Greetings!

• Safety: Allow enough space to move freely and minimize collisions. Determine boundaries that are a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
• Ensure equipment and materials are properly cleaned. 
• Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from the Teacher's Guide.
• Be prepared to demonstrate mindful greetings and mindful responses.
• Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.

Begin with a fitBoost.

Say: We are going to play a game of “mingle” to help us practice ways to mindfully greet one another. (Be sure to demonstrate the desired student interaction before all students participate.) I will play music and you are to stand up and walk or move around without bumping into one another. If you move near another person, look at them and smile.

When the music stops, find someone near you and point a foot together. Greet your partner in one of the following ways:

1.  Smile, say “Hello, my name is______.” 
2.  Wave at the person and say “hello” in English or another language. 
3.  Hello _____ (person's name), then high-five hand slap, elbow bump, or fist bump. You may opt for touchless greetings such as a wave, smile, wink, head nod, or foot tap.
4.  Class or teacher’s choice (handshake, fist-bump, hug, or touchless greeting).

The partner responds with greeting of their choice from the same options. (Smile then return the greeting.)

Each time I start the music, mingle and find a new partner to greet. (Repeat as time allows, then have partners sit as you transition to the Educate section.)

Being mindful about the way you greet one another creates positive feelings about self and others. Greetings are always kind. The best greetings are those that are mindful, meaning you pause and focus your attention on the person you are greeting. 

The most important thing to know is that mindful greetings help to build healthy and rewarding friendships!

Today we are going to play a game called “Greetings Tag” to practice mindful ways to greet one another.

1. The goal of this game is for a player to greet someone at least once as they move from one side of the play area to the other. More than one greeting is even better!
   
   
2. Choose 4-6 volunteers to be taggers. More taggers are necessary than in most tag games to facilitate mindful greeting. Taggers stand in the middle of the play area holding a pool noodle for tagging. Remind taggers of safety practices: look ahead while moving, tag gently, tag below the neck, and be careful not to run into "frozen" players.
   
   
3. Players stand at the start line and attempt to cross to the other side without being tagged.
   
   
4. When a player is tagged, they must freeze with his or her arms and legs wide (like a star) until another player stops to mindfully greet them. Players cannot be tagged if they have stopped to greet another player!
   
   
5. Before the tagged player can move, he or she must respond to the greeting mindfully. Review/practice greetings such as:
   
   

• Smile, then say, "Hello, my name is______."
• Wave at the person and say “hello” in English or another language. 
• Hello _____ (person's name), then high-five hand slap, elbow bump, or fist bump.
• Class/teacher’s choice.

6. To begin play, announce a teacher selected movement for players to use as they move across one side of the activity area to the other.
   
   
7. When players reach the opposite side of the play area, they go down the sideline and return to start. They may go fast or slow (teacher's choice!), as long as they keep moving forward. 
   
   
8. After 1 to 3 minutes of play, assign new taggers and locomotor movements. 

1. Partner learners.
   
   
2. Select a fitFlow card and complete poses.
   
   
3. While stretching, ask learners to reflect on the game:
   
   Q: How did it feel to mindfully greet your friends?   
   A: How did it feel when a friend greeted you?  
   
   
4. Assess understanding with the following questions:
   
   Q: What was our lesson about today?
   A: Being mindful about greeting others.
   
   Q: What makes a greeting mindful?
   A: Mindful greetings are kind. You pause and pay attention to the person you are greeting.
   
   Q: How do you receive a mindful greeting?
   A: Look at the person. Smile and return the greeting.
   
   
5. Use the Assessment Rubric (see Teacher's Guide) as a checklist to assess understanding, skill development, and personal responsibility.

Share an example of how to mindfully greet another person.