EMerce*d in Learning

 Wednesday Words We will look at the words that define us.   If you have spent much time teaching young children you have heard of impulse control, but what is it?    First let's look at the brain: source The main part of the brain that is in control during the act of stopping to think actions through is the frontal lobe.  As stated in an article by the Livestrong Foundation, found here , Higher-level thinking is supported by the frontal lobes. Activity in these lobes allows us to reason, make judgments, make plans for the near and far future, make choices, take action, solve problems and generally control our living environment. Without fully functioning frontal lobes, you may have intelligence, but you wouldn’t be able to put it to use. The quote mentions "fully functioning" frontal lobes. When do they become "fully functioning?"  I'm glad you asked..... around the mid-twenties.  Although, I'm sure many of us have met those roug...

Fill it up Friday Each Friday we will look at an article to fill up on the whys of teaching. This is one of my favorite books EVER.  Seriously!  If you haven't heard of it yet please, please, please check it out! Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I frequently read books on child behavior, especially difficult behaviors.  I've noticed that the better I managed my classroom the more the children are able to learn, so I focus on behavior first.  The authors do an amazing job looking at various factors that influences a child's behavior and what we as adults can do to help mitigate those factors. The authors break the book up into manageable pieces that reference the different aspects that influence behavior and how to work around with them such as the social context, physical space, and the inclusive setting. By far my favorite part of the book is the inclusion of the functional assessment behavior chart.  This is also known as the ABC chart....

Thursday Thoughts This is where we will collaborate on classroom issues. A few weeks ago we talked a bit about apologies.  If you haven't read that post you can find it here.  We talked about how it is important to teach children to move toward giving apologies, but not forcing them to do so. Now that you've practiced that with your own kids (classroom or personal, or heck that kid at Walmart that needed a talking to), you have most likely hit the next stumbling block- how to get the "victim" to accept an apology. Just as forcing a child to apologize doesn't teach empathy, forcing a child to "feel better" now that they have received an apology doesn't teach forgiveness.  After having the "aggressor" attempt to make the child feel better I always ask the "victim" if they feel better.  If they don't I ask one of two questions: "What would make you feel better" or "Can I give you a hug?".  Sometimes a ...

Thursday Thoughts This is where we will collaborate on classroom issues. "I want my class to feel like a family.  Right now all the kids seem tired of one another.  I am at a year round school so we will still be together for a little while.  What can I do?"- Samantha, VA I love using class meetings!  They are such an amazing way to build a connection with your students and set expectations.  This year I taught Kindergarten and we have two daily class meeting sessions.  The first one happens first thing in the morning as all three classes gather in one room for a morning question, the pledge and to hear any announcements.  We use that time to alert the children of any changes that may be taking place that day. The second one is more important for me as a teacher.  Before we start our academic tasks I allot about 20 minutes for sharing stories.  The children get to take turns just communicating without an agenda....

Fill it up Friday Each Friday we will look at an article to fill up on the whys of teaching.   I wanted to share this article since I had seen it floating around on social media.   I'll give you a minute to read it.   Seriously, you go read it and I'll wait right here. Ok good now that you've read it I want to know what you think.   ADHD can be a controversial topic in general, but the assertion that there is a subset of preschoolers (or in this case 2 and 3 year olds) that not only have ADHD but are suffering enough to need medication is alarming. I'm going to start off by saying that this article does not give all the facts.   It does not give exact figures and is estimating the rate of medicating children in other areas based on one state.   Without having hard and fast numbers it is hard to know how accurate the reporting is.   It is also difficult to determine from the article why these children were prescribed the medication. ...

Thursday Thoughts This is where we will collaborate on classroom issues. “My children come to me all day to tattle on their friends.   I’m going to pull my hair out if I have to hear one more time about a friend looking at them wrong!”   -Michelle G., Virginia Beach, VA We answered most of Michelle's concerns last week.   You can see more of that post here Thursday Thoughts- Tattling Now let's tackle that sticky area of apologies.   When a child has done something that makes an apology necessary I try to lead the child in that direction without telling them that they have to apologize.  Why?  Shouldn't we be teaching our children appropriate behavior? The reason I don't force apologies is because they become inauthentic.  You create people who then will apologize without meaning it, and in young children they will often times apologize as they are hitting or snatching toys away.  Is that what the purpose of an apology is? I wa...

Thursday Thoughts This is where we will collaborate on classroom issues. “My children come to me all day to tattle on their friends.   I’m going to pull my hair out if I have to hear one more time about a friend looking at them wrong!”   -Michelle G., Virginia Beach, VA This is something that I think all of us have dealt with at one time or another.   This can be particularly frustrating when you are trying to balance the desire to curtail aggressive behavior or bullying while maintaining your own sanity.   I always start this dialogue with my children at the beginning of the year.   I want my children to know there are big differences between tattling and informing.   We revisit these definitions many times throughout the year as needed. I define them this way: Tattling- Telling me what a friend has done just to get them in trouble. Reporting/ Informing- Telling me what a friend has done because they will not stop (you have attempted to stop ...

Thursday Thoughts This is where we will collaborate on classroom issues. “I have a child who does not stay in time out.   I get so tired of chasing him down.   What can I do” –Olivia C., Roanoke Let’s first look at how time-out is being used.   While there are many variations on time-out I prescribe to Positive Discipline techniques.   Through that lens time-out should be a positive, preventative tool.   The downfall in using time-out in a punitive manner is that we are not providing the child with an alternative behavior.   Children often misbehave because they do not have the inner tools required for a more appropriate alternative behavior.   It is our jobs to show them those alternatives.   Using time-out in a positive manner is unfamiliar for many of us.   What would that look like?   The physical appearance of a time out center should be pleasant.   You want to make it look inviting and relaxing.   I recommen...