3 Simple Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness Into Your Classroom

Mindfulness is defined as a "mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique." 

Today, students are as distracted as they have ever been by their technology, cell phones, and social media. It is hard for them to be aware of how they are feeling and their environment because they rarely take time to stop, breathe, and be happy without having to check or do something. When we as humans are aware of our senses and how we feel, we are more productive and are able to better deal with stress and anxiety. 

Here are three simple ways to incorporate mindfulness into your classroom this school year to give students a break and get refocused. 

• Finger Breathing: You trace the five fingers of one hand with the index finger of the other. The in breathe goes up the side of the finger and the out breathe goes down. Do all five then reverse directions. 

• 3 Deep Breaths: This is a great way to reset in the middle of the day.  It is also a great way to realize how shallow you had been breathing and where you were carrying tension and anxiety. Breathe in slowly for 3 seconds, hold, and release for 3 seconds. 

• 5 Sense Check-in: Look at something new in the room you are in and then listen intently for sounds. What sensations does your skin and body feel? Breathe deep through your nose. Are there any scents? Are there any tastes in the mouth? This is a great way to pause and re-center your attention in the present moment. 

If you or your students are having a hard time dealing with emotions, stress, anxiety, etc. I encourage you to check-out the apps Calm and Headspace. They are free and very helpful with teaching the basics of mindfulness. 

How to Make School SUCK LESS for Secondary Students

Last year, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute conducted a survey in regards to how engaged high school students felt while attending school. Over half stated they didn't feel engaged in classes and 42% said they don't see the value in the school work they are asked to do. In another national survey done by Indiana University which surveyed 81,000 students across 26 states in the Midwest, 73% said they didn't like school!

Education, technology, and society has evolved and changed a lot over the past few decades. What worked with students in 2000 doesn't necessarily work in 2018. Showing a movie or video clip used to be cool. Now it's second rate to social media and games on the phone. School should be a place of learning first, but it should also challenge, engage, be relatable, and fun for students.  

Here are five reminders of ways to make school SUCK LESS for students while they learn and grow.

1. Let Kids Talk: If you ask students what is the number one thing they like the most about attending school, they will usually say "seeing friends and socializing." Yet, many times as teachers we forget this, or don't realize how we can use it to our advantage. Learning should be social and collaborative. In the working world, people collaborate to solve problems all of the time. If we are talking to our students 80-90% of the time throughout class, are they engaged and bored? This doesn't always mean presentations. One simple example is if you have a question for students, instead of them raising their hands individually, use a whiteboard and ask them in a group of 3-4 to brainstorm their answers and write them down. They can then quickly hold up and share what they discussed.

2. 180 Tricks In Your Bag: During my student teaching experience eight years ago, I'll never forget what the science teacher across the hall said to me when I asked him what advice he had for me as a new teacher. He said "always make sure you have 180 tricks in your bag." Not knowing what that meant I asked him to explain. "Each school year there are about 180 educational days you get with your students. Are you keeping them guessing and excited about what you're teaching them or are you using the same trick over and over? If your only trick is to lecture and show a movie, students will be bored of you and your class very quickly. Change it up all the time and keep them guessing." Use stories, webquests, Skype videos, podcasts, Piktocharts, presentations, debates, ThinkLinks, video projects, genius hours, and have students create, make, and share things as much as possible! 

3. Connect Learning to Life: One of Abraham Lincoln's greatest strengths as a leader and president was that he was a master story teller. If he wanted to get a point across to one of his generals about something he wanted them to do, he wouldn't directly tell them but rather use real-life examples and stories to get his point across. As educators, how often do we relate our content to what is current in our world? Do students believe that what they are learning helps them grow as a person? Do we share current events and tie that into our curriculum?

4. Move & Play: KIDS SIT ALL DAY LONG. I REPEAT, KIDS SIT ALL DAY LONG. Folks, sitting is exhausting. When I am forced to sit all day long at an in-service I dread it because it is tiring! Just because there isn't a recess in middle and high school, doesn't mean we shouldn't let students move and play! Use daily brain breaks, have them take a walk and discuss an idea, buy whiffleballs and let them throw them back and forth for a minute, make them play each other in rock, paper, scissors. When we get the blood moving, it re-energizes us as humans to press on and learn more. 

5. Care & Ask: Lastly, students are having are very hard time today dealing with life. Personally, I think it is the constant connection to each other through social media, bullying through these mediums, and students not getting outside as much as they used to. They need us to care and ask everyday! Is this tiring and tough?  Yes, but remember, students will always work harder for teachers who they know love and care about them than the ones that don't.

Ultimately, making school suck less is up to you as a teacher. The attitude and energy you bring each day many times determines how students feel about you and your class. Continue to bring it even on the days you don't feel like it! Thanks for being awesome!

Episode #30: Adobe Spark & Belly Breathing

On this weeks segment of the Donatelli Edzone, learn how you can use Adobe Spark to make stunning graphics and videos, breathe better to calm down, and laugh/be inspired with a joke & quote!

If you liked this weeks video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. Thank you!

Episode #29: Padlet & Creation

On this weeks segment of the Donatelli Edzone, learn how you can use Padlet to collaborate with others on any topic, create more/consume less, and laugh/be inspired with a joke & quote!

If you liked this weeks video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. Thank you!

Episode #28: Book Creator & The Good Trap

On this weeks segment of the Donatelli Edzone, learn how you can use Book Creator to make awesome digital books, learn how to not fall into The Good Trap, and laugh/be inspired with a joke & quote!

If you liked this weeks video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. Thank you! 

Don't Let Your Legacy Get Washed Away. BE EPIC!

Anytime we go to the beach on vacation, I love to wake-up early and run on the sand along side the crashing waves. There is something very therapeutic about running on the beach that clears the mind and arouses the senses. As I was running the first morning of vacation, I happened to look down and notice the footprints others had left while either walking or running the same path as I. Some of the footprints were very bold and obvious, while others were starting to fade away due to the water erosion. Life is very much like footprints in the sand. We get such little time to leave an IMPACT on those we SERVE before we are taken out to sea forever. Some footprints last longer than others but none last forever. Don't we want to make sure that before that time comes, we are doing everything as educators, administrators, students, and parents to not have our footprints forgotten? 

Mackelmore in his song "Glorious" drives this point home very well. "I heard you die twice, once when they bury you in the grave and the second time is the last time that somebody mentions your name. So when I leave here on this earth, did I take more than I gave? Did I look out for the people or did I do it all for fame?"

As we begin a new school year, here are THREE things to focus on so you can BE EPIC this year and make sure your legacy lives on long after the tide has set-in!

1. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD: Words have POWER. They can make someones day or break someones will. Always choose to be impeccable with your words and attitude. We remember those in life who were encouraging, supportive, positive, energetic, giving, and thoughtful. 

2. GROW AN INCH EACH DAY: It's impossible to climb Mt. Everest in a day. The mountain is to be mastered and conquered with time as is life. Grow and be your best everyday. Even if it is reading an a new article learning something new, trying a new hobby, meditating, or having dinner with someone that makes us better. The inches add up to the miles at the end of life. We only regret the things we didn't do at the end. 

3. SERVE FIRST, SELF SECOND: When we look at our life and jobs as a place to serve and enrich others, life becomes more fulfilling and we become happier. Look for ways each day to serve and help others and your legacy will last many moons. 

I am wishing all educators, students, administrators, and parents an EPIC school year. BE BOLD. TRY NEW THINGS. BE KIND. GROW. LEAVE LASTING FOOTPRINTS! 

FLIPPING Class Presentations

Chances are as a student, you have had to sit through an entire period of one person after another giving a presentation while the other 25+ are sitting there not engaged. It is nice for the first few presentations, but can drag on from the students perspective even if they are taking notes on the other persons presentation. When students are ACTIVELY engaged, they learn, grow, and have fun!

This year, I tried a new strategy for class presentations in several of my business classes. Instead of each student presenting their project to the whole class, they were forced to present it in a "speed networking/sharing session." Lets say you have the students create a poster, PowerPoint, or video about a famous entrepreneur. On their computer or laptop, they pull-up their project. You then split the class in half and give them a number of one or two. The ones set-up around the room at various locations. The twos are then students who walk around and learn from the ones in a speed presentation fashion. 

All twos need to be in front of a one before we start. The ones have 1-2 minutes to teach and tell the twos all about their person through the project they created. After 2 minutes, I blow a whistle and the twos rotate clockwise while the ones stay put. The ones present their topic/project at least eight times before the roles are reversed.

This forces the students to:

• Master their content and present it in a creative way
• Practice their verbal and non-verbal skills over and over
• Listen and ask meaningful questions
• Develop a sense of community and network 

As students are presenting, I casually walk around the room and listen asking questions and giving feedback where necessary.

After conducting this type of presentation over the ones where students stand in-front of the entire class, 100% of my students said they preferred the "speed presentations" over the "individual entire class presentations." The engagement level is through the roof and the students gain a ton of confidence about themselves because they practice over and over. If you are looking for a creative way to FLIP class presentations, give it a try. You won't be disappointed! 

Spicing Up Class Discussions With Twitter

Twitter chats have taken the education PD world by storm over the past several years. Every day, there are tons of engaging chats for educators, technology specialists, and administers to get involved with and learn from. If you want to know if there is one for you, just check out the archive HERE of daily education chats. Since I, like many others in the education field have found Twitter and the chats to be beneficial in the journey to continually learn, connect, and grow; I thought why not give it a try with my students and show them the power behind the software.

Check out this FLIPGRID on how "Twitter Has Impacted You As An Educator!" to hear testimonials from ROCKSTAR educators about how Twitter has changed their teaching careers.

I have found that when we as educators give students a platform to express their thoughts through another avenue other than raising their hand in class, you hear from everyone's perspective, not just the interpersonal ones. Twitter chats allow everyone to share their thoughts and opinions in a quick and fun way.

So far, I have conducted two Twitter chats with my entrepreneurship and accounting I students. Check out the #DTacct & #DTentrep in the search box to see how it went! HERE IS MY LESSON PLAN for the entrepreneurship one I conducted.

Some things that I think are important to know if you complete one with your students:

1. Take time to brief students about what a Twitter chat is, how they are run, and why they are useful.
2. Don't assume everyone knows how to use Twitter. Take time to go over hashtags, how to follow, and how to comment, favorite, and retweet someone else's post. Also, remind them that every tweet must have the hashtag you are using!
3. Give students the option to create another Twitter handle that isn't their personal one. 
4. Prep students the day before with the questions you will ask them.
5. Teach them how to appropriately comment and respond to others. 

I am lucky in that my district is very open and supportive in not blocking Twitter and having it be used for educational purposes. If you are interested in trying a Twitter chat with your students, but Twitter is blocked, you can always do a "Mock Twitter Chat." Thank you Alice Keeler for the second option! Please let me know if you have any questions and don't be afraid to try something different and SPICE UP those class discussions! 

The Five Day NO Cell Phone Challenge

Teenagers are spending nine hours on average consuming media according to a recent study by Common Sense Media. Research from Milan and Swansea Universities also reported that 66% of teens admit to feeling panicked without their phones.

As a high school teacher, I have noticed a huge shift over the past few years in how teenagers use and interact with each other when it comes to their cell phones. Many of them are addicted to their devices and have no awareness of how it is affecting them personally. In order to help students better understand how being "connected" all of the time isn't necessarily the best for their learning and mental health, I conducted a fun, yet challenging experiment with all of my classes this semester.

The challenge was simple with a few twists. Can you survive in school for five days without your cell phone? 

The challenge starts on a full five day week. The students can quit at any time if it gets too stressful. I do tell them the ground rules and expectations on the first day. If they successfully complete all five days and challenges, they get a pizza party and certificate along with mindfulness and awareness of what they are doing each day with their devices.

What are the challenges and what do they have to do?

Day 1: Show this video on YouTube. Go over the rules, students sign the pledge sheet, and then they put their cell phone in the back of the classroom for the entire period without checking it. HERE IS THE PLEDGE SHEET.
Days 2-3: Same as day 1.
Day 4: Students have to bring it to me before first period with it turned off and cannot get it back until the end of the day. (NOTE: I lock in my closet all day with a sticky note on the phone to avoid any confusion when picking-up). *You could even make this a two day challenge instead of one.
Day 5: Put the phone in the back of the class and complete a flipgrid video reflection answering the following three questions.

1. First name and how many hours you use your phone a day.
2. Do you feel you focus better in class with or without your cell phone next to you and why?
3. Share your thoughts on the challenge and how it can help all students in life and school. 

The party is then held on the following Monday at the end of the school day. HERE IS THE CERTIFICATE. During the party, we watch the Flipgrid videos, talk about the challenge, handout the certificates, take a team picture, and celebrate their success! I'd love to share the Flipgrid reflections, but out of respect and privacy of the students, I did not share the link to the videos in this post. 

I offered this challenge to all four of my classes totalling 95 students. On day one, we started with 50 students who wanted to take the challenge. By the end of day five, 20 students finished and completed the challenge. They did such an amazing job with their reflection videos. Here are the three biggest themes that popped-up in each reflection.

1. I focus more in school without my cell phone.
2. It forced me to be more aware of my surroundings and social with those around me.
3. I didn't feel anxious all of the time.

WOW! Proud teacher. I can't wait to do this challenge again next semester to see how others feel without their devices for a week. If you try this challenge with your students, please let me know how it goes and feel free to modify it!

DISCLAIMER: We are not a school that forces students to put their cell phones away throughout the school day. Also, I am a huge advocate of educational technology and using it for learning where and when applicable.

Creation & Innovation Through Video PBL

Looking for a way to spice up that lesson with an interactive project using video? CHECK OUT these five simple to use video creation tech tools. Video tutorials, project examples, and FREE lessons using Animoto, Adobe Spark, Sharalike, WeVideo, and Flipgrid. Empower your learners to be creators of your content and learn new skills! Please feel free to leave a comment with questions or share how you use these tools with your students and school.

7 UNIQUE Ways To Begin Class

The first few minutes of class is the PRIMER that sets the stage for how the rest of the period goes! It is the TIME that a teacher has to bring students IN and HOOK them. When students transition from period to period, a lot happens between those minutes before they enter your classroom. Instead of jumping right into your material, give students an opportunity to get into the "learning mindset" you want them to be in for your lesson. I have found that when I take time to do these quick activities before I dive into the content, I am able to create a better sense of community and build stronger relationships with students. Also, you have given their brains a chance to transition from their last class or relationship drama in the hallway!

1. Jokes: Laughter calms and brings us all together. There are thousands of free short-clean jokes on the internet. CLICK HERE for tons of quick and easy to use jokes!

2. Fun Facts: No matter what content you teach, there is always something fascinating and unique to share with students. Here are some fun ones! 50 AWESOME facts about everything!

3. Storytelling: What did we use to learn before PowerPoints and Prezi's? STORYTELLING! How often do you open with a compelling story the relates to life or your content? CHALLENGE: Pick a lesson you are teaching this week or next and write down how you can OPEN with a story instead of saying, "OK class, today we are learning about XYZ."

4. Brainteasers/Puzzles: In order to keep the mind sharp, it needs challenged from time to time. Using brainteasers or puzzles on the board before class gives students a chance to get the "thinking motor" cranked up! CLICK HERE for my favorite site to get brainteasers and puzzles.

5. News: Powerful learning happens when we bring the real-world into our classrooms and lessons. As a business teacher, I try to share interesting stories and videos where applicable. It often opens up some awesome debates and discusions. Some of my favorite sites are Flocabulary for the weekly rap news recap, Mashable for technology and business news, and Twitter for trending stories!

6. Meditation: The mind is constantly going 24/7. Students are as stressed out as ever because they are constantly connected. Why not use apps like CALM OR HEADSPACE for 2-3 minutes to let them practice breathing, scanning their bodies, and relaxing the mind? IT WORKS and we need to be teaching students these coping and calming skills so they can better perform in school and life!

7.  Soft Skills: Get students up and interacting right off the bat! Put up wacky questions on the board like "If you could be a superhero for a day, who woud you be?" OR "If you won a million dollars, what would do with it?" Let them talk and discuss unique ideas. Lastly, practicing handshakes, eye-contact, and non-verbal skills are so important in an ever changing digital-world. 

Please comment below and let me know your thoughts on the 7 UNIQUE ways to start class with your students. Be bold. Be unique!

Episode #26: Insert Learning & Peer Evaluations

On this weeks segment of the Donatelli Edzone, learn how you can use Insert Learning to create interactive lessons from the headlines, become a better educator by using peer evaluations, and laugh/be inspired with a joke & quote!

 

If you liked this weeks video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. Thank you!