Hello Gardeners! Yesterday, we aired the 4th episode of season 2, where #GardenerAnna and #GardenerAidan talked about the history of art, mentioned some notable artists, and then created small paintings using natural materials with #GardenerDevin, the co-founder of Piece. - an online art gallery. Devin showed them various ways to use items from nature to create an image. These paintings can be found on findyourpiece.net or click the images below! When you purchase one of their paintings, 100% of the proceeds go to a charity of the gardeners' choice! We love #GardenerAnna's use of color & texture! And we love #GardenerAidan's unique lines! If you'd like to do this craft at your school or at home, click the image to see how it's done! It was so fun watching the gardeners get creative and express themselves, and we are so proud that they are taking this opportunity to donate to their favorite charities. #GardenerAnna will be donating to Heartworks and #GardenerAidan will be donating to St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. Check out these awesome organizations and then head to Piece. to purchase these one-of-a-kind paintings! Did you miss episode 4? Watch below! Thanks for tuning in, gardeners! And as always, remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Today, we are talking about responsibility and how it can help us gain more confidence, teach good work ethic, and allow us to see the value in helping. We all juggle lots of responsibilities - making it to our bus stop on time, finishing homework, walking our dogs, cleaning up our bedrooms, etc. And while some of our responsibilities might not be fun, those experiences help you become a well-rounded person. Let's dissect one responsibility many of us have: After dinner, help clear the dishes. This small job teaches us that because we all contributed to eating the meal, it's everyone's job to help clean up! Small tasks and jobs like this are valuable learning experiences and by practicing them at home and at school, those lessons stick with us through adulthood. Giving students responsibilities can help them develop and display their skills. If you see that one of your students has a knack for public speaking, maybe you let him or her take attendance, if you see a student who likes to doodle, have them Start small - at home divvy up tasks, someone is in charge of bringing in the mail, someone is in charge of setting the table, someone is in charge of wiping down the table, etc. Responsibilities like this help teach kids manners and maturity. At school, ask different students to fill different role to try to teach them skills - line leaders, escorting another classmate to the nurse, clearing supplies after an activity, etc. Want to add a fun spin? Create interactive & engaging ways to designate tasks to your students each week! Here are some design ideas: From left to right, 2nd grade teacher Theresa @truelifeimateacher, Life as Mama, Katy from Stickers and Staples. Thanks for reading along today #Gardeners! What are some of your favorite responsibilities? Send them to flowers@youareagardener.com, tag us @youareagardener, or comment below! As always, continue to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! We've all been there - it's the first day of school or the first day of a new after school club and your teachers asks you and your classmates to do an icebreaker. Icebreakers, in theory, are a great way to get to know your classmates and allow everyone to get comfortable with each other. Sometimes though, they seem to force students to share overly personal information or they don't produce responses that actually help students get to know one another. A truly effective icebreaker should encourage easy conversation without forcing your students to take a social risk! 1. Would you rather...? Ask questions that help you get to know a person, rather than out-of-this-world, make believe questions. Try questions like, "Would you rather be outdoors or indoors?", "Would you rather live in the city or in the country?", "Would you rather go to a concert or sporting event?" Asking your classmates these sorts of questions actually help you get to know their ideal environment and may lead to deeper conversation. 2. Gather in groups Ask students to gather in groups that share similarities - gather with people who are wearing similar shoes, gather with the people who have the same color eyes, gather with people who share your favorite color. This shows your students that no matter how different we are, we all share similarities! 3. Combo Creating Fold a paper into thirds vertically and have 3 students collaborate on one image! It's a fun way to introduce your students to one another and they can laugh and connect over the results. What are your favorite icebreakers? Let us know in the comments below! 👇👇👇

Hello Educators! As the people working at the forefront of education, often your students, your school, and your community take up most of your time and energy. Between lesson planning, grading, after school meetings, and in-service workshops, there is only so much time left for you! A lot is demanded of you and it can feel like if you don’t give 150% all the time, you are letting down your students. But how can you effectively educate if you aren’t keeping yourself healthy and well? Just like your students, you have weeds too and it’s important you water the flowers rather than the weeds. Here are a few tips to staying healthy! 1. Say NO once in a while! If you feel like you already have a full plate, say no to taking on new responsibilities! You need to have a life outside of your work - you need to have the option to take that weekend trip or that nighttime yoga class. 2. Take advantage of your mental health days If you are feeling a little burned out, take the day! That’s what they are there for. Use that day to do something fun or something just for you. You’ll return the next day feeling refreshed and much more prepared to teach! 3. SLEEP! You’ve seen how too little sleep affects your students, do yourself a favor and get at least 6 hours of sleep. 4. Exercise & practice mindfulness We all make excuses of why we can’t make time to do this, but exercise & mindfulness have such a huge impact on our mood and mental health. Take 5 minutes to meditate in the morning or before school, run for 10 minutes, walk to work - every little bit helps! 5. Journal There are always those co-workers that are troublesome, frustrating administrative red tape, and students that require extra attention. Vent in a journal, write about your concerns and job complications - do what you need to do to keep the negativity away! 6. Find a hobby that is totally separate from school Photography, hiking, pilates, baking, woodworking - whatever you need to do to get a little space from school! These are just a handful of the many self-care activities you can do to relieve stress, maintain positive mental health, and prevent job burn-out. Make time for YOU in your schedule - you deserve it!! Always remember to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Each and every one of us has comfort zones - lines of comfort that we try to stay inside, because venturing outside is too scary. And while respecting your boundaries is important, living forever inside your comfort zone can actually continue to feed your existing anxieties and prevent you from growing. How do you continue to expand your comfort zone? Start small! Try something new or something that even makes you a little nervous. You'll probably find that once you've done it, it was easier than your thought or that you had the tools to do it all along. You may ask yourself, "I thought it was important to say 'no' or 'stop' when something makes you afraid?" Let's be clear, we are not asking you to put yourself in scary and unsafe situations. Conquering fears gives us confidence and reminds us that we can do a lot more than we think we can. Chip away at your fears - if you are afraid to ask a classmate to play, start with just saying hi! 🌱 🌱 🌱 Do you need help expanding your comfort zone? #GardenerAnna, #GardenerAidan, and the rest of the #GardeningTeam can help! You can always email us with your weeds and we would be happy to help brainstorm some solutions. Email us at flowers@youareagardener.com or tag @youareagardener - we can't wait to hear from you!

Hello Gardeners! We've talked a little about art therapy previously on the blog. "Art therapy is a therapeutic technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being" (Verywell Mind). Art has this incredible power of making us emotionally responsive and when we view art we like, it makes us feel something! Actually making art has the ability to decrease stress, help one communicate one's feelings, encourage reflection, and gain personal insight. You may wonder, what's the difference between a regular art activity and a therapeutic art activity? All art can be - and typically is - therapeutic for the maker. But as an educator, you can shape the lesson to focus on different things. For example, you can ask your students to draw a response to music - have them listen to a song and paint or draw what that song makes them think about or feel. You can ask them to reflect on what emotions colors convey or how different types of brushstrokes make unique statements. It's all in how you F R A M E it! Here is a fun art therapy activity that makes BEAUTIFUL results! 🎨 Painting With Nature 🎨 Using paintbrushes made with natural materials. Take your students outside to collect leaves, rocks, sticks, grass, flowers, etc. Encourage them to think about how they will use the objects they pick up. Once back in the classroom, lay out paints, collected materials, and sturdy paper. Now have them experiment with all of the different ways they can make marks on their papers. Instead of just stamping or brushing with the objects, have them try rolling, scraping, twisting. Do you have any art therapy activities? We would love to hear about the response from your students! Drop us a line or share their work at flowers@youareagardener.com or tag @youareagardener - and as always, #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Our lives are so full of activities, hobbies, responsibilities, and other time consuming things. Taking time to relax and unwind can not only decrease stress & anxiety, but it can improve your mood, clear your head, and allow you to enjoy more of the activities you do. Sometimes, we even find ourselves so overwhelmed and antsy, that it is essential to take a minute to calm down. Whether it's because of a big test, something that's causing us stress at home, a fight with a friend that has us worked up, or something else - there are so many techniques we can use or offer to fellow gardeners in distress to help them calm down. Meditate We can all benefit from taking a few minutes to focus on our breath and release some tension. Try one of our mindfulness techniques here, or find a short guided meditation online! Do a 5-minute freestyle If you notice a handful of your students getting antsy take 5 minutes to have a freestyle dance party. Combining the element of surprise with getting everyone up and moving will help your students get the ants out of their pants and focus once they sit back down. Create a calm corner Dedicate a corner of you home or classroom to relaxation. Maybe use a tent or cover of some sort to dim the lighting, provide lots of pillows and comforting objects, some water, some paper for doodling, or books to read. If you notice a child in your class acting up - offer them a few minutes in the calm corner to recharge. Create a shower fizzer Watch Leah, owner of Homemade Happiness by Leah, and the gardeners make therapeutic shower fizzers! Start at 3:12! Take a walk outside Sometimes we just need a few minutes of fresh air and a change of scenery to change our mood. Walking gets our blood pumping and increases our heart rate which helps relieve stress as well! Do some #GardenerYoga! Watch #GardenerAnna demonstrate some stress-relieving poses. There are so many things you can do to get your heart pumping, clear your head, and change your mood. Be sure to check out our previous blog post "Get Moving!" for a quick and easy workout that you can also do in your classroom! We have so much beneficial information in our blogs, we encourage you to take a look through our past posts. You can find crafts, recipes, and techniques that are perfect for home and school! Thanks for tuning in gardeners and remember, #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Parents & Guardians ! Often times, it's the people with whom we spend the most time, that help us form our healthy habits - for our kids, that's us! If we want them to develop self-regulation skills, the ability to manage stress & anxiety, and a positive outlook, sometimes the best way to help them do that is to show them we are working on that too. Today we are going to look at a few simple #MindfulnessTechniques that set the right example, help YOU pull some of your own weeds, and allow you to spend quality time with your kids! 1. Close listening Play a song that both you and your child have never heard before - any genre! Allow yourself to really settle into the music, let go of any judgement you may have of the song, try to isolate the vocals and various instruments, and just listen. 2. Mindfulness through observation Pick something to observe - inspect every inch of the object, its form, color, texture. By taking a minute to observe the minutia, we bring ourselves back to the present moment and take the time to notice & appreciate our surroundings. Share what you observed with your child and vice versa. 3. Tense & release Before bed, take a few minutes to work your way up your body starting with your toes. Squeeze the muscles in your feet & toes for 5 seconds, then release. Move up to your calf muscles and so on, all the way up to your face. It's a great way for both you and your child to relax before bedtime which promotes better sleep! 4. Focus on heart rate and breathing If you see your child getting frustrated with homework, a school project, or some other activity, have them jump up and move around for a minute or so - jumping jacks, dancing, running around the backyard, hula hooping. After that minute of movement, place your hand on your heart and observe how your heart rate has changed. This exercise redirects focus and increases energy & motivation. Taking just a few minutes to work on mindfulness with your child every day has so many benefits! Not only is it an activity you can do with them, but it will translate to decreased stress, better emotional regulation, and easier management of anxiety for BOTH of you. So give it a try and let us know your favorite techniques! As always, no matter your age, don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Today we are going to take a closer look at therapists - who they are and what they do. A therapist is someone who helps you improve your overall mental health, but can also help you sort through problematic behaviors or personal relationships, work on self-esteem and confidence, and even move forward from trauma experiences. ----------------------------- Think of a therapist as your gardening assistant. ----------------------------- Sometimes our gardens are just a little too overwhelming for us to manage on our own. It's nice to have a someone to help sort through things, remind us to water our flowers, and help us pull our weeds. Also, don't underestimate the power of talking to a great listener! Therapy helps us do and conquer lots of different things, but arguable one of the more important outcomes is to have the ability to communicate about how you are feeling and why. Opening up and being vulnerable is really difficult no matter what age you are! So all you gardeners out there working with a "Gardening Assistant" - be proud! Your ability to ask for help and work on your mental health shows so much growth and emotional maturity - because let's be honest, each and every one of us could benefit from having someone to help us sort through the pots and planters cluttering up our sheds, pull the weeds that crowd our gardens, and appreciate the flowers we are given every day. Thank you to all of the wonderful, helpful therapists out there - you truly are spreading seeds of honest & open communication! Some of the best seeds out there, if you ask us 😉. And to all you gardeners out there, never feel ashamed of the work you do to be your best self, and as always, continue to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! In our very first episode of Hello Gardeners, we received a weed from Alexandra that said: We hear about this a lot - classmates invading personal space, annoying us by touching us, or getting in our faces. Understanding the value of personal space is a lesson that everyone learns on their own time, but it is an essential lesson to learn nonetheless. We all have different boundaries - some of us show affection and friendship through holding hands or giving piggy-backs, while others don’t really like being touched. Until we understand our friends’ boundaries, it’s important we ask permission when we want to get in his or her personal space and respect their decision whether it's “yes” or “no”. What does permission look like? Well, it can be as simple as asking, “can I hold your hand?” or “can you give me a piggy-back ride” - rather than just grabbing someone’s hand or jumping on their back. If someone is invading your space and you don’t like it, you can always say “I don’t want to” or “no, I don’t like doing that”. ------------ ------------ Learning to respect other peoples’ boundaries is just as important as learning to respect your own! ------------ ------------ ----------- As an educator, you can always offer your students alternative actions - for example you could say, “It looks like Chris doesn’t want a hug right now, how about you wave good-bye instead?” Or, “Alexandra doesn’t like it when you bump into her - would you mind giving her a little more space and saying ‘excuse me’ when you want to get past her?” Another great way to plant the seed of permission, is with “Morning Greetings”. Many of us have seen these videos - teachers place signs outside their doors that say wave, fist bump, high-five, dance, hug, etc. Have the students line up outside your classroom door and pick a greeting. The kids then get to choose how they want to engage with you - some days they may want to hug, other days they may want to wave. Here is an example of Morning Greetings if you haven't seen it! Teaching our young gardeners these lessons now will not only help them respect others more, communicate more clearly, and avoid misunderstandings when they are older, but it will also allow them to understand their own boundaries! 👈👈👈 Feel free to use these signs to start your own morning greetings! We would love to see your Morning Greetings! Send them to us at flowers@youareagardener.com or tag @youareagardener. Don't forget to #PullYourWeeds!

🌱🌺 Hello Gardeners 🌺🌱 Self-portraits can reveal so much about how we see ourselves. Do you draw yourself using the majority of the paper, with a big smile, in a pleasant setting? Having your students draw #SelfPortraits is a lesson in #ArtTherapy. Art therapy is the practice of using art to express and understand one's feelings. Using art therapy techniques in the classroom can be extremely beneficial not only for checking in with your students, but also providing them another route for reflection and expression. Assign your students the task of drawing their self-portrait. Don't provide them with mirrors or photos of themselves, but encourage them to spend time reflecting on how they carry themselves, highlighting their best qualities, incorporating the emotions they feel currently, maybe asking them to draw themselves in a specific environment. These self-portraits are not for grading, but review them! Take note of the students who may need to gain more confidence or the ones who really responded to this prompt! Repeat this activity and see how your students' confidence, self-awareness, and outlook shift throughout the year! Give it a try! While it may not engage every student, it's at the very least 10 minutes of structured, quiet time and just another way to #PullYourWeeds!

Hello Gardeners! Gym class and recess aren’t just great opportunities to get fresh air, some exercise, and take a much needed break from academic learning. As we’ve said before, exercise can do wonders for decreasing stress, clearing the mind, and getting the endorphins flowing - but PE, recess, and team sports also organically foster social and emotional learning (SEL). Let’s take a closer look! Team activities and games require focus & observation, teamwork, emotional regulation, and the ability to overcome obstacles - all key elements to developing social & emotional literacy. Focus & Observation Individuals are required to take a step back and look at the whole scene - where their teammates are and where they should be in relation to their teammates, what strategy can be used based on what's going on, etc. Teamwork As the saying goes, “there’s no I in team!” We learn to share space, take turns, and work together to succeed! Emotional Regulation We practice this every time something doesn’t go our way in a game or as a way to shake those pregame jitters. It’s that moment when we remember it’s just a game, it’s supposed to be fun, and that sometimes we win and sometimes we lose! Ability to Overcome Obstacles With games and sports, we don’t become pros overnight! When our goals aren’t met, we focus, practice a little harder, and try again. Gym class, recess, and team sports are sort of like invisible learning time. When we are playing games and running around, it just feels like fun, but we are still absorbing so many lessons and developing major skills socially and emotionally. Doesn't matter if you are a science teacher, PE teacher, recess monitor, or coach - we can always plant new seeds to make our gardeners flourish! There is still time to book You Are A Gardener™ for you students or teachers this Fall & Winter! Shoot us an email at flowers@youareagardener.com to book now!