One of my favorite children’s books is Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Bad days — we all have them. These are the days when it seems like so many small things are going wrong and it all adds up to what seems like an overall bad day. But it is really? Here are some ways to reset your own bad day and make it an overall good day after all.
1 – grab a journal or notebook or just some random piece of paper and write down everything that is on your mind. You don’t even have to keep this paper — tear it out and throw it away if you want to. The idea here is to get it out of your head, onto the paper and let it go. Rant, complain, make a list of every irritating thing that is happening — whatever comes to mind.
2 – adopt the motto “it could always be worse.” For every bad thing that happened today, think of something that would be worse. Give thanks that it isn’t worse! For example: if your dog pooped on the floor — be thankful for your dog’s unconditional love while you’re cleaning up the mess. If your child spilled the milk — be thankful that you have your child and your home and table and towels or paper towels to wipe up the milk. If you snapped at someone, be thankful for having that person in your life and apologize.
3 – going along with the idea of gratitude, think of one good thing in your life or one thing that is going well. Try to do this for every bad thing you can think of. You will be amazed at all the small, simple good things for which you can be grateful.
4 – get outside and take some deep breaths. Bonus points for taking a walk outside.
5 – if it’s raining, still try to stand some place where you can stay dry and just watch the rain!
7 – take a different route home from work or drive through a different part of town. Look for things that you think are pretty or that make you happy.
8 – turn off the news. Sometimes news shows, especially cable news, just makes you feel even worse! You can let it go for a day. Watch a funny show or movie instead, if you want to relax with TV.
9 – consider your use of social media. As you know by now, posts on social media are someone’s highlight reel. (Not always, but very often.) So if scrolling through social media and looking at pictures or posts of people who are smarter/prettier/better organized/more successful/a better mom, etc. etc. etc. brings you down, STOP. Either don’t scroll through or hide the accounts of or unfollow those that just make you feel worse. You can always follow them again later if you really want to. But understand that seeing someone else’s “best day ever” post is not going to help you improve your own day.
10 – do some healthy things for yourself. Drink water, eat something healthy (probably vegetables or fruit) that fit your eating plan, get some exercise (a few yoga poses and/or a brief walk counts), and go to bed early. Try to NOT add to your stress by eating or drinking things that will ultimately just make you feel worse.
11 – call or text someone who always makes you feel better. Sometimes just talking it out with someone who loves you or being reminded that they believe in you is all you need.
12 – do something you enjoy but that is not part of your routine. Buying prepared food from Whole Foods or Fresh Market instead of cooking dinner yourself. Eating outside instead of at your dinner table. Taking a bubble bath instead of a shower. Buying a small gift for yourself.
A bad day can be turned around! Try one of these tips next time you’re having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and let me know how it goes!
If you’re looking for some great summer activities for kids, here are 112 ideas!
24 PLACES TO GO:
*go to the pool
*go to a park
*visit the zoo
*visit a planetarium
*visit an aquarium
*visit the beach or a lake
*visit the mountains
*go canoeing or kayaking
*go fishing
*go bowling
*go see a movie in the afternoon. Watch for summer matinee features.
*check out all of the state or national parks in your area
*check out nearby historical sites, especially those that offer special tours or activities for kids
*visit a farmer’s market
*play putt-putt golf
*pick fruit at a local farm
*go to a baseball game
*visit story time at a local library or bookstore
*visit an amusement park
*visit a water park
*get ice cream at a fun local shop
*go on a family hike
*visit a museum or a museum exhibition that your kids would enjoy
*try a different playground in your town or in a nearby town
22 ARTS & CRAFTS ACTIVITIES:
*paint with watercolors
*do some chalk drawings
*paint rocks
*dry some flowers & create art or homemade note cards with them
*make goop or homemade play-dough or homemade slime
*or get good old-fashioned play-doh!
*buy coloring books and new crayons!
*try out some new crafts, like origami, string art, friendship bracelets, or crochet!
*other fun craft options can be found here and here
*buy disposable cameras and take photos of your summer adventures
*create a scrapbook with the photos you take and any souvenirs. Have your child write about the activity. This will make a great memory book later!
*take a course at a crafts store
*create some art to decorate the walls of a local nursing home or convalescent center
*play with sidewalk chalk
*remember Lite-Bright and Spirograph? They’re still just as fun as you remember!
18 FREE (OR NEARLY FREE) ACTIVITIES:
*play at a local park
*visit the library and read there
*visit a bookstore and read there
*feed the ducks at a local park
*go for evening walks
*check on volunteer opportunities in your area. Could you volunteer at the local animal shelter? Visit a convalescent center? Clean up a park?
*learn some mindfulness techniques and do them together
*watch the sunset
*get up early and watch the sunrise
*catch fireflies (be sure to let them fly away home at bedtime)
*sit outside at night and look at the stars and just chat
*camp out in your backyard
*watch fireworks on July 4th
*ride bikes
*run through the sprinkler!
*pack a picnic lunch and eat outside somewhere
*blow bubbles
*learn about summer constellations. Spend time outside at night and locate as many constellations as possible.
14 FUN FOOD IDEAS:
*eat popsicles, fudgesicles or orange sherbet push-ups
*set up a baked potato bar for dinner
*make homemade pizza
*eat watermelon
*make an ice cream sundae
*have a cupcake war competition!
*make sand pail pudding
*make s’mores
*plan menus and choose fun new recipes to try together
*plant a garden! Grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, whatever your family enjoys.
*have a cookout and invite friends or family
*grill your food and eat outside
*bake cookies and make your own ice cream sandwiches
*eat breakfast outside
3 RANDOM ACTIVITIES TO DO AT HOME:
*clean out closets — you never know what treasures you might find!
*clean out clothes closets and toy storage. Consider donating unused or outgrown items to your local thrift shop or Goodwill.
*check out the books 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids and 50 Things to Do Before You’re 11-3/4.
Have a wonderful summer of making memories with your kids!
As I write this post, it is March and our spring break begins in one week. (Not that I’m counting down or anything.) When we return from spring break, we will have ten more weeks of school.
If you’re a parent, it’s time to plan for summer!
First things first. Map out the entire summer. When we start thinking about summer, it feels like this long span of time, but when you actually start putting dates on the calendar, that time fills up quickly. Make a chart of each week in the summer. Then beside each week’s dates, list any commitments and plans your family might have (for vacations, beach time, visits to family, etc.).
Once you have done that, you can begin thinking about the rest of the remaining time.
PLANNING FOR CHILDCARE
If you are a working parent, you have probably already made plans for child care for the weeks when you will be working and your child will be home from school. If you are trying to fill in some space, check with your local school district, your local parks and recreation department, and your local YMCA. You might also consider hiring a local high school or college student to provide child care for the summer.
If you are a parent working from home, you might still need to consider the options above. Even though you are home, you still need to get a certain amount of work done daily. Day camps in your area and/or hiring a high school or college student might be the best options for you.
Start making a list of day camps in your area that fit your child’s interests. Call or go online for information and pricing and begin completing applications and submitting payment. If you attend church, check on your church’s Vacation Bible School dates. Check out your local YMCA for camp options. You might also check your school district’s summer camp offerings.
If you send your child to sleepaway camp in the summer, you have probably already registered. If not, and if this is something you are considering, start asking other parents for suggestions and recommendations.
PLANNING FUN FAMILY TIME
Once the necessary childcare (if needed) is planned, and any camp plans are made, it’s time to think about the remaining time. Summer is a great opportunity to reconnect with your children and to enjoy some unstructured time to relax together. With that in mind, make a list of some things that you enjoy and that you would love to do with your child. Then ask your child about their summer wish list! You may find that many of the activities that they would like to do in the summer are simple and cost very little.
You might set up some kind of theme for the week or theme for the day and plan activities, snacks, and books around that theme. Or you might plan one craft per day, one outing per day, etc. Another idea is to have certain things that you do on certain days of the week. For example, Monday could be library day, Tuesday could be go visit the park day, etc.
PLAN A DAILY STRUCTURE
Now that you have your summer weeks mapped out and you have some fun ideas and activities in mind, it’s time to plan for some daily structure. Even though it’s summer, it’s still a good idea to enforce chore times and doing some kind of learning/academic practice.
When my children were young, we had a flexible but definite schedule for our days. We would eat breakfast and just enjoy playing at home in the morning (instead of the rush to get out the door for school during the academic year). Then it was time to make beds, straighten up rooms, do any other chores, and get dressed for the day.
In addition to getting chores done in the morning, I would set up some academic work time. Of course, I didn’t call it that! We usually called it something like “learning time”. When my kids were preschoolers, learning time featured simple coloring books that also contained puzzles for their age range, play-dough, puzzles, and looking at picture books. Once my kids were in school, I bought workbooks at places like Target or Barnes and Noble and they would work their way through those. While they are nothing fancy, they do serve a couple of purposes. 1 – my children were practicing important math or reading skills independently and 2 – they could check their own work with the answer key in the back, which gave them immediate feedback.
When my kids were small, we didn’t have iPads if you can believe that! While I would caution against the use of too much screen time, I do agree that there are many academically valuable apps and websites available that would serve the same purpose as the workbooks.
Keep in mind the value of reading and schedule time for it daily. Once my daughter could read, she would read to my son, who was younger. She was getting practice in reading herself and he was benefiting by hearing a fluent reader read aloud to him. Once they were both readers, they would often sit together and read their books while I was working on something else.
If your children are not avid readers, consider the following tips:
*set a timer for short amounts of time to read, then increase the time as they get more “into” a book;
*make a trip to a local bookstore or the public library and choose some books that your child wants to read. Any reading counts, even if it’s not what you would choose;
*use a simple chart and add a sticker for each increment of time your child reads. It’s usually better to start with small amounts of time (10 – 15 minutes) and watch the stickers add up;
*when your child meets a certain reading goal, you might reward that in some way. Maybe they get a few extra minutes of screen time, or they get to have a playdate, or they get to purchase some small toy. I don’t believe in bribes, but rewarding someone for meeting a goal is a good thing.
We were members of a local pool, so we often went to the pool around learning time, often taking a picnic lunch along with us. After pool time and lunchtime, we would return home for rest time. Even if they didn’t actually sleep, it was a good time to just rest quietly and read. After rest time, we would head back outside to play in our yard or go to a park to play or play with friends. If my kids had playdates, I would often schedule them for this afternoon block of time.
Even if you allow for a later bedtime in the summer, think about following a regular evening routine. Whatever your routine might be (baths, books, prayers, and bedtime is a popular one), sticking to a predictable relaxing routine leads to good sleep for all of you.
The slower pace of summer is a great time to reconnect as a family. I hope these tips have inspired your planning the best summer ever for your family!
How is your school year going so far? Do you have good routines and procedures in place? Have you established your classroom behavior expectations and are most students following them? If you feel like you could use a little reset in your classroom, read on for how to re-establish your classroom behavior expectations!
*First, think about your procedures for how students enter your classroom. Do you expect them to follow a certain routine or to begin working on certain assignments? Think about what you want them to do and how you are communicating that expectation.
For example, I greet my students at the door every morning and when we change classes. I post directions on the board for my class to follow. For my fifth-grade homeroom classroom, I vary the directions from day to day, but Monday’s routine is always the same, Tuesday’s routine is always the same, etc. For my fifth-grade math class (my partner teacher’s class), I also post directions, but we begin with a “do now” warm-up task every day.
No matter what you are doing, think about what you want your students to do and how you want them to do it. Think about what you might need to do to ensure that they know the expectation. Do you need to post directions? Do you need to model and practice the entire routine? Even if your routine and procedures have not changed since the beginning of the year, but your students (or you) are getting slack about following that routine, discuss it as a class. Then practice it (this can be fun, believe it or not), and be intentional about enforcing the expectation every single day.
*Next, think about your routines and procedures during class. Do you need to post an agenda so that students know what is coming next and what they need to do when they finish work? How should your students move from one activity to the next? How do you distribute papers? How do you communicate the appropriate voice level for each activity? What do you do if students are not being productive?
For example, I teach fifth grade and we start every class with a meeting/mini-lesson. During the meeting, I go over the class agenda for that period or subject. When everyone knows what is going to happen, I find that students relax and are ready for the lesson part.
When it is time for the lesson, I tell them exactly what materials they need to have at their seats or workspaces (pencil, clipboard, Chromebook, highlighter, some previously used work that is in their binder, etc.).
During the lesson, I am monitoring closely to see that students are engaged and on task. If it’s only one or two students, I redirect them and change where they are sitting if necessary. If several students are off task, I reset the whole class by saying something like, “We are not focused on the work we need to do right now. Everyone put your pencils down (Chromebook lids down, whatever), and stretch. Take a deep breath in and let it out. Think to yourself, ‘Right now I need to be ________..” Okay, we’re ready to get back on track.”
When it is “work time” (after the lesson), I post the list of directions which might look like this:
1 – finish reading/annotating your article;
2 – add notes to your graphic organizer;
3 – put both papers in your reading folder in your binder;
4 – switch to independent reading;
5 – groups 1 and 2 will meet with me today.
With this procedure, students know where to look and see what to do next. They can be independent because they know what to do. If they are going to meet with me in a small group, they are alerted to that fact and don’t need to keep checking to see if we’re going to meet. (Sometimes I even post the time when I will meet with each group).
This posted list of directions eliminates misunderstanding about what to do next. By the way — this is easier to do if you use something like Classroom Screen or if you have typed these directions in advance on a Google slide or on paper to display under the document camera. Often the same directions can be reused from one day to the next.
*Now, think about procedures for how you end your class. Many teachers find it very effective to have some sort of closure at the end of class. To do this, you need to end your students’ work time about five minutes earlier to ensure time for this. How do you want students to clean up their workspace? How do you want them to line up? Make a list of the tasks you want your students to complete. Consider posting them on a chart — someplace where you and the students can see the list daily. Then go through each task with your class, practicing it until they have it down.
*When you are re-introducing your procedures, re-introduce your rules and explain the consequences. It’s also fine to tell your students that you are doing this because you have not been doing your main job which is to protect their right to learn.
*As far as consequences go, you may need to abide by your school discipline plan. If there is no set plan, you might try the following classroom management plan from Michael Linsin’s awesome website Smart Classroom Management. First, give a warning. Michael recommends . . .
. . . a warning only works when its purpose is to allow students to fix their mistakes on their own.
A warning is another way of saying:
You broke a class rule, but I trust that you will check yourself and ensure that it doesn’t happen again.
If the student breaks a rule again, they move to time-out (they need to be separated from “the fun”, which I define as being with the rest of the class and doing what they are doing).
The third consequence is a letter home to parents. In my class, we use a reflection sheet. Students write about what they were doing that was a problem for the class, then they write about what they are going to do to change the behavior. I also include a line about “how the teacher could help me”, where they can list what they might need from me (or from another teacher, if it happened in their class) to change the behavior.
Sometimes I get good tips from students about how other people might be triggering something, or how something else happened that I didn’t even know about. I include that category because it shows that I care about the student and about their behavior, and I want to help them correct it. In other words: I am on their side.
The last step in this process is to send the reflection sheet home. Some teachers like to just send it home with the student and require it to be signed and returned the next day. I prefer to take a picture of the reflection and email that to the parent, along with any other explanation I feel necessary. This way, I keep the reflection sheet, I don’t have to worry about collecting paper or reminding students to return it, and it gives the parents the immediate information. No parent likes to receive this news, but they do appreciate being kept informed.
*Another great tip from Michael Linsin’s site: how to give directions and stop repeating yourself. You can read about it HERE.
In short, his tips include: stop moving & stand in one place, ask for students’ attention, give your direction in as few words as possible, pause, ask if anyone does not know what to do, give your go signal. Then the next two steps are also crucial: don’t help and don’t repeat the directions. Students will quickly learn to either ask other students or to look around and figure out what to do themselves. Either way, they will be listening closely to you the next time.
*Speaking of giving directions, I like to use Aaron Burr’s advice to Alexander Hamilton in the musical Hamilton: “talk less, smile more.” Slow down and talk less. Wait until your students are ready and waiting for your directions instead of trying to talk over them. Instead of talking about how they should behave, enforce your consequences without lecturing or getting emotional.
*If your whole class needs a “reset”, follow Michael’s tips HERE. The steps are: stop them in their tracks (ask for their attention and wait until you have every single student), ask for one minute of silence during which you all take slow, deep breaths, tell them, “In a moment, you are going to . . .”, give your directions (see above tip for how to give directions), ask if anyone does not know what to do, observe them follow the directions, then move on. No lectures or anything further. Just a simple reset.
*Consider re-arranging your classroom. Something about a new arrangement (including different seats for everyone) gets students’ attention.
*As you implement (or re-implement) these routines in your classroom, consider using music as a prompt for each routine. You might even make a class playlist on Spotify so that it’s easy to cue up each song when it’s time to make a transition. One fun idea I’ve seen is to use this site of television theme songs. Choose some songs that you like and teach them as the prompt for your students to complete the routine.
And finally — remember self-care.
Remember to take deep breaths at least once an hour. Put a reminder on your laptop or on your phone — whatever gets your attention and reminds you to do it!
Stay hydrated. Use a large water bottle and drink half your body weight in ounces of water every single day.
Try very hard to get enough sleep at night. Every classroom discipline mistake I have ever made was directly connected to sleep deprivation.
Eat food that is healthy for you (especially 8- 10 fruit and veggie services every day) and cut down on processed food.
Do some form of exercise daily. If you don’t have time for a full-fledged workout, do some calisthenics, yoga poses, or just walk. But do something that moves and stretches your body daily.
Remember that every day is a good day for a reset. You don’t have to wait until the beginning of the next quarter or the beginning of the month or week. Just pick a day that works for you and start. You and your students will benefit, no matter when you reset!
I would love to hear from you if you try these tips or if you have more suggestions!
Do you want more guidance with resetting your classroom? I’m creating a mini-course with more step-by-step tips. Sign up for the waiting list HERE and I will notify you when it’s ready! (Signing up does not obligate you in any way.)
The most productive day actually starts the night before! Not by tackling your to-do list, but by implementing a few routines that will get your day started on the right note. Read on to see how to do that!
*I know I said that your productive day begins the night before. But it actually begins the AFTERNOON before. Here’s the first habit to try: no caffeine after 12 noon OR about 10 hours before your bedtime. Since I try to go to bed by 9:30 p.m., I eliminate caffeine after 11:30 a.m. Since starting this habit, my sleep has been much more restful, I fall asleep more easily and stay asleep all night.
*This is a hard one, but try to stop doing any work-related tasks about two hours before going to bed. I have to admit that I break this rule frequently, but my goal is to stop doing any school work after 7:30 p.m.
*Avoid any electronics about an hour before bed. I stop using my phone, iPad, and laptop around 8:30 p.m. I sometimes break this rule with my phone if there is something I need to check, but I try to make it quick. While my husband is still watching TV at this time, I try to avoid getting caught up in watching myself and switch to reading instead.
*What to read before bed? Avoid nonfiction or self-help types of books! They are often motivating and stimulate ideas so they are not the best choice when you’re trying to relax your mind and slow down your thinking. Try to only read fiction at night. If you’re wondering what to read, check out Modern Mrs. Darcy blog HERE for some ideas! She has lots of book lists and something for every kind of reader.
*As an alternative to reading in the evening, do something you enjoy that does not involve a screen! Try doing some kind of craft (I want to learn hand lettering, for instance), talking with your family, calling a friend or family member, or writing letters.
*Make your to-do lists for both work and home for the next day. I do this when I wrap up any school work that I’m doing in the evening. That is when I have ideas for what I need to get done so it is most productive for me to make that list then. Plus, it gets stuff off my mind and out of my head so that I can relax and sleep, knowing that my thoughts are written down and ready to go for tomorrow.
*Think of five things for which you can be grateful. If it felt like today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, stick to the basics: your health, your home, your relationships, your family, food to eat, a car to drive, a job, whatever is a “basic” in your life. You will be surprised at how much you really have for which to be grateful.
*While you’re being grateful, think of five things you are looking forward to doing. It might be something big like a trip or vacation, or it might be something smaller, like stopping at Starbucks or your favorite coffee shop on your way to work in the morning. Having things in mind that get you excited and make you feel happy are good thoughts to focus on before going to sleep.
*Develop a specific “bedtime routine”, like you might use for a child. These are whatever tasks that you do in a certain order to get ready for bed. For example: take a shower or bath, put on comfy pajamas, wash your face & moisturize, floss & brush your teeth. You get the idea.
*Before bed, try doing a few minutes of yoga. Some suggested poses: legs up the wall pose, cat/cow pose, child’s pose, butterfly. Or you can try this bedtime yoga routine from Yoga with Adriene on youtube. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind, reduces stress and anxiety, releases toxins, eases muscle & joint pain, calms the mind and improves breathing.
“When you rewrite and review your goals in the evening, you program them into your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind then has an opportunity to work on your goals all night long, while you are sleeping. You will often arise with wonderful ideas for things to do or people to call to help you achieve your goals.”
Try one or two of these tips and incorporate them into your routine. When they become habits, try one or two more! Let me know how these tips work for you. Here’s to your most productive day tomorrow!
Have you heard of a vision board, but have no idea what it is or how to make a vision board?
Other names for a vision board might be “dream board” or “inspiration board”.
How does it work? The idea of a vision board is to keep your goals and dreams uppermost in your mind by seeing them every day. By keeping your goals and dreams uppermost in your mind by “visualizing” them every day, your brain will begin to notice available resources for making those goals and dreams come true. You will also find your motivation to achieve the goals increases!
Here are 3 simple steps to get you started!
1 – set some goals for yourself. These could be short-term (to be reached within three months) or long-term (to be reached within five or ten years). See my post about setting goals HERE If you’re having trouble narrowing down goals, ask yourself: what do I want? What do I need? What would add value and meaning to my life?
2 – when you have at least five goals set for yourself, find some inspirational pictures that match your goals or remind you of your goals. You can do this in several ways. Some people like to take pictures (of homes they love, of the beach if they want to live there, of a stack of books if they want to be a writer). Some people like to cut out pictures from magazines. Others like to find images online that match the mental images of their goals. As you look for images, choose anything that inspires and motivates you. Even if it wasn’t necessarily on your “goals” list. If the image appeals to you in some way, include it!
3 – now put the pictures together in a collage style format. If you are using actual pictures, magazine pictures or if you printed online images, arrange them in whatever way you choose on cardstock, cardboard, or in a blank art book. Glue or tape them to the background and display! If you prefer digital format, you might insert your images into a Google document or Google slides. As you create your collage, you might also want to add words that come to mind, especially if you chose some images that appeal to you but were not on your goals list. What word comes to mind when you see that image? Write it down!
As you are creating your vision board, do some things to ensure that you actually enjoy this process. Play music, light a candle, do whatever makes this time seem special or different somehow.
Remember that the point of a vision board is to view your images daily! This helps set a visual cue in your mind about your goals and about what will make your life better in some way. If you don’t want others to see your vision board, that is fine. It doesn’t have to be hung on the wall! But do make sure that you put it someplace where you can see it daily. Schedule a time on your calendar when you will actually look at your vision board.
As you look at your vision board, think of what you might do to make each of these images real. Keep in mind that your list should only include tasks that YOU can control. Eliminate any tasks that are under someone else’s control.
I would love to hear about your experiences with a vision board!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
