R Time

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Spreading positive vibes…

In place of Morning Message each Tuesday, our learners and classroom leaders participate in R Time.  While I expanded on the ideas and activities associated with this interactive campus initiative in a previous blog, during morning walkabout today, I observed a class in R Time action.

First of all, they were excited it was R Time today!  🙂  One of the powerful aspects of their R Time work is not knowing WHO will be their working partner during the actual activity; the surprise element is always fun.  The other significant aspect is knowing their work together will be a positive experience.

As we all know, positive interactions are essential to daily healthy relationships—at home, school, work, church, community, and in life.  positivesThe actual activity involved the pairs greeting one another appropriately, sharing a pleasant thought, and then talking about the ways they share positive interactions with others.  The pairs agreed to a word to then shared with the remaining pairs to help cultivate more positive interactions in the classroom everyday.  Each pair added their chosen word to a class wordle to post for everyone to use.  The conversations and closing discussion simply warmed my heart…it encouraged me to stop several times today just to spread (as one learner said it), “positive vibes.”  Here’s hoping you spread your own positive vibes today…and everyday!  🙂

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It’s time to STAND UP!

Are you an UPstander or a BYstander?  This is a question each learner and classroom leader will hear in the coming weeks.  On our educational journey this year, our social focus will include the powerful story Stand Up!  standupWritten by Dr. Lisa Roth and Dr. Karen Siris, the children in the story learn to recognize what is right and fair in the world while standing up to unkindness when they see and experience it firsthand.

Having welcoming and caring friends is important in life.  Stand Up! encourages young people to empower themselves as they take responsibility for teaching their classmates about the importance of inclusive and kind behaviors…no matter what.  The creative illustrations provide a brilliant visual reminder for all of us to walk in each other’s shoes and to STAND UP together to create a positive change.  The heart of this story lies with the children (not in the interventions of adults) who choose to take a positive stance to stop exclusion and unkindness in their school.

We can talk all day about bully prevention programs, ideas, and examples.  UPstanders learn to recognize unkindness and stop it themselves, thus taking all the power away from the person who is choosing to be unkind.  In fact, practicing the traits of an UPstander is common theme in our R Time series each week as we actively engage in character building.

I will initiate the conversation while personally sharing this insightful story in the first week of school as I hit the hallways of LME on a classroom book tour.  Each staff member has a copy of the book to use and refer to often throughout the year.  I challenge you, our learning community, to find exceptional ways to demonstrate your UPstanding behaviors to our young learners and become a part of the caring majority of UPstanders in MISD!  As a dear friend and mentor reminded me:   “Be a lamp, a lifeboat, a ladder; help someone’s soul to heal…walk in your shoes and in those of others like a shepherd who leads with the greatest of care.”  Stand Up, LME; welcome back!

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Positive Interactions

R Time # 5In place of Morning Message each Tuesday, our learners and classroom leaders participate in R Time.  In a previous blog, I expanded on the ideas and activities associated with this interactive campus initiative; today I had the privilege of observing a particular class in R Time action.

First of all, they were excited it was R Time today!  🙂  One of the powerful aspects of their R Time work is not knowing WHO will be their working partner during the actual activity; the surprise element is always fun.  The other significant aspect is knowing their work together will be a positive experience.

As we all know, positive interactions are essential to daily healthy relationships—at home, school, work, church, community, and in life.  positivesThe actual activity involved the pairs greeting one another appropriately, sharing a pleasant thought, and then talking about the ways they share positive interactions with others.  The pairs agreed to a word to then shared with the remaining pairs to help cultivate more positive interactions in the classroom everyday.  Each pair added their chosen word to a class wordle to post for everyone to use.  The conversations and closing discussion simply warmed my heart…it encouraged me to stop several times today just to spread (as one learner said it), “positive vibes.”  Here’s hoping you spread your own positive vibes today and everyday!

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R Time is here!

It is indeed a blessing to have everyone back at school!  There’s a certain excitement in the air as we begin 2013 together.  Of course, children’s smiles, hugs, and “happy new year” sentiments ring clearly.  We are excited about this semester, new goals, and the educational opportunities before us.  As always, we will continue to do our best to ensure a safe, logo2caring learning environment with good communication and collaboration everyday.

There’s also another reason for excitement:  R Time is finally here!  R Time is a district and campus social education program we are implementing that is producing outstanding results in schools across the country.  R Time places the emphasis on effective, respectful, meaningful personal relationships achieved through random pairings.  R Time creates an educational environment supporting and enhancing positive relationships, good behavior, reduction of bullying, and strong citizenship.

Using common courtesy and good manners with each other becomes the norm (rather than the exception) once R Time is implemented.  Shy children find a voice and dominant children learn to negotiate and agree.  Bullies in particular discover a new way of reacting to classmates.  R Time makes a significant contribution in improving behavior, reducing bullying, building relationships, resolving conflict, building citizenship, nurturing emotional well-being, building trust, developing confidence, promoting decision-making, and improving communications skills for everyone.

There are six steps involved in each R Time lesson:  rule and instruction, random pairing of students, meeting and greeting, activity with pairing partner, processing and feedback, and conclusion with thanks.  These six steps are used in each lesson and become the foundation for all pairing interactions in R Time.

Greg Sampson, creator of R Time, uses his vast experience in working with children to focus on “old fashioned values and greater humanity” in the world today.  He states:  “Good behavior has its roots firmly established in healthy relationships; it is no surprise that a program designed to enable children to get along well with one another will reduce poor behavior dramatically.” Pete Harvey, promoter of the program, comments: “R Time enables children’s dormant relationships to blossom and flourish with greater confidence across gender divisions, religious and racial boundaries, and dominant or passive natures.”

LaRue Miller Elementary is proud to bring R Time and its transformative impact on relationships to our students, staff, and families.  Please check out www.rtime.info for more specific information or feel free to call our office at 972-775-4497 to speak with our counselor, Mrs. Stanley, our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Bass, or myself.  In the meantime, be listening for your child and classroom teacher to share some R Time experiences with you soon…and welcome back!  🙂

Note:  Speaking of goals, we are talking about college tomorrow, so let’s see that team spirit in college gear!