As we have been working on teaching our GVES Superkids Social-Emotional learning strategies, we have used our morning routine to focus on two important strategies that many of our students still need to develop:
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Our new morning routine has really helped staff and students focus in on these two important strategies by helping students learn how to identify and understand emotions (it's okay to feel angry-but we want you to make a good choice when you are angry), impulse control (using some deep breaths or strategy for calming), stress management (I have a break area to use if I need it) and self-efficacy (I know that I have what I need to complete this task or handle a situation).
Last week we provided information to you on the idea of mindfulness and what it encompasses and supports. Although there are a myriad of definitions provided on the internet and literature on this idea, for our purposes in our classrooms, "mindfulness" is being referred to as a way to calmly acknowledge and accept one's feeling and thoughts in order to regulate emotions.
Please access our news link here for more information Superkid News. As you know, GVES is home of the Superkids so we are encouraging our students to activate their "super-powers" when they need them.
This Week's Featured Video: The Giving Tree Read-Aloud Super-Power: Forgiveness
Definition: Acknowledging wrong-doing without wanting revenge or punishment. Using your Superpower to forgive means that you believe someone is sorry for what happened. You might say to someone “I understand that you didn’t want to hurt me. Thank you for being sorry or for not doing that again.” Forgiving someone for a mistake means that you know people do make mistakes and can learn from them, just like you can when you make a mistake.