You're awake. You're awesome. Live like it.

Heidi Ho friendly bloggers!

As our month focusing on KINDNESS comes to an end, I realized there is someone I think you should meet.  I met him several months ago and he has had a BIG impact on the Cookie Monster room.  So, without further ado, I introduce....

found on: http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/01/29/20-reasons-kid-president-better-president-obama/

Kid President.  This kid rocks, literally.  He is kind and insightful and he truly wants everyone to be the best they can be.  Look him up on YouTube!  Then find him on facebook, twitter, and instagram!

Kid President has been teaching the Cookie Monster kiddos a lot, especially about Kindness and how to treat others.  So far, we have learned 20 things we should say more often, how to change the world, and how to be good gift givers.

Here are some things we have learned from KP in his most recent video "A Letter To A Person On Their First Day Here":

• The world is about kindness and caring
• Food is delicious
• Hugs & Smiles & Kisses are Great!
• It's OK to make mistakes
• Be a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper
• Sometimes people are nice, and sometimes they aren't
• The world is awesome & so are you!

P.S. If you want more inspiring, uplifting, or just plain laugh out loud videos check out Kid President's YouTube channel, Soul Pancake!


Kristina

Book Review!

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!

To celebrate this lovely upcoming holiday, I invested in some book love over the weekend.  A trip to Barnes & Noble never fails to brighten my mood, spark my creativity, and fill my bucket.  And speaking of buckets...my mission in this big, book-loving store was to find books and other tools for teaching empathy.  Good News: I hit the jack-pot!  

Here's a preview of my finds...

• "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" is a fabulous book by Carol McCloud.  Several schools in our district use this book to encourage positive behavior school wide.  At Hedges, several different classes also utilize this book to teach kids about being a "bucket filler" and a "bucket dipper."  We have already utilized this book in the Cookie Monster room by practicing how to be a "bucket filler."  This week we are practicing saying one kind thing to each member of the group before ending group.  I have heard tough third grade boys say the kindest things this week, and that sure fills my bucket!

• "Stand in My Shoes" by Bob Sornson is a grrrr-eat book to introduce empathy.  I've had my eye on Stand in My Shoes for quite some time.  In a previous job, I was trained in Parenting with Love and Logic.  I think this method is a great tool to use as a parent, teacher, or school counselor.  The entire method of Parenting with Love and Logic is based on...EMPATHY!  So what better way to explain empathy to elementary learners than with a Love & Logic book written just for them? I'm excited to share this book with the Cookie Monster kiddos and become Empathy Explorers!

• "How to be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them" by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown is another fabulous book I added to our collection over the weekend.  What I love about this book: it goes over every aspect of a friendship- from compromising on activities, to handling arguments, to ways to be and not to be a friend.  I'll have more on this book soon...our second graders are working hard on this subject and they have some great ideas on "How to be a Friend."  If you want a quick activity for this book now, check out this post by Scrapbook of a School Counselor!

This last book was a special one just for me.  "The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind" by Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.  If you haven't discovered the wisdom of Dan Siegel, follow the link, I promise you won't regret it. So far in this book, I'm loving the "strategy" sections.  The information is simple but effective and easily shared with families and children.  This is a great book for elementary age kiddos, he has another book titled Brainstorm for insight into the adolescent brain.  I highly recommend both books!  

Kristina

Ever Feel Like You Want to Wreck-It?

Greetings from the Cookie Monster Room!

Before all the hustle and bustle of the Holidays, I shared a little about a program we were utilizing called How Does Your Engine Run? The month of December is busy, busy, busy around Hedges.  Keeping this in mind, Kelly and I decided to try something new...movie viewing!  I specifically chose the movie to fit with our small group discussions about How Does Your Engine Run?  During these discussions, our groups focused a lot on how Anger makes an engine rev and run a little high.  We talked about what happens to our body- mind, heart, and breath- when we become angry.  Most of the kids were able to identify having physical reactions to anger.

During this time, I introduced, or reintroduced, the groups to someone who struggles with physical aggression.  Some of you might know him as...Wreck-It Ralph!  Throughout the movie, the groups were able to identify when Ralph's engine was running high, low, and just right.  

By using an external example, the kids were able to engage in discussions about how to help Ralph use his coping skills.  The best part?  One of our Kindergarten teachers donated an actual Wreck-It Ralph doll...and yes, he can wreck-it!  During groups, the kids taught Ralph how to take deep breaths, use his words, and take some space.  

I created a few other activities to go along with the movie and posted them in Google docs. We utilized the "wreck-it" worksheet to draw a picture of time we wrecked something when upset, then we talked about what we wanted to do instead.  Using the "fix-it" worksheet, we shared how we might fix the thing we wrecked- whether it was an actual thing (my brother's game) or a relationship (saying "I'm sorry" to my brother).

I'm not sure if the cookie monster kids or their cookie monster counselor enjoyed the movie more.  But I do know it was a fun, effective tool to utilize when everyone's attention was stretched a little thin.  


Thanks Disney Pixar for another great film!

Kristina