I cant believe we are halfway through our EIR season. Although schools were not in session this week, I had the pleasure of seeing many faces from GSB at Kieve's adventure camp. This year I worked with the 2nd and 3rd graders. We enjoyed the week doing a variety of activities that included climbing, the flying squirrel, putting together a 500 piece puzzle, playing steal the bacon, building a fire, wax museum, drawing, putting beads together, and of course, playing recess type activities.
Although quite different than our normal week, it was awesome to see kids K-6 for the Adventure camp and the older kids for our All Star camp!
Im looking forward to a few more weeks at GSB. Stay tuned!
Monday, February 26, 2018
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Week 6 (February 12-16)
This week I have helped several age groups in many different areas. I discussed decision making and time management with the 7th and 8th grade health classes, led team building activities with the 5th and 6th grade, practiced yoga with students in grades 4-8, went on a trip to the DRA, and brought the 3rd grade class to Kieve for a small team building activity and a fire at our Westcott point. Tomorrow I will be bringing a group of 5th graders to Kieve to both climb and teambuilding. Below, I will highlight on a few things I have done.
Health class - time management
I have observed the 7th and 8th grade study hall sessions. Many of the students are really good at wasting their time, either trying to talk to friends (when they should be silent) or playing games on the computer rather than actually doing their homework. Why? Wouldn't it make so much more sense to get your work done at school so that when you get home you have less to worry about? That sounds like the smartest thing to do for an adult, but for a kid, that's the last thing they would think to do.
During Monday's health class, the 7th grade class worked on time management. I led an open discussion of what types of decisions we make everyday from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed. Afterwards, the students created their daily schedule (hour by hour). What do they spend their time doing? Being active with their friends and family? Watching TV? Studying? They had to account for every waking hour of their day.
Hopefully, the kids started to see what they should be doing and what they actually are doing.
TLS with Ms. Jackson and Ms. K's class
I was able to lead a team building activity with Ms. Jackson's class during their gym period as well as the normal time slot for Ms. K's class.
Ms. Jackson's class - Hula hoop Pass & Stargate
I have been able to meet with Ms. Jackson's class more than any other class when it comes to working within the TLS cirriculum. She teaches a 5/6 grade, so there are a handful of students whom I was able to work with last year making it a bit easier for them to come together as a group. We started out with the hula hoop pass activity. They passed with flying colors. Afterwards, we worked on stargate. One of the students had an excellent idea. They did it and again flying colors, atleast on the outside. During our debrief we had a discussion on how the activity went. Many students admitted that although it looked like it ran smoothly, many things could have gone better. We discussed how people were having their own side conversations and not participating for the entire length of the activity, and that many people did their part then did their own thing. Although it was quite and people got through, they were all jammed together and not listening to suggestions that were made. We then discussed how we could make these better in the future.
In Ms. K's class, we went completed one round of hula hoop pass then discussed what went well and what could have gone better. As with Ms. Jackson's class, Ms. K's class realized that they needed to listen to each other better, to fully participate in the activity, and to be focused for the entire activity, not just their part. Next week, we will pick up with star gate.
YOGA 7th grade
This was the second session of yoga at the Y with me for the 7th and 8th grades who chose to participate during their study hall time. I had a few of the same folks from last week and a few new faces. Im glad that I am able to offer a time for the kids to relax, focus on their breathing, and to only worry about being in the moment. This will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest my time at EIR.
YOGA 4th-6th (afterschool program)
This week for the afterschool program we did yoga. It was really interesting to see how different it is for the younger kids than the older ones. We really focused on our breathing, our postures, as well as some stretches. Its always nice when your kids tell you how much they enjoyed the yoga session :)
For the last 30 minutes, we played clap ball, a game that requires you to be focused the entire time! It was pretty awesome!
DRA - 2nd grade This week for the outdoor adventure days, we took the 2nd grade to the DRA. Here they were split into groups of 3 going to different stations that included looking for tracks, naming different trees, and sledding. A highlight of this trip was watching a fox across the water pounce into the snow trying to catch a mouse. The fox was in our sight for over 30 minutes trying to catch its prey.
3rd grade to KieveToday the 3rd grade came to Kieve, a trip that had to be rescheduled from last month due to weather. What a great day to be outside! Once the kids arrived on sight, we headed to PQ for a quick break then split into 3 groups. Afterwards, we all walked down the fire pit at Wescott point. Here we stayed in our groups and inch wormed our way to a certain point testing our teamwork. My group did such a good job working with one another that we decided to do it again, the other way. The second time, it didn't go as smoothly as the kids were very excited to start building a fire but they really enjoyed being a small group working together towards a common goal. We then had a "free period" where kids could go around and build forts and play in the snow. As I started the fire, I had a group of kids helping me making the fire grow. It was a wonderful day with a great group. We ended the day with a walk around campus and a stop in at PQ to drink some hot chocolate.
Up next.
I've already done alot this week, but we still have a trip to Kieve with the 5th graders tomorrow. Stay posted for information about that.
Health class - time management
I have observed the 7th and 8th grade study hall sessions. Many of the students are really good at wasting their time, either trying to talk to friends (when they should be silent) or playing games on the computer rather than actually doing their homework. Why? Wouldn't it make so much more sense to get your work done at school so that when you get home you have less to worry about? That sounds like the smartest thing to do for an adult, but for a kid, that's the last thing they would think to do.
During Monday's health class, the 7th grade class worked on time management. I led an open discussion of what types of decisions we make everyday from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed. Afterwards, the students created their daily schedule (hour by hour). What do they spend their time doing? Being active with their friends and family? Watching TV? Studying? They had to account for every waking hour of their day.
Hopefully, the kids started to see what they should be doing and what they actually are doing.
TLS with Ms. Jackson and Ms. K's class
I was able to lead a team building activity with Ms. Jackson's class during their gym period as well as the normal time slot for Ms. K's class.
Ms. Jackson's class - Hula hoop Pass & Stargate
I have been able to meet with Ms. Jackson's class more than any other class when it comes to working within the TLS cirriculum. She teaches a 5/6 grade, so there are a handful of students whom I was able to work with last year making it a bit easier for them to come together as a group. We started out with the hula hoop pass activity. They passed with flying colors. Afterwards, we worked on stargate. One of the students had an excellent idea. They did it and again flying colors, atleast on the outside. During our debrief we had a discussion on how the activity went. Many students admitted that although it looked like it ran smoothly, many things could have gone better. We discussed how people were having their own side conversations and not participating for the entire length of the activity, and that many people did their part then did their own thing. Although it was quite and people got through, they were all jammed together and not listening to suggestions that were made. We then discussed how we could make these better in the future.
In Ms. K's class, we went completed one round of hula hoop pass then discussed what went well and what could have gone better. As with Ms. Jackson's class, Ms. K's class realized that they needed to listen to each other better, to fully participate in the activity, and to be focused for the entire activity, not just their part. Next week, we will pick up with star gate.
YOGA 7th grade
This was the second session of yoga at the Y with me for the 7th and 8th grades who chose to participate during their study hall time. I had a few of the same folks from last week and a few new faces. Im glad that I am able to offer a time for the kids to relax, focus on their breathing, and to only worry about being in the moment. This will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest my time at EIR.
YOGA 4th-6th (afterschool program)
This week for the afterschool program we did yoga. It was really interesting to see how different it is for the younger kids than the older ones. We really focused on our breathing, our postures, as well as some stretches. Its always nice when your kids tell you how much they enjoyed the yoga session :)
For the last 30 minutes, we played clap ball, a game that requires you to be focused the entire time! It was pretty awesome!
DRA - 2nd grade This week for the outdoor adventure days, we took the 2nd grade to the DRA. Here they were split into groups of 3 going to different stations that included looking for tracks, naming different trees, and sledding. A highlight of this trip was watching a fox across the water pounce into the snow trying to catch a mouse. The fox was in our sight for over 30 minutes trying to catch its prey.
3rd grade to KieveToday the 3rd grade came to Kieve, a trip that had to be rescheduled from last month due to weather. What a great day to be outside! Once the kids arrived on sight, we headed to PQ for a quick break then split into 3 groups. Afterwards, we all walked down the fire pit at Wescott point. Here we stayed in our groups and inch wormed our way to a certain point testing our teamwork. My group did such a good job working with one another that we decided to do it again, the other way. The second time, it didn't go as smoothly as the kids were very excited to start building a fire but they really enjoyed being a small group working together towards a common goal. We then had a "free period" where kids could go around and build forts and play in the snow. As I started the fire, I had a group of kids helping me making the fire grow. It was a wonderful day with a great group. We ended the day with a walk around campus and a stop in at PQ to drink some hot chocolate.
Up next.
I've already done alot this week, but we still have a trip to Kieve with the 5th graders tomorrow. Stay posted for information about that.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Week 5 (February 5 - February 9)
K-4 ADVENTURES- FEBRUARY
On Tuesday, we started our outdoor education adventures with the Kindergarten. The topic this month is Honesty. We gathered all the kids in the cafeteria, read them a story about being honest then had them color animals that would turn into puppets. They then created a skit on being honest. It was so cute watching the kids color, cut, tape, and come up with different skits practicing being honest and admitting to any mistakes. Afterwards, we went on a walk behind GSB, exploring nature's floor before the winter storm to create a blanket of snow.
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM - Apple Pie Baking
This week, for the afterschool program, we spent the afternoon baking an apple pie and playing board games. Both my Tuesday and Thursday group worked so well together dividing the tasks of preparing the crust, mixing the dry ingredients, and peeling the apples. It was amazing to watch a group of this age cook and clean up so efficiently. While the pie was baking, we turned the music on, and divided into two groups, playing Apple's to Apples, family edition, and Blokus, a strategy making game. Once the pie had finished baking, we cleaned up the room, then enjoyed a slice of pie and a couple of scoops of ice cream. It was such a fun, relaxing afternoon. I am glad this group was able to happen.
ANOTHER SNOWDAY- KINDA
There hasn't been a single week since the start of EIR that we have not had a full or half day snow day. Wednesday we had a half day with the anticipation of the winter storm. For this half day, I helped out in the resource room. Here, I worked with kids who are behind their current grade level in certain or all school levels.
6th GRADE IMPROPTU On Thursday afternoons, I sit in with Mrs. Davis' Guidance class. Currently, she is discussing a fixed mind set vs. a growth mindset. Last week, she showed them a video with different scenarios of different mindsets. This week, she had them come up with their own examples of real life examples. She then asked me if I would share an experience of when I was hiking, when it became difficult, and what I did to get through it.
I was stumped. I have done thousands of miles of hiking, but wasn't so sure what example to use. With a couple minutes to think, I decided to share my story of my decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and the first three days on the trip, to include hiking short days, carrying 15lbs over the recommended weight, having a family doubt me, and hiking up a mountain with a huge blister on my heel. Although, I was a nervous, it was so great sharing my experience with the 6th grade group. Other than sharing a short story at a chapel service, I had not shared my story since I have a talk to the boy scouts in 2014. It was pretty cool and I think they were pretty intrigued with by it. Next week, I will share some more information about my life and we will have the class come up with their own stories of when they were in a difficult situation and how the type of attitude they had about it helped or hurt the outcome.
---thats all for now. Next week highlights will include taking the 3rd and 5th grade classes to Kieve, yoga electives, and the afterschool program.
On Tuesday, we started our outdoor education adventures with the Kindergarten. The topic this month is Honesty. We gathered all the kids in the cafeteria, read them a story about being honest then had them color animals that would turn into puppets. They then created a skit on being honest. It was so cute watching the kids color, cut, tape, and come up with different skits practicing being honest and admitting to any mistakes. Afterwards, we went on a walk behind GSB, exploring nature's floor before the winter storm to create a blanket of snow.
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM - Apple Pie Baking
This week, for the afterschool program, we spent the afternoon baking an apple pie and playing board games. Both my Tuesday and Thursday group worked so well together dividing the tasks of preparing the crust, mixing the dry ingredients, and peeling the apples. It was amazing to watch a group of this age cook and clean up so efficiently. While the pie was baking, we turned the music on, and divided into two groups, playing Apple's to Apples, family edition, and Blokus, a strategy making game. Once the pie had finished baking, we cleaned up the room, then enjoyed a slice of pie and a couple of scoops of ice cream. It was such a fun, relaxing afternoon. I am glad this group was able to happen.
ANOTHER SNOWDAY- KINDA
There hasn't been a single week since the start of EIR that we have not had a full or half day snow day. Wednesday we had a half day with the anticipation of the winter storm. For this half day, I helped out in the resource room. Here, I worked with kids who are behind their current grade level in certain or all school levels.
6th GRADE IMPROPTU On Thursday afternoons, I sit in with Mrs. Davis' Guidance class. Currently, she is discussing a fixed mind set vs. a growth mindset. Last week, she showed them a video with different scenarios of different mindsets. This week, she had them come up with their own examples of real life examples. She then asked me if I would share an experience of when I was hiking, when it became difficult, and what I did to get through it.
I was stumped. I have done thousands of miles of hiking, but wasn't so sure what example to use. With a couple minutes to think, I decided to share my story of my decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and the first three days on the trip, to include hiking short days, carrying 15lbs over the recommended weight, having a family doubt me, and hiking up a mountain with a huge blister on my heel. Although, I was a nervous, it was so great sharing my experience with the 6th grade group. Other than sharing a short story at a chapel service, I had not shared my story since I have a talk to the boy scouts in 2014. It was pretty cool and I think they were pretty intrigued with by it. Next week, I will share some more information about my life and we will have the class come up with their own stories of when they were in a difficult situation and how the type of attitude they had about it helped or hurt the outcome.
---thats all for now. Next week highlights will include taking the 3rd and 5th grade classes to Kieve, yoga electives, and the afterschool program.
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Week 4 (January 29 - February 2)
Although I have settled into some routines from my winter here last year, I am still carving out new adventures for the winter including an after school program.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Within the first couple of weeks of EIR, I had some free time to read over all of the links that Jess (my supervisor) had sent in her weekly EIR e-mail. One of the links shared information on how to be a good mentor while another talked about after school programming in rural areas of Maine. I know that another local school in Nobleboro has an after school program that my co-workers Noah and Nelson run and I also am aware that GSB, located directly next to the Y, has access to their after school programs, however, am not exactly sure what it entails. This made me think to myself, I could start an after school program!
I really want to make a difference in the lives of these kids. I have the potential to make a difference, but when? There are 6.5 hours in a school day from the moment we say the pledge to the moment that the first group of students are dismissed in the afternoon. Each minute of the day is planned. Reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and specials take up most the school days time. So, when am I going to be able to make a difference? During my EIR time, I really have to think creatively. I hang out in the lunch room for a few periods of the day, meeting with kids and checking in to see whats going on in their lives. I am also scheduled to help out with the 7th and 8th grade health classes - helping to come up with activities on risk-taking, decision-making, bullying, etc. And, fortunately, I am able to work with the 5th grade classes for an hour a week running activities that I would run at the Leadership school. But, when are some other times I can build a rapport with these kids, to work with them in a group setting, challenging each other, building relationships, and creating future leaders? AFTERSCHOOL!
I was so stoked when I came up with this idea. I ran some ideas by Jill (GSB's school counselor and also my GSB mentor) and she thought it was a great idea. After a meeting with Kim (the school principal), I had all that I needed to start this program!
So to fast forward a bit, I have a group of students on Tuesdays and a group of students on Thursdays that are in grades 4-6 from 2:30 - 4:30. We will be doing activities that range from team building to cooking and I couldnt be more excited.
MS. JACKSON'S 5th/6th GRADE CLASS TO KIEVE
Since the EIR program started at GSB 3 years ago, the 5th grade classes have visited GSB. Ms. Jackson's 5th/6th grade class visited Kieve on January 30th. The plan was a half day of climbing and a half day of snowshoeing.
We started the day off with a short community meeting playing my favorite game, rock, paper, scissors, split. We then headed down to the Buck building. After going over the 4 H's, I split the kids into different groups and we spent 2 hours making good use of our indoor rock wall. It was awesome watching these kids challenge themselves, trust in their classmates, encourage one another, and, of course, jump out of the black box!
We then took a long lunch break in our dining hall, PQ.
Typically after lunch we spend the afternoon snowshoeing, however, we decided to cancel it due to the current weather conditions. We used this time to work on a team building activity in the our Innisfree building. After a round of Stepping Stones, a game that discusses competition vs. cooperation, the students realized how much room for growth they have.
We ended the day with a long debrief, discussing things that we will be working on for the remainder of the winter. I am looking forward to seeing their progress.
MORE NEW BEGINNINGS IN STORE
For the upcoming week, I plan to start doing yoga classes for the 7th and 8th graders during their elective time periods and I also plan to start tutoring 3rd graders in math. Stay tuned for more details next week.
-Kasie
NEW BEGINNINGS
Within the first couple of weeks of EIR, I had some free time to read over all of the links that Jess (my supervisor) had sent in her weekly EIR e-mail. One of the links shared information on how to be a good mentor while another talked about after school programming in rural areas of Maine. I know that another local school in Nobleboro has an after school program that my co-workers Noah and Nelson run and I also am aware that GSB, located directly next to the Y, has access to their after school programs, however, am not exactly sure what it entails. This made me think to myself, I could start an after school program!
I really want to make a difference in the lives of these kids. I have the potential to make a difference, but when? There are 6.5 hours in a school day from the moment we say the pledge to the moment that the first group of students are dismissed in the afternoon. Each minute of the day is planned. Reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and specials take up most the school days time. So, when am I going to be able to make a difference? During my EIR time, I really have to think creatively. I hang out in the lunch room for a few periods of the day, meeting with kids and checking in to see whats going on in their lives. I am also scheduled to help out with the 7th and 8th grade health classes - helping to come up with activities on risk-taking, decision-making, bullying, etc. And, fortunately, I am able to work with the 5th grade classes for an hour a week running activities that I would run at the Leadership school. But, when are some other times I can build a rapport with these kids, to work with them in a group setting, challenging each other, building relationships, and creating future leaders? AFTERSCHOOL!
I was so stoked when I came up with this idea. I ran some ideas by Jill (GSB's school counselor and also my GSB mentor) and she thought it was a great idea. After a meeting with Kim (the school principal), I had all that I needed to start this program!
So to fast forward a bit, I have a group of students on Tuesdays and a group of students on Thursdays that are in grades 4-6 from 2:30 - 4:30. We will be doing activities that range from team building to cooking and I couldnt be more excited.
MS. JACKSON'S 5th/6th GRADE CLASS TO KIEVE
Since the EIR program started at GSB 3 years ago, the 5th grade classes have visited GSB. Ms. Jackson's 5th/6th grade class visited Kieve on January 30th. The plan was a half day of climbing and a half day of snowshoeing.
We started the day off with a short community meeting playing my favorite game, rock, paper, scissors, split. We then headed down to the Buck building. After going over the 4 H's, I split the kids into different groups and we spent 2 hours making good use of our indoor rock wall. It was awesome watching these kids challenge themselves, trust in their classmates, encourage one another, and, of course, jump out of the black box!
We then took a long lunch break in our dining hall, PQ.
Typically after lunch we spend the afternoon snowshoeing, however, we decided to cancel it due to the current weather conditions. We used this time to work on a team building activity in the our Innisfree building. After a round of Stepping Stones, a game that discusses competition vs. cooperation, the students realized how much room for growth they have.
We ended the day with a long debrief, discussing things that we will be working on for the remainder of the winter. I am looking forward to seeing their progress.
MORE NEW BEGINNINGS IN STORE
For the upcoming week, I plan to start doing yoga classes for the 7th and 8th graders during their elective time periods and I also plan to start tutoring 3rd graders in math. Stay tuned for more details next week.
-Kasie
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