In this course you will develop and enhance writing skills through brief physical activities integrated with children's literature. The course will provide K - 6 teachers with creative writing strategies to teach the Language Arts Writing Standards and will demonstrate how activity-based writing coupled with children’s literature can boost student engagement and the quality of writing. Teachers will learn a variety of creative methods to teach specific writing strategies to their students based on grade level and student need using an engaging children’s book focused on mindfulness. Teachers will develop these new skills through research on mindfulness and writing, and the relationship of behavior and mindfulness, following and creating two lesson plans with engaging activities, developing a daily writing journal for students, conducting a lesson teaching students to create mindfulness cards in small study groups to present to the class, a final project tying mindfulness concepts and writing strategies together, and through course reflections.
Participants will learn how to use exciting and meaningful activities that will be incorporated into writing assignments. Using mindfulness as the conduit, research shows that the added benefits for students are increased attention and focus, improved cognitive ability, less reactivity, and better social-emotional skills. Teachers will also benefit from these same concepts resulting in better classroom organization, management, greater efficacy, and reduced stress. Not only will you discover fun and meaningful ways to teach writing but you will also find new ways to support behavior and coping skills.
In addition to writing skills, this course has an added benefit of teaching behavior management strategies using mindfulness.
Number of Units: 3.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours
Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for new or veteran educators teaching kindergarten through sixth grade.
Course Materials: No text required, however there is a requirement to have access to one of seven listed children's books that can be readily found at your school or public library, or purchased at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com. Ideally, this course is best completed with access to students. This course can be completed with or without students being present.
Breathe with Me by Mariam Gates The Mindful Dragon by Steve Herman Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey I Am Peace by Susan Verde Moody Cow Meditates by Kerry Lee MacLean A Handful of Quiet by Thich Nhat Hanh Mindful Me by Whitney Steward
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