Social Emotional Learning

15+ Executive Functioning Strategies Every Teacher Can Use

October 13, 2019 by pathway2success 2 Comments

Over 15 strategies for executive functioning that all educators and teachers can use to help struggling students. Whether kids are having difficulty with attention, organization, self-control, or flexibility, these ideas and printable resources will help kids and teens find success in the classroom! #executivefunctioning #pathway2success

Many kids and young adults struggle with executive functioning challenges. Some are easy to spot, such as when a student can’t focus on a lesson or comes to class without their entire binder. Other EF challenges are less obvious, though. A learner might take two times as long on homework because they don’t understand strategies to help them complete it quicker. Another student might look like they are paying attention, but may not be absorbing the content. For more of an in-depth explanation on these skills, be sure to check out my post on executive functioning skills explained.

Kids and young adults only have so much mental energy they can use at one time (we all do, right?). For kids who struggle with basic EF skills, like organization, planning, and time management, we want to reduce any wasted mental energy. This can help our learners focus on the more important things, including learning the content and practicing the skills.

Here are some simple steps that every educator can take to help all learners develop executive functioning success in the classroom:

#1 Develop, teach, and practice routines. Consistency is a huge key to student success. That’s true for all learners, but especially kids and young adults with EF deficits. Make everything a routine. Turning in homework each morning? Routine. Writing homework down at the end of class? Routine. Cleaning out notebooks for a new unit? Routine! It’s important to note that just coming up with a routine for these tasks isn’t really enough. The routines need to be practice and re-practiced throughout the year.

#2 Keep a daily schedule posted. Not only does a daily plan for the day keep educators on track, but it keeps students organized, too. A daily schedule or plan doesn’t need to be “perfect.” It’s okay if it is a rough outline of what you plan to do during the class. A daily schedule or plan keeps students more organized and gives a sneak peak of what is to come. This can help everyone mentally prepare for class and preview expectations.

#3 Write homework in the same spot. Having a designated homework spot means kids and young adults use less mental energy figuring out where their assignment is listed each day. It’s a small step that can make a big difference.

#4 Embed executive functioning instruction in your content. One of the easiest ways to teach EF skills is by discussing them through your content and curriculum. For example, when working on a long-term project, you might talk about organization and time management. Before working on a challenging test, you might highlight strategies to help all learners use flexibility and perseverance. There are so many opportunities. Every teacher can and should be a teacher of executive functioning skills.

#5 Give organization time at the end of class. Kids and young adults with executive functioning challenges are notoriously disorganized. They can certainly learn skills to improve, but they need the time to get there. Dedicate the last few minutes of each class to tidying up, putting papers in the right spots, and making sure homework is written down. While not all kids will need this time, many really do.

#6 Teach skills explicitly. When kids struggle with math or reading, we teach them. The same should be true for skills like organization, self-control, and time management. You don’t need to be an executive function expert to talk about and teach these skills. I have developed a number of EF materials for educators, including executive functioning task cards and an executive functioning workbook. If you’re looking for even more, grab the whole yearlong executive functioning set to get started right away. Even if you are just discussing one skill each week or so, you are moving kids in the right direction.

#7 Give mini-deadlines on long-term projects. Any educator knows that long-term projects can be a major challenge for some students. Mini-deadlines are a simple solution to the problem. If a report is due in two weeks, work to break up the project into sections. Make a date for students to find their sources, create an outline, and write a first draft. Over time, you can train students to create their own mini-deadlines to build independence.

#8 Reduce distractions. It’s important to note that reducing distractions will look different in every classroom. Still, it’s important to be reflective. Art projects hanging from the ceiling might look beautiful, but they may actually be doing more harm than good if they are distracting your learners. Take time to re-assess the visuals and materials in your classroom and reduce any distractions that might be about.

#9 Give time checks. Kids and young adults who struggle with time management often don’t have a strong understanding of time itself. During working sessions, use a chime or just your voice to give time checks for how much longer is left. For example, you might say, “This is a time check. You have about 10 more minutes before we need to clean up the lab stations.” This simple no-prep support is helpful to all kids, but especially to kids with EF challenges.

#10 Keep extra papers stored in a bin. Of course, we want all students to stay organized and keep all of their papers where they need to be. However, kids with EF challenges are likely to lose papers. Give them a way to find an extra paper without having to ask an adult every single time by setting up a bin with extra pages.

#11 Explicitly state when important information is being shared. It would be great if every student perfectly paid attention during all lectures and lessons, but we all know that’s not exactly the case. With this, it’s critical to be very explicit when sharing information that matters the most. You might say, “I’m about to say something really important. Pencils down and eyes on me,” as a cue.

#12 Give breaks. No one can be 100% all of the time. This is especially true for our learners with executive functioning challenges. Their brains are working extra hard to pay attention, stay organized, manage their time, problem-solve, and work through challenges. It’s important to give brain breaks during class, when needed. Individual students may also benefit from breaks, such as getting a drink at the water fountain or having them deliver something to another classroom for you.

#13 Preview changes. For kids and young adults who struggle with flexibility, change can be a huge obstacle. If there is a change of schedule coming up, give students a heads up. Explain what the change is and how the day will proceed. This doesn’t need to take much time, but can help take some of the stress away from the changes coming up.

#14 Stock a classroom office. For some kids, organization comes easy! For others, it is a lifelong struggle. While working on these skills, give the kids the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. Stock a classroom office with pencils, pens, extra paper, and other supplies for kids who need them. It’s important to see this as an intervention and a support, not a way to enable kids. Of course, the goal is to have learners bring their own pencils and come prepared each day. However, an executive functioning deficit shouldn’t impact a child’s ability to learn the math or reading content for the day. While working on EF skills, stock a classroom office so all kids have the tools they need.

#15 Let kids work through challenges. Kids and young adults need the experiences of doing tasks on their own, whether it is struggling through a math problem or learning how to cut out a craft. It’s okay if things aren’t perfect. It’s much more important that kids and young adults develop the confidence that they can do things independently. This also allows for problem-solving, flexibility, and perseverance. Sometimes, they will need help, and it’s important to give that support! But it’s also okay to let them learn through their struggles so they can persevere and succeed.

#16 Play executive functioning skills games during downtime. Sometimes, it is difficult to integrate EF skills into the day with all the content and curriculum that needs to be covered. This is when downtime can be extremely valuable. Use the last few minutes of class to play fun games that actually strengthen EF skills, like Simon Says and Freeze. Some games, like Guard Duty, can even be played while your students are in line on the way to another class. The idea is to have them act like a guard to the palace and use self-control to not react to anything. Read up on more ways you can use play activities to practice executive functioning skills.

#17 Allow for movement in the classroom. Many kids and young adults learn best when they are moving. This can be especially true for kids who struggle with attention and focus. Use center work, stations, and even movement games to allow for extra movement throughout the day while kids are learning the content you need them to.

#18 Be concise. Say what matters the most and keep it short! Kids and young adults who struggle with attention and focus will get lost when directions or information is too wordy. It may also help to have both visual and verbal reminds for the directions for those who need.

If you are interested in teaching executive functioning skills explicitly, I have developed an entire yearlong set of activities for executive functioning skills. It includes everything from workbooks to lessons and crafts to task cards. It is ideal for advisory or the resource room, but I’ve even had general education teachers use it in the first few minutes of class to help teach the skills kids need most.

Also, here are a few more blog posts you might be interested in:

Strategies for Oppositional Kids

October 1, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

The ultimate list for strategies for oppositional defiant kids and young adults! Use these strategies, printables, and ideas to help students who struggle with behavioral challenges in the classroom. These are the students breaking rules, refusing to work, engaging in arguments, and struggling with social skills. Some might be diagnosed with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) and others are not! #pathway2success #oppositionaldefiant #odd

Working with kids and young adults who are oppositional can be challenging. Being oppositional might mean refusing to do work, breaking rules, and engaging in other challenging behaviors. The truth is, many kids can be oppositional from time to time, so many of these strategies work with all learners. With that said, these strategies are truly aimed at learners who are more significantly oppositional and defiant. These are the students who demonstrate challenging behaviors on a regular basis, purposefully do the opposite of what is told, engage in arguments, and might even show aggression.

Whether or not your student is diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, it can be helpful to understand the disorder. Many of the strategies and techniques can be helpful for all kids who are displaying defiant or disruptive behaviors on a regular basis. If you think a child or young adult might have oppositional defiant disorder, it is important to talk it over with a professional in your area.

Simply put, kids and young adults who demonstrate oppositional behaviors are often in need of significant interventions and supports, not punishments. The list below highlights several strategies for before, during, and after challenging behaviors.

Oppositional kids need support! The ultimate list for strategies for oppositional defiant kids and young adults! Use these strategies, printables, and ideas to help students who struggle with behavioral challenges in the classroom. These are the students breaking rules, refusing to work, engaging in arguments, and struggling with social skills. Some might be diagnosed with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) and others are not! #pathway2success #oppositionaldefiant #odd

PROACTIVE STRATEGIES

Build a relationship. Spend time getting to know your student. Look far beyond their challenges and see who they are as an individual. Find ways to build a positive relationship over time.
Start fresh every day. This one is important. Treat every day as a new start. Not only does this help educators move past yesterday’s challenges, but it also teaches the student that it is okay to have a bad day sometimes. Make this one your mantra.

Explicitly discuss expectations. Teach about social expectations using simple words and visuals. Note that just discussing them once isn’t enough. They need to be openly talked about on a regular basis.
Explain your why. When you have a rule or expectation, explain the why behind it. For example, if you want student to turn their work into a specific bin, explain that this is so you don’t end up misplacing their work. It might seem silly, but sometimes just a valid reason is enough to help a student understand and follow along.
Watch your tone. Tone of voice can mean a lot to kids, and especially to kids with oppositional defiant disorder. Notice the way that you say things. “Please take out your homework for today,” is much nicer and calmer than, “Take out your homework right now.” Sometimes, it’s the small things that make a big difference.
Explicitly discuss consequences. Before challenging behaviors happen, make sure to openly discuss what the consequences will be. Together, come up with a list of what some consequences might be in your setting and discuss why they might happen.
Make sure consequences make sense. Logical consequences are always more beneficial than punishments. In the simplest terms, logical consequence are consequences that make sense and aim to repair the problem, rather than simply punish. For example, if a student makes a mess, the consequence might be to clean up. If a student says something mean to someone else, maybe they should do a kind deed or write a letter.
Give choices often. Rather than giving one direction or instruction, give a choice between two or three things. Choice can make a BIG difference! For example, if you want your student to spend time reading, ask them, “Would you rather pick out a novel, read a magazine, or listen to an audiobook?” As an educator, you are still making sure your student is working towards their goals, but you are also giving the student a say in how they get there.

Develop small goals together. Spend time 1:1 with your student and come up with small and manageable SMART goals that the child can work on. It’s important to make the goals short-term and attainable so that they can reach them and feel successful. Keep in mind that sometimes kids with oppositional challenges don’t see that success often. Getting a taste of it can really change their life. Use that momentum to keep pushing the student forward in the right direction.
Be consistent. Kids and young adults thrive on consistency. Make an effort to have the same routines, expectations, and consequences each day. This makes it much easier for learners to understand and follow along with the expectations you set.
Develop routines. The more routines you have for students, the easier it is for everyone. Develop routines for starting group work, turning in homework, writing homework down, lining up, and switching from one subject to another. The more concrete and consistent these routines are, the less behavioral challenges will come up along the way.
Teach strategies for mindfulness. Many kids and young adults don’t know how to put the brakes on when they are upset. Practice mindfulness once or twice a week together to encourage students to develop these skills over time. It is not a skill that develops right away, so lots of practice is necessary. One big positive is that practicing mindfulness in the right way can be fun for kids and young adults.

Mindfulness activities are a great strategy! The ultimate list for strategies for oppositional defiant kids and young adults! Use these strategies, printables, and ideas to help students who struggle with behavioral challenges in the classroom. These are the students breaking rules, refusing to work, engaging in arguments, and struggling with social skills. Some might be diagnosed with ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) and others are not! #pathway2success #oppositionaldefiant #odd

Get all adults on the same page. Consistency from adult to adult is critical. If a student is allowed to run in the hall with one adult but not the other, this can be confusing and even frustrating for the learner. Talk with other professionals, including paraeducators and parents, to try and set similar expectations for the student.
Identify triggers. It’s critical to spend time to think about our students’ emotional triggers. Knowing that group work, doing work in front of the class, or independent work are triggers can help you structure your class in a way to minimize those challenges. Sometimes, it takes structured observations to figure out the triggers. If you struggle with this, consider having another staff member take time to observe the student and notice what situations immediately precede the behaviors.
Develop a calm down area. Not all kids will need a calm down area, but the ones who need it, really need it. A calm down area is just a special spot for students to go and regulate themselves when they are angry or upset. It is a helpful strategy to keep kids in the room, have them practice coping strategies, and get them back to learning quicker.

Give genuine praise. When a learner is doing something positive, privately let them know. Remember to be specific and genuine in your approach. You might say, “I noticed you worked really hard through that test even though it was a little bit frustrating. That was awesome of you and it showed you’re really doing your best. Thank you.”
Provide breaks. Kids with social-emotional needs can’t be at their best all of the time. They need down time. Schedule structured breaks and activities to give some down-time in their day.
Teach coping strategies. So often, kids don’t know how to calm down on their own. They need to be explicitly taught skills that can help them feel calm, safe, and regulated. Most importantly, kids need to learn and practice these skills when they are calm (not when they are upset). That means spending time actually practicing listening to music, writing in a journal, and coloring. Teaching coping strategies is not a waste of time; it’s a life skill. Learn about unique ways to teach coping strategies or grab this free list of coping strategies to get your students started.

Stay organized. Keeping the classroom and schedule organized will keep your learners organized, too. A lack of organization can frequently be a trigger for oppositional kids who need extra structure in their lives.
Give special responsibilities. Help your most oppositional learning develop a greater connection to the school and classroom by allowing them to give back in some way. Assign the student to water the plants each morning, pass papers back, or be in charge of technology. Try to align the classroom responsibilities with their interests, if possible.
Teach social skills. Simply put, if kids aren’t behaving in a socially appropriate way, we need to teach and re-teach those social skills until they can. To support this need, I have developed social skills lessons for elementary kids and social skills lessons for middle and high school students.

Use student interests. One effective way to keep learners engaged is using their personal interests in lessons and activities. Choose read alouds with trains or bikes, if that is what your student loves. Use math problems about dogs, if that is a particular interest.
Avoid power struggles. A power struggle with a student is always a losing battle. Your best defense is using techniques to avoid power struggles in the first place.
Let the little things go. If a student wants to use a pink gel pen to complete their work, let them! If a learner wants to work standing up, why not? Ask yourself if the behavior is interfering with their learning or not. If it isn’t, try to let the little things go!

Learn ways to calm yourself. Dealing with a student’s challenging behaviors can be difficult in the moment, especially if those outbursts are directed specifically at you. Find ways to calm yourself down, such as deep breathing or positive self-talk). The calmer you can be, the better it will be for all your learners.
Integrate strategies for social emotional learning. Kids and young adult who are oppositional often need supports with social and emotional skills. Learn how to you can integrate social emotional learning or start with these free strategies for SEL.

Brainstorm with other professionals. When you are looking for new strategies and solutions, it’s often helpful to talk with other specialists in your school who know the child. Brainstorm with the school counselor, social worker, psychologist, and any other professionals who work with him or her. Brainstorming with a paraeducator who works with the student can also often be very helpful.
Talk with the child’s counselor. If possible, get permission from guardians to talk with the child’s outside counselor. It can help to try and work on some of the same strategies together.
Focus on your own self-care. Working with a student who is oppositional can be extremely stressful for the adults involved. Remember to focus on your own self-care so that you can be the best you for all of your learners. Grab this free educator self-care poster as a reminder.

IN THE MOMENT STRATEGIES

Stay calm. Kids and young adults feed off others’ energy. Make it your mantra to stay calm. Sometimes this might mean acting like you are calm, even when you are not! Having a calm attitude is essential to helping kids and young adults feel safe and protected. Not only does a calm demeanor help students regain calm themselves, but it also models appropriate behaviors for them at the same time.
Be clear and concise with expectations. Give specific and simple directions as to what the student is expected to do. It’s important to watch your tone of voice and say these expectations in a non-emotional way. If a student is refusing to start their work, calmly tell them, “Please complete up to number 10. Thank you.”
Give space. When kids are upset, the last thing they need is an adult talking at them and telling them what to do over and over. So often, they already know but need time to get there. Talking to them can sometimes just create more of an argument. Tell them what you need to tell them, but then walk away. Give them space to get themselves started.

Use de-escalation strategies. De-escalation strategies are the techniques you can use to help calm a situation (or learner) in the moment. Read up on different de-escalation strategies you can use or grab this free de-escalation strategies printable as a reminder.

Avoid taking materials away. While this is a critical de-escalation strategy, I think it’s important enough to mention separately. If a child or young adult is using their phone when they shouldn’t be, never take it out of their hands. If they hand it over to you, that’s one thing. It is never advisable to forcefully take something from a child or young adult, though. This just creates a power struggle and will only incite more anger from the child or young adult. Give the instruction, walk away, or ignore, but never take something physically from a learner.
Use planned ignoring. Behaviors can happen for many different reasons. When the function is to gain attention, planned ignoring goes a long way. Planned ignoring is when you purposefully ignore problematic behaviors in order to stop and extinguish them. For example, if a student is making silly noises to get your attention during independent work time, try ignoring and pretending you don’t hear. The idea is simple: if the purpose is to gain attention, don’t give them attention. It’s important to note that planned ignoring can be difficult. Sometimes, behaviors even get worse before they get better. However, if adults are consistent in ignoring the behaviors, it can be an extremely useful strategy.
Help the child regulate their emotions. When a student is upset, it’s always most important to help them get back on track. Give the student time to regulate their emotions by going to a calm down area, spending a few minutes to themselves, or getting a drink at the water fountain.

Don’t take it personally. This is easier said than done, but it’s important to remind yourself not to take behaviors personally. Kids and young adults with behavioral challenges are struggling. They are acting out in the best way they know how to get the support they need in the moment. Take a deep breath and walk away when you need to.

POST-PROBLEM STRATEGIES

Make sure the child is calm. Before reflecting on an issue, it is critical that the child or young adult is calm first. If a learner is still upset, give them extra time to calm down and chill out before moving forward. Remember that the ultimate goal is helping that student learn from their ups and downs. That is only meaningful when they are truly calm and ready to learn.

Give time for reflection and problem-solving. While challenging behaviors are happening is not the time to learn. Kid and young adults are emotionally overwhelmed at this stage, meaning no learning is taking place. However, after a child is calm is the perfect time to reflect and problem-solve for the future. This is when the new learning is happening. Spend time talking with the student. Be inquisitive about what happened and not accusatory. For example, you might say, “I noticed you had a problem today with ____________. What happened?” and “What could we do moving forward?” Spend some time brainstorming ideas, strategies, and solutions.
Be creative. It is critical to stay open-minded during the problem-solving phase. If a child or young adult gives you an idea, consider it. Not everything will work, and that’s okay. It’s important to allow the child or young adult to be part of the problem-solving process, though. For example, if a student says they think they would do better working while listening to music, consider it. Try it. It’s okay to consider strategies even just a trial. Even if it doesn’t work out, it helps give responsibility to the learner themselves. It also shows that you are fair and willing to try things to help them be successful.
Make a plan together. Sometimes, it’s helpful to write out a specific plan with strategies moving forward. When you do this, it’s important to list strategies that the student will do and strategies that the adults will do. While you don’t always need to write out a plan, having these strategies listed and documented helps in a couple of ways. First, it holds all parties responsible for the strategies. Second, it documents that you are trying new strategies. This can be important in the future, so that if it works, you can continue (and if it doesn’t, you can just try something else!). If necessary, you might also consider developing an entire behavior intervention plan.

Give strategies time to work. Not every strategy is going to work perfectly right away. Give them a few times and days before determining if they are effective or not.
Help makeup for mistakes. Teaching kids and young adults how to make up for their mistakes is important. It’s also important that they don’t feel they are thrown into this alone. Help them through it. For example, if a student said something mean to someone else, help them write an apology note to their friend. If a student made a mess in another teacher’s classroom, help them find a time to go in and tidy or clean the room to give back. Not only will this help fix the damage, but it teaches a critical life skill.
Apologize when you mess up. Sometimes, in the moment, we all make mistakes. After some reflection time, if you think you’ve made a mistake, own up to it and privately apologize to the student. This often goes a long way with kids who are oppositional. A genuine apology can help mend relationships and help the student see that the world can sometimes be a fair place.

Forgive and move on. Remember that every day is a fresh start. Once an incident is over, do your best to forgive the student and move on. Kids (even big kids) are still kids who are learning and growing.
Don’t give up. No matter what, never give up on your learners. Even the kids who are oppositional and challenging need all of your support, encouragement, and love. Tell them you won’t give up with your words and show them with your unconditional support.

Social and Emotional Skills Are More Important Than Academics

September 15, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

It’s true. I said it. Social and emotional skills are actually more important than academic skills. Of course, academics matter. But the truth is that social and emotional skills are actually a prerequisite to success in the classroom (and outside of the classroom, too). Skills like empathy, self-awareness, managing emotions, and decision-making are some of the most important skills kids and young adults need to learn.

Of course, all educators want students to be academically successful. We want our learners to read well, excel at math, have a strong knowledge of history, understand the world of science, and so much more. There are some strong reasons why social and emotional skills need to come first, though.

Sometimes, in our data-driven and test-focused world, educators are encouraged (and even pushed) to make sure academics are the sole focus in the classroom. It might feel like there isn’t enough time for social emotional learning because we want academic achievement to take center stage.

This mindset is backwards, though. That’s because social and emotional skills are actually foundational for academic success.

If we want our learners to excel academically, we need to pave the way for them to excel socially and emotionally, first. It’s important to make time for teaching and integrating skills like empathy, conflict resolution, and decision-making into the classroom.

Here are some reasons to consider why social and emotional skills are actually more important than academics:

Learners need SEL skills to work with others. There are an endless amount of social expectations in the classroom. When students work with classmates, they have to get along with others, read social cues, communicate effectively, perspective-take, and use conflict resolution strategies during disagreements. If students struggle with these skills, it can often be a huge roadblock to their success, even sometimes creating behavioral challenges that get in the way of others’ instruction. Of course, those skills listed are all social and emotional skills that can be taught and practiced throughout the year.

Learners need SEL skills for academic instruction and work. During class instruction and schoolwork, learners are expected to stay organized, start work right away, manage time well, plan for assignments, use effective study strategies, and persevere through challenges. These are all examples of self-management skills that can be taught and strengthened through social and emotional learning practices.

Students need to know how to effectively manage their emotions. On a day-to-day basis, kids and young adults go through a roller coaster of emotions. We all do. Those with strong self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and coping strategies can deal with those ups and downs in more effective ways to allow for success in and outside of the classroom. For example, if a student constructive criticism on a project they are working on, rather than shutting down or refusing to work, they might reflect, take some deep breaths, and make a plan to move forward. These emotional management skills are a core element of social and emotional learning, as well as critical needs for academic success.

Social emotional learning supports academic growth. A meta-analysis research study completed in 2011 showed that students who participated in SEL programs demonstrated significant improvement in academic performance over those who didn’t. Simply put, academic skills are strengthened by integrating social and emotional learning.

Without social and emotional skills, even the strongest academic skills won’t be enough. It doesn’t take a research study to show that people struggle when they don’t have strong social skills. As humans, we need to know how to get along with others, perspective-take, and problem-solve. In the workplace, we need to know how to stay organized, do our fair share of the work, and meet deadlines. Without these skills, even the brightest and most academically gifted learners will have bumps in the road.

Luckily, it is not an either-or situation. As educators, we can teach social and emotional skills while teaching solid academics at the very same time. There is room for both. And when there is not enough room for social emotional learning, we need to make the time for it. It’s that important.

If you are interested in teaching SEL, but aren’t sure where to start, I developed a complete yearlong curriculum for elementary learners and a complete yearlong curriculum for older learners, too. Having the resources, lessons, and ideas at your fingertips can make it that much easier to start your journey in teaching social and emotional learning in the classroom.

Here are some other blog posts that may help you as you learn about integrating social and emotional learning in the classroom:

Teaching Kids To Be Self-Aware

September 1, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Teaching kids to be more self-aware can help them develop confidence, understand emotions, and work towards individual goals. Teachers can use these strategies and printable activities to help kids develop self-awareness and focus on social emotional learning. #sel #socialemotionallearning #pathway2success

As an educator, I always felt I knew my learners extremely well. While it is great if an educator or parent knows their kids so well, it’s actually not enough. The real magic comes when we teach kids to start understanding themselves and develop strong self-awareness skills. Self-awareness is having a strong understanding of oneself. That includes understanding our thoughts, emotions, strengths, challenges, needs, and dreams for the future.

Self-awareness is important for children and younger learners because it sets the stage for success. If kids have a better understanding of their emotions, actions, and abilities, they can make better choices to help them be successful in and outside of the classroom.

Here are a couple quick examples of why self-awareness matters:

Imagine a child who just starts crying in class. The child is so upset that they can barely get a word out, and no adult in the room understands what happened. Finally, the child points to the math worksheet they were working on. It has answered scribbled out. The teacher finally realizes that the child was frustrated with the work and did not know how to solve the problems. If that child had stronger skills for self-awareness, he or she could have asked for help, tried a new strategy, asked a peer, or taken a break if their frustrations were escalating.

Next, let’s consider a student with stronger self-awareness skills. This learner knows they want to play on the basketball team this year, so they make a concerted effort to improve their skills and talk to the gym teacher about how to join. By understanding their hopes for the future, this learner has a much better chance of achieving their goals.

The good news is that self-awareness skills can be taught and practiced on a regular basis. Of course, it’s important to note that self-awareness skills don’t develop all at once. Learning them is a process that takes time and practice.

If you want to get started right away, consider checking out this Self-Awareness Unit developed specifically for social emotional learning. It covers everything from building confidence and understanding emotions to using positive thinking skills and considering hopes and dreams. As a bonus, it is the first unit in the complete SEL Yearlong Elementary Curriculum.

Here are some strategies you can try to get your learners started:

Encourage kids to use their strengths. If a student is strong with technology, let him or her be the technology support staff in the room. If another child loves music, let them help pick out some calming selections to play during morning work. The options are endless. All kids deserve a chance to shine.

Teach skills for confidence. Confidence provides a great sense of self-understanding and self-awareness. Feeling confident doesn’t usually come on its own, though. Teach kids how to be confident by learning how to take risks, develop a growth mindset, and celebrate their wins.

Have kids compliment themselves. Encourage students to write a “compliment list” about themselves. They can post this list somewhere at home or keep it in their binder to remind themselves of their strengths

Let kids share their passions. Give a weekly show and tell time that allows kids to share something important to them. Whether a student is playing the flute for their classmates or telling about a new insect they found, these are moments that can help each child develop a stronger sense of what they are most interested in.

Try new things together. We are all works in progress! Kids need lots of opportunities to try different things and find out what they are most passionate about. Play different genres of music, read different types of texts, and encourage activities that students might not have tried before. Every new opportunity is a chance for students to learn about who they are.

Teach about emotions. Even if students have a basic understanding of feelings, they may fully grasp other more in-depth emotional concepts. Teach students to learn a larger emotional vocabulary, explain that emotions have different levels (slightly annoyed to irate), and discuss how you can feel multiple emotions at once. Learning about emotions will help children understand their own feelings on a day-to-day basis.

Create a daily emotion check-in time. Children benefit greatly from understanding their own feelings. Give 5 or 10 minutes each morning to allow students to check in with themselves. You can have them write in a journal or fill out a check in form to share how they are feeling.

Embrace a growth mindset. All kids should know that they can accomplish more when they work hard and have a positive mindset. Teach what it means to have a growth mindset. Practice a growth mindset with your learners and encourage it on a daily basis. This can help build confidence and a greater understanding of what students can really do.

Discuss hopes and dreams. No matter the age, everyone should have aspirations to look forward to! Give time to discussing hopes and dreams for the future. You might discuss where students want to travel to, what activities they want to try, and what they hope to be like in the future. Note that hopes and dreams can change over time, so this is something you can revisit time and time again.

Research career interests. It’s never too early to consider future career paths! You can assign careers to students or let them choose. Have kids find some interesting facts about that career and share it with the class.

Develop and monitor goals. Meet individually with students and help them come up with specific goals they want to work on. Again, this is something that can be done with all ages. Whether their goal is wanting to read three chapter books or complete all their homework, SMART goals can help kids have a greater understanding of where they are and what they need to do to improve.

Schedule student conferences. Meet with each student individually on a regular basis. This might look different depending on how many students you work with. The more regularly you can meet with your learners, the better. Spend just 5-10 minutes discussing how the student is doing, what is working well, and what they could improve. This student conference format can help kids gain understanding into where they are and what they need to do to continue working towards goals.

If you are looking for resources to teach self-awareness skills right away, check out this Social Emotional Learning Unit for Self-Awareness or this Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for the whole year.

Whether you decide to start teaching the lessons right away, or just implement a few small strategies throughout the year, know that self-awareness is an important skill for all learners to develop!

100+ Read Alouds to Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills

August 24, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

100+ Read aloud short stories to integrate social emotional learning into the classroom. Elementary teachers and even middle school educators can use these texts to discuss SEL skills like empathy, friendships, emotions, decision-making and more. Read and grab your free printable list! #sel #socialemotionallearning #pathway2success

Social emotional learning skills are important. Every educator wants their learners to understand their own strengths and challenges, effectively cope with stress, persevere through challenges, have empathy for others, develop lasting friendships, and make positive decisions. These are really just a few examples of what skills social emotional learning can cover.

There are numerous benefits to teaching SEL skills in the classroom, such as a reduction of behavioral problems and giving learners tools to problem-solve on their own.

Sometimes, the best solution is to dedicate a time period to social emotional learning each day. If this is something you are planning in your classroom, I’ve developed a COMPLETE yearlong SEL curriculum for elementary learners (and I have a SEL curriculum for older kids, too)!

With that said, sometimes time in the classroom is short. Although it can be extremely beneficial to teach SEL skills explicitly, there are always helpful ways that teachers can embed them into what they are already doing. For example, educators might use a daily SEL journal during writing time, have class discussions during break time, or use art activities to highlight SEL skills. One of the most helpful strategies for integrating SEL can be through literature.

The idea behind using literature to target social emotional learning skills really is quite simple. Educators can read the text as they normally would, stopping along the way to highlight critical skills that come up.

One of my favorite examples is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. In this short story, Alexander is having an awful day. It is such a terrible day that he wants to go and live in another country. However, rather than packing up his belongings and ignoring what is happening in his life, Alexander learns to cope with his emotions. He also learns about starting fresh each day. There are so many social lessons that can be learned from this one short read aloud.

With this, I put together a complete list of read alouds to use for social emotional learning. Grab a copy of your free printable SEL read aloud list to get started right away.

To get started, just find a skill you want to work on and select a book! As always, you know your learners best. It’s possible that not every book will work for your students, and that’s okay. Find the ones that suit their individual needs and see how much fun integrating SEL with literature can be.

Here are just a few examples from the complete list:

DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Hooray for You! A Celebration of You-ness by Marianne Richmond

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

I’m Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I Like Me! By Nancy Carlson
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi

UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS

Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
The Way I Feel by Jonan Cain
The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek

HOPES AND DREAMS

Hiromi’s Hands by Lynne Barasch
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Big Al by Andrew Clements
Matthew’s Dream by Leo Lionni
The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

STUDY HABITS

Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
Planning Isn’t My Priority by Julia Cook
Don’t Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins
See You Later, Procrastinator! By Pamela Espeland and Elizabeth Verdick

SELF-CONTROL

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
How to Be a Superhero Called Self-Control by Lauren Brukner
What If? by Collen Doyle Bryant
What Were You Thinking? Learning to Control Your Impulses by Brian Smith

PERSEVERANCE & RESILIENCE

Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan
Brave Irene by William Steig
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
Unstoppable Me! By D.r Wayne W. Dyer
Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

RESPECT

David Goes to School by David Shannon
The Way I Act by Steve Metzger
Respect and Take Care of Things by Cheri J. Meiners

EMPATHY

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say
Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
Stand In My Shoes by Bob Somson
Zen Ties by Jon J. Muth

KINDNESS

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Pinduli by Janell Cannon
Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen
Kindness Starts with You by Jacquelyn Stagg
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

FRIENDSHIP SKILLS

How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson
Making Friends is an Art by Julia Cook
Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright
Jessica’s Box by Peter Carnavas
Louise and Andie: The Art of Friendship by Kelly Light

INCLUDING OTHERS

The Boy Who Wouldn’t Share by Mike Reiss
Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton
Same Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray
Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson
There’s a Bear on my Chair by Ross Collins
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Iris and Isaac by Cheterine Rayner

BEING RESPONSIBLE

The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
I Just Forgot by Mercer Mayer
Arthur’s Pet Business by Marc Brown
The Emperor’s Egg by Martin Jenkins
The Way I Act by Steve Metzger

MAKING GOOD CHOICES

What If Everybody Did That? By Ellen Javernick
Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
Making Smart Choices by Lucia Raatma
Land of Or by Katie Mullaly

PEER INFLUENCE

The Juice Box Bully by Bob Somson and Maria Dismondy
One by Kathryn Otoshi
The Hueys in the New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers
A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
Bully on the Bus by Carl W. Bosch

REFLECTING ON CHOICES

David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Kenkes
Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg
After the Fall by Dan Santat

Happy reading! If you’re interested in more ideas for SEL, here are a few posts that might be helpful:

20+ Strategies for Teaching Empathy

August 13, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Use these strategies and ideas to teach and build empathy with kids and young adults! Learners who have a lack of empathy can struggle with other social skills. Help elementary, middle, and high school kids build these skills by using literature, teaching lessons, practicing with games, and more. Also includes a free printable lesson for kids and teens. Helpful for kids with ADHD, autism, and other needs. #socialskills #empathy #pathway2success

Teaching empathy is important. In the simplest of terms, empathy is the ability to notice, understand, and share the emotions of others. It is a critical social skill for all people to have. In many ways, empathy is the social skill that paves the way for all other social skills. It helps us to take someone else’s perspective, understand each others’ emotions, connect with one another, show compassion, make good social choices, and ultimately develop lasting relationships.

What does a lack of empathy look like? Learners who lack empathy can end up with many social challenges. These kids and young adults may struggle to build friendships, have difficulty working with others, and make poor social decisions overall. Most importantly, kids and young adults who lack empathy are often unaware their behaviors can negatively impact others. These learners might do or say something that makes sense to them in the moment, without giving consideration to those around them.

Learners who lack strong empathy skills might:

Do or say something that appears rude or inappropriate, such as loudly commenting on someone else’s pimple.
Engage in socially unexpected behaviors, such as cutting to the front of the line when they want to be first.
Make comments that hurt others’ feelings, such as telling someone their shirt is ugly.
Fail to recognize times to be sensitive to others, such as mentioning how much they love their dog right after a friend’s dog passes away.

How can educators build empathy? It is critical for educators to recognize that having a lack of empathy is a skill deficit and not a behavior problem. In the words of Ross Greene, “Kids do well if they can.” There are many ways to teach, highlight, and practice skills for empathy, so these abilities can be learned over time. If you want to get started right away, I have created a whole unit targeting perspective-taking and empathy. It’s important to note that some learners are going to struggle with these skills more than others. What’s important is that you work on them slowly and watch the skills grow. Quite often, these strategies can be integrated into the classroom to help support a positive learning community for all. It’s a win-win!

Here are some strategies for building empathy:

Use literature. Using short stories and novels, you can help learners to think about the emotions and motives of characters. You might ask: How do you think they feel right now? Why do they feel that way? What might they be thinking? How would you feel if you were in their shoes? What might they do next? Best of all, using literature is an easy way to integrate social-emotional learning since it’s something that teachers teach every day!

Teach “being in someone else’s shoes.” Use situations to encourage students to think about how they might feel. Then, go the extra step and have students think about how someone else might feel. This is a critical component of empathy because how we feel might not be how someone else might feel. It’s a skill that can sometimes require lots of practice and discussion with others.

Watch videos and movie clips. Similar to literature, videos and movie clips can be a strategy to think about the emotions of characters. This may be a helpful tactic for learners who struggle with reading or just a fun activity for the end of the week. Just play a quick video clip (or watch a whole movie) and discuss the characters’ feelings, thoughts, motivations, and reactions.

Talk about emotions. Talking about feelings should be normal and expected in the classroom! Model using I-statements and teach about different emotions as they come up.

Use optical illusions to teach perspective-taking. Optical illusions are a fantastic way to teach perspective-taking because they show students that we all think differently and that’s okay! Simply show an optical illusion and have students independently write down what they see. Then, have them discuss. Soon, students will realize that they don’t all see the same thing. It’s a great way to start the discussion on perspective-taking and empathy. You can use this free perspective-taking lesson to try right away!

Keep an emotion vocabulary board. Improve each student’s emotional vocabulary by keeping a board posted with all different emotion words. Students should recognize that there are multiple shades to every emotion, from irritated to irate and content to elated. Make these words part of the norm so that students can learn to use them effectively.

Identify emotions in photos. Get random old magazines or use your own photos. Have students look through magazines or photos to find images of people. Encourage them to identify how each person might be feeling or thinking. This is such a fun activity that can be done again and again.

Teach social cues. Learners who struggle with skills for empathy can greatly benefit from learning about facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. These can be critical cues for them to start recognizing the thoughts and feelings of others. This can be fun to teach as “social detective work.”

Role-play social scenarios. Discuss a variety of social situations and have students act out what they might do. For example, “Imagine you see someone fall down in the hall. What would you do?” This social situation encourages students to think about how someone else might feel as well as how they should respond. Come up with your own scenarios to discuss or use task cards. I have created social scenarios for elementary students and social scenarios for middle and high schoolers. Start off with this free social problem-solving task cards set to see how your students do!

Play empathy games. For learners who struggle with empathy, it is a difficult skill to learn. Games can be a highly motivating way to learn these skills. I developed a fun empathy game with many different scenarios to help learners think about how others feel and how they might show empathy to others. Best of all, there are so many scenarios that kids can play again and again.

Watch animal live cams. Who doesn’t love animals? I’ve found that kids who really struggle to show empathy with other kids are still very likely to empathize and care about animals. With that, there are many free animal live cams you can stream. In my classroom, we loved watching an owl cam, a bald eagle nest, and even a giraffe who was about to have a baby. Of course, there are many ways to integrate science, reading, and writing to any of these animal live cams. This can be a great way to help kids learn to care about and for something else.

Have a daily morning meeting. It’s important to give every student a daily check-in time. Every child and young adult needs to know they are valued, loved, and supported. Use a 10-minute morning meeting time to check-in with students and let every voice be heard.

Teach coping strategies. Kids and young adults need effective strategies for managing their tough emotions. Spend time teaching, discussing, and practicing a variety of strategies that might work for them. Practice mindful coloring, listening to music, exercising, and even yoga. It’s important to practice these activities when students are calm so that they can use them when they really need them the most. Use these coping strategies visuals or grab this free coping strategies list to give you some ideas on how to start! Also, read up on some fun and unique ways to teach coping strategies to kids and young adults.

Start an emotion journal. Help students connect with their own emotions by journaling and writing about how they are feeling. This is something that can be done first thing in the morning to help students start the day off in a positive way. Give time for students to share their feelings if they are comfortable. Not only will students benefit from expressing themselves, but others will build empathy by hearing the thoughts and feelings of those around them.

Teach how to see the other side. Learners need to understand that we all have different opinions and thoughts. Use topics such as “favorite pizza” and “best sport” to drive conversations about differences of opinions. Help all students see that we all think differently and that’s perfectly okay.

Give responsibilities. Use student strengths and abilities to give every student a responsibility in the classroom. If a student does well with technology, have him or her be the computer troubleshooter. If a student loves nature, have them water the plants on a regular schedule. Responsibilities are a great way to have each student caring and thinking beyond themselves.

Teach how our words matter. Have each student draw a heart on paper and cut it out. Talk about different things we can say to each other that can be kind or hurtful. For each statement, have students make a fold in their heart. At the end of the activity, open the heart back up and discuss that the marks are still there long after the words have been said. Remind students that our words leave a lasting impact so it’s important to stop and think about what we say to each other.

Build confidence. Sometimes kids and young adults who lack empathy appear to be over-confident because they don’t seem to care how others feel in the moment. However, this can actually be superficial. These learners may actually struggle with feelings of rejection from their peers, leading to lower self-confidence. Make sure to spend time on building every child up and helping them share their strengths, passions, and dreams. When kids feel better, they usually do better, too. Use these confidence-building activities to get started.

Collaborate with school specialists. If you have a student who is struggling with showing empathy, talk with the school counselor or social worker for additional input and ideas. It might even be beneficial to have them come into your class for a quick lesson or activity.

Practice mindfulness. Kids and young adults can greatly benefit from learning to be in touch with their own emotions first and foremost. Spend 5 or 10 minutes practicing mindfulness after lunch, before a big test, or just to start the morning out in a more positive way. Read up on ways you can practice mindfulness and some free resources to help you practice mindfulness with students.

Encourage random acts of kindness. Kindness is about being thoughtful without expecting anything in return. Teaching and encouraging kind acts can help learners start to think about the feelings of others. You can start a random acts of kindness jar or bulletin board in the classroom. When a student witnesses a kind act, have them write it on a slip and post it. At the end of the month, you can choose to pick one randomly to win a special reward.

Engage in community service. Empathy and compassion go hand-in-hand. Encourage learners to think about the community and world by doing community service acts. Spend time cleaning up the courtyard, visit another class to read books to younger students, or even come up with a plan to donate supplies to a local animal rescue organization.

Start a kindness share. Give each student a piece of paper (have them cut it into a heart if you want!). Have students write their names on the paper and pass it to their right. When they get a piece of paper, they should write something kind about that person right on the paper. Continue the share until all students have written something kind about someone else. At the end, every child will have given back AND gotten kind words in return.

Teach students to respectfully disagree. Part of building empathy means recognizing that others can think differently from you. Help students learn the skills to accept and respect the opinions of others when they disagree. Encourage students to use phrases like, “I see your point,” and “I have a different point of view, but I see where you are coming from.”

Teach social-emotional learning explicitly. Give social and emotional learning the time it needs by dedicating time each day or week to these skills. One of my favorite strategies for this is using a daily ssocial-emotional learning journal to teach and discuss the skills every day of the year. I have also developed a complete social emotional learning curriculum for elementary learners to help students learn the skills they need in an explicit way. I also have a complete social-emotional learning curriculum for older kids.

Do you have other strategies for building empathy? I’d love to hear them! Share your thoughts in the comments!

Tips for Teaching Study Skills

July 22, 2019 by pathway2success 1 Comment

20+ strategies, ideas, and some free resources you can use to teach kids and young adults study strategies for academic success! Students at the middle and high school level need good study habits to do their best, including writing homework down, studying for tests, and staying organized. All teachers can give these a try! #studyskills #pathway2success

Good study habits and techniques are critical to help students learn more efficiently, feel more academically confident, persevere through challenges, and ultimately do their best. Sometimes, it’s easy to assume that learners already have these skills intact. The truth is that they sometimes don’t; many learners might not actually know how to study for tests or how to keep their binders organized. While these skills can be a challenge for many students, they are skills that can be improved over time.

If you notice some of your students are struggling with basic study skills and habits, make time to address and teach the skills. You can choose to dedicate time during morning meeting, resource room, or even a separate study skills class. Whatever you choose, make a schedule and stick with it. Teaching these skills early on is important for help all learners do their best. I’ve put together a list of ideas and resources, but check out this yearlong Executive Functioning and Study Skills activities set if you want to get started on teaching these skills right away.

Here are some simple tips, tricks, and strategies you can use to help students develop study skills in your classroom:

Build relationships first. Simply put, learning new study strategies can be tough for kids and young adults. It’s always worth spending extra time early on to develop strong relationships. Not only will this help you to get to know your students, but it will help them to persevere and succeed in your class. Use these strategies to focus on building relationships with your learners.

Know your learners. Before getting started on teaching study skills, assess what your students know first. One helpful place to start is using this free Study Skills Checklist. It can be a great tool to help students develop self-awareness about their skills, while also giving you critical data on what you need to teach.

Teach how to study for tests and quizzes. Spend time teaching a variety of different study strategies for success: taking notes, quizzing yourself, making flashcards, having a partner quiz you, re-doing problems, and more. Different strategies are going to work for different learners, so it’s important that all students are exposed to several activities.

Practice studying just to learn. Sometimes students think that studying is only important when a test or quiz is coming up. Instead, help kids embrace the idea that studying is part of the learning process. Studying just to learn can help reduce the amount of time students will have to study when a test or quiz comes up, and it helps them to learn the material better in the first place.

Practice study skills with current curriculum. Sometimes, students feel like learning study skills is a waste of time for them. They would rather be getting homework done or chatting with friends on their downtime One way to make the study skills meaningful for kids and young adults is to help them apply them right away with current classwork. If you are learning how to make flashcards, use current vocabulary terms. When teaching about time management, practice with a project kids are actually working on. Using current curriculum along with teaching the skills can make it more meaningful and memorable.

Teach about the power of habits and routines. Students can benefit greatly from understanding how important our habits are. Spend time discussing and highlighting some current habits students already have (brushing their teeth in the morning or cleaning up their trays after lunch). These tasks are much easier when they just become part of our everyday routines. This can eventually encourage students to develop habits for writing homework down, organizing their binders, and studying for tests.

Teach executive functioning skills. Study skills are inherently linked with executive functioning skills. Students can benefit greatly from improving skills with planning, organization, self-control, attention, flexibility, perseverance, and more. Most importantly, teach students that they can often improve these skills over time with practice and hard work. If you could use more background knowledge on these skills, catch up on a basic understanding of executive functioning skills in this blog post.

Teach time management. Understanding how to manage time well is a powerful skill. Teach about understanding time by having students estimate how long a task will take (such as doing 10 jumping jacks or walking to get a drink and back). Then, have students actually perform the task and check how close their estimate was. You can easily relate this back to having students consider how long tasks will take by thinking about what they have to do and then reflecting on their progress along the way. Read more about strategies and interventions for time management skills.

Discuss what it means to prioritize. Prioritizing is the ability to determine which order tasks should be completed in. This is a critical skill, but can be challenging, especially when students are juggling many different responsibilities. Talk through some examples and discuss: You have a test tomorrow and a big project due in two weeks. What should you do? Having students problem-solve these types of scenarios can help them understand how to prioritize in the future.

Practice making test and quizzes. Have students get into the mind of a teacher by creating their own test and quizzes for class content. This can help them consider what material might be on an actual test or quiz, making them better at studying and knowing what is important.

Teach organization. One of the most important study skills is learning how to be organized. Spend time explicitly teaching learners how to organize materials, schedules, and projects. If you are interested specifically in organization, use this Organization Boot Camp to help get kids’ organization skills in shape. You can also start with this free organization activity to get going right away.

Revisit organization on a weekly basis. Even after teaching the basic skills for organization, it is important for students to make organization a weekly practice. Choose one time a week (such as Friday afternoon or whenever time you have available) and dedicate that time to re-organizing materials.

Set up a homework binder (or folder). One helpful strategy for many learners is setting up a homework folder or binder that goes everywhere with them. This folder contains all current homework that needs to be done or needs to be turned in. Simply label a folder “Done” and “To Do” on each side. This is an especially helpful tip for students who lose or misplace assignments. Use this free homework binder to get your students started.

Teach how to write homework down. I know this example sounds silly, but many learners don’t know how to write homework down in an organized and consistent way. Practice what it means to write homework down accurately and explain why it is important. Doing daily or weekly homework log checks are helpful, too.

Find study buddies. No matter the age, all students should have one or two classmates to reach out to for support with homework and studying. This is a critical skill that helps build independence. When a student isn’t sure what page the homework was or didn’t understand the math lesson, it can be a good option to reach out to a classmate instead of always depending on the adults.

Teach goal-setting. All students should learn how to create action-oriented plans to reach their individual goals. This is a study skill, but also a life skill! Help students brainstorm and come up with one or two SMART goals that they want to accomplish in a short time-frame. Then, revisit those goals on a regular basis to make sure progress is being made.

Play games. Learning and improving study skills can be tough for learners. With this, games are always a helpful strategy to sneak in more learning opportunities. You can actually play any game while practicing study strategies. Just put questions for an upcoming test or quiz on flashcards. Each time a student takes a turn, they need to pick up a card and answer! If you’re looking for something more, I developed an Executive Functioning Challenge Game that students can play again and again to practice their skills.

Chunk projects and long-term assignments. Long-term assignments can be particularly overwhelming for kids and young adults. Teach students how to break them apart into smaller and more manageable chunks. Giving mini-deadlines along the way also helps students stay on track.

Teach stress management. Simply put, school is stressful for kids and young adults. It’s critical to help students learn coping strategies to help them deal with their feelings in more healthy ways. Spend some time discussing how to exercise, journal, read, practice mindfulness, and more. Grab this free list with 100 coping strategies to give you even more ideas.

Help students develop a study space. Every student should have a designated study space at home and at school to help them accomplish homework and assignments. While these study spaces might look different for every learner, having this area can help keep students organized and consistent.

Have a daily check-in and check-out. Spend just 5-10 minutes at the beginning of each day to help students get organized, check to see if they have what they need, and make a plan for the day. Do the same in the afternoon to make sure students have a plan for homework and studying after school. The goal is for students to check-in with themselves on their own, but this needs to be taught and practiced to make that happen

Practice taking brain breaks. All students need a mental break from time to time. Encourage students to check-in with themselves and notice when they need one of themselves. Practice different types of brain breaks, from exercising to practicing mindfulness. Use these free mindfulness coloring pages to have a brain break that is ready to go.

Engage in class discussions. Part of learning how to study well is problem-solving when challenges come up. Encourage students to talk through issues and brainstorm solutions together. For example, ask students what they might do when they have a lot of homework but also have basketball practice at 6:00 pm. Ask students what they might do if they have a big homework assignment due tomorrow but they can’t remember the page. Start by just asking the question and letting your students guide their way through. These executive functioning task cards are perfect to guide discussions on a variety of topics or you can come up with your own questions on the fly!

Practice the art of memorization. Sometimes studying involves memorizing certain dates or vocabulary words. These are skills that can be taught, practiced, and strengthened over time. Have fun teaching this skill by memorizing lists, lyrics, numbers, and more.

If you find yourself in need for lessons and activities to teach study skills, check out my yearlong Executive Functioning and Study Skills set. It includes everything you need to teach the skills kids need for success from how to study, get organized, develop SMART goals, and much more.

5 FREE Mindfulness Activities

June 17, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Mindfulness has been a growing trend with kids and young adults, and I have been a huge supporter from the beginning. About ten years ago, I started practicing yoga, which introduced me to the benefits of deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness in my own life. Without a doubt, it has made a huge difference for me, so I love the idea of sharing some of those same strategies and practices with kids and young adults. Today, I have heard that many schools are getting on board with meditation rooms instead of detention and daily mindfulness practice during morning meetings. This just makes sense, so I wanted to share more about what mindfulness is and how you can practice it with your learners.

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is a practice that helps us to focus on the present, rather than the past or the present. Learning to be more present in the moment is a critical skill, especially in today’s fast-paced world. When we work on this practice, we can actually improve our focus, strengthen our emotional control, increase positive feelings, and bring calm to our everyday lives. It’s important to note that learning to be mindful doesn’t happen after one activity or lesson. The idea is that it is a “practice” because it is something we are always improving.

When Can We Practice Mindfulness? Mindfulness can really be practice anytime! Some of the best times to practice mindfulness include right before a big test, after a noisy lunch, before or after a transition from one activity to another, or just in the morning as a positive start to the day. The biggest benefits to mindfulness are seen when it becomes a regular practice. So, try to incorporate it either once a day or once a week – whatever works best for you and your learners! Feel free to read up more on 10 Best Times to Practice Mindfulness in the Classroom.

Remember, that you don’t need to be a mindfulness expert to start the practice with your students. Let them know you are learning and growing, too! If you notice that mindfulness is something you’re interested in practicing with your learners, but still need extra support, I’ve got you covered. You can use my set of Mindfulness Activities filled with lessons, task cards, breathe boards, and crafts centered around helping kids become more mindful.

Here are five FREE mindfulness activities to help get you started today:

#1 Mindfulness Breathe Boards. One of the most important components to mindfulness is learning to control our breathing. Sometimes this can be abstract for students, so these mindfulness breathe boards serve as concrete visuals to help. Just have students trace their finger around the visual while breathing in and out. This should be done multiple times. Best of all, these breathe boards can be placed on a student’s desk, in a binder, in a calm down area, or anywhere else a student might need them.

#2 Mindful Coloring. Drawing and coloring are often calming activities to begin with, of course. You can use these free coloring pages or just find any coloring books of your own. I often let my students choose from a huge pile of coloring books so they had more buy-in when practicing together. Start by explaining your students will be practicing mindfulness while coloring. It’s important to highlight that if students feel like they made a mistake, they should just breathe in and out and let it go. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment, making judgments about what is good or bad. Let students choose their coloring page and give them access to the coloring materials you choose. Encourage the students to color quietly on their own. You can dim the lights and play calming music while they color.

#3 Practice Guided Meditations. Guided meditations are a short script or video clip you can play that helps students relax their minds and bodies. There are many free guided meditation videos for kids on YouTube and other video platforms. Have students sit comfortably or lie down on a rug. Have them close their eyes and practice their deep breathing. Turn the lights off for an added calming effect! As they get comfortable, start the guided meditation and let it play through. Kids might feel silly at first, but with just a few minutes, they will notice the calming effect this meditation can bring!

#4 Positive Affirmations. There is not much else better than positive affirmations! Teaching kids to read positive affirmations aloud to themselves or just in their heads can bring a sense of calm while also increasing confidence. It’s a win-win! Use this free list of positive affirmations. Have students circle or highlight the positive affirmations they love the most. Have students read these to themselves or make index cards with their favorite sayings.

#5 Mindfulness 5-4-3-2-1. This is one of my favorite strategies for practicing mindfulness because it can be done anywhere and anytime. You don’t need any special props! Have students sit comfortably and just look around the room. Tell them to use their senses to observe the immediate environment. Slowly go through the list. Have them identify 5 things that they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can small, and 1 thing they can taste. Take your time with each and remind students to absorb the feelings they experience.

Give one or two strategies a try! It might take some time, but it’s wonderful to see students really getting into their own mindfulness practices. Of course, mindfulness is always helpful for adults, too!

50+ FREE Rewards & Incentives for Kids

June 2, 2019 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Rewards and incentives can be a critical component to classroom management success. They are also the perfect tool to help learners to go outside their comfort zones and learn new skills. Simply put, providing rewards and incentives encourage positive behaviors. Sometimes rewards are seen in a negative light when they are compared to bribes. This just isn’t the case! In real life, we all work for incentives and reward ourselves from time to time. After working on report card comments for a few hours, you might reward yourself with some downtime reading or watching television. You might also save a little extra money each month in order to go on a special vacation or trip, your incentive. These are adult real-life examples just to illustrate that rewards and incentives can be positive and encouraging. It is important to be mindful about how and when rewards and incentives are given, but they are a powerful tool!

When should I provide incentives? Incentives and rewards are extremely versatile. You might give a random whole-class reward when you are out sick and get a stellar report from the sub that day. This will highlight and reward the positive behaviors of the class as a whole, encouraging the same behaviors for the next time. You might also set up individual rewards with a student who is struggling with a specific behavior, such as completing homework or raising their hand in class. You could make a contract with that student and set up some rewards they will earn when they achieve their daily or weekly goal.

Why do I need a reward list? It’s important to always keep things fresh, fun, and interesting for kids. Sometimes the same old rewards and incentives can get stale or boring for students. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use them again in the future – you definitely can! It just means it’s often helpful to change things up. To help, I put together a list of over 50 reward ideas for kids. You can grab this free printable reward list and keep it in your teacher binder for reference when you need new ideas!

Reward Ideas for Kids:

Drawing time
Choose your seat
Teacher helper
Craft time
Reading time
Extra music time
Extra recess or gym time
Extra art time
Line leader
Half homework pass
No homework pass
10-minute break pass
10-minute talk with a friend pass
Choose your partner or group
First to share
Lunch with teacher
Lunch with a friend
Bonus points on test/quiz
Extra computer time
Sit in special seat
Borrow principal’s chair for the day
Choose the music
Positive phone call together
Visit another teacher
Positive principal visit
Listen to music while working
Positive note home
Show and tell with class
Choose the read aloud
Swap seats for a day
Tell jokes to the class
Choose from prize bin
Special snack
Pretend it’s your birthday
Work in the hallway
Write with special pen all day
Read the morning announcements
Get a mystery gift
Have teacher attend after school event
Pick out new game for class
Pick out new classroom materials
Choose a classroom job
Assign classroom jobs
Wear a hat for the day
Borrow a game for the weekend
Help design and put up bulletin board
Earn a certificate
Library pass
Help in the office
Help the custodians
Help in the library
Work anywhere in room
Help teach a lesson
Feed class pet
Read to younger students
Lesson of their choice
Read to the class
“Student of the Day”
Allow student to create a club
Invite parent for the day
Help make the quiz/test
Book fair certificate
Free answer coupon
Take a walk pass
Royalty for the day
Best seats at assembly

If you love this list, make sure to grab your free copy with reward ideas for elementary kids, older kids, and even whole-class rewards. What rewards would you add to the list?

12 Basic Social Skills Kids Need

May 1, 2019 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Social skills are a critical element to helping kids succeed socially, emotionally, personally, and even academically. These are the skills are the behaviors that help kids join in conversations, collaborate with peers, develop lasting friendships, self-advocate when they need help, and so much more. It would be ideal if all learners walked into classrooms equipped with strong social skills ready for success. The truth is, though, that kids are kids; they are still developing, learning, growing, and trying to make sense of the social world around them. As adults, the biggest impact we can have to help kids learn social skills is to teach them.

Quite often, I get asked, “But doesn’t everyone need social skills? Why do you target kids specifically?” To me, the answer is obvious. If we teach kids and young adults these social skills from an early age, they will have the foundations they need as adults. So, when kids need social skills, let’s teach them!

To help highlight how important these social skill are, I created a complete set of Social Skills Visuals. You can use them as a bulletin board, post them as reminders all around, or use the pages to highlight a few skills each week. And if you’re looking for even more ways to teach social skills, feel free to check out my social skills activities for elementary and social skills lessons for older kids.

Here are 12 basic social skills and strategies for teaching them:

Following Directions. This is having the ability to listen, understand expectations, and follow through in a timely manner. Learners need to learn how to follow directions to help them complete tasks, whether it is an assignment in class or instructions from a future boss.

Strategies to teach:

Play games for following directions, like Simon Says and Freeze.
Practice giving both verbal and visual directions.
Teach and practice how to read directions BEFORE starting an assignment.
Have learners highlight or underline directions on assignments before starting.
Have learners make a checklist for following directions for any task (like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich) to help them see why directions should be clear and followed well.

Using Manners. Our manners are the courteous behaviors to we to show we are kind and respectful. All kids need to understand manners so they can be socially appropriate in a variety of settings, such as a restaurant, at the library, or even answering the phone.

Strategies to teach:

Post visuals of “manner words,” such as please, thank you, and you’re welcome as reminders.
Make it a habit to model and say these words with students and colleagues.
Explicitly teach about manners and discuss what manners we use in different settings.

Having a Positive Attitude. A positive attitude is the first step to having a growth mindset. By having a positive attitude, kids can learn to be more optimistic and see the bright side of things.

Strategies to teach:

Model having a positive attitude, even when things don’t go as planned (ex: “I was really looking forward to outdoor recess today, but now I am excited to play some chess instead!”).
Practice and discuss positive self-talk.
Read picture books about a positive attitude: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds and Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein.

Working with Others. All learners need skills to positively work with others by listening, collaborating, helping, and doing their fair share.

Strategies to teach:

Explicitly teach skills for working well with others.
Make a list of “group ground rules” for how to work successfully with others (listening to each other, staying with the group, staying positive, etc.).
Give lots of practice in partners and small groups.
Make sure students are frequently working with different people.
Sometimes give learners the chance to pick their partners, while assigning students at other times.
Keep a list of sentence starters kids can use in groups to collaborate such as, “I really like how you…” and “Can we try…”

Good Hygiene. Proper self-care means keeping yourself well-groomed and neat. This is an important skill because not only is it about being clean, but it helps everyone make a positive first impression.

Strategies to teach:

Talk about what good hygiene means, such as washing hands and showering/bathing daily.
Give reminders for hygiene, depending on age level.
Talk to the school counselor or social worker about coming in for a lesson on hygiene.

Using Polite Words. Using kind and polite words is just another way to spread kindness to others. Sometimes, I call this “using kind words only.”

Strategies to teach:

Teach about kindness and why it matters.
Discuss polite and kind words.
Teach about using a social filter, including thinking about how our words impact others.

Taking Turns. Learning to turn-take involves alternating between two or more people. This is an important skill to show courtesy and respect during conversations and other activities.

Strategies to teach:

Explain what it means to take turns and discuss scenarios, such as in sports, conversations, games, and more.
Practice turn-taking with board games.
Practice turn-taking with conversations (whole class and small groups).
Have students hold a special tangible (a ball or stuffed animal) when it is their turn to talk.

Greetings. Welcoming others and making them feel valued is an important social skill. By teaching kids and young adults how to properly greet others, it can help create a positive community for all. This is also an important lifelong social skill for the workplace and beyond..

Strategies to teach:

Model greetings each morning with each student as they walk in.
Teach different greeting and allow students to choose how to greet each other.
Start the day with a morning meeting and a greeting.

Waiting and Having Patience. Developing patience is a critical skill during times when we have to wait. Kid and young adults might have to wait in line at the pencil sharpener or wait for their turn to speak in a group, just to name a few. By having patience, they show that they are courteous and respectful to all.

Strategies to teach:

Teach strategies for what to do when waiting (doing something else, using positive self-talk, etc.).
Discuss scenarios when kids have to wait and discuss how they can handle it.
Read picture books about patience: Waiting by Kevin Henkes and Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat.
Use social scripts to help teach skills for how to wait in social situations.

Being a Good Sport. Learning to be a good sport can help kids and young adults be respectful when they engage in games and activities. It can also help them positively cope with losing by focusing on having fun instead of winning.

Strategies to teach:

Teach and discuss expectations for being a good sport.
Focus on having fun, playing, and learning rather than winning.
Give reminders about being a good sport before activities.
Use social scripts to remind about being a good sport before activities.
Practice being a good sport during games (anything from board games to outdoor sports during recess).
Practice and discuss having a growth mindset to help when students lose.

Listening to Others. Skills for listening are critical to building positive relationships with others. Kids and young adults should learn how to focus their attention to others, put away distractions, and really think about what someone else is saying.

Strategies to teach:

Start the day with a morning meeting and give time to share thoughts.
Teach the basics for listening: making eye contact, putting distractions away, thinking about what someone is saying.
Give discussion time in your content area subjects.
Practice listening with discussion times.
Teach students how to summarize what they heard: “So what I heard you say is that…”.

Understanding Personal Space. Having a good understanding of personal space helps everyone feel more comfortable in social situations. It also gives way to teaching that consent is needed to be in someone else’s personal space.

Strategies to teach:

Teach students that they have an invisible bubble around them called their personal space. Explain why having personal space is important.
Teach and discuss expected behaviors with personal space such as standing an arm’s length away while talking and keeping hands to self.
Act out what personal space looks like in different scenarios.
Teach students how to ask permission if they would like to give a friend a hug.
Read picture books about personal space: Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook.

If you have more suggestions or ideas for teaching these skills, feel free to share! I would love to add to the list. Be sure to also check out all of my social skills resources to get started teaching these important skills right away!

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