• Home
  • Read My Blog
  • Shop My TpT Store

Sarah Plum

K-5 Resources for Diverse Classrooms

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Running a Classroom
    • Decor & Themes
    • Organization
    • Character Education
    • Communication
    • Family Engagement
  • Content Areas
    • Mathematics
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Social Studies
    • Science
  • Student Populations
    • English Language Learners (ELLs)
    • Gifted & Talented
    • Special Education
    • Title I
  • Grade Levels
    • 2nd Grade
    • 3rd Grade
  • Technology
    • Tech for Teachers
    • Tech for Students
    • Tech for Parents
  • Everything Else
    • Professional Development
    • Teaching Philosophy
    • Editorials
  • Product Catalog
You are here: Home / Blog / Three Ways to Build Character with GoNoodle

Three Ways to Build Character with GoNoodle

September 6, 2015 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 5 Comments

BlogHeader
BloggerBlitzImage

I am so thrilled to be a part of GoNoodle’s Back to School Blogger Blitz! If you’ve read my blog or followed my Facebook fan page for any length of time, you know I have a deep, deep love for GoNoodle. I’ve guest-blogged for them before, and use it DAILY in my classroom. It’s simply put, my favorite instructional tool. {Make sure you read to the bottom of the post so that you can WIN, WIN, WIN!} Today I’m excited to share with you the three ways I use GoNoodle to build character in my students. Building character, to me, is the daily piece that makes all other instructional and non-instructional tasks easier. I cannot overemphasize the important of strong character in students and how it relates to classroom and school culture!

1. Visualizing SuccessTryYourBest

I want my students to have a “can-do” attitude, to see the positive in all situations, to persevere when the going gets tough. School, for many of my students, can often be a place that is daunting and where success sometimes feels far away. I want them to be able to weather those moments with confidence and ease — and I use GoNoodle’s “Think About It” feature to build that.

Before ANY graded assignment or test, we watch the “Try Your Best” video. My students close their eyes, take deep breaths, and repeat what’s written on their name tags. I’ve had students even request this video in the past when they’ve felt like they need that extra reminder to use their perseverance to their advantage — what an amazing testimony to how this reaches kids!

BeaTeamPlayer2. Developing Positive Peer Relationships

I want my students to understand the importance of their classmates in their school life. I want my students to feel like they are a part of a classroom community, not just a classroom. I use theSecretHandshakes “Think About It” feature at times when there may be a teachable moment with peer interaction. The “Be a Good Friend,” “Be a Team Player,” and “Make Someone Happy” videos have really helped to refocus our energy on the positive.

I follow that up with an energizing team-building video like Koo Koo Kanga Roo’s “Secret Handshakes” or some of the fantastic newer “Brainercise with Mr. Catman” that require coordination between partners. This allows students to directly relate to their peers following a moment of mindful reflection on being a positive force in our classroom.

WillowWillow3. Being Disciplined

Becoming skilled at a whole-body task like yoga requires discipline. For any primary teacher, developing discipline — particularly self-discipline — is an on-going challenge. We also know that cross-body coordination is critical for brain development. I love to use Maximo’s yoga videos to develop discipline in my students.EaglePretzel

We start small, with an easier video like “Hug it Out” to get the hang of the discipline required to stay quiet, centered, and breathing. Eventually we work up to more challenging videos like “Eagle Pretzel” or “Willow Willow.” The students love to challenge themselves, but also to have an opportunity to have a calming, reflective moment. I love participating with them because of the opportunity to center myself!

I hope you’ll consider using GoNoodle to expand your students’ character! I love using it for a variety of things, including plain ‘ol movement brain breaks, but I also love using it to enhance our classroom community.

Want to share this?

  • Tweet

Related

Filed Under: Blog, Running a Classroom, Technology Tagged With: brain breaks, character education, giveaway, GoNoodle

Comments

  1. cmr9432 says

    September 6, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    My kids are obsessed with Koo Koo Kanga Roo!!

    Reply
  2. Mrs. Davies says

    September 6, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    My 1st graders this year LOVE all the songs on the Go Noodle channel called, "Moose Tube"! 🙂

    ~Wendy
    sdwd727@gmail.com

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    September 6, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    My kids don't want to be absent because I pick sticks to see who chooses which break we do. They have it all planned out what they are going to choose.

    Reply
  4. Amy Seidle says

    September 7, 2015 at 3:14 pm

    I love how you use the Maximo videos to teach discipline! My students always groan when I choose those videos. I think I may use your idea to teach discipline. I'm curious to see if the disciplone will carry over into the classroom! Thank you for these great ideas!!!

    Reply
  5. Amber O. says

    September 7, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    FLOW breaks after coming in from recess give my class great practice with self-control. I find that if we do a FLOW segment upon entering the room from morning & lunch recess that it lessens the amount of tattles I hear from incidences on the playground AND provides a way for me to keep the other students engaged while I discuss bigger issues, like kicking/hitting or bullying-behavior, with a few students experiencing those challenges. We also love watching our tree grow more leaves as we do these breaks; a great visual!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About the Author

Sarah Plum(itallo) is a teacher of emerging multilinguals and 21st Century Grant coordinator in Virginia. She writes curriculum for inclusive classrooms and presents professional development on a variety of topics.

Read more about Sarah and her background in education here.

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in