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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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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Health benefits of drinking of water Recently I started the Keto diet. One of the core components of the Keto diet is reducing the consumption of sugar. No more cans of Ginger Ale, now I’m drinking water strictly. Over the last few weeks, I noticed a few changes; physically I feel lighter, and emotionally I […]
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Choices and More Choices Bootleg, skinny, straight leg jeans; there are so many options! Sheesh! Just choosing a pair of jeans can be overwhelming, however, I believe one of life’s greatest gifts lies in our ability to choose. Our ability to make choices is one which gives us significant power in our lives. However, knowing […]
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Self-Esteem vs Self-Awareness I have learned that self-esteem can have several different meanings depending on who you converse with. When it comes to your self-esteem, only one opinion truly matters: your own. As educators, it is critical to understand the difference between self-esteem and self-awareness; they share many of the same elements. However, there are […]
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