Thanks, TAISM!

Elementary students joined the entire TAISM community last week in the Terry Fox Run.  Our community raised over 4000 Rials for leukemia research at SQU Hospital.  Thanks to all who participated!  In my lessons, I focused on "Perseverance."  The kids were able to grasp what it means to never give up, even when things are difficult.  We read The Little Engine That Could by W. Piper, and the older grades also heard Terry Fox:  A Story of Hope.  Ask your child about telling yourself "I think I can!" when things get tough.  We were also treated to a visit by Terry's sister, Judith, who ran with the EC students on their run, as well as the entire school later that day.  The K-12 pep rally before the run was exciting, with the MS Band playing, teachers dancing, and kids cheering.  It's always inspiring to see our community come together for such a good cause.

During our Discover Oman weeks, I will be teaching my "Personal Safety" lesson in each classroom from Feb 4-10.  They will be learning how to keep their bodies safe, and they will begin to identify the adults in their lives that they can talk to if they have a problem. On the day that I teach your child, I will send home a handout to parents with specifics.  Talking about this lesson with your child will help to reinforce the points I cover.  If you have any questions beforehand, please email me or stop by my office.

Cooperation

KG and 1st graders attempt to stand together on an island that keeps shrinking and shrinking...

Teamwork is essential for kids in school, and learning to work effectively on a team will be a valuable skill for their entire lives.  My most recent unit for kids in EC through 5th grade has been all about cooperation. For 2nd through 5th grades, I break it down into these 5 effective team member behaviors below.  In the early years, I focus on the first three:

1. SHARE IDEAS...being able to articulate your thoughts to your team.
2. LISTEN...making an effort to listen to your teammate's ideas.
3. DO YOUR PART...sticking with the group's task, and doing the jobs assigned to you by the group.
4. ENCOURAGE OTHERS...being positive toward the others in your group, treating your team members kindly, lifting them up.
5. LEAD AND FOLLOW...being aware of your role in a group.  Asking yourself the question, "Do I normally lead or do I normally follow?"  Then, challenging yourself to take the other role occasionally.

I spend the rest of lesson time on experiential activities.  I believe they best learn by practicing teamwork.  Then, during and after each activity, I ask them to compliment each other on the above behaviors.  I also ask them to reflect about how they are doing with these behaviors.    They are quite aware of how others on their team are doing, and are quite reflective about their own roles in a group.

Students using their "octopus" device...made from a rubber band and string...to make a pyramid out of paper cups.  They had several restrictions to overcome in this task, for instance, they were not allowed to touch the cups at all.  They had to accomplish the task using only the "octopus" device.

"You're right! My shirt is very ugly."

Hello Parents!
My lessons are underway this year in all of the ES classrooms, EC-1 all the way up to grade 5.  All of the students should be familiar with "Talk-Walk-Squawk" now, as seen to the right.  This is an overall framework which allows students to solve problems with peers.  In the first step, "Talk" refers to voicing their concerns to their classmate.  For example, "Please stop doing that" or "I don't like it when you do that."  The "Walk" refers to moving away when the classmate does not stop the behavior.  "Squawk" refers to asking an adult for assistance.  I also mention that students can always seek help from an adult, or "squawk," right away if they are not feeling safe, feel hurt, or threatened in any way.

In KG-5th grades, I teach them about the "Bag of Tricks."  Inside the bag of tricks, are strategies for coping with teasing, displayed with an orange background.  (So?, Agree, Stand up for Yourself, Move Away, Make a Joke, Respond with a Compliment, Ignore)  Also, you will see a few strategies with a dark green background.  These strategies are for other kinds of issues they may have with peers, when the problem is not teasing.  (Apologize, Compromise, Take Turns, Flip a Coin/Rock, Paper, Scissors)  Two of the strategies can be used in any situation:  I-Messages & Ask an Adult for Ideas.  One of the rectangles in the bag is blank.  This allows for a discussion about the fact that they may be able to craft a response that is just as effective as the ones I listed. During my lessons, kids have opportunities to act out scenarios and practice using these strategies.  For example, two students would come up to the front, one the teaser, one the teased.  "Your shirt is ugly!" the teaser says.  "Why yes it is!  This is the ugliest shirt I've ever seen! (points to his own shirt.)  I emphasize that it's important to keep your anger or sadness in check when you are teased, because this will only invite more teasing.  I also relay that teasing back undermines the effectiveness of the strategies I list.  The goal of this unit is to empower students to cope with everyday peer situations, and to create an environment where we can talk openly about teasing and aggressive behaviors.  I believe it helps keep TAISM a safe place for kids.  My next unit will be on Cooperation.

Never Give Up!

Elementary students joined the entire TAISM community last week in the Terry Fox Run.  Our community raised over 3000 Rials for leukemia research at SQU Hospital.  Thanks to all who participated!  In my lessons, I focused on "Perseverance."  The kids were able to grasp what it means to never give up, even when things are difficult.  We read The Little Engine That Could by W. Piper, and the older grades also read a biography picture book about Terry Fox.  Ask your child about telling yourself "I think I can!" when things get tough.

From Jan 29-Feb 5, I will be teaching my "Personal Safety" lesson in each classroom.  They will be learning how to keep their bodies safe, and they will begin to identify the adults in their lives that they can talk to if they have a problem. On the day that I teach your child, I will send home a handout to parents with specifics.  Talking about this lesson with your child will help to reinforce the points I cover.  If you have any questions beforehand, please email me or stop by my office.

In Full Swing!

Welcome new and returning parents to the 2012-13 school  year in full swing!  I have enjoyed the past several weeks of New Student Groups during recesses and lunch periods.  I invite all new students in grades 1-5 to these groups.  New students will have a chance to interact with a small group of students that are also new to TAISM, and participate in activities geared toward making new friends.  Typically, the students enjoy the experience of meeting new students from other classrooms in their grade level.  It allows them to make new friends in a small group setting. 

I have been in most of the classrooms three times, and will be having my first visits in the EC rooms this week.  The EC Teachers are working hard to establish their routines in the first month of school, and I like to wait until they feel comfortable before beginning my lessons with them.

In KG and first grade, I had one lesson about following directions.  But mainly in KG-5th, I have focused on strategies for handling problems with friends.  You might hear your child describe an easy-to-remember strategy called "Talk-Walk-Squawk."  In the event that they have a problem with another student, we encourage them to take these three steps:  1- TALK to the person that is bothering you.  2- WALK away if the person continues to bother you.  3- SQUAWK is a term I use because it rhymes, and refers to telling an adult in order to secure help with their issue.  I teach them to tell an adult after they have tried to solve it on their own.  I let them know that they can skip the first two steps and go directly to an adult, if they are being hurt or feel scared.  In the coming lessons, I will be introducing more strategies to build on the basic Talk-Walk-Squawk framework.  I call a collection of additional strategies their "Bag of Tricks." These strategies will help them cope with teasing or bullying behaviors they might encounter.  I look forward to the upcoming lessons with your child. 

Diversity

My lessons for the past couple of weeks have focused on differences between people.  Here are a few of the books I've used to stimulate our discussions:  Hooway for Wodney Wat by H. Lester , The Other Side by Woodson, The Big Orange Splot by Pinkwater, Let's Talk About Race by J. Lester, and The Adventure Begins:  First Day at Detinu International School by Munnerlyn.  We brainstorm all the differences between people:  skin color, eye color, size, abilities, nationality, preferences, and many more.  The depth of the discussion varies greatly according to their developmental level, but all grades discuss that it is not OK to judge someone based on their appearance.  In the older grades, we get into the topic on a deeper level and begin to define race and racism.  We also discuss the fact that as international school students, they are a unique group of kids, called "cross-cultural kids."  (Refer to earlier blog post about David Pollack's book, Third Culture Kids.)

Sparks

Peter L. Benson, PhD on "Sparks"
Click the above link to watch Dr. Benson discuss sparks, an individual's deepest passions and interests that give them meaning, focus, joy and energy.  Thanks to those who were able to attend the last Parent-2-Parent session this week, I enjoyed the discussion.  Click this link to see more information about Dr. Benson's book.
Sparks : How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers