How Is my engine running
During our last lesson, we talked again about noticing other people and looking for clues. Today we also talked about how important it is to notice ourselves! We talked about how each of us kind of has an internal engine that keeps us going throughout the day. Our class works best when we take care of our engines and "run" the appropriate speed for the setting we are in.
All of us have days where our engines may run too fast to be good learners (maybe excited on our birthday) or too slow to be good learners (maybe really tired, really hungry, or feeling sick) but some of us have engines that run a little slow on a regular basis (we might move a bit slower, have a tendency to daydream, need more sleep than those around us, or like to be left alone). Some of us have engines that run fast on a regular basis (our body is often moving or fidgety, our brain races and we have a difficult time sharing our ideas, we may be loud, and we may be impulsive or frequently blurt answers).
While we can't CHANGE the way our body works, we can be aware of it by noticing our body's clues and the clues that other's around us give. We can take steps to adjust our "engines" to run the "just right" speed for the setting and help us be the best learners we can be. Mrs. Wilson shared that sometimes her engine runs too fast. She might notice she is talking too loud or too fast or she has too many ideas racing through her brain. when she recognizes these things, she might take a deep breath and pay attention to the volume and speed of her voice. She may stop and write some ideas down instead of trying to remember them all. When we keep our engine at a "just right" speed, we are alert, focused, in control, and ready to listen to and follow directions.
You can follow up at home by noticing if your child's engine is running too slow or too fast for a particular setting or activity. Help them identify what they can do to adjust their engine appropriately. They may need to get up to do a few jumping jacks, listen to calm music, or take a moment to cuddle a pet.
All of us have days where our engines may run too fast to be good learners (maybe excited on our birthday) or too slow to be good learners (maybe really tired, really hungry, or feeling sick) but some of us have engines that run a little slow on a regular basis (we might move a bit slower, have a tendency to daydream, need more sleep than those around us, or like to be left alone). Some of us have engines that run fast on a regular basis (our body is often moving or fidgety, our brain races and we have a difficult time sharing our ideas, we may be loud, and we may be impulsive or frequently blurt answers).
While we can't CHANGE the way our body works, we can be aware of it by noticing our body's clues and the clues that other's around us give. We can take steps to adjust our "engines" to run the "just right" speed for the setting and help us be the best learners we can be. Mrs. Wilson shared that sometimes her engine runs too fast. She might notice she is talking too loud or too fast or she has too many ideas racing through her brain. when she recognizes these things, she might take a deep breath and pay attention to the volume and speed of her voice. She may stop and write some ideas down instead of trying to remember them all. When we keep our engine at a "just right" speed, we are alert, focused, in control, and ready to listen to and follow directions.
You can follow up at home by noticing if your child's engine is running too slow or too fast for a particular setting or activity. Help them identify what they can do to adjust their engine appropriately. They may need to get up to do a few jumping jacks, listen to calm music, or take a moment to cuddle a pet.