Music Magic: Using Music and Movement to Create Optimal LearningEnvironments
Meet Jennifer Newingham! She’s an early childhood administrator and she’s pretty awesome! She allowed me the opportunity to co-present with her at our state IAEYC (Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children) Conference. We had as backed house as we blended developmentally appropriate music and movement strategies and Conscious Discipline to create a rocking […]
Conscious Discipline Book Study Chapter 2: Getting Fit from the Inside Out
As many of you know, we are in the midst of a year long book club here on the blog. We are studying the work of Dr. Becky Bailey in her new book Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms. In March we read chapter 2. This chapter is about how the internal state impacts behavior. Dr. Bailey goes into […]
Conscious Discipline Book Club: Chapter 1–Transformational Change
When I first started using Conscious Discipline I thought it was something I would just be using in my classroom. Initially, I thought it was going to help me get from point A to point B and help my students be better prepared for kindergarten. I also thought it would give me new strategies for […]
The “Little Things” Aren’t Always So Little
My heart melted as we walked away and my daughter squeezed my hand and said, “I like it when you’re here because you do stuff like that!” It’s the little things… It was her second volleyball tournament of the season and after their first win, the coach rounded up all the girls for a team […]
When Fear Whispers in Your Ear
Let’s face it, teachers love STUFF! I remember when I was growing up how often my mom and the other teachers I knew collected STUFF! They saved everything from egg cartons, shoe boxes and toilet paper tubes to pie pans, rubber bands, and Pringles cans! For heaven’s sake don’t throw away the Christmas cards! 🙂 Over […]
Brain Smart Connection Activities: What I Love About You!
As you may have read in my last post, connection is the key to cooperation… BUT it’s so much MORE than that! The connections we build with children through loving rituals and traditions help us set aside a sacred space to create a climate of love and acceptance–A time to focus on what really matters! […]
Conscious Discipline Book Club 2016
I’ve had a great response to the 2016 Conscious Discipline Book Club that I will be leading here at Ignite Learning! Since I had such a big response, I decided to wait until February to start the Book Club to give me more time to organize the details. If you would like to join this […]
Brain Smart Transition Tips that Work: Motivation
Think about the last time you went to Walmart or your local department store. Did you get a warmer greeting from the people there than you do when you enter your home, classroom, or office? I know for myself that I have to be very intentional about getting up from my desk or whatever task […]
Brain Smart Transition Tips that Work: Using Visual Supports
Stopping is hard. Think about it. Have you ever tried to stop smoking, stop eating chocolate, stop watching Netflix, stop speeding, or stop drinking coffee? It’s just not easy is it?!? I think one of the biggest mistakes we make when we are making transitions with children is that we forget what it is like […]
Brain Smart Transition Tips that Work
Whether you’re a teacher or parent you’ll agree that your day is full of transitions. Parents and teachers alike have told me over the years how challenging transitions can be whether in the classroom or home. This post is the first of a series of posts about strategies you can use regardless of your environment […]