Tag: learning

Image shows a woman reading a book at a table. The words say, "Women's Brain Health Day"
Self-Care and Wellbeing for Teachers

New Learning: Women’s Brain Health Day

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Did you know that December 2 is recognized as Women’s Brain Health Day? After learning this information today, I instantly wanted to learn more. I will talk about my interest in brain health and share a few resources I’ve found, including the best website on women’s brain health.

I only learned of this today! I’m so happy to now know that it is recognized in Canada as of 2019.

Why the Interest in Brain Health?

Just a little backstory for you. When I chose the name, “Minds to Grow” for my website and blog, there were several different reasons for the selection. It resonated with me because it connected to the following: being a teacher and working with young children, my recent interest in caring for plants since the start of the pandemic, as well as the fact that I absolutely love learning new things each day.

I have been interested in learning about the brain for quite some time now. As a teacher, I enjoy helping my students learn about having a growth mindset. They always like learning that their brain is like a muscle and that they can grow their brain by doing challenging things. Check out this short video to learn more about growth mindset.

From a self-care and wellbeing perspective, I have been interested in learning more about brain health over the last decade. I feel blessed to have many special seniors in my life and so I have been learning a lot about health and aging. In that learning, I discovered that concerns about brain health and potential cognitive decline are not just limited to when we’re older, but instead an important focus at any age.

Most recently, I ordered and started reading a book with a title that caught my attention. Of course, the title makes it sound too good to be true, yet after reading through it, I learned that key lifestyle changes can help people take better care of their brain. I see the importance of physically working out, and surely see the importance of focusing more on brain health, too.

a book, summer reflection guide for teachers, on a table

What’s the Name of the Book?

The book, “The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution: The Definitive Food and Lifestyle Guide to Preventing Cognitive Decline”, was written by Dean Sherzai, MD, PhD, and Ayesha Sherzai, MD, MAS. This book is divided into four parts:

  1. A Proven Plan for Alzheimer’s Prevention
  2. What to Eat, What Not to Eat, and Why
  3. The Neuro Plan: 30 Days of Brain-Boosting
  4. Recipes

I learned a lot from the explanations and descriptions, appreciated the practical tips included in the book, as well as the delicious, easy-to-make recipes. I’ve already tried out a few recipes multiple times! Quick example: the Chickpea Omelet on page 99 is a new favourite for me!

Read this! Self-Care for Teachers: My Favourite Beverages

Video: Women’s Brain Health Day: Advocates say brain-aging disorders under-researched in women

See below for a picture of the planner!

Important Topic, Important Day

Today is the third annual Women’s Brain Health Day in Canada. It started in 2019 and I’m so glad to know that it is something being recognized.

This image shows photographs of different groups of women. The text beside them say, "Did you know that it's Women's Brain Health Day on December 2?"

A most wonderful resource that I found today is the Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI). On the website, it shares its mission:

“Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) helps protect women’s brain health by focusing its resources on research to combat brain-aging disorders that disproportionately affect women, and by creating compelling preventative health education programs, grounded in science, so there is a greater understanding by the public of the best ways to prolong their cognitive vitality.” (https://womensbrainhealth.org)

Now that I know about this website, I look forward to visiting often and learning as much as possible. It is a resource that will help me continue to build my knowledge on brain health and ultimately be of help to me, and hopefully even others reading today.

“70% OF ALZHEIMER’S SUFFERERS ARE WOMEN.

YOU CAN’T IGNORE A NUMBER THIS BIG

Women’s brain health initiative (WBHI), www.womensbrainhealth.org

Closing Thoughts

Have you been interested in learning more about brain health, too?

If so, what kinds of new learning do you have?

Have you changed any particular habits or behaviour to help focus more on self-care and wellbeing?

Stay Connected!

Let’s chat on social media! Stay connected with Minds to Grow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also keep in touch with linktr.ee/mindstogrow.

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Professional Growth for Teachers, Teaching

Try Something New: Phonemic Awareness Instruction

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In order to further assist my students as they learn to read, I am using the book, Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates, as a resource. I will share my learning about the importance of phonemic awareness instruction from the second chapter, “Shift 2: Recommitting to Phonemic Awareness Instruction” and reflect on some ways I intend to use it in my classroom. It has also inspired me to try something totally new and I can’t wait to see how it all works out over the year.

READ THIS: “Shifting the Balance: Professional Reading for the Summer”

*non-affiliate / unsponsored link*

What is Phonemic Awareness Instruction?

In the opening of this chapter, there was a description of how certain terms like phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, and even phonics are often used as if they all mean the same thing. I have also been confused over the years with the terms. Reading this chapter has helped clarify it more for me, but I will surely revisit this chapter often to build upon and review my learning.

According to the text, Shifting the Balance, phonemic awareness “involves only spoken sounds, without letters attached” (page 38), while phonemic awareness instruction is “teaching children to notice, articulate, and manipulate the smallest sounds in words” (page 35).

READ THIS: “Talking Builds Comprehension: Create Opportunities to Talk”

a book, summer reflection guide for teachers, on a table

Phonemic Awareness Develops Naturally?

This was one of the topics of “misunderstanding” in this chapter, that “phonemic awareness develops naturally” (page 36). Learning to listen, learning to read, is a whole lot of work! It takes great time and effort to develop these key skills. For that reason, students need the time and regular practice to work on becoming stronger in these areas.

Reading through this chapter made me realize just how necessary it is to consistently and explicitly teach students about the sounds they hear, especially as they learn to read. It made me think about how I’m going to plan for phonemic awareness instruction in my daily routines. I definitely want to approach teaching phonemes differently this year.

brown wooden blocks on white surface
Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

What are Phonemes?

Phonemes are the smallest sounds in words. These small, individual sounds (phonemes) are what I need to help my students learn more. There are 44 phonemes in the English language. Check out Jake Pool’s post, “44 Phonemes in English and Other Sound Blends” to see a nice breakdown of phonemes.

Here is a great video that models the 44 phonemes in English.

This Chapter is So Important!

This chapter is extremely important and I’m so glad that it’s part of this book. I have to admit, however, that it was overwhelming. There is so much helpful information packed into this chapter. It is why I will revisit the chapter many more times this year in order to try out different things!

A recommendation for making this shift calmed me down after wondering how I would be able to “do it all”. The authors suggest that educators “gather what you need for thoughtful phonemic awareness instruction” (page 50). Here are the four things they suggest teachers really need to do this:

  1. Instructional Routines
  2. Word Lists
  3. Multisensory Scaffolds
  4. Assessment Plan

WEBSITE: www.TheSixShifts.com

*non-affiliate / unsponsored links*

A Routine I Will Use for Phonemic Awareness Instruction

One suggested routine is to help students learn to observe how sounds are made. The reasoning behind this routine is to give children the opportunity to see how their mouth, lips, etc. make different phonemes. I instantly loved the recommendation to have students look in a mirror to see what their mouths look like when they make certain sounds…then I remembered that it won’t work this year in class since we are wearing masks due to the pandemic.

That’s when I decided I needed to find another way to help this process start in the classroom, despite the fact that we cannot see our mouths as we manipulate sounds.

I decided that I will use a Sound Wall, one with images of mouth shapes connected to the sounds being made.

I searched through many resources online and finally selected one by Simply Kinder. Check out this awesome resource here!

I plan on instructing my students carefully and not simply placing the images on the wall before explicitly teaching them about a specific sound. I want to encourage them to use it as a reference.

letter blocks
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Other Routines I Will Try Out This Week!

  1. Blending – Students will listen to the individual sounds (phonemes) I make, then guess the word! I already know my students will enjoy the mystery of it all.
  2. Isolation and Discrimination – This routine will help students identify words that have the same beginning, middle or ending. For example, which words have the same sound at the beginning: down, dog, tag?

Closing Thoughts on this Chapter

I have learned that I truly need to be intentional about phonemic awareness instruction. If I consistently and explicitly help my students focus more on this, it is my hope that I can especially help those who may be struggling readers and writers.

How do you use phonemic awareness instruction to help students learn to read and write?

Stay Connected!

Let’s chat on social media! Stay connected with Minds to Grow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also keep in touch with linktr.ee/mindstogrow.

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Teaching

Teacher Tip: Encourage Exercise Throughout the Day

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Encouraging students to move and exercise during the school day is of extreme importance. In this blog post, I will share a few ways that I help my students move intentionally during the school day.

click for free weekly planning page template

Why Is This Important?

Students need to move throughout the day in order to help keep them engaged in learning. Movement during the school day is also necessary to help focus on physical and mental health with exercise. Movement activities can be woven into the school day during lesson planning as well as done spontaneously. Either way, it’s another way for students to have fun.

Some Ways I Get My Students Moving

Move to Music

I give students some instructions to follow while moving to music. When the music is playing, students choose how to move and exercise. Some simply walk around the classroom, while others do repeated exercises such as Jumping Jacks or running on the spot. Others choose to dance! When the music stops however, they need to complete a task and then freeze. Here is a sample task: “When the music stops, use movement to create an A-B-B pattern. Repeat it three times, then freeze.” Some students may do “clap-snap-snap” three times to complete the task, then freeze on the spot. We continue this for 3 – 5 times.

I usually use the music feature at www.classdojo.com when we do “Move to Music” each day.

Relay Races Outdoors

Nothing gets my students going like having relay races on the field outside of our school! For those who are competitive, it’s a great way to engage them with something they enjoy. I put my class into two groups and form two lines. Two students at a time run to a designated location and back. Those waiting to run eagerly cheer on both students. Before all of this even starts, we discuss how this is a way we can exercise in a fun way outdoors. It is not about finding the fastest runner, or about winning. It’s about moving around and helping to stay healthy. For most, it’s just seen as having fun.

a book, summer reflection guide for teachers, on a table

Go Noodle

Have you ever used the exercise videos and brain breaks at www.gonoodle.com? If you haven’t, please check it out! Teachers can sign up for a free account and have access to many videos that promote movement in the classroom. Exercises can be as short as 1 – 2 minutes or even 20 minutes. My students enjoy using several of these exercises throughout the day. I personally enjoy joining them, too.

Obstacle Challenges

Students love a challenge! Creating short and simple obstacles outdoors surely helps my class exercise and build their stamina. A sample obstacle course can include the following:

  1. Run to the tree (or designated spot).
  2. Use a Hula Hoop for ten seconds.
  3. Run to another designated spot.
  4. Toss a bean bag into a bucket.
  5. Return to the starting point.

Obstacle courses are great for my Grade 1 or 2 students because I can change the courses easily to help make challenges different and engaging.

Gym Equipment Bin

Each recess break, students can choose to take out an item from our gym equipment bin. Examples of what is kept in the bin are listed below:

  1. skipping ropes
  2. basketball
  3. soccer ball
  4. hula hoops
  5. scoop and ball

PREVIOUS TEACHER TIP: Celebrate Our Names

Questions to Consider

  1. How do you keep your students moving during the school day?
  2. What particular movement activities do your students enjoy the most?
  3. Does your class prefer opportunities to exercise indoors or outdoors?

Stay Connected!

Let’s chat on social media! Stay connected with Minds to Grow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also keep in touch with linktr.ee/mindstogrow.

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Teaching

Teacher Tip: Share a Sunshine Note

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Spread Some Joy with a Sunshine Note!

A sunshine note is a happy little message from you to your students and their families. You can send it home on paper, with a quick message over the phone, online by email or even via your virtual classroom. This post will focus on the start of the school year, but you can send a sunshine note at any time of the year!

click for free weekly planning page template

Why Is This Important?

The start of the school year means the start of creating community, building trust, and engaging students and families. One way to show them that you are over the moon to work with them this year is by sending a sunshine note early on!

Click above to get a FREE Sunshine Note template!

How Do I Use Sunshine Notes in my Classroom?

Each year, I purposely send out a generic Sunshine Note at the end of the first week of school. Why generic? Simply because it helps me make sure that every child receives one at the start of the school year.

Once I start learning more about my students, I intentionally plan certain times in the year when I will send out sunshine notes for the whole class at the same time. I also plan and send out short, yet personalized sunshine notes when I wish to share observations, positive behaviours, growth in learning, etc.

Sometimes I send a few at the end of the week for a period of one month, until all students receive a quick, personalized sunshine note.

Sometimes I write the messages by hand, other times I send them in a short email. Last year, I started creating digital sunshine notes that were generic, uploaded them to an email for a parent, then typed a quick, personalized message.

Whether it is done on paper, online, or by phone, students and parents appreciate the gesture. It feels great to be a source of joy in this small way, too. Celebrating my students’ growth in learning and choices is a joy!

*non-affiliate / unsponsored links*

Why is a Simple Sunshine Note or Message Powerful?

  1. It shows students and parents that you care!
  2. It puts a smile on the faces of your students. BONUS: Add a sticker to see an even bigger grin!
  3. It helps a parent learn about positive behaviour their child is showing in class.
  4. It can help a parent learn about strengths or improvements you have observed.

photo of toddler smiling
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Pexels.com

Questions about Sunshine Notes

  1. Have you ever sent Sunshine Notes before to your students and families? If so, what was the response?
  2. How often do you send them? Do you send them on a regular basis or a few times during the year?
  3. Do you prefer to send them in writing, online, or with a phone call?

Stay Connected!

Let’s chat on social media! Stay connected with Minds to Grow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can also keep in touch with linktr.ee/mindstogrow.

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Professional Growth for Teachers, Teaching

Shifting the Balance: Professional Reading for the Summer

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Shifting the Balance is a book that caught my attention recently because it focuses on a topic that I want to learn more about: the Science of Reading. While scrolling on Instagram just a few weeks ago, I noticed the term, the “Science of Reading” and it stopped me in my tracks. It was a term I had not seen or heard before and it instantly made me curious. For this reason, I started searching for resources to help me learn more about the Science of Reading. 

There is an image of a woman with long hair reading a book. There is also a photograph of the book, "Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading Into the Balanced Literacy Classroom" by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates.

Shifting the Balance: My Own Summer Book Club?

I was so happy to come across the book, Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates (2021). After reading more about the resource, I decided that it was the best fit for me. I ordered the book and it is now my professional reading for the summer break! I have yet to start the book, but I’m excited to learn more about the Science of Reading through studying this resource.

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Shifting the Balance: Does Something Need to Be Shifted?

Upon looking at the cover, I see that this book is primarily suitable for teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 2. The subtitle for the book, Shifting the Balance is “6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom”. 

Hmmm. A Balanced Literacy Classroom…that’s my classroom. That’s what I have learned about from so many workshops, professional resources, and more. The title of the book was calling out my name and I knew that it would be the book to help me understand what this shift is all about!

What is Balanced Literacy Any Way?

 The term, “balanced literacy” has been at the forefront of many language programs, especially in early primary classrooms (Kindergarten to Grade 2). In my opinion, it is a broad term that describes ways to help immerse students in different kinds of language activities (e.g., guided, shared, independent work) in order to help them become well-rounded readers and writers. 

Mission to Make a Way for Learning

I personally love helping my students grow and strengthen their language skills through reading, writing, oral communication, word play, etc. The focus on having a balanced literacy program has felt like the norm for the last little while. It has become a comfort zone, so to speak, in planning my language program, and I’m very happy with the success many students have achieved. However, there are sometimes some learners who may appear to have more difficulty grasping key language skills. As a teacher who constantly wants to problem-solve, such a situation puts me on a mission to find new strategies or ideas to help me try and reach those students in a different and better way.

Growth Mindset: Time to Learn Something In A Different Way!

In the same way I wish for my students to become lifelong learners, I, too, enjoy learning and “growing my brain”. Learning about the Science of Reading is an opportunity for me to learn something new, perhaps have a shift in mindset on the approach of teaching reading, and hopefully, make me a stronger reading teacher for my students, especially those that may be struggling. 

Is this book on your summer reading list, too? Click here to buy Shifting the Balance. *non-affiliate / unsponsored link*

This Blog Post Has Just Started, But It Will Already Be Continued!

Let me repeat: I have yet to start reading, Shifting the Balance! I just received it in the mail yesterday. In this blog, I will outline my initial thoughts on the resource. I look forward to sharing more about the book in future posts! Stay tuned.

This image has the words, "What's the Science of Reading?" Learn along with me! www.mindstogrow.ca/blog.

Initial Observations

Here are some interesting things that I noticed as I skimmed through the book for the first time:

  1. The title for the introduction is, “Embracing Science and Balance”. It sounds like a way to welcome me, the reader, into opening my mind to learning about the science of reading as well as a balanced reading approach. I’m anticipating that the introduction will describe the rationale for looking at the Science of Reading. 
  1. The book is broken down into the “6 Shifts”, as described on the cover (e.g., 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom).
  1. In the Contents section, I already like how each shift (chapter) has a similar pattern:
    • “Clearing Up Some Confusion”
    • Misunderstandings
    • Summary of the Science 
    • Recommendations for Making the Shift

This image has a bookshelf with many books on it. The words, "Growth Mindset Picture Books" and "www.mindstogrow.ca/blog" are underneath the picture. Clicking on the link will take you to the blog post on Minds to Grow's website.

I’m really excited to see the breakdown from the contents because it sounds like I will be learning a lot! As I skim through the list of “misunderstandings”, I immediately agree with some, yet realize that there are many that may cause a shift in my thinking as well. That’s good! There will be growth!

I’m also glad there is a summary of the Science of Reading as it relates to each “shift”. 

When I initially started researching about the Science of Reading online, it became a bit overwhelming to see some of the information out there, hence the reason why this book seemed like a great introduction for me! 

The “Recommendations for Making the Shift” makes me smile because I know there will be some practical ways to help me implement new learning with my students. I can’t wait to dive in!

How Do I Feel About It All?

I must admit, I am a bit nervous as I prepare to dive into this book. I’m super excited to start, nevertheless! This book may stretch me in a short time. It may cause me to change some approaches in how I teach reading. I’m ready for the new learning. I acknowledge that it may mean an overhaul of what I have done before. That’s more than okay if it can help produce even greater results and help for students! 

I’m ready to go beyond my comfort zone and learn the science so that I can help struggling students.

Flipping Through the Pages of the Book

I see lots of figures and tables included on the pages. Loving that already! I am a visual learner, so these types of tools are especially helpful and beneficial to me. The book is also colour-coded (e.g., each shift has a specific colour for easy reference, I believe). I also noticed some reflection questions at the end of each chapter. I will reflect on my learning at the end of each chapter and use it this year. 

This image shows a variety of school supplies like pencils, crayons, sharpeners on a wooden background. The words, "Get Ready for Back to School!" is in the middle of the items. Clicking on this image leads you to the Minds to Grow TPT store. This link shows a Back to School activity bundle at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-To-School-Activities-First-Day-of-School-Quick-Simple-Grade-1-2-7063073

Time to Start Reading!

This book, Shifting the Balance, is a professional reading resource for Kindergarten to Grade 2 teachers. On the website for this book, https://thesixshifts.com, I noticed that there are some great free resources available there! I will surely look into them. There is also a podcast which can help me in my journey of learning more about the Science of Reading.

If you are interested in learning along with me, consider purchasing a copy of the book.  *non-affiliate / unsponsored link*

Looking forward to sharing some of my thoughts and new learning after reading the first chapter of Shift the Balance. Hope you will join me then!

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