What's JOY Got to Do With It?
#VBHasJoy Monthly Newsletter, October 2018
In This "Welcome Fall" Issue:
One Small Thing: Laughing & the Brain
Joyful Reads: What is SEL?
ONE SMALL THING
What is one small thing you can do to promote a positive atmosphere?
LAUGH! They say laughter is the best medicine, and science is now proving that it is not only good for our health, but laughter is great for our brain!*
Did you know that each time we laugh we actually decrease the levels of stress induced hormones in our body and increase blood flow and oxygenation to our cells and organs...including our brain!
When we laugh our brain releases endorphins, but how do we create laughter that is both genuine and productive? Improv games can promote laughter while stimulating creativity and priming the brain for learning.
Check out these simple yet fun ideas that bring improv games into your warm-ups and brain breaks. One that I am excited to try with teacher leaders is "Beep." Participants stand in a circle and the lead passes the beep to the person next to her, who'll pass it to the person next to him, etc. We pass the beep by looking at each other, breathing in together, and saying, "Beep" together as we exhale. This requires eye contact and closely watching people's body language, all while having just enough fun to warm up our brains.
Visit here for a list of six laughter ready warm-ups from Edutopia.
*Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-management-and-health-benefits-of-laughter-3145084
JOYFUL READS
Each month we will share reading that has the ability to increase our empathy, strengthen our knowledge base, and grow our JOY.
Goal 3, Social-Emotional Development
It is difficult to follow an educator on Twitter, attend a education conference, or follow an educational blog nowadays without coming across the acronym SEL. So what is SEL and what does it stand for?
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) as the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Edutopia has an excellent article that details five key competencies of SEL with some excellent guiding questions to use in the classroom. Check it out and have some fun exploring the various resources linked within the article.
A MINDFUL PRACTICE
4 Simple Steps to Introduce Mindful Meditation
It has certainly been an interesting start to our school year. After preparing for an incoming hurricane, rolling out one-to-one devices city-wide, introducing Schoology, and rescheduling Open Houses, there have been a few events that may have caused stress in our schools. In times like these, we adults can learn from the natural ability children have for staying present in the moment and letting go of distractions.
Introducing meditation into our schools can empower students to harness this natural ability while developing their own resilience and self-efficacy. What’s even better? If we, as adults, can incorporate the practice of meditation into our lives, the benefits expand! There is overwhelming research to support the positive benefits to building our ability to pause and connect to what is happening in the moment. By sharing meditation with students, we can empower young people to self-monitor and use this practice to give themselves a mental boost to enhance concentration and attention.
It begins as simply and profoundly as focusing on the body and the breath. There are 4 simple steps detailed here that are easy and fun! Try it today and see the benefits.
Step 1: Sit and relax
Step 2: Breathe and relax
Step 3: Listen and relax
Step 4: Relax and be
CULTIVATING A JOYFUL CULTURE
Can you improve classroom culture in just a few minutes a day?
Yes! In as few as 120 seconds, the Appreciate, Apologize, or AHA strategy creates a community in our classrooms and schools that honors and develops responsive listening, appreciation for others, self-reflection, and shared accountability.
This strategy is not just for children. It can be used as a closure during an ILT meeting or at the end of a department meeting. The benefits of building community are too great to not give this quick strategy a try in your classroom or work space.
Share your own Aha! about the strategy on Twitter using the hashtag #VBHasJoy.
JOYFUL LEARNING
The Art of Mindful Communication with Kids
Are you ready to learn more about how to infuse mindful practices into your daily work with students? Register here for a FREE online workshop hosted by Mindful Schools.
National Speaker Series
Come and learn about the Pedagogy of Confidence with Dr. Yvette Jackson on October 8th from 6-8 p.m. at Landstown High School.
Dr. Jackson is a passionate believer in supporting ALL learners to achieve at high levels.This event is sure to grow our understanding of how we can make mindful decisions daily in our schools. Dr. Jackson will inspire you, push your thinking, and provide actionable steps forward toward culturally responsive teaching.
PRACTICING JOY: #VBHASJOY
Transforming with JOY
This September teachers across the division were making mindful choices to bring joy to life in their classrooms during the first weeks of school. Here is a sampling of what a few teachers are accomplishing. Follow these #transformazing teachers on Twitter to see the great work they are doing with integrating social and emotional learning in classrooms.
Kindness Rocks
My favorite co-teacher and I made #KindnessJoyRocks with our parents for Open House 2018. Can’t wait to surprise some of my kiddos with some motivation from their parents!
-Erica Fritz (& Ms. Peoples)
Princess Anne MS
Choosing Kindness
-Theresa Holloran
Rosemont ES
Advisory & Icebreakers
-Eva Dobak (& Amy Abbott)
Green Run Collegiate
OCTOBER ACTION CALENDAR
Visit http://www.actionforhappiness.org/optimistic-october to learn more!