lessons
ONE Can Make a Difference
Friday, October 27, 2017
In our Guidance Lessons this week, I wanted to talk to the students about how they can impact the day of their peers and teachers based on the words that they use. We read the Starfish story and talked about how the little boy in the story makes a difference in the lives of the starfish he tosses back into the ocean, even if he can't save them all.
During our lesson, the students sat at a table and put their names on their starfish. At each signal I gave them, they passed their starfish paper to the right and the students at their table wrote something kind about the student. We passed our papers around the table until it arrived back at the original owner. Then, I took the papers and sent them to a new table. We did this a few times so that the students had a chance to write kind things about each other.
When we had completed a few rounds, I had the students read the name of a student and choose one kind word about the student to tell the whole class. It was amazing to watch the faces of the students as their kind words were read aloud. Our first instinct when we hear kind words about ourselves is to shy away, disagree, or come up with an excuse but I challenged the students to just sit and listen to all of the wonderful things said about their classmates.
I don't know about you, but when I receive a note, letter, or kind word from someone else, it feels as though a spark is lit. I feel extra motivate to continue doing what I am doing or ensure that I am showcasing that positive attribute. Sometimes it is easy to pick on the negatives instead of letting the positives shine. As the students got their papers back and read the kind words their peers had said about them, I feel as though it gave them a sense of self worth. The smiles truly said it all.
My hope with this lesson is that students see how it feels to receive affirmations and in return will give those affirmations to their peers more frequently.
Mrs. Hagg
Cherry School Counselor
My hope with this lesson is that students see how it feels to receive affirmations and in return will give those affirmations to their peers more frequently.
Mrs. Hagg
Cherry School Counselor
Our Words are Like Toothpaste
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
As I was trying to find an activity for our students to participate in to gain knowledge on how their words can help or hurt each other, I came across the toothpaste lesson. As I started the lesson, I showed the student the full tube of toothpaste and we talked about how it was full and smooth with no wrinkles. As I said something mean to the students in the room, I squeezed out bits of toothpaste to show how easily those mean words can come out. After I had emptied the bottle, the students described the way the toothpaste looked on the plate; messy, sticky, globs, etc. I talked with the students about how I was just in a bad mood and didn't mean what I said so I wanted to take all of those words (the toothpaste) back. As I tried to fit every single last drop of toothpaste in, we saw how difficult it is to ensure that every mean word we have said is taken back.
When you squeeze toothpaste out of the tube, the toothpaste will never perfectly fit back into the tube. We can try in various different ways but ultimately, some is left out of the bottle, possibly making a mess wherever it is left. The students and I discussed how our words are like toothpaste in a bottle. As we say them, they come out and are never able to perfectly be taken back. This can be a negative or a positive.
When words are harsh and used to hurt others, those words are out there to cause harm. We can say we are sorry and work hard to build that friend's trust again, but ultimately the words have been said and are left as a reminder to our friends or the people we love that we hurt them. Just like the toothpaste once it is outside of the bottle.
On the contrary, our words spoken in love and kindness will leave a lasting impression too. They aren't able to be taken away and put back into a bottle. They can stay with the person that you have given them too, in hopes that those positive words outshine any negatives that have been said or that might be said.
As I was talking to the students about this lesson, I thought to myself how important this is for me to remember as a mom and as a professional. Our children think that we hung the moon and when we loose our temper and say things to them, those words can't be taken back. Our words can start their day off on the right foot or the wrong. That's a lot of power. As a professional, I try to be cautious about the words that I use with my colleagues. I can either negatively or positively affect their day with my words and my hope is that I have more positive interactions than negative.
As I was talking to the students about this lesson, I thought to myself how important this is for me to remember as a mom and as a professional. Our children think that we hung the moon and when we loose our temper and say things to them, those words can't be taken back. Our words can start their day off on the right foot or the wrong. That's a lot of power. As a professional, I try to be cautious about the words that I use with my colleagues. I can either negatively or positively affect their day with my words and my hope is that I have more positive interactions than negative.
In the end, I can only hope that our toothpaste lesson reminded the students of how important it is to think about something you say to someone before you say it because once we say those words, they are never perfectly able to be taken back.
Ashley Hagg
Cherry School Counselor
Ashley Hagg
Cherry School Counselor
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