December 11th - 15th

It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the year! This week, we hosted our regular Mentor/Mentee Monday and Tutoring Tuesday. Then, we explored Negativity Bias.

Some lovelies who wanted to help show off our Negativity Bias posters!

We began this conversation by recalling negative predictions other people have made about us, which then led into stories of negative beliefs we hold about ourselves. This was extremely difficult for some scholars and so we approached one another's tales with compassion and respect, as well as a healthy dose of confidentiality. I particularly enjoyed teaching this lesson because we practiced a skill that can be routinized by anyone. Here's how it goes: Think of one negative belief you hold about yourself, then write it down. Next, think of three positive beliefs you have about yourself and write them down. Lastly, marvel at how the good outweighs the bad, even though you may not acknowledge that fact much of the time. I'll be encouraging my students to perform this ritual at home over break with the hope that they will feel self-love while they are away from me. :-)

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Thank you for reading!

December 4th - 8th

Last week, we began like any other: With Mentor/Mentee Monday. I cautiously asked the mentors if they were interested in teaching a lesson about emotions, knowing that many middle school students are terrified of public speaking. Surprisingly, a large number of scholars volunteered for the job! I absolutely love how enthusiastic they are to share their talents with their peers. During our YESS lesson on Wednesday and Thursday, they did an outstanding job of presenting the lesson with grace and confidence! I'll continue to allow students to take the helm throughout the second semester, as it's an excellent way for them to practice communication skills and leadership.

The greatest kids are Scott Carpenter kids!

On Tuesday, we tutored. We've set a goal to reduce our missing assignments to as few as possible (some kids are rather far behind and it would be unfair to ask them to get down to zero). In that light, they worked very hard and I'm glad when we log into Empower and I hear statements like, "Miss! I had 12 missing assignments and now I only have 9!" To make Tuesday even better, our newest YESS Program Manager, Alejandro Jiminez, came for a visit. He will be leading the new program at Westminster High School and the kids loved having him as a guest.

Our YESS lesson this week was called Emotions (Day 2) and it centered on a website, which is endorsed by the Dalai Lama. You can check it out here, if you wish. It's really great, but a little tough for this age group. Due to that fact, I created a handy user guide for the students and had my "mini teachers" lead their peers through the activities. I was worried that some students would be disengaged because the content was tough, but they stuck with it and worked with the partners to complete the assignment.

This team was the first one to get to five!

We played a team-building game called "Hex Nut Challenge" on Friday. The students were given a set of hex nuts and some sticks. Their goal was to stack the hex nuts in whatever fashion I told them to. This was extremely difficult and the tallest stack of the day was 9. To wind down, I asked the students to create a picture with their hex nuts that would make someone smile. My favorite one of the day was a picture of my daughter. Have a great week, everyone!

So engaged. I love these kids!

November 27th - December 1st

Do you remember how we studied the structure of the brain a few weeks ago and the scholars were asking, "Miss, why are we doing this?" Well, they got the answer this week! We utilized all that base knowledge of the brain and its functions to analyze our emotions and how they influence behavior. It was great. I love tying the loose ends together and seeing "light bulb" moments!

Of course, we began the week with Mentor/Mentee Monday and Tutoring Tuesday. Most everyone did a great job of working hard on their assignments, but there were a few kids who resisted and neglected to uphold the expectation. While it's common this time of year, I'm grateful that we have a strong classroom community and the students help hold one another accountable.

We began our lesson on emotions by creating a circle map with as many emotions as we could think of. I was impressed with the kids' ability to come up with so many various feelings!

Once we completed our circle map, we moved the conversation into the 6 Core Emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust). We enjoyed discussing how the Limbic System in our brain is rather similar to the brains of our cave-dwelling ancestors and how babies exhibit the Core Emotions, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, etc... Next, we chatted about the concept of "Fight, Flight, Freeze." To drive these concepts home, we listened to songs and identified the emotion then viewed a short film called "The Quiet" and looked for the characters' "Fight, Flight, Freeze" response. 

On Friday, we played a couple games. First, students participated in Puffball Races by blowing puffballs on their desks. They had a great time competing in this activity. Then, back by popular demand, the scholars played Rattled (my favorite word scramble game).

November 13th - 17th

I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving! Prior to leaving, the YESS scholars finished their lesson on the brain by writing a short PEAL essay on how knowledge of the brain can help adolescents make positive choices. Additionally, students utilized Achieve 3000 to read an article regarding how babies brains develop and completing activities related to that story. As I've been reading their assignments, I've been impressed with how many students were able to discuss their own life stories and incorporate the vocabulary terms we've been practicing!

Now that we're back, we'll be exploring emotions and how they drive behavior. Have a great week!

November 6th - 10th

We had another wonderful week over here at SCMS! Here's the breakdown:

On Monday, the mentors continued to promote positive attitudes in the classroom by writing words of encouragement to their mentees. They also supported one another by offering advice to those who are facing challenges in the YESS classroom.

Tutoring Tuesday was even more successful than usual, as students are feeling pressured to complete assignments before Thanksgiving Break.

On Wednesday and Thursday, we began an in-depth study of the brain. We learned a lot about the anatomy of the brain and I got a kick out of the students who asked why we were studying science in YESS. Of course, the way the brain works is important to know as we begin learning about emotions and I enjoyed having this discussion with the scholars. To add some Kagan fun, we added a Quiz Quiz Trade to solidify the new words we learned. Take a look at some of the good times below!

We celebrated our November birthdays on Friday with snacks and a movie. The kids always enjoy honoring their classmates' births and I like seeing the positive feelings, as well!

October 30th - November 3rd

Another month has come and gone. It's difficult to believe we're already in November!

Monday, the mentors and I discussed productive ways to talk with their mentees. Specifically, we focused on incorporating "we" language like "Let's work together to..." or "I'm sure we can find a way to..." in their conversations. Many mentors tend to utilize "you" language, which tends to be more accusatory and triggers their mentees' defenses. By working as a team with their mentees, our mentors will be better-equipped to deal with problems as they arise.

Tuesday was, as usual, spent working on core work. In the past, I've had to fight to get kids to complete their assignments. I'm proud to say the vast majority of our students understand why staying on top of their tasks is important and diligently focus on their assignments this year.

I was out of the building for part of Wednesday, so with the immense support of the administrative team and educators here, the students were able to accomplish some good things.

Thursday and Friday, we participated in a lesson about miscommunication. How does it happen? Why should we try to communicate effectively? How can we prevent miscommunication? The students dug deep and internalized bits of advice like these:

1. Practice active listening
2. Listen with your eyes, ears, and gut
3. Take time to understand as you try to be understood
4. Be aware of your perceptual filters - Understand that the way you see the world may not be the way everybody sees it

If you'd like to learn more about miscommunication, watch this awesome short video!

October 16th - 19th

Wow, what an amazing week! It was only four days, but we got a lot done and parent/teacher conferences were great fun.

On Monday, I was out of the building, but the mentees carried on with their usual Why Try program with Katrina. The mentors were scattered throughout the building and utilized their time wisely by either working on homework or conversing with one another about the challenges they have been facing with their mentees.

Tutoring Tuesday was successful, as well. The scholars took stock of their missing assignments, as usual and there was extra weight to this exercise since conferences began the following evening.

We began the "Today I Choose..." lesson on Wednesday by watching a TEDx Talk by Dr. Valerie Mason-John. We skipped the first part of the film due to language and began at the 3:00 mark. The kids really enjoyed learning about "stinking thinking" and how it can negatively impact their daily lives. If you'd like to check it out, click here! When we continued the lesson on Thursday, we devised lists of positive thoughts we plan to use to drown out our "stinking" thoughts. Check out some examples below!

The students came up with their own examples and we Kagan-ized the lesson by participating a structure that allowed everyone to share their ideas and gather suggestions from their peers.

It was a wonderful time and the scholars enjoyed ending the week on such a positive note!