Bell-Ringer/Warm-Up: Character Building Activity for Every Day of the Year

Looking for a positive and engaging Bell Ringer to start every class period? You and your students will LOVE Birdseed! Birdseed is a quick 5-10 minute daily activity that fosters social-emotional intelligence and is endorsed by New York Times best-selling author and positive psychology guru Shawn Achor, by The Colorado Department of Education, and by psychologists, teachers, and students worldwide.
*Paperback available on Amazon *the eBook is free for Kindle Select members

Inside, you’ll find a collection of THE BEST 365 inspirational quotes, (organized by theme for quick reference) along with a novel way to use them on a daily basis in any classroom. This is an activity every teacher in any grade (ideally 4-12) can use to create an environment conducive to authentic learning.

Birdseed is more than a collection of extraordinary quotes and journal prompts. It’s a tool that guides teachers towards transforming the classroom atmosphere and engaging students in an authentic learning process. The brilliant activity shared in this book addresses the social-emotional domain, which allows for a balanced approach to education and genuinely prepares students for success within and well beyond the classroom. Author and veteran teacher Anam Cara Cat understands the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement and offers an innovative strategy to educate, empower, and inspire today’s youth.

The daily activity shared in this book offers a wealth of benefits:
* Smooth transitions into class
* Daily structure
*Strengthens socials skills & fosters character development
* Orients students’ minds for joy and success
* Establishes lines of communication between teacher and students
* Creates a safe and welcoming environment for students
* Strengthens sense of community within the classroom
* Promotes critical thinking and self-awareness
* Encourages reluctant writers
* Ideal for primary, middle, and high school settings

More than a decade of teaching has allowed me to recognize the greatest epidemic plaguing today’s youth. No, it’s not drugs. It’s not risky sex. It’s not violence… It’s sadness. So many of our kids are depressed, hopeless, and lack all sense of purpose. They don’t realize (because many adults don’t realize) that happiness is a life skill that can be learned, not an inherent trait that is fortuitously embodied by the lucky few. Neuroscientists and psychologists know that the brain can be rewired to operate from an optimistic, healthy, and proactive paradigm. Our kids should know this too. As parents and teachers, we must prioritize teaching Happiness above all else because it’s the foundation, and ultimately the springboard, for any definition of success. Inside this book, you’ll also find a unit outline for teaching happiness.