Traditional, copycat crafts have long been the norm in most early childhood classrooms and kindergarten classrooms, despite not having any educational or developmental theories to support them. What can be wrong with these adorable, sometimes intricate projects that have have been sent home from preschool and kindergarten classrooms for as long as any of us can remember? Meeting students where … Read More
What would you do with 5 extra minutes in your day?
We are one month in from creating our New Year’s Resolutions. Some of us may have come up with our one word to anchor us in this new year, some inspired by Gretchen Rubin and created 25 in 25 lists, and some of us may have tried to put our goals in the start/stop/continue/consider buckets. Now that it is February, … Read More
Beginning Again in 2025
Happy New Year, Teach Happier community! New year, new you? Nope. New Year. Same Us. Bless. As we usher in 2025, we may need to apply a small shift in thought – we are not starting over, we are simply beginning again. We get to take all our experiences and lessons learned in all our years prior into this new … Read More
Curating Your Positive Self-Talk Playlist: A Guide for Educators and Student
TL;DR: Curate a positive self-talk playlist to shift your mindset, much like Rachel changes the car radio station. Use affirmations, achievements, and visual inspiration to create an uplifting “station” to turn to when negativity strikes. Teach students and educators how to model positivity and build resilience through this powerful habit. Whenever I drive my daughter, Rachel one thing never changes: … Read More
How Do You Feel TODAY?
TL;DR: December is a busy month, and matching your energy with your tasks can help you stay present and productive. Use Kendra Adachi’s TODAY acronym to plan tasks based on high- or low-energy days. Honor your capacity to prevent burnout and maintain balance during the holiday season. It’s December. The final month of the year and the month that is … Read More