Day 7 Report - Our Final Class

Goal Work: Today the students reflected on the extent to which they feel they accomplished their goals. They also reflect on which of the goal setting steps they felt they were most effective at and which they could have done more effectively. Regardless of to what extend they achieved their goals, all the students felt that they learned about goal setting and attainment! For more information on this topic, check out the ESTEEM Team website.

Happy Habit #7 - Sharpen the Saw or Balance
The story we read explained the importance of feeding our mind, body, heart, and soul. If we neglect one of these aspects of our self we become out of balance. You wouldn't continue to use a saw without ever sharpening the saw. Check out your child's notebook for ways in which they can keep themselves in balance. The book that I used for the happy habits lessons was The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey. For more information on the 7 Happy Habits, check out The Leader in Me website.

Mindfulness: Throughout the past seven weeks, we have been practicing mindfulness and focus exercises. For more information on using mindfulness with kids check out The Hawn Foundation website or my Minds On Learning blog.

Don't forget to complete the survey that I emailed you and receive 20% off the next class you enroll your child in!

Day 6 Report

• Today's mindfulness exercise was focusing on the virtue of generosity for 3 minutes after we discussed the quote, "The real secret of happiness is not what you have or what you receive, it's what you share." (unknown) and examples in our lives of being generous and having others show us generosity.

• Goal work: we reflected on what actions and strategies we used this pass week in working toward our goals. As well we reflected on the 7 goal setting steps and which ones we felt we had done exceptionally well at and which ones we could have put more energy into.

• Happy Habit #6 - Synergize or 1+1=3 - By working together and using each person's strengths much more can be accomplished than the sum of each individual contributions. Today the students each started a list of their own personal strengths and then each one added to everyone else's lists. Here is a picture of the girls showing terrific synergy to run a highly competitive game in the nicest way possible:

• Today's homework focus on working on their goal as much as they can for this final week.

Just a reminder, next week is our last class.

Day 5 Report

I have added a video to last week's post regarding Happy Habit #4 Think Win-Win

*This week's Happy Habit # 5 was Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood which was about listening not just with our ears but also with our eyes and our hearts. The children have homework in regards to this habit. They have the choice to either spend an hour not talking and only listening or to think of someone who is a good listener and write a list of what makes them a good listener. I have recommended that if they choose to spend an hour not talking and only listening that they inform the people they are around first. And no, it doesn't count if they spend the hour playing in their room by themselves, lol.

*For goal work, the children spend some time coming up with ways that they can acknowledge their accomplishments and celebrate once they achieve their goals. Here are some of their ideas:
- a bubble bath
- doing a celebration dance (and song)
- a board game night with family
- spend the day reading
- go to Chuck E Cheese
- have a picnic
- go get ice-cream
- brag (to mom and dad)
- go in the sprinkler
- show Stacey the accomplishment
- do something special with parents

*We also spend time learning about the virtue of attitude. More specifically we discussed the idea that we can't control our circumstances but we can control our thoughts. We discussed the following important terms.

Self-control: The ability to control your own behavior, especially in terms of your actions and impulses.
(This is why we practice mindfulness each week)
Personal-control: Believing that you have control over the important outcomes in your life.
Pessimism: Always expecting something bad to happen.
Optimism: Believing, expecting, or hoping that things will turn out well.

See if your child remembers the ABCDE Way to get rid of negative thoughts. Here's a hint:
Any problem, Bad thoughts, Creepy feelings, Decide, Enjoy


Thanks for sending me such a wonderful group of children. They have such wonderful attitudes toward learning and they treat each other so respectfully that it makes each class a joy!

Day 4 Report

Goal Work:
Today we discussed obstacles that were or could prevent us from working on our goals. The kids each listed possible obstacles for their goals and came up with strategies for dealing with these obstacles.

Happy Habit # 4 - Think Win-Win - This habit is about thinking of others happiness as well as your own. The kids made a poster of examples of thinking win-win. Here they are explaining their examples.

Homework - Persevere with working on goals and overcoming obstacles. "Go over, go under, go around, or go through. But never give up." - Unknown

Day 3 Report

Today the kids worked on their goals. The kids that were away last week defined their goals and I helped them come up with some strategies and websites that may be useful. I've added these to the previous post with the other students' goals. All of the children spent time thinking of why they wanted to achieve their goals and we talked about desire as being the fuel for achieving their goals. As well, each child came up with a list of actions to take to achieve their goals. They can each tell you which is their action plan. They are as follows:

Today Happy Habit #3 is putting first things first or "work first, then play". Here are some video presentations:

Intro for Day 3 Video Skits

What Not to Do

Putting First Things First

We also practised a focus exercise of focusing on our deep breathing. We discussed the quote "Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do." (Napoleon Hill)

Homework for the week:  Begin carrying out their action plan.

Day 2 Report

Today we learned about Sean Covey's Happy Habit # 2 Begin with the End in Mind. Here is a video of two students re-enacting the story we read. 

Students also chose their goals and made sure that they were:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Then I spent time with each student helping them come up with strategies and websites that they can use to achieve their goals. Here are the goals and strategies, your child can tell you which is theirs.

Personal – 4 giants with spot

Academic – To spell big words

Strategies and Websites:

visualize

http://www.spellingcity.com/

http://www.aaaspell.com/grade3.htm

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/spellinglevelc.html

Personal- Pass swimkids 4

Practice twice a week with dad

Academic - better at times tables (getting the right answers)

Strategies and Websites:

Practice twice a week with dad

visualize

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/multiplication.html

http://www.ezschool.com/Grade3/Math/Multiplication/index.html

http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3

Personal – round-off, backhand spring, back layout on the floor

- do a kip on the real bar

Academic – learn how to recognize more fractions

Strategies and Websites:

visualize

http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3

http://www.ezschool.com/Grade3/Math/Fractions/index.html

Personal – giant flyaway

Academic – improve research skills while researching habitats

Strategies and Websites:

visualize

Research different habitats

Choose a habitat and animal

Research the animal and that habitat, using at least 3 websites

Make a diorama to show learning

Personal – Do a flyaway without a spot

Visualize

Academic – get faster at your multiplication facts

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/multiplication.html (for practise)

http://www.ezschool.com/Grade4/Math/Multiplication/index.html (printing worksheets to use for timed tests)

http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-4 (online practise exercises, it allows one free activity a day)

Personal – Be able to swim at least 30 meters

Practice each time she goes swimming

Academic – Get better at basic math facts (adding, subtracting, and dividing)

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/ (for practise)

http://www.ezschool.com/Grade4/Math/Division/index.html (printing worksheets to use for timed tests)

http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3 (online practise exercises, it allows one free activity a day)

 Homework this week: Students should think of all the reasons why they want to achieve their goals.

If your child missed class this week, please encourage them to write down their personal and academic goal, put it somewhere that they will see it frequently and complete the homework.