- If you have teams ~ decide on a gif for class communications. One reason why I find this is good is to establish with class is students can reply with a gif if they do not wish to unmute or have a lot of background noise. Also, it lightens the mood of the class online and creates the loved ‘banter’ between students and their teachers.
- Ask students for a book recommendations, song recommendations, movie recommendations, or recipes. They have a wealth of knowledge and love to share with their teachers.
- Ask students a random trivia question linked to the lesson.
Tag: Form teacher
Inspiration video’s for class.
- Simple Acts of Kindness
An idea for students or staff is to write out one act of kindness for either themselves or others for a week. A nice YouTube link to go with this activity is : (Part 1) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdYJr03eJjE&t=4s.
2. Embrace the Shake
A Ted Talk to inspire students and staff that although Covid has brought many twist and turns in our lives, it is possible to find the positives. Embrace the Shake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZTho_o_is
3. Virtual hug
Adam captured the nation’s heart on the Late Late Toy Show. With An Post starting the 2 free postcards again this week, this is a nice reminder to students to send the postcards to one another or to loved ones they cannot visit. The Late Late show (Virtual Hug): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ5HGsnIkc
4. 5 minute meditation.
Students and staff alike have increased screen time and are clicking from one class to another. One way to start or end a class is to share this 5 minute meditation with your class. It can serve as a purpose to give you 5 minutes to get ready for class or 5 minutes to breathe. 5 minute meditation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6_akBtKZdE&t=97s4.
Form time/SPHE Resources ~ Friendship.
Friendship is an important part of school life.
At current parent teacher meetings there is always the questioned asked and is she/he/they settling in? Do they sit with her friends? Humans are social creatures and it’s important to remember that there is the other side to school beside grades. Though they are the focus of learning students are social human beings.
One such example was the recent news article on Primary School Headmasters sending out a letter accompanying primary school results to reassure students that there are other Primary school things in life you can be good at besides exam results.
However, if the media is reporting on primary school students being stressed, we should spare a thought for secondary school students who are under tremendous amounts of stress. One such article I have come across recently was a report done by the Nuffield Foundation. Comparing how society has changed over the past forty years and how their is an increasingly demand and pressure to do well in education due to the simple fact that more people are employed based on their education results is raising the stress levels for students.
In light, of these increasing pressures and stress on students it’s important to allow them to have a social aspect in schools which can help them cope through the stress of schools.
A few ideas for schools which can be done to help students cope with the pressures they are under.
Healthy Eating
Promoting Healthy Eating in the school is always a good way to keep students healthy and happy. Have healthy options in the school – have fresh fruit in the school shop, have bottles of water, have water dispensers, discourage the selling of sweets. One example I saw recently was having tea and hot chocolate in the school. Though it may seem like an odd choice to have in a school a lot of students I observed opted for tea and hot chocolate to keep warm and motivated during school hours. Also, after chatting to a few students over it they said they much prefer tea and hot chocolate over fizzy drinks anyway.
Exercise
Exercise is important in students lives and having P.E. classes keeps students fit and active. Even looking at the recent BT Young Scientists Winners this year we can see students are having a mental and positive effect from exercising – if not physically but mentally.
Another example is a Dublin school holding early morning raves to wake up students and promote active school week.
Random acts of kindness
Having the students do small random act of kindness promotes well-being and positive atmosphere throughout the school .
Form tutor quote to start the day.
Form Teacher Mid-Week Words of inspiration.
Hardwork is not always seen!
Sometimes looking forward is all we can do in the hardest of moments.
Do not ever give up! Dream big!
Sometimes things do look better in the morning.
Tutor Resource/SPHE Resource- Stress
Something a little different
Stress – it’s the one thing that everyone is under recently. It’s that time of the year were everyone is under the shadow of pending exams, assignments, planning for next year, parent-teacher meetings, and on a count down for mid-term.
How we all cope with stress is personal and individual. There is no right wrong or right way to deal with stress. However, one new trend in dealing with stress which has recently caught my attention is zen colouring. Reading through these two articles from the huffingtonpost (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/coloring-for-stress_n_5975832.html) and the telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/11413517/Adults-turn-to-colouring-books-to-fight-stress.html) highlights how important it is to find a technique which can calm the mind during stressful times.
If you do want to give zen colouring a try – highly recommended picking your favourite songs and listening to them while colouring in!
Links to where you can find samples or buy zen colouring books!
Form Teacher/SPHE teacher Resource ~ Little moments are as important as the big moments.
Resource to inspire
This video is a heart warming video which could be used in a classroom or even as a gentle reminder to remember that sometimes it’s those little moments and kind words and actions that can go a long way.
Ms. Delahoy's Blog. 