Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Rhythms



I used the book 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' to reinforce ta and ti-ti rhythms in my First Grade classes.  We read the book, played the singing game 'Grizzly Bear' and students created their own rhythm patterns by connecting different animals.

I am a big believer in the old saying "If it's not broken, don't fix it."  I found these Brown Bear word cards online through a google search, which led me to Pinterest.

My students enjoyed this activity and it helped me access their ability to recognize ta and ti-ti patterns.

Expectations

The last few weeks I have found myself starting my morning off in a cranky mood because I kept feeling behind.  It took me a while to figure out why I was feeling this way.  I was expecting way too much from myself and getting mad when things did not work out the way I had planned.  I am a believer in high expectations, but expectations also need to be realistic.

My Mourning Plan
Get up at 5 am
Workout, read, shower, get myself ready for school, pickup around the house, do dishes, clean the kitchen, make breakfast, pack lunches and pack the diaper bag.

6:40 am
Wake up my daughter (if she is still sleeping:), get her dressed and ready to go and feed her breakfast.

7:00 am
Walk out the door to drop kiddo off at daycare on my way to school.

Now, maybe I am an underachiever, but after writing down this list I quickly realized why I was stressed out.  I was expecting way too much to happen in a very short amount of time.  These expectations left me constantly frustrated and rushed.  Once I realized the issue, I was able to create a better morning routine which has been helping me start my day more relaxed.

How often do we do this with our families and students.  We have crazy expectations and get mad when they do not achieve them.  Yes, we need to push them, but we also need to look at what we are asking of them and make sure it is logical.  We also need to make sure that those around us truly know what we expect of them.  We may think we have been clear, but sometimes we are not and it is vital that others clearly know what to expect.

This Week in Music 11/16/2015

Morning Ritual

This year I am working in a new district which requires me to spend about ninety minutes in my car driving to and from school each day.  I am sure this commute with not be as enjoyable during the winter, but right now, I love it!  I have been listening to audio books/podcasts and I love having time to focus on me without the distractions of a to do list.  I have enjoyed listening to personal development, health/fitness and education podcasts and I have already learned a lot.  

One of the common topics during many of the podcasts that I listen to, in terms of personal development, is starting the morning off right by having a great routine.  Now, my ideal morning does not happen very often and I am thrilled if my plan worms out 2-3 times a week. The sleep schedule of a one year old is not always conducive to waking up early. 

Three years ago I was consistently getting up at 5 in the morning and I loved having time to read, workout, journal and complete house work. This habit disappeared once my daughter was born and I am slowly working my way back to a consistent morning routine. I have found that waking up early, feeling productive and spending some time on me, really help my day go better. 

What does your ideal morning look like?  What one activity would make your day go better if you completed it first thing in the morning?

Everyone is different, my husband's ideal morning is waking up at 6:15 am, taking a shower, eating breakfast and leaving for work at 7:15 am. I find that I feel stressed when I do not give myself enough time to get things accomplished in the morning. Does your morning help you start your day on the right foot or add more stress to your day?

I created an Evernote notebook for my morning routine and I have a note for each day that contains a checklist with my morning routine. The other tool that has really helped me is coming up with multiple morning rituals, which is another idea I learned from the '5 AM Miracle' podcast.  I created and wrote down a Morning Ritual for my ideal morning, a weekend/no school morning and a morning I wake up late or sleep in.  Having these ideas written down has really helped me feel more organized. 

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Connection

How much time do you spend per a day checking out Facebook?

I am working hard to cut down on the amount of time I spend on Facebook. Many times, I end of feeling sad or frustrated with my life. Facebook is a great way to connect but it shows one snapshot. It's similar to a standardized test. It should not be used to give a full picture. It is so easy to look at everyone's happy moments and feel defeated because their moments don't match up with how we feel about our life at the moment. It is not fair to ourselves to judge our challenges against the greatest hits we see from others online.

The other reflection I had during my journal time last week is time spent on Facebook does not equal the amount of time spent interacting with others. How often do we connect with friends, families or even strangers? We are surrounded by pictures and status updates, but we lack true human connection. We look at pictures and we see what is going on with our "friends" but we rarely connect with them and have real conversation.

At first, my goal was to limit my time on Facebook. I continued to not like how I felt after checking Facebook and my mental state, so last night I decided to delete the app from my phone. I am taking a break from Facebook right now. I am going to give myself time without the bumbarment of images and updates. 

How do you spend time on Facebook? Do you find social media helpful? Have you ever taken a break from social media?