December 03, 2019

Extend the Lesson: The Gift of Kindness

December 03, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Some of the words associated with kindness are affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care. The act of being kind often requires courage and strength, but a simple act of kindness can have huge effects individually and globally.

Think back to a time when someone was kind to you or when you were kind to someone else. Do you remember the feeling you felt when that person held the door open for you? Did you happen to see the other person smile or light-up when you acted with kindness?

Take a look at how kindness affects a human being:

November 13, 2019

Writing Extension: Creating a Thanksgiving Thank You

November 13, 2019/ Contributing Blogger

Are you looking for an idea to motivate your students to grow an “attitude of gratitude” during this season of Thanksgiving? Why not assist them in creating their own personalized letter of thanksgiving written to someone special in their lives? Not only will you create a Thanksgiving to remember, but you will ensure that your students know about the lost art of letter writing. That’s a win-win! Here’s the plan:

December 18, 2018

How to Manage Stress During the Holiday Season

December 18, 2018/ Jamie Geneva

There are only seven shopping days left before Christmas! (Let that sink in for just a minute!) I know that Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but right about now, I’m feeling a little less than wonderful! The very idea that I only have a handful of days left to select, purchase, and wrap gifts for my family stresses me out! I’ve never been this unprepared!

December 11, 2018

Helping Children Experience the JOY of Giving

December 11, 2018/ Jamie Geneva

Christmas is known as the season of giving, but that might be a difficult concept for children to understand. With the onslaught of holiday ads, it’s only natural for them to ponder “getting” vs. “giving” during the holidays. While receiving gifts usually produces a good feeling, research indicates that giving creates an even greater joy.

November 20, 2018

What is Mindfulness?

November 20, 2018/ Jamie Geneva

It seems like everyone is talking about being mindful these days! From “how-to” magazine articles to “feel-good” stories on the evening news, mindfulness is generating quite a buzz! So, what’s it all about? Is it for me? Will mindfulness enhance the quality of my life, and can I teach myself how to incorporate the principles?

With all of these questions in mind, I decided to

November 15, 2018

Boost Your Mood With Gratitude

November 15, 2018/ Jamie Geneva

Every year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends on the first Sunday in November, when clocks are moved back an hour at 2 a.m. local daylight time. When this happens, It takes our minds and bodies several weeks to adjust to the time change. On top of that, the early evening darkness can wreak havoc on our overall mood due to a reduction in the amount of sunlight we receive.

Research tells us that

November 13, 2018

Grammar Practice with Thanksgiving Printables

November 13, 2018/ Kimberly Crady

Many students seem to have a difficult time locating even the most basic parts of speech like the Subject Noun and Verb. If they’ve had little to no grammar instruction in grades 1-8, it’s no surprise. With that being said, there is a curriculum that can completely turn a grammar deficit around. It’s