Mindful Minute

Welcome back all! I hope the break was a rejuvenating one! Along with a new year, comes a new quarter, a new semester and a fresh start and chance to build connections, routine, and relationships with your students. If the beginning of your year has been rough, it doesn't mean that the second half, and the end, have to be. Whether you build a relationship with a student on the first day, during the first week, third month, or the 6th, what is important is that you kept trying to make that connection and establish a relationship. Your students will remember you more for the positive relationship you built with them, not how long it took to build it.

The many different ways of explaining how procedures and routines are connected:

Procedures are the steps we take to complete a task. Routines are the habits we form by repeating the same set of steps over and over.

Procedures are how we do something. Routines develop from consistent use of procedures. Procedures and routines are important because they help students follow rules and meet expectations.

Classroom Procedures are automated steps for group or individual tasks. ▪Routines are PRACTICED procedures that have become habits.

1. Asking for help
   
2. Participating in class
   
3. Walking in the hallway
   
4. Using lockers
   
5. Dealing with Frustration

WHY is it important?

Having Routines and Procedures in place will:

1. increase student engagement
   
2. reduce problem behavior
   
3. increase predictability
   
4. enhance student learning with basic classroom structure
   

Routines are also a proactive trauma informed strategy, because when students know what to expect, it helps them operate in a calm state and it increases adults prompts of possible change in routine.

Consider routines to support:

1. Brain regulation
   
2. Self-awareness
   
3. Relationship development
   

HOW to develop and idenitfy a need for routines and procedures:

1. Identify problem areas or problem times
   
2. Determine what outcome you want
   
3. Identify the steps needed to complete task
   
4. Write the procedures so they are Observable, Measurable, Positively stated, Understandable, Always applicable
   
5. Create & display posters in student-friendly language
   

It is key to continously review your procedures and routines. Once you establish them stick to them, and use them daily, practice monthly. The third quarter is always the longest, its cold and darker out, less time outside for recess, and students begin to test the comfort zone. Make reviewing fun, give students different situations and ask them what they would do. Make it a part of your calendar time, or as an exit ticket. Below I have attached some card that you can cut out and use as review with your students OR as a way to reflect on if you have procedures for that situation.

Also, check out these four teaching techniques that help improve students’ skills:

▪Teaching Routine: how the procedure/activity looks

▪Pre-corrections: quick reminders of expected behavior before the transition

▪Positive Reinforcement Procedures: incentives for appropriate behavior

▪Active Supervision: an effective method for monitoring students

Empathy and sympathy are often confused, yet their place in the classroom is influential on the level of and quality of relationships between teacher and student. Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others and make a connection with the person.

I've begun reading a lot of books from Brene Brown, and she offers a wonderful visual explanation of the difference between empathy and sympathy below.

This is a key piece when it comes to not only our relationships with our students, but also our relationships with our teammates. During some self reflection I know that I am quick to jump to sympathy in order to offer a solution. That's what we do as educators, we are fixers, and often instead of listening intently and being in the moment with a student, friend or colleague we are brainstorming a solution, or a silver lining, in hopes of making them feel better.

Let's challenge ourselves to be active listeners and practice empathy with our students and our teammates.

In this section I will be sharing tips and strategies about staying calm and dealing with anger in positive ways. You will see ideas for cooling off, practicing calming methods, and others will be suggestions for ways to talk through situations with students.

What Would you Do?

Have students respond to the following scenario: "You're playing a video game when your mom gets home from work. She turns off the power and tells you to get going on homework - even though you don't have any. All your progress in the game is lost." What Would YOU Do?

Tips!: Act it out.

You and a friend are in a big argument. You listen carefully (by looking at her, avoiding interrupting, and repeating back what you hear) to understand her perspective. Choose someone to play your friend.

Brain Break, Calming Corning or Morning Meeting Mindfulness idea:

Riverview Elementary, Assistant Principal

Email: abradford@marion.k12.in.us
Website: http://riverview.marion.k12.in.us/
Location: 531 West Buckingham Drive, Marion, IN, USA
Phone: 765-662-2427
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCSRiverviewElementarySchool/
Twitter: @RiverviewMCS_AP