There are times when we have to dig deep to find an appropriate feedback response that will not discourage a child’s learning. Giving specific and authentic praise supports your child’s development.
Next time you feel a “good job” or “I’m proud of you” bubbling up inside you, try pausing for a moment. Think of ways you can turn your feedback into something more specific. Try to focus on the process the child worked through.
Three Become One: Water conservation is quickly becoming the most critical environmental issue for our next generation. Fresh water from our three rivers and great lakes are a limited resource. With population growth, expansion of industry, and the increasing impact of climate change, more and more pressure is being placed on protecting our waterways.
We wouldn’t pull a young plant up from its soil every few days to check on the progress of its growth underneath, we should approach a child’s developmental growth in the same manner. A child, just like a plant, will only thrive if we provide them with the love and care they need. Then we allow them the room they need to grow. We need to trust the process.
Before the infiltration of white settlers, there were First Nations. In Milwaukee, the Menominee and Ho-Chunk were the first. Centuries later, they were joined by The Fox, Sauk, Ojibwa, Odawa, Huron, Mascouten, Kickapoo and Potawatomi Tribes. All were fleeing from their homelands due to eastern tribal warfare. By the 1600s, the blend of these Nations would become the key players in the territory’s tribal alliance.
Learning multiplication facts is an essential part of your child’s elementary education. Believe me, I never thought I’d be the teacher to say that. But, if you’ve ever been the adult who administers a math assessment, you have likely also experienced the flip side of that equation: Math anxiety.
The connection easiest made to winter learning is to local history. Milwaukee’s a great place for a bike ride in the park! Similar to the grand “Ring of Parks,” the evolution ofThe Oak Leaf Trail was strongly influenced by German culture and depended heavily on the fate of the county’s parks and freeways.
Winter learning includes the discovery, exploration and connecting to our natural world during this important season.
Getting students outdoors, even just for 20 minutes, and engaged in environmental activities offers many benefits. This is true during winter and beyond.
The Emerald Necklace is the term used to describe our extensive public park System. Milwaukee’s a great city for a walk in the park and an even better place for outdoor learning!
Learning outside adds a dimension of enrichment that can’t be taught within the walls of the classroom.
Outdoor Learning includes the discovery, learning about and connecting to our natural world. Getting students outdoors, even for as little as 20 minutes, and engaged in environmental activities offers many benefits. Outdoor Learning includes the discovery, learning about and connecting to our natural world. Getting students outdoors, even for as little as 20 minutes, and engaged in environmental activities offers many benefits. I now call it the 20/20 Vision: 20+ minutes of outdoors and 20+ minutes of reading each day!
Walking with Nature: New research shows walking and talking enhances our mental creativity. The primary source of walking’s cognitive benefits seems to come from its effects on the mysterious spontaneous fluctuations of our brains. Reason is not the source of intelligence. Instead, it’s the product of it.
Walking with nature also makes us feel good. It releases endorphins which lowers our risk of depression. Walking with nature also increases cognitive functioning and strengthens our memory.