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Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty tells the story of a young inventor who wants to create a flying machine. When the machine does not operate as intended, Rosie is frustrated and embarrassed, causing her to hide her work away. Thankfully, her aunt was able to provide some encouragement that leads Rosie to gather confidence and continue to create.

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The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper teaches readers about determination and the power of a positive attitude. Despite the challenges that lie ahead, the little blue engineer remained positive and willing to help! By repeating "I think I can, I think I can", the little blue engine can get their animal friends over the hill before the children awoke!

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Stacey's Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams follows a young student who loves to learn new words. She is thrilled at the opportunity to partake in the school spelling bee, getting to expand her vocabulary even further! When Stacey does not win the competition, she learns an important lesson about sportsmanship, bravery, and self confidence.

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The Power of Yet by Maryann Cocca-Leffler follows a small pig who is learning any growing. By adapting a growth mindset, she slowly begins to understand that changing our perspective has a huge impact on how we handle situations around us!

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Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees highlights the big emotions that can come along with "not fitting in". Thankfully, Gerald the giraffe eventually learns that when he relaxes and is truly himself, he can do anything he sets his mind to.

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In a classroom setting, kindergarten students (aged 4-5) will be exposed to a series of stories with the theme being, perseverance. In doing this, my goal is to teach my students grit, problem-solving, and gaining the confidence to believe in oneself.

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The Story of Ruby Bridges written by Robert Coles tells the true story of Ruby Bridges, and her determination to get an education, despite the world around her. Ruby marches into school each day, escorted by marshalls due to violet picket lines. Despite this, and her classmates leaving the school due to her presence, Ruby persisted and would not back down to anyone.

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Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Kenkes focuses on a little mouse named Lilly, who gets extremely excited about her new purse and other treasures. When Lilly ends up disrupting class and gets her purse taken away, she is left feeling frustrated and embarrassed. These emotions caused her to make some inappropriate choices. From this experience, Lilly learns how to better manage her feelings and lead with empathy.

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Swimmy, written by Leo Lionni is a book that highlights the power of being yourself. In a school of orange fish, the little black fish stands out. By embracing his unique qualities, he comes up with a plan to keep his school of fish safe while swimming with larger creatures. His innovative idea protects the school and allows them to swim freely.

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Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle follows a young girl living in Cuba, who has a dream of playing the drums. In spite of her culture not approving of her passion, she continued on anyway, practicing whenever she could to become the best drummer she could be. Finally, she gets praise for her talents and inspires other young musicians to follow their passions shamelessly.

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Stuck by Oliver Jeffers is a comedic take on never giving up. When the young boy gets his kite stuck in a tree, he does whatever he can to retrieve it. This resulted in an abundance of items getting lodged into the tree. Floyd continued to persevere and problem solve to get his items back in their original home.

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Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan tells the story of a young Michael Jordan who dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. Michael lacked confidence and would doubt himself constantly. Due to encouragement from his mother and his own development of grit, he works each day to stay positive and stand bravely in the presence of obstacles. Michael Jordan displays resilience and persistence, leading him to where he is today.

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Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull tells the story of the "World's Fastest Woman" and the obstacles she overcame to become an Olympian. Wilma struggled with health and had a difficult time walking. This did not deter Wilma, she continued to fight on and made it to the Olympics where she won three gold medals! Wilma never gave up and embraces her challenges which in turn, made her stronger.

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Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty is a story about a girl who constantly questions the world around her. At first, her parents are slightly overwhelmed by their daughter's incessant curiosity, which often causes chaos. After seeing the experiments that Ada performs and what she is able to uncover, her parents lean into her curious mind and encourage her to continue experimenting!

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Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell explains the detriment that comes from bullying, and the impact it can have on others' self-confidence. Thankfully, Molly has a great support system at home that validates her feelings and encourages her to continue to be the best version of herself. Molly learns how to stand tall, and not shrink in the presence of unkind words.

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Whistle For Willie by Ezra Jack Keats focuses on a young boy, Peter, and his dog, Willie. When he sees another dog owner, whistling to get the attention of his dog, Peter is instantly inspired. He tries again and again to whistle and due to his perseverance, he is finally able to do it!

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Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson and Sean Qualls tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu, who was born with a leg abnormality. Despite the challenges that came along with this, Emmanuel was determined to show his community that his disability did not make him weak. Emmanuel went above and beyond to become stronger and eventually rode his bike across Ghana. Emmanuel challenges stereotypes and encourages readers to set their mind to a goal and stick with it.

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Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman tells the story of a theatrical young girl named Grace who wants to play the leading role of Peter Pan in her school's play. When other children tell her this isn't possible because of her skin color and gender, she confides in her family for encouragement. Grace stood tall anyway, and landed the leading role! Grace teaches readers about confidence and persitence.

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After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

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After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

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After The Fall by Dan Santat, is told from the perspective of Humpty Dumpty. He goes on to explain to readers that after the "great fall", he feels nervous about climbing up walls again. After spending time focusing on reestablishing confidence, he eventually gains the courage to climb again and overcome his fear. Humpty teachers readers to never give up and to learn from our mistakes.

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After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

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Interstella Cinderella by Deborah Underwood is a Intergalactic take on the classic Cinderella story. Cinderella is pushed around by her step mothers and sisters. Despite this, she uses her own innovation and perseverance to find her own way to the ball. Cinderella does not give up and stands tall in the face of adversity. She teaches readers to have faith in their talents and trust themselves.

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The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires is about a young engineer who works hard to make her visions come to life. Unfortunately, she runs into challenges that make her feel so frustrated, that she ends up working carelessly and injures herself. Learning from this experience, she puts effort into being more patient and positive, taking her time with her inventions.

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Malala's Magic Pencil, written by Malala Yousfzai is a true story about how Malala turned her dreams into a reality. When her country of Pakistan was put in danger and her friends no longer felt safe to go to school, she took it upon herself to find a solution. She spoke to people all around the world, educating them about their situation. In doing so, Malala gathered support in numbers and remains an advocate for education and equality.

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Jabari Jumps, written by Gaia Cornwall is a story of bravery. Young Jabari is very excited to approach the pool's diving board, but when he reaches the top, he is hit with feelings of anxiety. Jabari's father encourages him to use self-soothing tools and focus on the positive. Once he gathered the courage, Jabari was able to leap into the pool! Jabari was able to show persistence and confidence.

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Lion Lessons by Job Agee is a story that teaches young readers about the consistency that learning a new skill requires. New things do not always come easy, which is why perseverance and determination are crucial skills. A young boy is enrolled in lion school and despite the challenges he faces, he sticks with it and is able to impress his lion mentor with his skills. With confidence and consistency, anything is possible!

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The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright focuses on a koala bear who does not like change, or trying new things. When Kevin is forced to leave the comfort zone of his tree, he is encouraged by his friends to explore. Kevin eventually sees the beauty in switching up his routine and going on adventures.

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This video allows students to be exposed to mindfulness. This visual introduces them to analyzing how their body and mind feels and nurturing those feelings, rather than pushing them down or ignoring them.

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The Body Scanner! Mindfulness for Children

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VIDEO 2 (Meet the Spots and Emotional Vocabulary)

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VIDEO 2 (Meet the Spots and Emotional Vocabulary)

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In order to understand perseverance, students need to have a well-rounded understanding of emotions. With this video, they will learn new vocabulary around emotions and how to identify feelings in themselves.

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A Little SPOT Cartoon Show Episode 1: Meet the Spots and Emotional Vocabulary

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This text delves into the benefits of developing students' emotional literacy skills and understanding their own emotions as well as people around them. In doing so, their social and academic lives could have great benefits.

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As an educator, one of your responsibilities is to nurture the emotional development of young children. Emotional literacy, also known as emotional intelligence, is an essential component of early childhood education that plays a significant role in shaping a child's social and emotional competence. In addition, it impacts how they identify, understand, and express emotions. In this blog, we'll explore the importance of emotional literacy in early childhood education and provide practical activities to help children develop their emotional literacy skills.

What is emotional literacy?

Emotional literacy refers to a child's ability to identify, express, understand, and regulate their emotions. It also involves developing empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Children who learn to recognize and express their emotions become better equipped to handle difficult situations and form healthy relationships. Emotional literacy also lays the foundation for their ability to interact successfully with others and develop social skills. Emotional intelligence consists of five elements:

Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one's emotions and how they impact one's thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with others.

Self-regulation : Managing and controlling emotions and impulses, especially in stressful or challenging situations.

Motivation: Using emotional factors to drive and achieve goals while enjoying the learning process and overcoming obstacles.

Empathy: Recognizing and understanding other people's emotions and perspectives and responding appropriately and effectively.

Social skills: Positively managing relationships, communicating effectively, collaborating, and influencing and inspiring others.

The importance of emotional literacy

Emotional literacy is important for children because it enables them to understand, manage, and express their emotions in a healthy way. When children recognize and understand emotions in themselves and others, they can navigate their feelings, communicate with others, build empathy, and form meaningful connections. Additionally, it helps children develop a sense of self-awareness and ultimately build up their self-esteem and self-confidence early on. When they're able to recognize and express their emotions, they become more familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.

Research has shown that compared to children who are unable to understand, identify, and respond to their emotions or emotions of others, those who are emotionally literate tend to:

Have greater academic achievement

Fight less

Cope well with stress and negative emotions

Handle being alone well

Engage less in self-destructive behaviors

Focus better on tasks and control their internal impulses

Have better mental health

Form healthier relationships with others

Emotional expression in children

Emotional expression in young children can manifest in various ways, depending on their developmental stage and temperament. As children age, develop, and socialize with others, they learn, grow, and reach social-emotional milestones. For example, during infancy, some milestones include smiling, laughing, and clapping when they're happy. From 2 to 3 years old, children will begin to notice the emotions of others, and from 4 to 5 years old, they'll learn to comfort others who are sad.

Some common examples of emotional expression include:

Facial expressions: Infants as young as a few weeks old can express emotions through facial expressions. For instance, a baby may smile or make a cooing sound in response to a parent's touch, indicating happiness or contentment. They may also furrow their brows or frown when they feel discomfort or frustration.

Body language: Toddlers and preschoolers may use body language to express emotions. For example, they may fold their arms or stomp their feet in anger or excitement, slump their shoulders when feeling sad or disappointed, or hug their favorite toy when feeling comforted or scared.

Verbal communication: As children develop language skills, they may start to communicate their emotions through words. This can include clear and direct statements such as, "I'm mad" when something or someone upsets them or "I'm scared" when they're frightened.

Behavior: Children may also express emotions through their behavior. For instance, if they're upset or have an unmet need, they may display signs of challenging behavior, such as throwing a tantrum. They may isolate themselves and withdraw from social interactions if they're anxious, shy, or overwhelmed.

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Feelings and emotions activities for preschool

As you create lesson plans and build your curriculum, you can incorporate various activities supporting children's abilities to develop their feelings and emotions . By using tools like brightwheel's lesson plan feature , you can plan lessons and even track your observations and assessments regarding children's progress. Here are some activities you can include:

Emotion sorting: Provide children with pictures of different facial expressions and have them sort them into different emotion categories.

Arts and crafts: You can encourage children to draw and paint to express their feelings and help soothe and calm them if they're upset or sad. You can also use various materials like paper plates to have them make emotion masks, where they draw on different emotions, such as happy or sad.

Playtime with others: Giving children the chance to play with children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities encourages them to learn how to understand and manage their emotions.

Focused breathing: Choose a short routine or coping strategy, such as sitting in a calm down corner or even meditating, to have children focus on taking deep breaths to calm down and sort through their emotions.

Color-coded emotion: Have children assign colors to various feelings and emotions so they can use color association to remember those emotions. For example, if they're angry, their mood may be red; if they're excited, it may be green.

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Support children and their emotional development

By developing early emotional literacy skills, children can become better equipped to navigate the challenges of growing up and eventually become emotionally resilient adults. In addition, giving them the tools they need to support their emotional development helps them expand their self-awareness and develop empathy, better mental health, and positive behavior and relationships, which are crucial skills for success in life.

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Benefits of Emotional Literacy in Early Childhood Education

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Discover the importance of emotional literacy in early childhood education and what activities can help children develop their emotional intelligence.

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This text focuses on the "big three" when it comes to analyzing the emotions of the people around us. By providing our students with these skills, they will gain confidence in their social interactions as they will be better able to read and regulate themselves in situations.

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Introduction Emotions and feelings are an inherent part of our daily experiences, and they can be both positive and negative. Sometimes, we encounter big, negative emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness, which can dominate our thoughts and impact our...

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Using the Big Three to Understand Emotions in Kindergarten | Everyday Speech

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Discover how to teach kindergarten students to recognize emotions through a no-prep activity, discussion questions, and related skills in this blog post.

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1. After reading The Power of Yet, students will work together to brainstorm a list of things that they cannot do YET. After completing this list, they will practice writing on their own. Kindergarteners will receive dotted sentence stems to trace to improve their writing skills while maintaining the teaching of the growth mindset.

2. After reading Ada Twist, Scientist, students will be provided with a variety of tactile STEAM bins. With these, they can create their own machine, so they too, can display perseverance as Ada did. This will allow students to problem-solve and try new methods while building.

3. Students will engage with their family members at home after reading The Koala Who Could. They will be tasked to change one thing in their nighttime routine, to try to feel how Kevin the Koala felt about the changes in his routine. This will allow me to establish a home-to-school connection, while the students can establish a text-to-self connection!

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-Can you think of some qualities that make a good role model?

-When you think of the word bravery, what pops into your brain?

-Who is someone in your life that makes you proud? Why do they make you feel proud?

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This cartoon video is a great example of what a good role model looks like. Ricky and his father work together to problem solve, setting a good example for the little brother. Moreover, they do not give up when their first tactics fail, they persevere!

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Who is Ricky's Role Model? ❤️ Ricky Zoom ⚡Cartoons for Kids | Ultimate Rescue Motorbikes for Kids

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VIDEO 2 (Finding Confidence Through Role Models)

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VIDEO 2 (Finding Confidence Through Role Models)

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This video shows students that their role models can be both fictional and nonfictional. A role model should teach us bravery, strength, and kindness, helping us navigate our own trials and tribulations.

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Female role models inspire kids to find their confidence

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A common characteristic our characters in this subtopic share is their bravery. Using this article, I can better describe what bravery is, and connect how we see it within our characters and even individuals within our own lives.

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Bravery is showing up.

Bravery is saying what you believe in. Out loud. To the people who need to hear it. Even if that person is you.

It's having honest communication with your self, your teams, your communities.

Bravery is saying no when you know you need to. It's saying no to the wrong things so that you can say yes to the right things.

Bravery is having the courage to quit when you know you're on the wrong track, even if hundreds of thousands of people are headed in one direction. It's knowing when the path you are on isn't the one for you. It's taking that scary leap, swimming upstream, or wandering down unfamiliar trails.

Bravery isn't fun, macho, or full of gusto. It's not always done in one big sweep.

Bravery is all the heroes in Boston, visible and invisible, local and global. Bravery is having the courage to stand out on social media and remind people to collect the dots, not connect them too early.

Bravery is saying something different and showing empathy for our peers around the world. It's not jumping to conclusions too quickly. It's remembering what we stand for and believing in the best of us.

Sometimes bravery is remarkable, unfathomable courage by the youngest and oldest of human souls who rush forward to help everyone and put their lives on the line to save others. The runners in Boston who kept running to the hospital to donate blood were Remarkable. Beautiful. Stunning. Incredible.

Other times bravery is calm, methodical. Sometimes it looks quite peaceful. Sometimes it's shaking off the noise and clamor and distraction and realizing with simple focus that your next steps require you to take those steps and walking forward is the best and happiest way forward.

Bravery might not be visible to anyone else at the time that you're being brave. Bravery might be broadcast on national television (but that's not the point).
It's showing up, little by little.
It's putting yourself out there, even if "out there" is pushing past your own mental barriers.
It's deciding that now is a better time than later.
Bravery is bravery, even if it doesn't look that remarkable to anyone else. You are still brave.

It's continuing to press on, even when your stomach drops in fear, your hands shake in nerves, and you collect sweat in your armpits faster than fog droplets in a San Francisco "summer" day. It's taking a step forward in the midst of whirlwind gusts of wind and shouting into the windstorm, I've got this, dammit! I'm still going to do it! I have to!

My soul tells me I have to do this, and I have to listen.

Start small. (It's okay to start with a bang, too, but small is still very brave). Watch for the mental overwhelm, and give yourself kindness and space to freak the heck out (although maybe not publicly just yet).

Be very kind to yourself. And also, remember, in your quest for bravery:

In order to do something new, you often have to let go of something old.

The trouble with starting something is that it requires a different behavior than what you did before.

We are creatures of habit, yes, but we are also creatures of continuous change.

Spring is the perfect time for creative bursting, for unfolding, for the skin-shedding, cocoon-bursting metamorphosis that transforms you towards your next self.

The world is waiting for you to grow into the next version of you.

Bravery doesn't always feel like bravery.

It can feel like whirl-wind, mind-bending, all-changing upset, filled with unpredictable whims and whammies, stomach upset and nervous twitters, body aches, starts and stops, trial and error, and a whole lot of messy.

Sometimes bravery feels nauseating, overwhelming, scary, and downright hard. It's still brave.

A little insider's story--my story:
When I opened the doors and launched my writing class last week, I was terrified. This was my brain:

What if I wasn't ready? What if no one showed up? What if nothing worked? What if this dream of mine, that I've been working and crafting and creating for so many months past, resulting in a big giant internet wall of silence?

Intellectually, I know that I can do this. I've been ready to do this for years. I've taught workshop after workshop and coached folks for years. I have a chart on my wall of the things I'm leaning towards this year, and the one big thing not lined up for the longest time was creating a course for writers. I can't confess to understanding all of the reasons that I've avoided doing it, but I can speculate.
It means so much to me.
I knew deep down that I would do it even if only one person showed up. I would do it even if no one paid me the first time, and I would keep honing my chops and my offerings until I found the right fit.

That still doesn't mean I'm not incredibly terrified. I get scared! Scared SHITLESS. My brain, many weeks ago:

What if no one shows up? What if I'm a terrible teacher? What if I can't get it all done? What if it doesn't work? WHAT IF NOT ONE PERSON SHOWS UP? What it I can't do it on top of the work I'm already doing? What if this isn't what I'm meant to do? WHAT IF, WHAT IF, WHAT IF EVERYTHING???WHAT IF IT'S ALL JUST WRONG? So scream the fear-monster voices in my head. Yes. They are there. I have them.

When you get close to your dreams, fear can rage like a giant monster. Every thing that could go wrong seems to loom large. The website broke. I stayed up all night, nervous about prepping the materials. Funky characters showed up across my website. More things went wrong. Before launching the program, I waited for months. I studied stacks and stacks of books, compressing more knowledge into the course documents in order to make it even better. I stalled. And then stalled some more. I thought about not doing it at all. I almost said to myself, "Nah, one wants this. It's not worth trying."

And then someone thanked me. People went out of their way to reach out and tell me how excited they were. Several more people signed up. The class started filling up before I had all my ducks lined up and my posts ready to go. (I have so much more promotion I'm planning on!)In the form: "Yes. I've been waiting for this. This is exactly the class I want." and "I'm so excited I cannot WAIT until the 29th!"

Holy shit. I'm so excited. And thankful. This is going to be good.

Today, with the class more than half full already, I could laugh away those fears and pretend with a big shiny smile that everything is all and well, but it's not the truth. I'm scared, too. The fear monsters hit everyone. I don't know all the answers. But I do love writing!
I've learned, slowly, over and over again, that the scariest part of doing anything is not doing it and wallowing in thought.
And wrapping your thoughts around all those fears? That's a scary space.

Be brave. Get started.

The best way to do anything is to do it. If you're afraid of starting, make it smaller and simpler. Want to have a conversation with your boss about something you're frustrated about? Don't write a big report or delay on it. Write a quick, simple email that says: "I've got a couple of items I'd really like to talk to you about--including a couple of frustrations I'd like to work through. When's the best time to chat, and is there a format that's easiest for you?" Do it as soon as you know that you have to have this conversation. Stop by and say what you think. Look for solutions.

And be brave. I know it's terrifying, I know it's not easy, and I go through it all the time.
Be brave.
___________________________________

Sarah Kathleen Peck is the creator of It Starts With. She encourages people to use their voice, tell their story and cultivate kindness. She teaches writing and loves yoga. You can subscribe to her blog here.

This post was originally shared on It Starts With.

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Bravery is showing up. Bravery is saying what you believe in. Out loud. To the people who need to hear it. Even if that person is you. It's having honest communication with your self, your teams, your communities. Bravery is saying no when you know you need to.

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (Benefits of Positive Role Models)

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (Benefits of Positive Role Models)

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This article discusses the benefits that come along with children having positive role models in their lives to connect with. These relationships can help build other friendships, develop confidence, and increase achievement.

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As kids grow and evolve, they search for direction, motivation, and encouragement from those around them. Positive role models can have a tremendous effect on the development of minors by aiding with building confidence, cultivating strong value sets, and realizing aspirations. Here are several perks of having positive influences in adolescent growth.

Building Self-Esteem

When children have positive role models in their lives, it can help bolster their self-esteem and give them the confidence to strive for success. Seeing others positively influencing the world around them inspires kids to also reach for their goals, knowing they too are capable of making a difference. With that kind of support system, children will be empowered by affirmations and encouragement from those who believe in them most.

Developing Strong Values

Positive role models can also help children develop strong values, such as integrity, respect, and empathy. By modeling these values in their own behavior, role models can help children learn the importance of ethical behavior and positive social interactions.

Inspiring Achievement

Positive role models can inspire children to set goals and achieve their dreams. When children see others accomplishing their goals and working hard to succeed, they are more likely to believe that they can do the same.

Encouraging Responsibility

Positive role models can also encourage children to take responsibility for their actions and the consequences of their choices. By modeling responsible behavior, role models can help children learn the importance of accountability and taking ownership of their actions.

Providing Support and Encouragement

Positive role models can provide children with support and encouragement when they face challenges or setbacks. By offering words of encouragement and practical advice, role models can help children build resilience and persevere through difficult times.

Offering Guidance and Mentorship

Positive role models can also offer guidance and mentorship , helping children develop important life skills and make wise decisions. By offering their expertise and guidance, role models can help children navigate complex situations and make informed choices.

Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

Positive role models can promote diversity and inclusion by modeling respect for different cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles. By promoting acceptance and understanding, role models can help children develop empathy and compassion for others.

Fostering Positive Relationships

Positive role models can also help children build positive relationships with others. By modeling healthy communication, conflict resolution, and social skills, role models can help children develop strong relationships and form positive connections with others.

To sum up, positive role models can have an immense influence on a child's growth and development. They provide a source of self-belief, build potent moral principles, support young people in reaching their aspirations and teach them how to effectively manage social interactions. These individuals are often mentors too - they guide children with unwavering love and motivate them to reach new heights - giving agility to become the best version of themselves. If you happen to be a parent or guardian looking after any youth then consider being that inspiration by setting good examples that will bring forth fruitful results in their lives!
Are you ready to open your heart to teens in need? Simply click here to learn how to become a mentor today!

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Benefits of Positive Role Models for Youth Development - New Pathways for Youth

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As kids grow and evolve, they search for direction, motivation, and encouragement from those around them. Positive role models can have a tremendous effect on the development of minors by aiding with building confidence, cultivating strong value sets, and realizing aspirations. Here are several perks of having positive influences in adolescent growth.

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1. After reading Stacey's Extraordinary Words, students will practice their words, just like she did! This will give them the space to practice their newfound skills of perseverance and never giving up! We will go through the book as a group, picking out words we do not know. We will discuss the meanings of those words and use them in sentences. Following this activity, students will be broken up into small groups where they must match the word to the picture.

2. Students will work on sequence of events after reading Salt in My Shoes. As we read, we will add events to our time line one by one. This will help students better understand chronological order and apply it in their own writing.

3. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon discusses bullying and how we can interrupt it. We will practice this by creating a strengths and compliments wall in our classroom. We will have a discussion and students will follow the sentence stems, "I think ____ is strong because _____", and "I think _____ is amazing because___". The teacher will write them on the board and hang them up on the wall to act as a reminder to be kind, empathetic, and loving to one another.

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-What are some big emotions that you feel?

-Can you think of some good strategies to help us with our big emotions?

-How can we help our friends and family with their feelings?

-Do you relate to any of our characters?

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Class Dojo has a variety of great resources that teach perseverance in a meaningful way. In this video, Mojo has a similar situation to Jabari, where the diving board makes him feel anxious. In this 3 part series of videos, Mojo confronts his fears in a way that feels comfortable for him.

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Big Challenges (1 of 3) | Social Emotional Learning for kids

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This motivational song gives students a musical reference to remind themselves that they can achieve anything they put their minds to! The graphics are engaging, and the repetition in the lyrics make it easy to recall and reference.

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I Can Do Hard Things | Doggyland Kids Songs & Nursery Rhymes by Snoop Dogg

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1 (Why Struggle Is Essential for the Brain)

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1 (Why Struggle Is Essential for the Brain)

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In this article, Jo Boaler explains the beauty that comes with struggle, both in and out of the classroom. They go on to explain the benefits of challenges for our brains and bodies, as they force us to grow and become better versions of ourselves.

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As parents and teachers, we do just about everything we can to make sure that children don't struggle. It turns out we are making a terrible mistake. Research shows that struggling is absolutely critical to mastery and that the highest achieving people in the world are those who have struggled the most. The more I communicate this message to parents and teachers the more stories I hear of complete personal transformation.

Neuroscientists have found that mistakes are helpful for brain growth and connectivity and if we are not struggling, we are not learning. Not only is struggle good for our brains but people who know about the value of struggle improve their learning potential. This knowledge would not be earth shattering if it was not for the fact that we in the Western world are trained to jump in and prevent learners from experiencing struggle.

An international study of mathematics teaching found that teachers in Japan put their students in places of struggle 44 percent of the time in classrooms-they saw this less than 1 percent of the time in U.S. classrooms. What do we parents and teachers do instead? We jump in and show the way, offering steps to a solution to help save our students from struggle. This is in large part because this new science is not widely available and we are culturally trained to feel bad, and to rush in and help, when this is probably the last thing we should do.

The research on the impact of struggle turns out to help adults too-in all sorts of jobs. I interviewed sixty-two people for my new book, "Limitless Mind." Many of them shared similar accounts of how they used to go into meetings afraid they would be found out for not knowing something. After learning about the importance of not knowing and of engaging in struggle they now proudly show up and say "I don't know, but I will find out." They display a mindset of discovery and curiosity, which has helped their lives in many ways.

Once we stop the charade of knowing everything, and embrace knowing less, with a willingness to sit with uncertainty, unexpected things happen.

When I was teaching middle schoolers in a research math camp a few years ago one girl stood out to me; she was nearly always wrong in her thinking, but she was always engaged, arguing her case, pushing to understand better. An observer of the class would have described her as a low achiever, but she improved more than any other of the 84 students we taught that summer. Her standardized test score in mathematics improved by 450 percent after 18 struggle filled lessons. Our messages to the students-that struggle would be valued and mistakes are productive-had helped her feel good about struggle and embrace it.

When I tell young learners that struggle and mistakes are the best times for our brains it is freeing. Students no longer give up on problems when they find them hard-they push through the struggle to the wonderful places on the other side. When students look at me with a puppy dog face and say: "This is hard," I say, "That is fantastic. That feeling of 'hard' is the feeling of your brain developing, strengthening and growing".

In 2016, two young computer scientists rocked the world of mathematics by solving a previously unsolved math problem, an event that many described as audacious. The two young men reflected that it was knowing less that allowed them to solve the difficult problem. It freed their mind to think in better ways.

I am not arguing that knowledge is bad or knowing answers is not helpful. What I am saying is that knowledge is less important than a mindset of discovery and curiosity. We cannot achieve anything creative without being comfortable with mistakes and struggle-and we should all embrace times of struggle, knowing they are helping our brains. When we adopt a limitless perspective, approaching different jobs and conversations with a comfort with uncertainty and struggle, with a willingness to learn from others and with a flexible approach to problems, outcomes improve-in learning and in life.

Millions of students start the school year each year excited for all they will learn, but as soon as they struggle or see someone solve a problem with ease, they start to doubt themselves and mentally shut down. This starts a less productive learning pathway for them. Instead they should value the time of struggle and know that they are on their way to being better, wiser and equipped with a stronger brain. Getting answers right is OK, being stuck and finding them hard is fantastic.

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Why Struggle Is Essential for the Brain - and Our Lives - EdSurge News

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As parents and teachers, we do just about everything we can to make sure that children don't struggle. It turns out we are making a terrible mistake. Research shows that struggling is absolutely critical to mastery and that the highest achieving people in the world are those who have struggled the most.

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (What Is Productive Struggle?)

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (What Is Productive Struggle?)

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The University of San Diego educates readers on the term "productive struggle" and explains why it is an essential tool for any classroom. By allowing students to face challenges head-on, they develop problem-solving skills and gain confidence. Issues arise when students do not know how to struggle, potentially causing them to disengage, rather than persevere.

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University of San Diego - Professional & Continuing Education

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Productive struggle - it sounds like an oxymoron but makes perfect sense when utilized properly in a classroom setting. When students engage in this strategic challenge, they're encouraged to make more attempts than they may be used to and persevere through frustration to solve a problem. The goal is bigger than providing a correct answer - it's about the process of getting there. Students can foster critical thinking skills, persistence, self-regulation, and more with productive struggle. There are many strategies for teachers to implement this concept once it is clearly understood.
What Is Productive Struggle? Why Productive Struggle Is Important Key Elements of Productive Struggle Benefits of Productive Struggle Productive Struggle Implementation Strategies Best Practices for Leveraging Productive Struggle
What Is Productive Struggle?

Productive struggle is intended to help students develop strong habits of the mind - perseverance, flexible thinking and active learning. This state of engagement can be somewhat uncomfortable for students as they experiment with trial-and-error, but well-trained teachers ensure proper guidance. Productive struggle can be implemented with varying subject matter, but is most common in K-12 math.

By practicing productive struggle, students go beyond passive reading, listening or watching. Their brains actually produce myelin - the protective covering surrounding nerve cells that control thinking and muscles - which helps with retaining new skills. Learners' engagement with productive struggle is expected to be weak at first but will become the norm with practice.

Why Productive Struggle Is Important

Teachers who encourage productive struggle help students become highly successful problem solvers far beyond the classroom setting.

When students are encouraged struggle productively, as they attempt to solve a problem, they will start to ask themselves these questions:

Does anything jump out at me right away?

What is the question asking?

What information is provided?

What part might give me trouble?

Questions like these are a great start to concrete comprehension and engagement.

Productive struggle can be especially useful in the realm of mathematics, where instruction based solely on memorization and arithmetic all too often leads students to misunderstand and dislike math.

Key Elements of Productive Struggle

One of the goals of productive struggle is for students to be able to develop a conceptual understanding of a question and implement their own creative solution. These are some tips for teachers to assist with the process:

Communicate to students that not knowing how to solve a problem at the outset is not a failure, but instead an expected part of the process.

Encourage out-of-the-box thinking.

Allow students to share their reasoning and support each others' processes.

Reinforce that the trial-and-error process could come with feelings of discouragement - and that's okay!

A productive struggle must:

Challenge a specific weakness, not just overwhelm a student

Exist in specific activities and assignments, not throughout the entire school day

Provide space for students to use metacognitive skills

It becomes unproductive when:

Students are overwhelmed by frustration because they are unclear on or unable to achieve the goal

Students are left on their own without support

Missteps along the way are not presented as an option

Throughout the process, teachers should be aware of providing motivation and constructive feedback without giving away any answers. Even if a strong attempt by a student does not work out, creative problem solving should be praised.

Benefits of Productive Struggle

The beauty of productive struggle is that there is no single way to do it. During authentic engagement with a math problem, for example, some students will choose to visually draw out the question with shapes while other classmates break the same question down into more manageable pieces.

Over time, problem-solving as a process will become the norm, helping students take ownership of their learning beyond the lesson at hand. Students who know how to productively struggle will learn to:

Plan strategies

Set goals

Understand that success comes from effort, not only innate abilities

Know how and when to ask for help

To get you started with this educational method, here are some examples of productive struggle:

Ask students to find multiple solutions

Dig deeper into why a solution worked and how it was discovered

Apply the same concept to different scenarios

Ways to Use Productive Struggle in the Classroom

Present a problem and step back to allow students to work through it on their own.

Practice over time to limit burnout. Students who space out their learning outperform students who try to learn everything in longer sessions.

Force the retrieval of memories by giving students frequent practice tests. Opting for short-answer questions instead of multiple choice is a great way to strengthen thought processes.

Interleaving, or mixing new lessons in with the old, is another great way to get students using their long-term memory over just the short-term.

Best Practices for Managing Productive Struggle

If students are struggling and asking for help, these are some best practices to consider:

Offer a new starting place

Present a problem-solving strategy

Acknowledge any perseverance

Foster a non-competitive learning environment

Set the stage with an attitude that no effort is wasted

Encourage exploration

Display work that demonstrates creative problem solving, not only top scores

For more resources, explore the Education Certificate through the University of San Diego's Professional and Continuing Education program, intended to motivate teachers to improve and enhance their instructional techniques.

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What Is Productive Struggle? [+ Strategies for Teachers]

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Are you implementing #ProductiveStruggle in the classroom? Our new guide shows you how, including specific strategies and useful training. [Link]

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1. Swimmy encourages readers to see the power in their unique qualities. For this engagement, the entire class will go around the room, sharing their favorite quality about themselves and why. Following this, the teacher will create a "walk the room" worksheet where students need to match the quality to the person! This allows them to move around, and engage with friends, all while practicing their writing and connection skills.

2. The teacher will introduce the term "productive struggle" in an accessible way, discussing how exciting it is to have the opportunity to try something new. Tying to our text, Drum Dream Girl, students will choose an instrument that they would like to try, even if it sounds challenging at first! Students will have the opportunity to try different instruments around the room. Using sentence stems, kindergarteners will choose their favorite instrument and draw a picture to go along with their writing.

3. After reading The Little Engine That Could, students will go on their own adventure to prove to themselves they can accomplish anything with a positive mindset. The teacher will set up an obstacle course, utilizing an outdoor space or gymnasium, representing the large mountain the little engine had to climb. As they move through the course, they will be encouraged to say "I think I can!" as they approach challenging parts of the course, as well as motivating their peers to keep pushing forward! Following this activity, students will cut out, color, and glue a train together, with the phrase "I think I Can!" on it.

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In this short animated film, students will see a comedic, fantasy-like representation of what happens when we do not give up on ourselves. The silent film requires students to follow a story line in a new way, as our main character attempts to get her plane to fly. Thankfully, she tries again and again until she succeeds! The video emphasizes the journey she went on to accomplish her goals.

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CGI **Award-Winning** 3D Animated Short : "Soar" - by Alyce Tzue | TheCGBros

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VIDEO 2 (Sesame Street Monster Meditation)

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VIDEO 2 (Sesame Street Monster Meditation)

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This video clearly gives students an example of how and when to use meditation as a tool to practice perseverance. By taking a break to breathe and reset, the monsters can calmy re-build their blocks!

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Sesame Street Monster Meditation #4: Try Try Again with Two-Headed Monster and Headspace

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1 (What I Wish I Would Have Known About Student Motivation)

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 1 (What I Wish I Would Have Known About Student Motivation)

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A crucial aspect of motivating students is using the proper phrases. When I began student teaching, I was telling students that they were smart and that their work was beautiful, little did I know how detrimental this could be! By using specific compliments, and encouraging a growth mindset, our comments can help our students develop their own positive self-talk.

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"You're a smart kid; I just wish you'd apply yourself in my class."

Most teachers have uttered a similar phrase. I know I did. I remember one student particularly well; we'll call him Jerry. His quick answers and witty insights-when he paid attention-told me he was smart enough to be doing better than he was.

My pep talks with Jerry never did much good, though. Sometimes, the more I goaded, the less he tried, which frustrated my ambitions of channeling Robin Williams' character in Dead Poet's Society, inspiring students to hang on every word of Nathaniel Hawthorne or Emily Dickinson. It felt like even if I stood on my desk dramatically reciting "O Captain! My Captain!" Jerry's response would've been the same: meh.
Sending students the wrong message
Years later, while digging into research on student motivation, I realized what I had gotten wrong. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck has shown that telling students they are smart actually lowers their motivation and achievement. In an experiment, Dweck and her colleagues treated two groups of students quite differently. They consistently praised one group for its ability, saying things like, "Wow. You got eight right; you must be really smart." They praised the second group for effort: "Wow. You got eight right; you must have worked really hard."

The students hearing continual praise for their ability developed a "fixed-mindset" and came to believe that achievement or "smarts" was innate, not developed through effort. Consequently, they began to avoid challenging tasks, fearing that if they tried and failed, they no longer would appear smart. On the other hand, 90 percent of the students hearing praise for their effort took on more challenging tasks and found they actually enjoyed the work.

My first mistake, then, was telling Jerry he was smart.

My second was trying to guilt trip him. I played on the fact that Jerry seemed to like me, saying, "Come on, you really should read The Scarlet Letter. Do it for me."
The right kind of teacher talk
Edward Deci, who spent his career researching intrinsic motivation, found that motivation stems from two deep psychological needs: competence and self-determination. We enjoy challenging activities if we choose them. Even positive feedback from teachers can undermine motivation if it comes across as coercing students ("You should keep up the good work."). What's more effective is providing feedback on how students measure up to a defined standard.

What I realized, too late, was that teacher talk is incredibly important. When teachers aren't thoughtful about what they say in classrooms or write on papers, they can chip away at students' intrinsic motivation to learn.

Here are a couple of examples I've drawn from research showing "should" and "should nots" when it comes to teacher talk.

Say this (growth mindset) . . . "Your practice is really paying off. You're getting your math facts down."

Not this (fixed mindset) . . . "Wow, that was quick! You blazed right through those problems! You're a math whiz."

Say this (growth mindset) . . . "You seem frustrated and tired right now. That means your brain is working hard. We'll keep at it, and I know you're going to get it."

Not this (fixed mindset) . . . "Not everyone is a natural at this. Let's do a few more problems and then move on to something you're better at."

If I could do it over again with the benefit of hindsight, I'd tell Jerry something like this: "You've got a lot of potential. Right now, it's going to waste. I'd like to help you unleash it, but that's up to you."

What kind of teacher talk did you hear when you were a student?

Read about Carol Dweck's book, Mindset.

Learn more about Edward Deci and self-determination theory.
Written by Bryan Goodwin, author of Simply Better: Doing What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success.

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What I wish I had known about student motivation - McREL International

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Research has shown that telling students they are smart actually lowers student motivation and achievement. Here are some better ways to increase student motivation.

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1. Emmanuel overcame physical feats that amaze and inspire individuals all over the world. With this activity, students will try new physical challenges including balancing on a balance beam, jumping over hurdles, and crawling under ropes. This allows students to connect the text with a physical experience in their own lives. Following the activity, we will conduct a class discussion about what was challenging and the tools we use to stay positive and motivated. To further extend our learning, we will create a story map of Emmanuel's life for students to color in and trace.

2. While reading Whistle For Willie, we will stop and emphasize important moments in the text to reinforce the idea of slowing down and comprehending what we are reading. Following our reading, students will be given a booklet titled "Willie's Whistle Journey". On each page, students will have the opportunity to write and draw the events of Willie in chronological order. (For example, students will write "Willie comes when Peter Whistles", and create an illustration of Willie and Peter, successfully whistling).

3. After reading Lion Lessons by Jon Agee, the teacher will create a Lion Training Camp in the classroom. Students will create lion headbands, practicing coloring and cutting skills. They will embark on a journey to become a lion, practicing their growl, looking fierce, and grooming their mane. Dramatic play is a wonderful tool for young learners to engage with literature and further comprehension skills. Following their "training", students will receive "Certified Lion" certificates, on which they will write their names on themselves.

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (Encouraging Your Child To Keep Trying)

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SUPPORTIVE TEXT 2 (Encouraging Your Child To Keep Trying)

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PBS Kids shares helpful tips for parents and educators to ensure our children are motivated to keep moving forward. These tips help to develop persistence and grit, keeping children accountable both in and out of the classroom. They share helpful videos for children, along with discussion topics to spur important conversation.

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Encouraging Your Child to Keep Trying | Parenting Tips & Advice

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​We don’t always succeed in everything we try. Here are a few ways to talk to your child about being persistent, with a little help from Daniel Tiger’s…

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-Can you think of a time when you had to do something hard?

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-Have you ever tried something and had it not work out the first time? How did you respond to that?

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