Breakfast Club Blog
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is a curated space where bloggers from around the world contribute content on a continual basis about a variety of topics relevant to in and out-of-school time. The BOOST Breakfast Club blog is at the heart of an ongoing dialogue where expanded learning and education professionals share their personal thoughts and stories from the in and out-of-school time field. They also tell us what they ate for breakfast!
The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is Brain Food for In and Out-of-School Time Leaders!
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Celebrate the Next Landing on Mars!
You’re invited to join the celebration of the landing of Mars Perseverance Rover on February 18, 2021. Participate in the “Mars Student Challenge” with hands-on STEM enrichment activities for the weeks leading up to the landing that can be done by students at home using everyday materials (such as Make a Cardboard Rover), activities that can be done as virtual demonstrations (such as Make a Moon Crater – Perseverance will be landing in Jezero Crater), and fun short videos that explain key ...Read More
Creating a culture of vulnerability and fostering creativity in education
For the most part, education is designed to meet academic demands, which does not always support the development of emotional intelligence of our children. When we as educators and parents put too much emphasis on academic abilities, we may create a culture of shame. Frequent comments about children’s academic performance and measuring their worth in grades often leads to shaming and making them feel that they are not good enough. So how do we motivate our children to learn without creating a cu...Read More
5 Move and Groove Breaks for the New Year
Are you ready to add some movement and joy to your trainings and meetings this year? If so, this short article is for you. As programming and conferences have shifted to virtual formats, many of us are spending a lot more time in front of our screens. In the digital world, it can be extra challenging to feel connected and engaged. So, how can we create impactful learning experiences while also working towards daily physical activity goals? Add a “move and groove” physical activity break to your ...Read More
Your wait time from this point is…
I feel like if 2020 were a ride at Disneyland, it would be Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. There have been hairpin turns, bumps, jolts, and long wait lines. But now, as we move towards the new year, it looks like we can hop off and jump on a new ride. A ride that’s a bit brighter, a ride that has just as long of a line, and may involve a little prick of our skin – not in Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, but a COVID-19 vaccine. The news has been full of reports regarding the trials, approvals, and shipping ...Read More
Playing in the Leaves
I cried after watching a commercial last night. No, it wasn’t a commercial with babies in tires, or one about a service member who makes it home in time for the holidays, or even a Hallmark movie special. It was a Toys’R’Us commercial. A group of kids were going on a field trip to the forest. While on the bus the guide tells the rather disinterested group that instead they are going to Toys’R’Us- the bus goes wild! Granted if I was being driven to jury duty and the ...Read More
8 Tips for Breaking the Worry Cycle
Our minds are incredibly powerful. They have the ability to help us create amazing things; or, they can undermine us. The perfect example is worrying. We’ve all experienced worry — it’s a natural human phenomenon. Worry happens when we have thoughts or emotions about a potential threat or problem in the future — something going wrong or something bad happening. Worry can serve a purpose if we use it to help us identify issues that we can get prepared for. However, it can be detriment...Read More
On the Frontlines of Pandemic Education
While many schools cannot provide in-person classes, afterschool programs are delivering in-person enrichment on school campuses – and all is not quiet on the education front. The coronavirus pandemic continues to have devastating effects across the world and has become a divisive political issue in the United States. This virus has laid bare our society’s injustices, including inequity in public education. Distance learning has potential, and I hope we figure it out. In the meantime, stud...Read More
Remember to THINK
This post originally appeared on the Breakfast Club Blog on November 22, 2013. This year, I had an opportunity to help my sister set up her sixth grade classroom. Outside the door, she had the following poster: T: Is it True? H: Is it Helpful? I: Is it Inspiring? N: Is it Necessary? K: Is it Kind? Although educators, whether they work during in or out-of-school time hours, have many of these mantras in their classrooms, this one struck me as special. It not only encourages students to THINK, but...Read More
Processing Social Issues Through Art-Making
This piece originally appeared on the Breakfast Club Blog on January 23, 2015. The news is often overwhelming with images of violence, objectification, and families left stunned and mourning over great loss. The need for social justice is not new. But to high school students who are just coming to understand the repetitive nature of the news…and just how nasty things in this world can be…it is new. It seems that at this tender age, high school students are beginning to identify what ...Read More
How A CEO Integrates Leadership and Sports Everyday
How do you use leadership and life skills when you are coaching your athletes at Sportika? As if we didn’t know it, sports skills, activities, and philosophies transcend into real-life applications. Some of the transferable activities that are easy to share with our student-athletes are: keeping your eye on the ball, that’s focus. The passing of a ball, that is communication. And making an assist, that is support. All of these are leadership skills. Maintaining focus Communication with tea...Read More
5 Stress Management Techniques for Educators
The impact of yoga and mindfulness for children has become a topic of research and discussion. The findings in many studies are that yoga supports children with focus, concentration, self-regulation, and coping with stress. Children and adolescents are faced with more stressors than ever before such as the pressures of standardized tests, social relationships and peer pressures, less time for physical activity, more time in front of technology devices (which can agitate the nervous system), and ...Read More
Enhancing SEO in the After School Space
The purpose of student engagement and outreach (SEO) is to provide holistic student-centered programs and services that enhance student life. Creating lasting memories through community engagement, connection building, and creative exploration is what after school is all about! Strong attendance with engaged students are signs of a successful after school program. It means that your program is inclusive, interesting, and valuable for children and parents alike. On the other hand, a lack of solid...Read More