This felt like a natural follow up to my last post. How can you send kindness into the world--both to people and the environment? Use this Sketchnote created by Dr. Hayley Lewis as a springboard to come up with even more ideas to brighten both your and others' day!
I'm definitely a fan of one holiday at a time. When my daughter was younger I had to enforce the "no Christmas music before Thanksgiving" ruling. Some years that was harder than others. This year, for Thanksgiving, we had a table set for 18, making it very necessary to stay singularly-focused on Thanksgiving. Works that way when you are hosting! But now that Thanksgiving has now passed, the table has been stripped, the fall autumnal colors have been replaced, the tree is now up in a bit of a whirlwind. As a teacher with a 5-day Thanksgiving break and the supreme gift of time, the timing just seems to work out well to transform the house into the winter wonderland. [Though, even with that, I am always keen on making it so that all the decorations can go up (and ultimately come down at the end of the season) in roughly a 24-hour time period.]
I've long had a complicated relationship with Christmas. I suspect many parents do. The memories of the seasonal childhood magic gives you a definite eye-opening when you see how much work goes into making all that magic happen for children. There's a lot of moving parts, changing wish list items, shopping, decorating, outings, shopping, spending, more shopping, and "extras" that come during this time of the year. I can get exhausted and/or overwhelmed pretty darn easily. (Doubly harsh when I'm not a born shopper or spender.) I'd imagine I'm not alone. I think as an elementary teacher (where classrooms and bulletin boards also rotate seasonally, and kids' eyes sparkle in the hopes of all that's ahead), it adds to the tight timetable and the magical demands of this time of the year.
Additionally, I know that it can be a difficult time of the year for many in other ways too. The longer we spin on this planet, the more we live, love, and face loss. That can also bring hard emotions upon the season. Memories and merriment at times can counter each other. Like I said, Christmas can be complicated.
This year, our halls got decked in a timely and patient manner. (I can't always say this.) I did it around naps and with the proper balance of sanity and serenity. I'm hoping to approach the entire season semi-holding on to this sentiment. One way I'm hoping to go about this mindset is through this advent calendar that I purchased from Sharing Kindness--one for me, one for a friend. We can be in sync with each other, and hopefully too it will soothe my tendency toward Christmas chaos during this in between season.
Hopefully you are managing the flip from one holiday to the next with the right energy and joy levels. May you share kindness, compassion, and warm spirits along the way...even when the lines are long, the nerves are frazzled, and your over-packed schedule starts tipping your scales.
Video from https://youtu.be/eJkGzsLUhRI?si=ZJ2wWUN2KDEEb6Fn and pics from my home.
Having a little fun with the Canva Magic Tools, I created this graphic as a sticker for some candles I'll be placing around my house for Thanksgiving this year when we host our family gathering. Seemed also like the perfect one to share here today too.
Earlier in the week, I shared this video with our 5th grade students who were our Lower School leaders for Veterans Day school community assembly. For the last month these students had been compiling research on the 6 branches of military and the history of Veterans Day to be our resident experts. By the time we'd watched this video, they were already well-schooled in the information so it served as a reinforcement for all that they had already learned. For those of you who might need to brush up on your Veterans Day history, today's a good day to do it.
Thank you to those who have fought for our freedoms.
I ran across the website Switchzoo while looking for some elementary STEM activities for my Tech/Maker Lab classes. This website ended up being a Mecca of all sorts of free online activities and teacher resources, all related to Animals. While not a new website (it's been around in different degrees since 1999), it was new to me and has some valuable resources and some striking reviews.
Some of the great finds you will find there:
Logo from https://www.switchzoo.com/
I've had the opportunity to be outside quite a bit this fall. A couple of festivals. Walks in the park with friend. A hike or two. And just being out and about and paying attention on pretty days.
We all should make the time to do all of that!
As the calendar shifts to November, and we dive deeper into fall, and as I look outside my window and see the sun dappling on the leaves that are changing daily, I'm taking a pause. Each season certainly comes with its own beauty. Let's all make time this November to get outside and take notice of the beauty that surrounds!
Image created on Canva.com with my own photos.
Whether you are celebrating Halloween this weekend in your community, or if your trick-or-treating plans are Tuesday on Halloween night, may your evening be filled with memories and merriment!
Image created using the Canva.com Magic Tools™ design elements.
Canva is one of my go-to design websites. It recently got even more fun with the addition of a lot of their "Magic" elements. They released their Magic Tools™ a few weeks ago. Just in time for a little magical wonderment for the Halloween season. Take a look at some of the AI generated awesomeness that it can do:
I ran across a post in the Facebook Canva Teachers Community and used a prompt created by teacher & "Canvassador" LaNedra Johnson that had darling pictures she created using the following prompt:
"Magic Media -> Text to Image -> Enter Prompt: Chibi (girl/boy), (color) hair, with glasses books, lap top, desk, professional, ultra realistic, Pixar style, 3d render, photo, anime, illustration"
So I tried my hand at it, as it certainly was an invitation to play. I tweaked the prompt somewhat and came up with the following:
I got 4 images upon my first prompt, and I could regenerate the images and tweak the text as many times as I liked.
Of course, thinking about the Halloween & Thanksgiving seasons ahead, I had to get creative with that too.
I think we're about to have a lot of fun in my Digital Design class we have for upper elementary.
(Note: At the start of the year, I did have the students and their parents fill out the Canva Consent form since they are under the age of 13.)
All photos created at canva.com, video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVCRcNlY1yw
So it's time for some good news.
October is a month of color and seasonal fun. It provides lots of opportunities to get out there, enjoy the brisk weather, and have fun with your family and friends. Time to get plenty of Vitamin N: Nature!
Here's a Fall Into Fall Bingo Board. How many can you tackle this fall?
Ideas in part inspired by https://www.mdmountainside.com/blog/post/top-fall-activities-to-cross-off-the-list/; Bingo board created at Canva.com To print more easily, go to: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFvYeU0OTk/d5jTX-xx0fUWmi8muaijTQ/edit?utm_content=DAFvYeU0OTk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
I happened on this website somewhere on social media and it's a complete treasure trove of classroom podcasts on a variety of subjects over at Jeff Glade Tech. Jeff Glade is a Digital Learning Consultant in Iowa who focuses on literacy instruction through a variety off mediums beyond just traditional texts. He has been compiling monthly curated lists of podcasts on a variety of subjects. Each list is in a google slide (typically 2 pages plus a third with explanation), and each podcast he mentions he lists the grade level range for which each podcast would be appropriate. Lots of supplemental resources for your classroom!!
This link takes you directly to the Hispanic Heritage Month Podcasts. Hispanic Heritage Month is rounding out here as it annually is September 15-October 15.
Other curated lists of Jeff Glade's include:
He's been compiling current lists since 2019, so you will find multiple clickable lists with the same titles for a true wealth. (They are dated in the bottom right-hand corner.)
He also has some practical ideas about to incorporate these into your lessons with some meaningful activity suggestions and tech integrations that you can easily put into practice in your classroom.
Image created at https://imgflip.com/i/81wa5n
In the post, he also includes a link so you can easily print out his Fabulous Features!
Up your Google Game with the following topics:
Image from https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2023/09/fabulous-features-of-google-docs.html
We know about Verizon TV and Internet and Verizon Wireless for phones....but there's more.
Teachers need to be sure to check out Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.
No matter what your favorite season is, fall is undeniably one of the most colorful seasons. Daily, the colors of the leaves shift and change and bring on the seasonal beauty.
Given it's Fall Foliage Week (annually, beginning the week starting the last Sunday of September), it's a good time to be investigating when it's time to make a trip to go do some color hunting.
Both of these websites have great visuals to highlight how the foliage is predicted to change. They can help you on your quest to center yourself in the middle of the explosion of nature's colors!
And as an added bonus, I've gotta say, I love The Pioneer Woman's Video "Instagram Captions for Cozy Autumn Vibes." at the start of her Fall Foliage post (which points to the Smokey Mountains map page.) Might get you and your camera geared up to go leaf peeping.
Images from https://www.almanac.com/fall-foliage-color-map-when-peak-foliage and https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/just-for-fun/a45081187/fall-foliage-map-2023/
This weekend marks the first day of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox.
In part, it's because I didn't know that Zero Waste Week was "a thing."
It is... and it was last week.
Having begun in 2008 in the United Kingdom, Zero Waste Week was just a UK Zero Waste initiative but is now a global one. This grassroots movement was started by Rachelle Strauss and it is the first full week (including a Monday) of September. This year, it was last week: Sept 4-8, 2023.
From their website:
“ 'Zero Waste' does not have to apply only to individuals who literally produce no waste. Practicing zero waste can simply mean adopting a lifestyle in support of a circular economy that makes the most sustainable use out of our resources."
Grist has annually been creating a list of the 50 top movers and shakers in the environmental realm and climate leader sphere. It's always a wonderful breath of fresh air to see who they list in their Grist 50!
This year is no different with their 50 leaders falling into these categories:
I've mentioned before how beneficial I find Richard Byrne as an educator's resources. Not only does he amaze me by the vast amount of free edtech information he puts out for all of us tech-centered teachers with his Free Tech For Teachers website but also his Practical EdTech website...all while keeping his own teaching day job, presenting, and raising his own family. He's a rockstar in so many ways!
For many of us we are just newly back to school, or maybe starting right after Labor Day. Given that, for many it's our first 3 Day weekend in a while. 3 whole days, 72 hours--what, oh what, to do!
Here are some ideas, inspired by the WeWork article Eight ways to make the most of your three-day weekend.
Art created at Canva.com using ideas from https://www.wework.com/ideas/professional-development/8-ways-to-maximize-your-three-day-weekend
