I have so enjoyed trying new things with the kids this month, such as the coconut unit! The kids were so engaged and I felt like I could really push them far to write about our topic at hand-- awesome!
We also have enjoyed using GoNoodle.com for brain breaks in the classroom. Brain breaks last anywhere from 1-3 minutes. We usually do a GoNoodle activity between each lesson-- so 3 to 4 breaks a day. Sometimes if the kids are really good, we do them during lunch! Every time we take a brain break, we get one point. That point helps our class "pet" grow big and strong! This week, we say GOODBYE and GOOD LUCK to Flo Yo, our little monster. We have done Zumba, math marathons, Freeze It, Yoga, and lots of other fun things with her!!
FINALLY, we enter October with the help of Class Dojo. It's a free app on my phone and can also be accessed by internet! :) IT'S AMAZING! For me, anyway. Basically it's positive (or negative, depending on how I use it) reinforcement for behavior. I put it up on the screen during chatty times, like morning work, lunch, and center time. When kids are doing a nice job, I use my phone to send them a point. If they are misbehaving, I can also take points away. The kids just hear the loud "ping" and immediately stop talking to see who got points. It's awesome!!!!!
Anyway, if you want to see how many points your kiddo made today, check it out!
Download the ClassDojo app from your phone (any smart phone should have it) OR go to www.classdojo.com/parent
Click on the green Create New Account button, then click Parent
Enter the parent code (I sent home a paper with your personal code on it. If you don't have it, email me and I'll send it to you! jescalera@auburn.wednet.edu)
You should be able to see how good you kid is doing!
Please DO NOT panic if you see that your kiddo got a few "red" reinforcements, or were not on task. I try to focus on changing behavior. For example, if you see 4 reds and 5 greens, it could be that they had a lot of energy in the morning, but then reflected and did better in the afternoon! And THAT is what we are looking for :)
Check out the apple pictures under the September tab!
Love,
Miss Escalera