Archive for the ‘Education’ Category


Sticky Note Reflections: Mindfulness in Middle School Yoga

middle school yoga mindfulness toolFor some, yoga is experienced as just another “workout.” The effects are often overlooked as we simply show up on the mat, do our thing, and move on with our day.

The impact yoga has on each person is certainly multifaceted and individual. But through deliberate reflection, even young yogis can notice changes within themselves as a result of doing middle school yoga.

As part of our yoga class, our middle schoolers write down their state of mind when they arrive to class, after our opening relaxation, and at the end of class after Savasana. They gather these daily reflections in a folder for further contemplation in the last week of their 8-week session.

As they walk into class they grab their mat and blocks, as well as a blank stickymiddle school yoga sticky note reflections note and pencil. They quickly jot down the date and a word that describes their current state of mind or emotions. They set the note and pencil aside while we do an opening relaxation and they then record their state of mind again — often times feeling a change after only 90 seconds of stillness.

We enjoy a full yoga class. And then after Savasana they record their third word and put their sticky note into their folder, which is a large piece of construction paper folded in half.

Their folders remain with me in between classes and the young yogis see them at the end of each class as they add their latest sticky note to it. Keeping the folders with me is not only less distracting for them during class, but it keeps our young yogis from middle school yogalooking back to their feelings from the previous weeks. This allows them to remain more focused on their current emotions and experiences, rather than being taken back to past feelings.

At the end of the eight weeks our yogis will use their sticky note reflections to inspire a written or illustrated culminating expression of their experiences as yogis. I look forward to witnessing this full-circle process for them!

This has been such a gift to me as their teacher to be able to see vivid results from their experiences of yoga – through this super simple tool and process.

Yoga Course Work

Author and Sing Song Yoga® Founder, Deb Weiss-Gelmi offers kids’ yoga teacher training and professional development for school teachers. Connect with her on FB, IG and Twitter.

 


Related Posts:

Yoga for Kids in School on Fox 17kids yoga in the news Sing Song Yoga® founder and school teacher discuss some tools for using yoga in school as well as some benefits of it.


Kids’ Yoga Teacher Training A heartfelt synopsis of our kids’ yoga teacher training experience through the grateful eyes of our founder.

 


Screen Shot 2015-01-22 at 11.38.49 PMGetting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”


2015-04-21 09.48.028 Kids Yoga Myths Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga. Explore other view points for a broader perspective.


hamstring picsTop 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”


Screen Shot 2015-02-08 at 1.21.43 PMYoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.


kids yogaCrossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga yoga for kids is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…


dead bugTop 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”


balancing sequence Sing Song Yoga AppKids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.


Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.


Some of Sing Song Yoga®’s offerings:Yoga in a School Setting

Kids’ Yoga Teacher Training

PD for School Teachers: Yoga and Literacy

Kids’ Yoga App

Kids’ Yoga DVD

School program

Our Website

 

 

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2018.
Posted in Benefits of Yoga, Education, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,


Workshop: Kids’ Yoga in Daycare

Learn to Use Yoga Within the Childcare Setting

If you’ve ever considered incorporating yoga into your childcare programming, we have just the training for you. Sing Song Yoga® is an award-winning international kids’ musical yoga program in which song lyrics instruct children how to get into the poses. Our offerings include an iOS app, a DVD, a School Program (Book/DVD), a full Sing Song Yoga® Teacher Training and various professional development trainings.

This Sing Song Yoga® in Daycare Workshop is designed to provide participants with ideas and new understandings to use the program tools to incorporate Sing Song Yoga® into the childcare setting for children ages 2-11.

Participants will…

  • learn how to most efficiently use the Sing Song Yoga® App and the Sing Song Yoga® DVD within the childcare setting*
  • learn basic sequencing guidelines of poses
  • learn basic brain and body systems
  • learn some benefits of yoga
  • experience the 49 original SSY poses
  • experience some yoga-based activities
  • learn some ideas for incorporating yoga as part of the natural childcare environment
  • experience and leave with the manual, “Using Sing Song Yoga® in the Childcare Setting: a supplemental resource guide to support childcare providers using Sing Song Yoga®
  • take home the Sing Song Yoga® DVD

INFORMATION

REGISTRATION HERE


Teaching Sing Song YogaDeb Weiss-Gelmi, Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, found her roots in teaching children through songs as an elementary school teacher. Her major in child development, her Masters in Literacy K-12, and teaching Sing Song Yoga® in a variety of settings for 9 years has further deepened her understanding of developmentally appropriate practices for children and fuels her passion for relating with children in powerfully unique ways. The learning environment Deb provides encourages children to explore their surroundings and themselves more deeply. Trainees are welcomed into her unique world of children allowing them to experience kids in this way. Deb has 16 years combined experience practicing and teaching yoga to adults and children and is thrilled to pass on her rich knowledge and passion for children and yoga.

* The Sing Song Yoga® iOS App is only available for Apple Products (iPhone, iPod, iPad). Most of the training will also be applicable for those childcare providers using the DVD to teach SSY, but a portion of the training will be demonstrating the app. Furthermore, it is assumed that the facility, in which the participants of the SSY PD intend to use our program with children, will have a means for projecting the content of the App or DVD onto either a large TV or a screen for children to experience the program learned through this SSY PD.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 9th, 2017.
Posted in Education, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , ,


Yoga for Kids In Thornapple Kellogg Schools

Always great to read about yoga for kids in schools and even more fun, personally, when it’s Sing Song Yoga!

Thornapple Kellogg Schools recently published an article from which the below text was taken and can be read in its entirety as Kindergarten Students Find Calm in Yoga at TKschools.org. Thank you TK schools for using our program regularly and for sharing it with your readers! We so appreciate it!

yoga for kids

Some highlights from TK Schools’ article follow:

Screen Shot 2016-04-12 at 2.35.27 PMMcFall Elementary kindergarten teachers have found yoga helps their students transition between lessons, take “brain breaks” and even find calm during a hectic day.

“I love it. It makes me feel good,” said Aubree after about 15 minutes of yoga right in her classroom.

yoga for kidsKindergarten classmate Dylan Wallach gladly showed off his strength and balance in a balancing frog pose and Cameron Mancuso said his favorite yoga pose is “the one where we get to roar like a lion.”

yoga for kids
Carissa Caskey said she likes the fish sit the best. “I just love how it makes me feel better when we’re done,” she said of the yoga stretches. “I feel happy.”

At least once or twice a week, McFall kindergarten teacher Jasmine Koster has her students practicing yoga in the classroom with a program called “Sing Song Yoga” developed especially for children. Students follow yoga pose instructions given in a sing-song version using music and rhythm.

“We use it in between lessons as a transitional tool. It reinforces concentration and gives students a brain break,” said Koster. “The afternoons can sometimes get long and we just need to have a little break and a little calm.”

Koster said she’s thrilled to be able to combine her two passions – teaching kindergarten and doing yoga. She’s been teaching at McFall four years and been practicing yoga for about six years. She started incorporating Sing Song Yoga in her classroom immediately. She said most of the other kindergarten teachers at McFall also use the program developed by Deb Weiss-Gelmi.

yoga for kids

Koster said she sees many benefits to using yoga in the classroom.

“Sing Song Yoga is a great way to transition from one lesson to the next as a way for the students to refocus their attention and concentration,” Koster said. “It has been a wonderful tool to help create a sense of calm within our classroom.”

She said it also helps students realize the importance of caring for their bodies. “I see their flexibility, coordination and strength improving. And that’s really fun to watch progress.”

She said she also loves seeing how proud the students are of themselves when they master a new pose for the first time. “They are so excited and so proud. It just helps build their self-confidence, ” she said.

“We’re not meant to sit still all day. So getting up and doing something physical is important. Yoga involves concentration, but it’s also very calming and a good way to get kids out of their seats for awhile,” she said.

Since using the program in her classroom, Koster said parents have started using it at home as well. “I always get really positive feedback from the families,” said Koster. “Some of them use Sing Song Yoga at home now as a calming exercise before bed or sometimes when they (students) just have a stressful situation at home.”

yoga for kids

Weiss-Gelmi came up with Sing Song Yoga as a way of using music, movement and fun together to naturally help students physically and emotionally. [The] Sing Song Yoga [app] offers the ability to create individualized yoga sequences or choose from one of the 39 preprogrammed sequences already in place. There are preprogrammed sequences designed specifically for brain breaks or test preps.

Koster said the beauty of the program is that anyone can do it and students may continue to find yoga a useful tool in their lives long after kindergarten.


Related Posts:

Yoga for Kids in School on Fox 17kids yoga in the news Sing Song Yoga® founder and school teacher discuss some tools for using yoga in school as well as some benefits of it.


Screen Shot 2015-01-22 at 11.38.49 PM

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”


2015-04-21 09.48.028 Kids Yoga Myths Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga. Explore other view points for a broader perspective.


hamstring picsTop 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”


Screen Shot 2015-02-08 at 1.21.43 PMYoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.


kids yogaCrossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga yoga for kids is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…


dead bugTop 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”


balancing sequence Sing Song Yoga AppKids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.


Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 19th, 2016.
Posted in Benefits of Yoga, Education, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,


Yoga for Kids in School on Fox 17

Though we’ve been thrilled about McFall Elementary adopting Sing Song Yoga for kids school-wide 4 years ago, I had not yet met or even connected with any of the teachers. So to meet Jasmine Koster, a kindergarten teacher at McFall, and find that she and her students were truly finding such rich purpose in using our kids’ yoga program in the classroom, was not only affirming for my business, but heart-warming personally as well.

Below is the interview on Fox 17, during which Jasmine talks about using our kids yoga program in her classroom and throughout her school. She discusses the benefits she sees with her students as well as the overall effects on her classroom environment. The dialog from the video is also transcribed below.

So the interview went roughly like this…

Leigh Ann Towne, Host of Fox 17 Morning Mix: How did you come up with Sing Song Yoga for kids?

Deb Weiss-Gelmi, Sing Song Yoga founder: When my daughter was preschool age I was looking for a local [kids’] yoga class or a DVD and found neither at that time. So as a school teacher who used music in the classroom and as a yoga sing song yoga for kidsinstructor this idea came to me.

Leigh Ann: So explain to people what Sing Song Yoga is.

Deb: Sing Song Yoga is a kids’ musical yoga program in which song lyrics instruct children how to get into the poses. Educational researchers find that music, movement and fun together naturally increase the positive chemicals in the brain that help with memory, with the ability to pay attention and with new learning. In other words, children respond really well to music which makes learning yoga or anything easier, more effective and more fun.

Leigh Ann: How can viewers find out more about [Sing Song Yoga for kids]?

Deb: We have local classes, a DVD, a book about yoga in the classroom and an App. The app is completely customizable. You can choose poses and create your own yoga sequence. Or you can choose from one of 39 preprogrammed sequences each with an end in mind. If you have a child at home who has a difficult time going to sleep – we have a bedtime sequence. If you have a child who does sports there’s an athlete’s sequence. If you’re a teacher you could choose one of the brain break sequences or test prep sequence. These are just some of the examples but we have 39 different possibilities and as I mentioned you can also create name and save your own yoga program. And we have a  unique feature inspired by a parent of a child with physical limitations. She kept having to pause our DVD for extra time to transition between the poses. So with our app you could have a transition as quick as 1 second for the young energetic users or as long as 30 seconds for those who need a bit more time.

Leigh Ann (to Jasmine): Now you are a teacher right now. Where do you teach?

Jasmine Koster: I’m a kindergarten teacher at McFall Elementary in Thornapple
Kellogg School District.Sing Song Yoga for kids

Leigh Ann: How did you discover Sing Song Yoga for kids and how do you incorporate it into your classroom?

Jasmine: I started Sing Song Yoga about 4 years ago. It’s been a great way for me to combine my two passions which are also yoga and teaching young children. I love to use yoga in our classroom to create a sense of calm. I feel that any amount of time we put into a yoga session is definitely gained back in our classroom work. My students are always refocused, their concentration improves, we have a sense of calmness in our classroom. And so it’s not only been a way to sharpen ourselves physically but also mentally as well.

Leigh Ann: How many times a week do you incorporate it?

Jasmine: I try to use it once or twice a week and incorporate it into our lesson plans. And the majority of our school teachers in our building also try that as well. So it’s been something we’ve all enjoyed incorporating and making fit into our very busy schedule.

Leigh Ann: What’s the reaction been like for the kids?

Jasmine: My kids love to do Sing Song Yoga. They request it. They are actively engage while participating and the greatest thing I love about it is that they encourage each other while we’re doing it. So they’s also establishing a wonderful emotional connection with each other as well.

Leigh Ann: How might teachers get their hands on Sing Song Yoga?

Deb: The app is very user-friendly so a teacher could download the free version of the app and give it a shot today! It’s airplay enabled and can easily be projected onto big screens in the classroom. We have a book: Using Sing Song Yoga in the Classroom, which includes a DVD and 19 lessons. We also offer a professional development to assist teachers and schools in getting the most out of the app, how to squeeze yoga into the busy school day (which is always a challenge) as well as information on the benefits of yoga for kids.

Leigh Ann (to Jasmine): Now this isn’t taking the place of recess is it? You’re still allowing them to wind up and then wind them back down, right?

Jasmine: No. I actually like to use it as a transition from one lesson to the next to reestablish their self-awareness. So it’s been a great tool in our classroom.

Leigh Ann: For more information head to singsongyoga.com, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, @singsongyoga. And there are 5 free Sing Song Yoga classes at the Grand Rapids Public Library on July 19 and 20?

Deb: Correct. As part of their summer reading series. You can also find us at the Yoga Studio in Grand Rapids, gryoga.com and through Zeeland Recreation.

Thank you sincerely to Executive Producer, Fox 17 Morning Mix, Andrea Shaner and host of Morning Mix, Leigh Ann Towne for featuring Sing Song Yoga for kids on your show! And thank you to Jasmine Koster for joining me in sharing our mutual passion, respect and appreciation of yoga for kids! I truly appreciate such a rewarding experience!


Related Posts:

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about yoga for kids.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga yoga for kids is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016.
Posted in Education, Kid's Yoga Sequences, Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga in Schools.


Kids Yoga App Series #6: Create & Save Custom Sequences

* This post is the 6th within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here are #1#2#3#4 and #5 ).

In my life I absolutely gobble up any tools that allow me to effortlessly customize its components to fully meet MY PeRsoNal NeeDs!! — Especially when I only have to think through the customization once and then save my work for later use.

As a school teacher wanting to squeeze yoga into the school day, this was one of my main focuses when designing the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app. For those users who want to either build sequences from scratch or change the preprogrammed sequences to better fit their needs, the SAVE feature is a dream come true!

8

Whether its “Ms. Zoerhof’s Morning Sequence” for a first grade classroom or Lia’sssy app pic arrows for save “Before Bed Sequence,” the time has come in which we can seamlessly and perfectly align our daily routines with our technology!! Thank you to our brilliant app developers for making this wishful feature a reality!!

saved sequences

This link will review how simply the app works, including creating and changing sequences that you’d like to save.

Please let us know ANY questions or comments you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestions. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 17th, 2015.
Posted in Education, Kids Yoga at Home, Parenting, Sing Song Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


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