Knowing your interests and strengths can help you deal with life’s challenges.In September, 1-6 grades made their own "Personal Flags of Awesome" representing their interests and strengths. Many students also shared their flags with their classmates. Students were encouraged to identify at least one thing they are interested in and one thing they are good at. These interests and strengths give us a place to start when we are struggling with challenges. Grades 1-3 completed the following personal flag worksheet: Grades 4-6 used the following brainstorming pages, answering as few or as many questions as they wished, and then designed their own personal flag.
We kicked the year off talking about how we can make this the best year yet, even with all the challenges. We all thought of something we could do to make this the best year yet. We can do this! What will my schedule look like? Do grades matter? How can I be successful? Those are a few questions I answer in the "Welcome to Middle School" video series. If you will be in 7th grade next year, these videos are for you. Here is a helpful video showing how to open a combination lock on a locker, something you might need to know for 7th grade. Six ways to stay healthy and happy during COVID-19You can keep track of how you are taking care of your S.E.L.F.I.E. using the chart below, or you can make your own chart. If there ever was a time for flexible thinking, it is now!Earlier this year, we learned about flexible thinking. For a reminder, click here. Flexible thinking means we are able to face change and disappointment with a creative, positive attitude. Remember Rock Brain? He is stuck in his own ways and won't accept change or try new ways of doing things. With all the changes we have seen in our lives in the last few weeks, which kind of thinking do you think would help you most at this time? Have you used your Superflex thinking in the last few weeks? Do you think your teachers and parents have used theirs? Here are some examples of Rock Brain and Superflex thinking during this time: We all have Rock Brain thoughts sometimes and that is normal. Luckily, we know how to change those thoughts with our Superflex thinking powers. Teach your family about it and see who can come up with the best flexible thoughts. The more we practice, the easier it gets. Try it today!
Noticing our emotions and talking about how we feel helps us to deal with strong feelings. Our emotions can build up inside us if we don't express them, causing us to feel poorly or to have an emotional explosion. Some kids might be feeling bored because they have to stay home all the time. Are you feeling bored too? Others might be feeling sad because they miss their friends. Are you feeling that too? Other kids (and parents) might be feeling frustrated because they have to do homeschool. Have you felt that as well? Most of us have. These feelings are normal and ok to have, and the better we get at noticing and expressing them, the better we can deal with them. Let's try practicing it right now. Stop and notice how you are feeling. How is your body feeling? Are your muscles feeling tight or relaxed? What about your heart beat and your breathing? How does your head feel? What about your stomach? Now think about your emotional ABCs or your emotional vocabulary (remember from Move This World). What emotion are you having right now? If you aren't sure, look at the picture below and see if you are having one of these emotions: Now say your emotion out loud.
I feel__________. Say it again I feel _________. One more time. I feel _________. Now take a big, deep breath. Now that you have noticed and said your emotion, you can do something about it if you need to. You might want to talk to someone more about how you are feeling, draw or write about your emotion, or use another one of your calming skills to help yourself feel better. Remember, this situation won't last forever, and now is a great time to practice noticing and expressing our feelings. Try it at least 3 times today and see if it helps you out. To see a Breathing Ball Video on Youtube, click here. |
AuthorSchool Counselor Intern Archives
May 2021
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