Step Into My Sessions: A fast-paced activity about feelings!

Dashing through feelings with a group of 4th graders...

By the end of May, lots of my students seem to have already switched to summer mode! 😎☀️ Lots of field trips, lots of outdoor exercise, hotter weather, the excitement of upcoming camps and trips…lots of tired and dysregulated bodies!

So, when a group of four 4th graders headed up my stairs yesterday, I was READY.

• Pretzels and gum.

• Water.

• Shashibo Cubes

• Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty.

• And…a Maca & Roni selection all cued up from my Spreadsheet.​

Maca & Roni: Jenga, by Kyungmin Woo

We were off to the races.

All four were laser-focused watching! ▶️ As always, I was stopping and checking in on predictions, feelings, varying perspectives, etc. And then, I paused it, and called out – “David, can you tell us a time when you felt worried?” I got a great example! So I went down the row of students on the couch, and each student gave an example.

We continued watching. I stopped it again, and asked the students one by one – “Can you give an example of when you felt confident?” A few minutes later, “How about a time when you had to practice something a lot?”, and then, “Can you think of a time when you felt frustrated that you weren’t figuring something out?” 😖

In total, I probably asked them for 6-7 different examples. And each time, they quickly had answers, and we immediately went back to watching.

The relatability of animations

I think since they could all relate to what was happening in the animation, and the feelings that Maca and Roni were experiencing, it was easy for them to find personal ways of connecting. ⚡ They all knew that the fastest way to get back to watching was to come up with answers, so they were motivated. They have been together all school year, so they knew it was a safe and supportive audience. Together, they were admitting to lots of feelings – some comfortable, others not so much.

M&R Jenga never fails me. 💯 And even though that day, we were focusing on feelings, it’s also a great animation for working on so many social learning concepts!

Summer plans

Are you working ESY this summer? ☀️ If you don’t have it yet, download the M&R Super Social Learning Spreadsheet (it tells you what animations are best for what concepts) to make your sessions easy-peasy and FUN! 🎉

As I refresh AND do some work this summer, you will hear from me a bit less. Just two Step Into My Sessions this month and next. In August, I will return to popping into your inbox every week.

I hope you have a wonderful summer!!