Cringe is as cringe does. Even though the internet is full of wonderful things like cat pics, wholesome local news, and articles written by yours truly, it’s also home to the vast and spooky wilderness where you’ll find the most bizarre and cringe-worthy posts. And it’s the members of the ‘Cringetopia’ subreddit that bears the heavy burden of documenting the cringiest examples to share (and publicly mock!) with the world. These cringetopians have a duty to show us what to never ever do while at the same time providing us with some hilariously weird content.
I’ve been spending some serious amounts of time this summer leading conversations around the country focused on the integration of social studies and literacy. And for the last few years, I…
Help your students manage stress better by teaching kids about the stress response & their brains. Includes fun stress response lessons ideas.
Funny, weird and WTF images that will make your day better.
Is your child learning about "bucket filling" at school? Learn how you can make this translate into your home. Steps to a happy, healthy childhood.
When you're alone, you can act out lengthy conversions, but in real life situations, everything goes downhill very quickly.
It’s supposed to be for kids, but I love it!
You may have heard our agents at some point mention “life skills” and may have thought to yourself “what does that mean and why should I care?” Life skills reach beyond subject matter education and provide the overall objective of our organization. The foundation of 4-H philosophies can be derived from examining the Targeting Life […]
Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learner
Need to entertain the kids? Try some of these free indoor and outdoor activities for kids that can all be done from your own home. There's also a list of free online educational resources.
As my kids get older, I think a lot about what I need to teach them. When they were little it was all about surviving. Don't get me wrong...
We are a Leader In Me School and talk a lot about using the 7 Habits of Happy Kids in our everyday lives. I love the idea of encouraging kids to act as leaders in the classroom and beyond. What I have noticed, however, is that sometimes "leadership" comes off as "bossypants" and that is not the route we want to take! I know you've probably heard of Sheryl Sandberg (of Facebook fame) and her campaign to end the word "bossy" (read or listen to an NPR story HERE), but I was hesitant to come straight out and use that word in our class. Instead, I wanted them to think on terms of "boss" and "leader" to recognize the differences between the two and to think about their own language choices in the classroom, in small groups, on their sports teams, and more. We first looked at this picture and talked about what we noticed: (source) This led to some discussion about leadership versus boss behavior. While the kids were discussing, I was passing out example cards to their table spots. Before I dismissed them, I shared this leadership quote from John Quincy Adams: They were then given instructions about our activity. I had printed example cards on two colors: blue for boss and green for leader (although they didn't know that yet) and they needed to read their card and find someone with an opposite color card and opposite example (good time to incorporate the word antonym, too!). I dismissed them to their tables and first had them converse with students in their table group to ensure they understood the word or phrase on their card. When they gave me the thumbs up, I told them to find their match and them meet to discuss why they went together and be able to give examples. We then began assembling our Anchor Chart. Each pair would come to the front of the class and would explain which card was descriptive of a "boss" and which was descriptive of a "leader" and why. They gave examples and I elicited a lot of help from the classroom for additional examples and language that both a boss and leader may use during that example. I would tape the cards to the Anchor Chart and we continued through each pair. There were two groups of three (with two leaders to one boss) and that worked out perfectly with my class (definitely feel free to adjust if you have lower numbers). Our completed anchor chart looked like: It was so powerful to see how often kids may think they are helping, but instead find themselves on the "boss" side of the chart instead of the "leader." I know several of the examples are repetitive, but we really talked through these and used examples from our own lives to recount when using "leader" words and language set us up for success. I also explained the "me vs. you" mentality of bosses versus the "we and us" mentality of leaders. Overall, it was a very powerful lesson and I look forward to referring back to this Anchor Chart this year, especially when "bossypants" behavior leads to conflict. I think these concrete examples can help guide the naturally strong leaders in my class to make better language decisions that can help grow them as leaders and really inspire others, just like the Adams quote! If you'd like a copy of these cards and quote, you can download this as a *freebie* HERE. How do you address bossy vs. leader behavior in your class? Share in the comments, I would love to build on this lesson!
Need some brain teasers and problem solving for kids? They'll enjoy these free printable Crack the Code Puzzles featuring some silly donut jokes and punchlines.
Navigating worries is a life skill. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I am especially aware that I always want my children to feel validated when they are worrying. I long for them to know that they are not alone with their worries. I also want to give them as many tools as I can to he
Download 3 free Shakespeare Study Guides in addition to other free Shakespeare resources.
This blog post is all about how to use Emotional Intelligence at work to improve iinter personal relationships and to increase work productivity.
Printable worksheet to help in your teaching your kids the life skill of filling out forms. Guidelines for teaching are included.
Mastering Morse code alphabet offers reliable communication in any emergency. Learn how in our guide, made for preppers. Our tricks make it effortless.
Bruce Lee was an expert martial artist, but he was also a very wise man. Here's how one of his quotes influences my coaching style.
Orienteering is a great activity to do as a family and teaches your kids map reading skills. There are also places you can easily give it a go. Read more.
I read that basic money habits are set by 7 years old and even as small as 3 year olds can grasp financial concepts. So it's never too early to start. And ...
Life's tough and it demands you to be tougher, smarter, and more confident. Learn 21 life lessons nobody teaches you. eg: Nobody cares.
We all have narratives that we use to weave together our beliefs and experiences in a way that feels meaningful. We can often have dominant narratives eg ‘I’m a victim’ that then influence how we r…
Intimacy is who you text at 3 am about your dreams and fears. Intimacy is giving someone your attention when ten other people are asking for it.
Check out these effective ways of teaching kids conflict resolution skills at home & school with these easy-to-implement ideas & strategies.
Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learner
In the aftermath of a post covid society, it's important to take a step back and learn how we can relieve anxiety over things we cannot control. The idea of "locus of control" has been
Kids will love learning about the components of blood with this fun and memorable activity - make a blood model!
Looking to find Social Skills Worksheets for Kids to help you incorporate social emotional learning (SEL) in your curriculum? Get 15+ fantastic hands-on materials which will help engage and motivate your students with SEL!
"Hatte 12 Kinder mit 8 verschiedenen Frauen. Wurde dann Präsident und bin beim Spaghettikochen gestorben. 10/10."
Your complete guide to unlocking the meaning behind palm linesImagine if you held everything you ever wanted to know about your fate, love life, and personality in the palm of your hand.
As a parent, you deal with a LOT of feelings on a daily basis. Right? And sometimes, it can all get to […]
Learn how to implement solution focused counseling in your school counseling program, including effective techniques to use with students.
