Better than Bieber!

     He sings. He dances. He makes all the girls swoon. Fans all over the world sit on the edge of their seats waiting for the release of his newest video.  He's all the rage and is stalked online by groupies of all ages.

     Justin? No, Dustin - Dustin Smith, that is. Also known as the Teacher Tipster, Mr. Smith is a favorite of teachers everywhere and he's an absolute genius.  If you've watched his videos, you know that his love of teaching is genuine and he does an amazing job at combining learning and humor, while still showing a clear respect for his students.  In a nutshell, watching him makes you want to become a better teacher, and using his tips helps you get there.  If you haven't discovered him yet, check him out here.

     I've used a bunch of Mr. Smith's tips in my classroom, and I have a few more ready to go for the new year.  If you've read my recent posts, you know that I plan to really focus on the teaching and reteaching of behavioral expectations in the beginning of the year.  To help with this, I can't wait to use Dustin's lesson on teaching self-control using bubbles. First, he blows some bubbles and, as expected, the kids all pop them.  Then, he challenges them to NOT pop the bubbles even if one lands on the tip of their nose. As he says, "Do they want to pop them? Yes- big time. But are they going to pop them? No way." This is such a great way to introduce the concept of self control and launch a discussion about stopping to think before you act. Dustin refers to it as a "bullet" in your year that you can refer back to again and again. "Think about that time when we didn't pop the bubbles..." Genius!  Check it out -

     So, I bought myself a jumbo bottle of bubbles at my favorite place - the Dollar Tree - and made a cute little label to make it an official bottle of "Self Control Bubbles."

     I plan to do the mini-lesson during the first week of school and then have the bottle handy to use as needed throughout the year. I love the idea of having a concrete, visual cue to remind the kids of the concept of self-control.  If you'd like to use the label to make your own official bottle, you can grab a copy down below the picture. (Just pick up a jumbo 32 oz. bottle of bubbles - Dollar Tree has still has piles of them!)

You can grab the label here

     A big thanks to the Teacher Tipster for sharing his ideas, strategies and humor with teachers everywhere. You are truly an inspiration and greatly appreciated. Bieber's got nothing on you, Dustin!

Have a great night, everyone!