 read "The Recess Queen" and talked about examples of bullying behavior and what they can do to put a stop to bullying.
Students in Grade 3 read "Spaghetti In A Hot Dog Bun" and talked about how to stand up for ourselves and others as well as the importance of being true to ourselves and not being pressured to change who we are with others.
First graders talked about manners during classroom guidance in January 2017. We read the book, "Table Talk A Book About Manners" by Julia Cook. After reading the book, students shared a manner that they feel they need to improve on and had the chance to draw a picture of them practicing the manner. Mrs. Grout (our fabulous art teacher) kindly painted the Manners Tree so that I could display leaves with examples of using your manners such as "say please, include others, use kind words, etc.) The tree is displayed at the bottom of the stairway that leads up to the Nurse/Guidance office.
January 2017-The topic for this month was honesty. Students in grades 1-4 heard a story and then did an activity around the importance of being honest. Kindergarten students did a fun activity called "group coloring" where they had to work in small groups to create a picture but each child could only use one color. Students practiced cooperation, communication, and team work to complete their group picture.
February 2017-The topic for this month was dealing with angry feelings. Students learned to identify what happens to their bodies when they feel angry (increased heartbeat, tense muscles, etc). Students also learned the anger rules (see the picture below). As a class we discussed the fact that everyone gets angry, as well as healthy ways to deal with anger.
March 2017-Careers! During classroom guidance this month we explored a wide variety of careers in our community. We also discussed important skills that students are practicing now as students that will help them in the future (responsibility, teamwork, cooperation, being on time, etc). Check out the bulletin board outside the gym with pictures of every student in our school holding up a sign of what they want to be when they grow up!
April 2017-This month we finished up our career unit. We also talked about what cooperation looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Students then had the chance to work together as a class to accomplish a task. Check out the pictures below of our team building activities!
Third graders made "Me Trees" during classroom guidance in May 2017. Students wrote an adjective on each leaf that describes them (i.e. funny, energetic, caring, etc.). Second graders created flowers and decorated the petals with things they are good at, or what they like about themselves. Both classes learned that self-esteem means how we feel about ourselves. We also discussed ways to boost our own and others self-esteem by using positive self talk and saying kind words to others.
