1. CREATIVE WRITING Lesson 23

2. Welcome to 4 th quarter… the most stressful one of all! I’m sorry I couldn’t be here today with you but I am sending you this lesson full of helpful tips and strategies for succeeding this term! First, you will be completing a warm-up writing. Just follow the slide, you know what to do!

3. Warm up writing Describe your ideal Spring Break. Where would you go? What would you do? Who would you be with? 5 minutes – silent, continuous writing Learning Log Get a new learning log from the shelf at the front…

4. Because I have seen a whole lot of 4 th quarters, I know that this is the most stressful one of the year. For that reason, I have designed today’s lesson to be helpful. Writing can be therapeutic and a good way to process your thoughts. First, you are going to watch a couple of short videos I have chosen about mindfulness and meditation. The first video is a TED talk from a very interesting guy. He even juggles! The second video is about a middle school who uses daily mindfulness to help all their students. I really hope you like the videos as much as I do!

5. Meditation All it takes is 10 mindful minutes -Andy Puddicombe TED What does Mindfulness mean to you? Write your thoughts in your notebook. Take 5 mindful minutes… What does Mindfulness mean to you? Write your thoughts in your notebook. Take 5 mindful minutes… Benefits of meditation at a San Francisco middle school Video #1 Video #2

6. The Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation Meditation apps for teens I recommend: Stop, Breathe, and Think Smiling Mind Insight Meditation Timer Look at all the benefits of meditation! It can be only 5 minutes you spend a day but the benefits last much longer. During this super stressful 4 th quarter – why not try this strategy out for being less anxious and worried and more focused and energized? Still not sure? Click this link… Create in your notebook a plan for how you will survive 4 th term peacefully and successfully. Outline what you will do (stop, start, change) this term. Including why is a bonus!

7. Learning Log Fill in the sections you have not yet done. Be very thoughtful about what you have written today and let your entries reflect what you have done.

8. Let’s meditate! Depending on the time remaining, you will be participating in a 5 or a 10 minute meditation. You may stay seated on your chair, scooted away from the table, or you may sit on the floor. Be mindful of others and remain quiet and still. I hope that you will feel refocused and energized before heading out your next class. Though I will not be here today for the new Monday Mindfulness intervention, the sub will be filling in for me with a relaxing activity. Click for website Do #2 or #3 depending on time remaining.

9. If you actually have a lot of time left in class, use the next slide’s activities.

10. 2-minute mystery stories Pick up a story (front shelf, in magazine boxes) Read it Try to come up with a solution Write your thoughts in your notebook along with the number of the story. Exchange your story for another story Continue until you have read 5-8 stories. Now write your own 2-minute mystery story. It needs to be able to be read in about 2 minutes. It needs to be solvable. It needs to have the solution written as well.