18 Diffusers That “Out Wit” the Witty Think about your students who love to chronically interrupt classroom activities. Do find yourself thinking “can you please let me finish my sentence.” Better yet, you gasp then, drop your head and say, “here we go again.” How do you deal with students who create disturbance and […]
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The Secret to PD- Finding the Golden Nugget during Professional Development Workshop I’ve come to realize that every professional development workshop I attend will not always end in fireworks, rather, many workshops have developed a standard practice when approaching personal development. As I listen to a presenter, I say to myself “find the golden nugget.” […]
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Why Creating Impactful Staff Orientation is the Best Way to Program Success The most essential professional orientation I have experienced in my career was at the Cardinal Sheehan Center in Bridgeport, CT. The orientation was focused on camp counselor training and consisted of intensive week-long training sessions that aimed to acquaint staff to the program […]
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Five Awesome Social Emotional Games to Play at Summer Camp My favorite time of the year is approaching. SUMMER! With kids out of school, I reminisce back to the days when the world became my playground and I could play outside until the streetlights came on. I remember playing kickball or a game of chase, […]
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How to Conduct a BioBlitz Awesome activity for summer learning! BioBlitz At-A-Glance What is a BioBlitz? BioBlitz is an opportunity to take a snapshot of the biodiversity of a place! They are typically led by educators, scientists, or park rangers. Where can a BioBlitz be held? A BioBlitz can be held just […]
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A great way to integrate SEL into your program can begin with a daily CHECK IN. Taking the time to connect with every student and to gauge their emotional state helps to set a positive tone for each student’s after school experience. A check in can be a brief group discussion in which you give […]
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This past Friday Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro stopped by the Martinez 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) in New Haven to do some gardening with the children. Students were making Mother’s Day flowerpots and planting seeds for gifts for the upcoming holiday. Though it was a cloudy day, the smiles on the children’s faces brought sunshine […]
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Classroom Management for Small Children I sat in the back of the classroom. I pulled out my pen and paper and began conducting an observation at one of our Learning Center sites. I can never forget my observation of this class, or really, I’ll never forget witnessing one teacher feeling completely overwhelmed by a robust […]
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Tips for Boosting your Self-Esteem I remember hating Valentine’s Day when I was in high school. Yuck! All the cool girls would receive candy grams and carnations from their secret admirers. As much as I tried to play it off, I sulked all day. My mother tried her best every year to pick up my […]
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A Chain is Only as Strong as Its Weakest Link For many years, my extended Connecticut family has shared in an October multi-generational tradition. We choose a weekend before Halloween to go pumpkin picking together. We take a hayride, select our squash, and head home for some communal carving. These Pumpkin Pickin’ Days hold my […]
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