The way you measure a society’s soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela
Issue No. 78 – 20th October 2009
Welcome to Kidz Newz especially to all new subscribers. Kidz Newz is a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children. You are receiving this because you have attended one of my workshops, purchased a book, or you have requested to be on the mailing list. Thank you. Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to. Feedback is welcome.
PD Updates
Tuesday 20th October 2009 – Millfield Prep School – Edgarley Hall, Glastonbury Somerset, UK. Registration details –
Cost: £50, including light refreshments, but not including lunch.
For further information and booking form, contact Mary Mountstephen on mem@millfieldprep.com or telephone 01458 837514.
Please forward this newsletter to anyone in the UK that you think may be interested in attending.
New Products Available
You will be pleased to hear I now stock two of Jennifer Jefferies products – the book and the aromatherapy oil ‘Calm Kids’. Jennifer is a well-known naturopath, author and speaker. If you are interested in these or any other of Jennifer’s products, visit www.kidzfizbiz.com.
Employment Opportunity – Be your own boss!
Looking for a part-time teaching opportunity? Love working with children? Love teaching music and movement? I am looking for people to train to run their own business as Kidz-Fiz-Biz operators. Good retruns and lots of fun. If this is something of interest to you now or in the future, please contact me at info@kidzfizbiz.com or phone 0410 642 781.
I’m Alive, I’m Well and I Feel Great!
I regularly attend a business networking meeting (Perth Business Swap) at the end of which everyone stands up and with arms raised they say this affirmation three times in unison as they punch the air: ‘I’m alive, I’m well and I feel great!’ It might sound pretty daggy and embarrassing and I have to admit that it is. I have to also admit that by the physical act of standing up and punching the air and making this declaration your body systems are cranked up and your mind is also. Body and mind are working together to tell you how great you’re feeling, even if you didn’t think you were, and it sets the scene for the whole day.
It’s interesting how the psychology and physiology of this works, and it does. The body was made to move so after sitting for 45 minutes your body starts to feel sluggish and you can’t take in any more information. Why are university lectures this length? Getting to the next lecture is only part of it. The act of standing up and moving your body will get the circulation going, especially to the brain, so you ‘wake up’ again. In this receptive state you declare a positive affirmation and your brain does not know whether this is real or not, it just responds according to what you’ve declared. ‘I feel great,’ and so you do! Amazing.
The other interesting thing about this meeting is that a positive atmosphere is deliberately created throughout; the ending is only one of the triggers. Everyone introduces themselves and gives a positive thought of the day (a bit like my ‘quotes of the day’ in my newsletter). These ‘thoughts’ are judged and the one deemed to be the best wins a prize. And everyone loves to win a prize. The guest speaker usually speaks on a topic of great interest and usually donates a raffle prize. Again, everyone loves to win the raffle. There is another minor raffle and tickets are given to those who arrive early. Everyone loves to win a prize, especially when the ticket was free! ‘Wins of the Week’ are announced and everyone is pleased for whoever has had something exciting happen in their business that week. It is great to be able to share the joy with interested others. Finally, a member speaks for five minutes on an aspect of their business, and then another member asks questions of the group concerning a particular problem they’re experiencing in their business. Everyone feels valued by contributing.
So what has this to do with teaching and parenting? Everything! The parallels are enormous. Firstly, create a positive atmosphere in your classroom and at home, where everyone’s contribution is valued. You may not be feeling great every day but ‘fake it till you make it’ – pretend until it feels real. No-one can feel energised when the teacher is down in the dumps. And, get them moving often.
‘News’ is like ‘Wins of the Week’ and is such an important part of the child’s day. For some children this may be the only opportunity to ever express themselves. If a child does not have any real news then encourage them to share something that’s bothering them. Encourage the others to make suggestions as to how this problem could be solved. You’d be amazed at the results. (This is a form of collaborative learning.) Even pre-schoolers can problem-solve quite well. Don’t allow any more time than the usual ‘news’ time.
Praise frequently but make it mean something. Even very young children can see through falsehoods. They know when something they’ve done is worthy of praise. Have some little prize at the end of each day for whoever was working quietly, being the most helpful, packing away the quickest and so on. Obviously some children will always be eligible while others will seldom be but use your psychology here – everyone wants to win! Try to encourage the tardy ones. What may seem insignificant may be a huge effort for some children. They need to be acknowledged for their effort otherwise they’ll give up trying and that’s too tragic to contemplate. The prize can be a sticker. It doesn’t have to be anything grand.
And don’t forget, when they go home each day, or at any time of the day you feel is appropriate (maybe after sitting down at mat time) teach your children the Business Swap affirmation or any other you think will have the same effect. Putting positives into the child’s day matters. They may remember the affirmation for many years after they’ve long forgotten school. My niece had great success with her kindy class using ‘I’m alive, I’m well and I feel great!’ Give it a try.
Quotes of the Week
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
~ Mother Teresa
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak … because in your life you will have been all of these.
~ George Washington Carver
Entertainment
LEXOPHILES (Lover of words)…
1. A bicycle can’t stand alone… it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow… fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it’s your vote that counts… in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don’t pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I’ll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
NOTE: No trees were killed in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
From DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com
Feedback
I loved everything, especially the scarves and multicultural dances. It was all great – especially for kindy. It was good to keep moving along all the time.
~ Megan McClorey, Child Study Centre, Nedlands Primary School Kindergarten, Perth.
About The Author
Marlene Rattigan B.A., Dip. Ed. (ECS), CELTA
Marlene Rattigan is an Early Childhood teacher, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and from 1987-2000 was a nationally accredited fitness leader. Her background is in music education. A keen interest in motor development in children led to the creation of Kidz-Fiz-Biz which she taught successfully for 13 years. Marlene also conducts workshops for children, teachers and parents at schools, in the community and at festivals. She has produced teaching manuals complete with audio CDs which are an extension of her ‘Kidz-Fiz-Biz’ program.
Kidz-Fiz-Biz
PO Box 6894, East Perth WA 6892, Australia
T: +61 8 9325 1204 M: +61 (0) 410 64 2781 E: info@kidzfizbiz.com
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Until next time … continue being a legend in your classroom.
Marlene Rattigan, Editor
Kidz Newz
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