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My book of the month is Ugly: The Memoir By Robert Hoge.  This book impacted me on so many levels and left me with so many points that I look forward to sharing with my students this upcoming school year.  When I saw the book on the shelf, during the Scholastic Book Fair, I stopped to pick it up because the word UGLY jumped out at me.  Immediately my mind thought of my students that exhibit signs of low self-esteem so I just knew the book was about that! Has to be, right?  👎 Wrong!   After reading the back of the book I had so many ideas going through my head.  I thought about how I could use the book to teach students about the importance of having empathy, diversity, and accepting people who are different from them!   While I read the book I allowed Robert's words to take me on his journey throughout his childhood.  I could feel his pain as he described his experiences.  He mentioned that for every kid who accepted him there ...

This afternoon I came across a video that was shared in a Facebook group and I spent twenty minutes really taking in a wealth of excellent information that I must share with you.  I am a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child.  When a challenging kid is in our path how do we respond?  Do we send them to another classroom because we need a break from them? Do we change their color chart? Do we send them to the office? Or send a note home?  There are other ways that educators have found to address challenging kids in an effort to have them understand they have stepped out of line.  But in the end do we get the result that we need in order for the student to be successful?  Are we getting to the root of "why" the student is doing it and not just looking at "what" the student is doing?  The following video sheds light and gives pointers that I hope you take away and implement in the upcoming school year and beyond. I mentioned at the b...

When is the last time that you held the door open for the person behind you? Or, helped someone get an item off a shelf in the grocery store?  Or, help someone who has fallen on the floor?  In today's life we are so busy that we often don't take time to stop and observe the more important things.  And those important things are often not being taught to our children.  It is so important to show our young ones the importance of being kind and their role in creating a kind climate. As educators we have the opportunity to demonstrate what kindness is to our students.  We also can show them by way of activities and interactions. During Kindness Week try one of the following activities in your elementary school!  If not one of the following do something positive to change the culture in your school.  Whatever we do as educators let's do something to ignite change by way of kindness! Bingo Game! Bundle of Kindness Games Bucket Filler Activit...