Sprinkling Sunshine, Mindfully Self-Regulating

 Today I'm feeling grateful because my friend Amy stopped by
to sprinkle sunshine with this thoughtful treat,
an ornament, to help me remember.


You see, Amy's one of my Poolside Peacemakers backup singers,
one of those fabulous five who joined me on stage in DC
to lead the singing of You Are My Sunshine800 voices strong.

Her visit made my heart happy,
not because she came with a present (although I love it!)
but because of her presence.
I thrive on connecting with friends,
on stepping into their stories,
and on sharing mine.
It's what experts are talking about when they say
we are meant to be relational.
Thank you, Amy, for being sunshine.

Speaking of relationships, our work helping learners understand how to make and keep friends, to cultivate healthy relationships 
to manage our feelings effectively 
and to maintain self-control
is super important.
Then along comes a superhero book to help them do just that.


Super George and the Invisible Shield, written by school counselor and children's author Laurie P. Mendoza and illustrated by Texas artist Cheryl Frances, invites us to step into into the story of George, a young superhero whose anger soars when he is teased by his peers. They call him King George, Curious George, even Georgie Porgie. And yelling at them to stop isn't working. In fact, the more he yells, the more he finds himself in trouble. With the help of his grandmother and inspired by Super Knight, a television superhero whose superpower is his invisible shield, George learns how to take his power back while he mindfully self-regulates and comes to his own rescue to protect himself from the frustrating behaviors that bother him. Click {here} for a few freebie downloads.

Check out this super new title, then cape up and enjoy watching your superheroes unleash the power within as they learn how to activate their very own 
invisible shields.

Click the image below to download this free shield template
and encourage students to write a verse about their shield strategy.

Then follow up by sharing this clip with your older learners and lead a discussion about dominant, aggressive behaviors courtesy of this role play with 
Brooks Gibbs.





What are your favorite ways to teach students 
to sprinkle sunshine and to mindfully self-regulate?






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