Gratitude means appreciating yourself and others, noticing and being grateful for our food, clothes, and homes; appreciating our teachers and being thankful for all we learn; looking deep inside and thinking about what are talents are and being thankful for them; loving our strong bodies and our hair, face, etc.; and appreciating the rewards we get when we work hard to attain a goal. Kris Yankee does a great job of helping students understand what it means to be grateful with all of these examples and more.
Today's #TakingCareThurs featured book, Are You Grateful Today? is book #5 in the Becoming a Better You! series by Michigan author, Kris Yankee (@KrisYankee). With today being Thanksgiving, it seemed like the perfect "taking care of ourselves" character trait to focus on! When I talk to kids about being grateful, I often interchange the word "thankful" because they truly do understand what it means to be thankful. Kids are taught from an early age to say "please" and "thank-you," but gratitude goes beyond just thanking someone for something we have received. This book does a great job of pushing kids to think beyond just staying "thank-you" and to truly embrace the gratitude attitude! Gratitude means appreciating yourself and others, noticing and being grateful for our food, clothes, and homes; appreciating our teachers and being thankful for all we learn; looking deep inside and thinking about what are talents are and being thankful for them; loving our strong bodies and our hair, face, etc.; and appreciating the rewards we get when we work hard to attain a goal. Kris Yankee does a great job of helping students understand what it means to be grateful with all of these examples and more. At the end of the book, she includes reflections and tips for creating grateful kids. You can read more about her books by following High 5 for Character (@Hi5forCharacter) on Twitter or by visiting the High 5 for Character website.
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Today's featured book selection, Trouper by Meg Kearney, was chosen for November Picture Book Month's topic of the day: dogs. Several years ago, when I began building our "taking care" collection, I came across books that dealt with taking care of animals and I realized the importance of teaching children the importance of taking care of our animals too. Trouper is based on a true rescue story. The story is told from the perspective of "Trouper," the dog. Trouper is a three-legged mutt. Would anyone have the heart to give him a home? "My heart was a cold, starless night, ... .... until your face shone through the bars like a mini sun. Trouper was a sweet old soul. Sometimes animals need "taking care" of too. As you are choosing books for #TakingCareThurs, don't forget animals and pets too! :)
Did you know Friday, November 13th is World Kindness Day? What are you planning this week to celebrate #kindness in your classroom? This week's selection for #TakingCareThurs, Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler, was chosen for World Kindness Day. "It was cold. It was rainy. And Mrs. Ruler's class hadn't been outside all week. The students were getting jumpy and grumpy." Sound familiar? Some of Mrs. Ruler's students get in trouble for not being kind. She keeps them in at recess. "Sit down. Don't frown." "You acted as if it's cool to be mean. But it's not." Mrs. Ruler challenges the students to practice being kind. Five acts of kindness she says. They will see.... "A slice of nice makes a mile of smile!" "What if I don't feel like being kind?" ...."Good deeds fill needs!" Mrs. Ruler responds. And so you'll see.... kindness truly is contagious! The more Mrs. Ruler's students performed acts of kindness, the more they wanted to be kind, as did the other students whom they had been kind to. Mrs. Ruler decided to write their acts of kindness on paper hearts and put them on the bulletin board. "I know. Let's have a class party. We'll decorate and celebrate - One hundred acts of kindness!" Could you and your class generate 100 "Acts of Kindness" and decorate and celebrate World Kindness Day? Let's all help our kids generate lists of 100 acts of kindness and then carry them out!
"Kindness is cooler!"
We are so excited to have a newly donated "buddy bench" at our school. We are so thankful for our local Lowe's who designed, built, and donated a buddy bench to support our "Taking Care of Others" initiative.
So what's a buddy bench, you may ask? The buddy bench is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground. Let's spread the message of inclusion and kindness! If you are feeling lonely and need a friend. Just head to the buddy bench! If you see someone on the buddy bench, then stop what you are doing and go ask this person to join you in play! Meet Christian who had the original idea to create a buddy bench!
Here are three more videos that explain the concept:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSaOWSBD-5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EUUVgjGYsI&feature=em-share_video_user https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRMxL6dtoqY&feature=em-share_video_user_
The books I chose to feature with our new buddy bench and #TakingCareThurs are as follows:
The first book I selected is Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (@trudyludwig). How often do kids feel "invisible" on the playground? "It's lunchtime again...Brian's least favorite part of the day." Lunchtime and recess can be incredibly difficult times for kids. A buddy bench gives kids a way to "take care of each other..." especially kids who are feeling invisible. Small acts of kindness can make the world of difference!
The second book I have to share for #TakingCareThurs is incredibly delicious! This book, Peanut Butter & Cupcake, written by Terry Border, is a delightful add to our Taking Care collection. What's a little piece of bread to do when he's feeling lonely? Find a friend, of course! "Peanut Butter found a bench to sit on. He was almost ready to give up. But as he sat there, so very sad, a new kid walked up to him."
he last book I chose to feature with our buddy bench and #TakingCareThurs is I'm Here by Peter Reynolds (@PeterHReynolds). This book was written as a way to raise awareness of the importance of reaching out, embracing, and appreciating children in the autism spectrum, as well as anyone who is different from ourselves. Sometimes these children are the one to be left out of play on the playground. What better purpose for a buddy bench then to help "take care" of those that are different from ourselves?
"I'm here. And you're here. maybe you don't notice me. That's okay. But...maybe...there will be a gentle wind that pulls us together. And then I'll be there... and you'll be here too. The distance between two people is only as big as you let it be." The word that comes to mind when I think of November is "remembrance." The month begins with All Saint's Day - a day that Protestant religions remember those that have died before us. Next, we have Veteran's Day on November 11th, also known as Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, the day the Armistice was signed to end World War I. The month wraps up with Thanksgiving, a time to remember and be thankful for all the many blessings we have been given. This week's featured #TakingCareThurs book, America's White Table, by Margot Theis Raven, is a book that helps us remember those that have served and given their lives for our country. The "white table" is a little-known tradition that honors members of the armed forces that are held prisoners of war or are missing in action. The tradition originated during the Vietnam War and is a shared experience that helps us understand the sacrifice these men and women have made for our country. The small table is set with a white cloth to represent the soldier's pure heart. A lemon slice and grains of salt are placed on the table to show the captive soldier's bitter fate and the tears of their loved ones. A black napkin is placed on the table to represent sorrow and the glass is turned over for a meal that won't ever be eaten. A white candle adorns the table as a symbol of peace and finally, a red rose is placed in a vase tied with a ribbon to symbolize hope. It's just a little white table.... but I looked at it all dinner long, and in the quiet inside me I could almost hear the silent soldiers of the empty chair saying: Remember us, please.... Then in the salt on the little white table...."I traced in the grains of their families' tears - what each man and woman who serves America is to me, a...... HERO." This is a beautifully written and illustrated book that helps our young people understand the importance of honoring our veterans and feeling gratitude during this month of remembrance. Margot Theis Raven - America's White Table This book salutes these bravest of our brave with the POW flag motto:
You are not forgotten So long as there is one left in whom your memory remains. |
#TakingCareThursTeachers (and parents, of course!) have the potential to make a huge impact on the lives of their students/kids. Join me and commit to reading a picture book every Thursday or the first Thursday of the month if you can't commit to weekly with "Taking Care of Others" or "Taking Care of Ourselves" themes in order to help our students/children learn important traits like empathy, compassion, friendship, persistence, grit, and more! Join me weekly as I blog about our book of the week. Make sure to tweet your weekly choice using the hashtag #TakingCareThurs so we can share books and learn from each other. Archives
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