Social Emotional Learning

10 Best Times to Practice Mindfulness in the Classroom

April 17, 2017 by pathway2success 2 Comments

Mindfulness means being present in the moment with your thoughts and feelings without making judgements. It is being aware of what is happening but not being overwhelmed. Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can help you feel calmer, happier, and be more in tune with yourself. People of all ages and abilities can practice mindfulness, including kids and young adults. Some people practice mindfulness for different reasons, too. If a child gets nervous before a test, it can help calm them down and regain focus. If a young adult struggles with controlling their anger, it can help them control emotions. And if someone just wants to feel a bit happier (who doesn’t?), it can help take away negative thoughts. Overall, practicing mindfulness can be helpful in so many different ways.

There are many different ways mindfulness can be practiced. Some strategies include practicing slow breathing, mindful observance, mindful listening, walking meditation, yoga, or even mindful coloring. If you need specific materials to start teaching mindfulness, consider this ready-to-go mindfulness activities guide. The mindfulness activities include listening to music, coloring, making crafts, and much more. Best of all, activities are specifically tailored to kids and young adults.

Here are the 10 best times to practice mindfulness in the classroom:

1. At the beginning of a morning meeting. Start the day together with a positive intention. This helps kids to get centered for the day ahead while leaving any emotional challenges they have at the door. It’s a great way to begin a fresh start.

2. After lunch or recess to help bring the class back together. It’s easy to say that lunch and recess are two of the biggest sensory-overloads kids experience all day. Rather than trying to fight that, turn the day around by meditating for a few minutes. It can become a signal that “we are back in the classroom now”.

3. Before high-stakes testing to help focus and calm the mind. So many kids and young adults get extremely stressed over high-stakes testing. Even the ones who don’t say anything may be experiencing a high level of anxiety and worry. Spending a few minutes mindfully relaxing can help kids de-stress and do their best on the test.

4. In small group counseling sessions to promote relaxation. Many kids and young adults just do not know HOW to relax. Much of their time is spent at school, playing sports, playing games, being online, and checking their phone. Unfortunately, none of those activities promote relaxation. Arrange a small group of kids that meets on a regular basis to practice mindfulness strategies. Anyone can do this, including a special education teacher, counselor, psychologist, social worker, or even regular education teacher. By setting up this small group to practice mindfulness, you can explicitly teach these relaxation skills that so many kids desperately need to cope with stressors in their lives.

5. In between class transitions to provide a mental break. Transitioning from one task to another can throw an entire class off. Transitions provide the perfect natural break to practice mindfulness and relaxations.

6. At the beginning of a resource class or independent work session. One of the greatest elements to mindfulness is that it can help clear the mind. Dedicate five minutes or so to practicing mindfulness just before an independent working session and the benefits will last.

7. Small group counseling sessions to teach strategies for anxiety. Kids and young adults with anxiety need to learn coping strategies to help them through their challenges. Mindfulness and meditation are some of the best ways to deal with anxiety. Remember to try several different techniques to help find ones that work best for individual students. Also, note that many kids struggle with “invisible anxiety” and may benefit from these strategies without ever having the actual anxiety label documented.

8. Let partners or small groups practice before a test or quiz. Any type of assessment can be overwhelming for a number of students. Practicing mindfulness techniques just before a test or quiz can help kids get their thoughts together and feel more confident before they take on an assessment.

9. Just before an assembly or guest speaker. Big assemblies can be extra-challenging for many kids. Some students may feel anxious about the change in schedule, while others may have an extreme difficulty in keeping their thoughts to themselves for that whole time. Try practicing some mindfulness and relaxation strategies before such an effort to reduce challenges.

10. Anytime (just for no reason) to show that mindfulness can be done anytime and anywhere. While there are many times that are ideal to practice mindfulness strategies, it’s important to recognize that you can practice it anywhere and anytime! Use it when the class is getting a bit loud, a group of students are having trouble focusing, or you just need to set a calm tone. Sometimes just taking a mindfulness break can do the trick. And best of all, you don’t really need a reason to do it.

Use this Mindfulness Activities resource to teach and practice mindfulness with kids and young adults right away!

100 Coping Strategies for Anger, Anxiety, and More

April 2, 2017 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Coping strategies are techniques that help reduce negative feelings when someone is feeling under stress. Those feelings might be the result of anxiety, anger, depression, or just general day-to-day stress. Practicing coping strategies can help kids and young adults learn how to manage their emotions in a positive way.

Every child or young adult should have a “toolbox” of coping strategies that works for them. It’s important to recognize that what works for one person may not work well for another. For example, one student may utilize a stress ball quietly and calmly to reduce anxious feelings during a test. A different student may try to use that stress ball and find themselves unable to hold onto it without tossing it, only creating more anxiety about getting in trouble. That is why it’s important to have a large list of positive coping strategies that kids and young adults can choose from.

If you’re looking for a fun craft to practice and try out some of these coping strategies, try this Coping Strategies Fortune Teller Craft. First, students will identify their top coping strategies from the list or on their own. They will write those strategies in the printable. After coloring and decorating, students will then cut out their fortune tellers and then use the directions to fold their craft together. Let students practice their coping strategies by playing with their fortune tellers in partners or groups. Encourage students to read each others’ coping strategies and even practice them, when appropriate. This can be a great activity in small groups to discuss strategies and identify what works best for each individual student. Give it a try!

Get your free printable list of 100 Coping Strategies here. Use this quick guide to help teach, practice, and choose the best coping strategies for your students. It can a fun and positive activity to read through the list and choose coping strategies to practice.

Here is a list of 100 coping strategies for emotional management:

1. Take deep breaths

2. Do a positive activity

3. Play sports

4. Think of something funny

5. Take a quick walk

6. Practice yoga

7. Stand up and stretch

8. Listen to music

9. Take a time out

10. Slowly count to ten

11. Use positive self-talk

12. Say something kind to yourself

13. Talk to a friend

14. Talk to an adult

15. Close your eyes and relax

16. Say, “I can do this”

17. Visualize your favorite place

18. Think of something happy

19. Think of a pet you love

20. Think about someone you love

21. Get enough sleep

22. Eat a healthy snack

23. Read a good book

24. Set a goal

25. Jog in place

26. Write in a journal

27. Hum your favorite song

28. Doodle on paper

29. Draw a picture

30. Color a coloring page

31. Clean something

32. Meditate

33. Use a stress ball

34. Dance

35. Write a letter

36. Look at pictures you’ve taken

37. Make a gratitude list

38. List your positive qualities

39. Do something kind

40. Give someone a hug

41. Put a puzzle together

42. Do something you love

43. Build something

44. Play with clay

45. Hug a stuffed animal

46. Rip paper into pieces

47. Play an instrument

48. Watch a good movie

49. Take pictures

50. Garden

51. Write a list

52. Keep a positive attitude

53. Schedule time for yourself

54. Blow bubbles

55. Write a positive note

56. Chew gum

57. Paint your nails

58. Write a story

59. Blog

60. Read a joke book

61. Write a poem

62. Drink cold water

63. Draw cartoons

64. Read a magazine

65. Write a thank you note

66. Count to 100

67. Make a list for the future

68. Read inspirational quotes

69. Compliment yourself

70. Visualize a stop sign

71. Laugh

72. Smile in the mirror

73. Smile at others

74. Do schoolwork

75. Look at animal pictures

76. Hyperfocus on an object

77. Notice 5 things you can see

78. Paint with water colors

79. Use a relaxation app

80. Watch a funny video

81. Drink some tea

82. Cook or bake

83. Plan a fun trip

84. Use an I-statement

85. Identify your emotions

86. Express your feelings to someone

87. Write down your thoughts

88. Identify a positive thought

89. Make your day’s schedule

90. List 10 positives about you

91. Ask yourself, “What do I need right now?”

92. Tell someone you are thankful for them

93. Pet an animal

94. Make a list of choices

95. Ask an adult for help

96. Organize something

97. Play a card game

98. Listen to nature sounds

99. Sit and relax all your muscles

100. Ask for a break

If you are interested in even more coping strategies, consider my Mindfulness and Coping Strategies Mega Bundle. With this resource, you will get over 600 pages of lessons, activities, crafts, task cards, posters, and more focused on practicing coping strategies and mindfulness.

Also, make sure you read up on one way I practice coping strategies with a craft! I’d love to hear what other coping strategies work for you and your learners!

Teaching Kids How to Relax

March 4, 2017 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Relaxation is a skill that promotes health and well-being for people of all ages- including kids! Too often in school, we are all rushing to get through our days, complete our work, and fix the problems that come up. It’s easy to forget that kids need time to relax and de-stress, too. There are many health benefits to practicing relaxation. It reduces feelings of worry and anxiety, increases blood flow to muscles, reduces feelings of chronic pain, improves concentration, reduces feelings of anger and frustration, and boosts self-esteem.

Use these five simple techniques to teach and promote relaxation in your classroom:

1. Play calming music during tests, quizzes, and independent work time. You can choose whether to use meditation music, nature sounds, or instrumentals. Not only will this promote a calming effect on the classroom, but it will help kids who struggle with attention, too. Background music can really help kids with attention issues, such as ADHD, since it allows them to focus on their task instead of always focusing on interfering background noises and interruptions.

2. Build a yoga time into your day or week. Kids actually love having a daily exercise or warm-up time. Yoga can address that need while encouraging a way to relax. Research shows that yoga can reduce feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. It helps kids and young adults develop coordination, focus, and self-awareness. If you aren’t comfortable teaching yoga on your own, there are many online videos and tutorials you could play for the class. To make it even easier on a teacher, you can use relaxation task cards with kids. The cards help students learn and practice strategies to help them feel more calm and relaxed. Some of the strategies focus on yoga techniques and postures, while others focus on visualizing and even being a little silly.

3. Practice meditation. After recess or a big activity, turn the lights off. Have kids sit at their desks, close their eyes, and just meditate. This is tough at first because kids honestly do not know how to calm their own bodies and minds. It can really help re-center kids, though, before getting back to work.

4. Teach mindfulness activities. Help kids and young adults practice mindfulness to help promote happiness, attention, and emotional control. Mindfulness activities can often include listening to music, coloring, practicing mindful breathing, learning to be present in the moment and much more. Use these mindfulness activities to find even more ways to practice mindfulness in your classroom.

5. Practice slow breathing techniques. Being able to control your breathing can really help you control your emotions and your thoughts at the same time. It can be fun to practice slow breathing to the beat of a drum or using a “breathe board” like shown below.

And while you are teaching kids to relax, make sure you give time for yourself to relax, too!

Using Task Cards to Teach Social Problem Solving

February 9, 2017 by pathway2success 3 Comments

Social problem solving is the process of figuring out how to deal with social situations and challenges. It involves understanding the situation, identifying a problem, considering solutions, and choosing the best way to handle that specific situation. While many kids and young adults figure out how to maneuver through these social challenges on their own, others often needs lots of help. These are the kids who get into arguments with others, can’t deal with disappointments, become upset easily, or have difficulty making (or keeping) friends. The good news is that social problem solving skills can be learned and developed over time.

The best way to learn social problem solving skills is to practice over and over through multiple situations. This allows kids and young adults to go through the process and develop their social thinking skills. Task cards are a great way to practice a variety of scenarios for social problem solving.

Here are some strategies for using task cards for teaching social problem solving:

1. Put together a variety of social situations on task cards. You can make your own with index cards or use a pre-made set, like the Social Scenario Problem Solving Task Cards. Remember to include lots of different situations, such as times with friends, at recess, in the classroom, with family, at lunch, and any other scenarios that may be important for that child. They key is having many different social scenarios that involve dilemmas or challenges, so that kids can think through each problem in a new way.

2. Put the cards on a ring. You can choose to just keep one set for yourself or give sets to partners and groups. Flip through them in a small group, during morning meetings, or during partners and group practice.

3. Give time for group discussions. Kids learn best from other kids! Allow time for lots of talk on each task card. Discuss things like “What would you do?”, “Why would you do that?”, and “What are some other options you could consider?”. Kids and young adults will disagree sometimes, and that’s okay. Allow for kids to explain their thoughts and really think through their social reasoning. This gives opportunity for social and emotional growth while learning from others.

4. Set up cards at centers. Have a center for each different type of scenario. Have kids work through each center in small groups. Then, after a certain amount of time (10 minutes or so), have each group move to the next center. It’s a fun way to practice social problem solving while allowing some movement, too.

5. Remember to include older kids, too! Middle and high school kids can also greatly benefit from learning social problem solving skills. Make sure to tailor the situations to your age group. For older kids, it’s helpful to focus on friends, relationships, online and texting, in classes, and during less structured time like lunch and in the hallways. Older kids will have just as much fun practicing social situation task cards as long as they are age-appropriate.

Get Started!

If you want to get started practicing social problem solving skills with elementary-age kids right away, try using Social Scenario Problem Solving Task Cards for Elementary. The cards are organized into five different sets that target different situations: With friends, with family, in the classroom, at recess, and at lunch.

If you need to practice this skill with older kids, try using Social Scenario Problem Solving Task Cards for Middle and High School. The social situation cards are organized into five different sets specific for older kids. Those situations include: With friends, with family, in classes, in the hallway and cafeteria, and online and texting.

Practicing Coping Strategies (with a craft!)

January 13, 2017 by pathway2success 7 Comments

Having a “toolbox” of coping strategies is critical for a child or young adult to deal with challenging emotions. Sometimes the emotions are due to anxiety, depression, anger, stress or other strong feelings. Regardless of the reason, it’s important to teach, practice, and choose coping strategies that work for each individual child.

Using a Coping Strategies Fortune Teller can help with all of those things in a fun, interactive, and hands-on way.

It’s best to have an example fortune teller already made for students to view and play with. Show your students how it works and explain that coping strategies are listed inside.

Next, share the list of coping strategies with your students. Discuss the strategies in small groups or partners. Have students identify their top 8 coping strategies. Remind them to choose activities that they think will help them personally. It’s okay that everyone has different coping strategies!

Hand out the Coping Strategies Fortune Teller. Have students fill it in with colors and their top 8 coping strategies. It’s fun to color the entire fortune teller, too.

Students will cut out their fortune tellers and then use the directions to fold their craft together. Let students practice their coping strategies by playing with their fortune tellers in partners or groups. Encourage students to read each others’ coping strategies and even practice them, when appropriate. This can be a great activity in small groups to discuss strategies and identify what works best for each individual student.

Best of all, kids can keep their Coping Strategies Fortune Teller for times when they need extra support. They can use it to help them pick a coping strategy when they are feeling anxious, stressed, sad, or angry.

Get your Coping Strategies Fortune Teller Craft to make with your students or clients. You can decide whether you want kids to make their own with individualized strategies or you can use the template already provided. It’s fun, easy, and will have lasting effects for kids and young adults who need support with coping strategies.

9 Tips for Motivating Unmotivated Kids

October 22, 2016 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Many kids and young adults struggle with motivation. These are the kids who are slow to start classwork, often don’t turn in homework, and may even refuse to attempt any assignment they view as a challenge. It can be extremely frustrating, especially because these students are often bright and capable in their own way. Here are some strategies you can use within your classrooms to help support their needs while still holding them accountable.

1. Keep your expectations high. Even when kids are struggling with finding motivation, you want to give the message that you expect greatness from them.

2. Give choices. Allowing a choice in an assignment or task gives kids power and helps them feel more in control of what they are accomplishing. Choice can mean choosing between two different worksheets, choosing their own lab group, or choosing whether to write or type an assignment. Consider finding a choice that fits a student’s individual strengths or interests. If a student isn’t motivated to write a research paper on a famous poet, allow them to present about their favorite musical artist. Instead of completing a lab report on cells, have your artistic student draw and label a diagram of a cell. It’s okay to think outside the box with this.

3. Allow accommodations when necessary. Simple accommodations, like a word bank, a calculator, or a word processor can help kids get in a better mindset for finishing a challenging task.

4. Talk to the student. Find out what is behind the lack of motivation to complete work in your class. Perhaps the student struggles with your content area, doesn’t understand the way you give directions, or is having some major issues at home. Talk privately and compassionately with the student and you can find out a lot.

5. Work out a plan. For students really struggling with getting tasks done in your class, try working out some incentives. Find out what the student would like to work towards – extra points on a quiz, a homework pass, or sitting in a special spot in your classroom. Then, make a plan so that your student can work towards earning that incentive. Maybe when he or she finishes homework for an entire week, they earn something special. Not only does this give the student something to work for, but it also helps build your relationship, too.

6. Work through motivation challenges together. Use this Motivation Workbook to teach about motivation, identify motivational challenges, and make a plan for success. Consider trying the Free Motivation Workbook Sampler which includes identifying what motivation is, understanding lack of motivation, strategies for improving motivation, and a motivation journal.

7. Talk to other adults who work with that student. Look for trends. Find out where the students does well and find out how you can replicate that in your class. For example, I worked with a student who did considerably better in his history class than his science class. With some investigating, I was able to notice that the science class lacked the same structure that his history class had. It was a simple thing to replicate once the teachers were made aware. Another important consideration is the time of day that the student is struggling. Is it in the morning when he or she didn’t get enough sleep? Or maybe around lunch time is challenging after being in a less structured social setting? These are just some examples of what you can consider.

8. Talk to parents. When you find yourself not making enough progress with your student, talk to his or her parents. Share what you have tried and see if there is anything at home the child can work for and if parents could talk to the child, too.

9. Keep your cool. It’s easy to get frustrated at kids who lack motivation but remember that they are just kids. There is often a reason why students won’t initiate tasks, even if we don’t know that reason at the moment. Take your time working with the student and show you are proud when you see progress – even just a little means baby steps in the right direction.

10 Ways to Promote a Growth Mindset

September 10, 2016 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Having a growth mindset means understanding that you can develop your own strengths and weaknesses through hard work, dedication, and grit. By teaching students to have a growth mindset, kids and young adults can better learn to work through challenges and overcome adversity in their lives.

The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. With a fixed mindset, people believe that you are who you are, and that doesn’t change. It’s the difference between the student who says, “I’m just bad at math” (fixed mindset) and the student who says, “This is going to be challenging, but I’ll work through it and learn it as I go” (growth mindset). By promoting and encouraging a growth mindset, adults can help kids and young adults to step outside their comfort zones, push themselves to their limits, learn from difficulties, and ultimately find success.

Having a fixed mindset often leads to giving up on tasks, feeling poorly about oneself, and avoiding challenges. On the other hand, having a growth mindset encourages students to try new things, embrace challenges, and develop strong confidence.

Here are some ways you can promote a growth mindset with kids and young adults:

1. Teach the difference between a fixed and growth mindset. Give explicit instruction to kids about growth and fixed mindsets, explaining the positives associated with adopting a growth mindset. Focus on teaching how having a growth mindset can really help kids feel better, do better, and succeed.

2. Highlight examples of growth mindset in your classroom. Specifically praise kids when they do something with a growth mindset. You might say, “Last week I heard you say you were not a good artist, but you really worked hard on your collage and it came out very artistically”, or “I saw you sitting with your head down during morning work time for the first minute. I love that you pushed forward and finished your work even though it was challenging for you to get started.” Positive feedback goes a long way when it is specific.

Use these task cards to help kids and young adults learn about growth mindset.

3. Give time for kids to talk about having a growth mindset. Use practice examples, whether they are made up or real life examples from each student’s life. Use Growth Mindset Task Cards to practice a growth mindset in all areas of life: at home, school, during activities, with friends, and within our own belief systems.

4. Encourage risks and highlight that mistakes are learning experiences instead of failures. When a child or young adult does make a mistake, avoid making him or her feel bad about the mistake. Instead, encourage personal growth by asking them to identify what they’ve learned from the challenge.

5. Help kids set short term goals. Find out what goals kids want to accomplish in the next few months or within the year. Focus on one main area, whether it is academic, social, or personal. Help kids set a realistic SMART goal and help them come up with specific strategies for how they can accomplish that goal.

6. Conference with students about their goals and progress. Take time every two weeks to “check in” with kids and their goals. Make it a time to assess how much progress has been made and what the student has learned. You can look at what didn’t work but really focus on what DID work. Use that positive momentum to keep the progress going. Also, recognize that it’s okay if students tweak their goals as they go. Setting regular times to check in with goals really helps kids stay on track and learn that achieving that goal is possible.

7. Discuss people and celebrities who achieved success with a growth mindset. There truly are so many examples in all different areas of life. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team but his mother talked him into not giving up, so he continued to practice and get better. The Beatles were turned down by several record companies because some just didn’t like their sound. Oprah had a boss who told her she wasn’t fit for television. The list goes on and on! You could even use this as a research project in your classroom so that each student can report back about someone who overcame adversity and used a growth mindset to succeed.

8. Give challenging tasks. Brainteasers, riddles, and math problems are an excellent way to push kids to try challenging problems without giving up. When kids want to know the answer, don’t give it right away! Allow for plenty of time to go back and think about the problem. This encourages the idea that sometimes you don’t get all the answers, and you must work through challenges on your own to find out.

9. Use literature that shows examples of perseverance. You can use them within your language arts instruction or just as a read aloud for fun. From short children’s books to longer chapter books, you can find many different texts that promote a growth mindset. Some shorter books include: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds, The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, and Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. One longer selection is Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Biographies also work great to teach growth mindset, as they highlight people who have persevered through serious challenges.

10. Use the word “yet”. When someone says, “I don’t know how to do this”, just add the word “yet”. Constantly reminding this encourages the idea that most things are possible with hard work, persistence, and time.

Helping kids and young adults to develop a growth mindset takes time, but it’s worth it in the end. You can see kid’s perceptions about themselves slowly begin to change from, “I can’t do this” to “How CAN I do this?” and then eventually, “I know I can do this”.

Social Skills for Middle and High School Kids

September 4, 2016 by pathway2success 4 Comments

Most middle and high school teachers like to hope that students come to them already pre-programmed with strong social skills and abilities. It would definitely make classes easier, but we know that it is not true in many cases. Sometimes, problems with lacking social skills actually manifest themselves as behavioral challenges. For example, the student who is always interrupting in class may not know or understand the social rule that he should wait his turn. The student who constantly gets in trouble during group work might not know the group ground rules and how to work with others. Lastly, the student who gets involved in lots of drama and arguments with peers in your class might struggle with peer relationship skills. All of these behavioral challenges that cause such distress in our classrooms can be aligned with a lack of strong social skills.

Once your recognize that a student or group of students need some social skills support, the next step is providing the instruction that will teach them the social skills. If they do not have good social skills by middle or high school level, they will likely need a lot of direct instruction, practice, and support to make good progress. Kids CAN learn social skills though, regardless of their age.

What makes social skills instruction so challenging at the middle and high school level is that there usually is not any time in the day to focus on these skills. In elementary school, there might be a morning meeting time, small groups, and recess – all great times that teachers, school counselors, and social workers can target teaching social skills. At the middle and high school levels, though, the level of academic rigor is increased significantly, leaving minimal time for social teaching. Still, there are ways to weave social skills instruction into your classes.

Use literature to discuss social behavior. While reading a passage or book, use the characters to highlight social skills and behavior. Ask questions like, “Why do you think he did that?” and “How did his actions impact the others?”. Even more, highlight and discuss specific skills that some of your students might have challenges with. This is a great way to incorporate teaching social skills because it makes it less personal for kids.
Use small group work to review social skills. This goes for any group or partner work, such as science labs, partner reads, think-pair-shares, and more. Prior to starting group or partner work, review how your students should work with others. Explain and show what it means to keep eye contact with your partner, to listen to your group members, and to do your fair share of the work. These are essential social skills when working with groups or partners. You can find more direct instruction with the Working with Others – Groups and Partners workbook.
Allot a short period of time to social skills each week. This can be done during resource room, study hall, or an advisory period. Focus on explicitly teaching and practicing the social skills your kids need. Consider running a social skills group once a week for 20 minutes. Adding peer role models will help significantly.
Train peer role models to support social needs. Kids just learn better from other kids. This is especially true when it comes to social skills. Spend time training some peer role models to give cues and reminders to their “buddies”. Training them is simple – just privately meet with the student and direct them: “When you see Jimmy _____, just remind him to ______”. For example, in a science lab, “When you see Jimmy out of his seat during group time, just remind him to stay with his group”. The peer reminder will go farther than one from an adult.
Talk with the school counselor and social worker. The other support staff in your building may have other ideas and strategies for how to support kids inside and outside of your classroom. Find out if they are running any social skills groups and give names of kids who you think could benefit.

If you find yourself needing to practice social skills in your middle and high school classroom, try these Social Skills Task Cards for Middle and High School. It is a pack of 100 task cards specifically designed for middle and high schoolers. The cards are organized into five different sets that target different skills: Basic Interactions, Conversations, Empathy, Friendships & Relationships, and Conflict Resolution Skills. You can use them during a lunch group, study hall, resource room, advisory period, or anytime you have a few minutes left over in you class period to review.

Practice social skills with these task cards for middle & high school kids

Take the time to teach social skills and it will pay off – not only for your students but for your classroom management, too!

Getting Kids Talking

June 2, 2016 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

As a special education teacher, I also often wear the hat of being a counselor and therapist, too. I think that is true for most educators today. While we are teaching fractions, how to write a narrative, and identifying the difference between a state and a country, we are also working on building positive social skills and help kids work through their own problems. So, when you notice a child is having a conflict, how can you help him or her open up to start talking about it? The first goal is to help kids and young adults see us as an adult they can trust. Someone they can come to for help and be okay with opening up more than usual.

Here are some effective strategies for helping kids open up and share:

Drawing a picture can help kids share thoughts and emotions.

1. Ask them to draw a picture. Drawing a picture can be very telling and therapeutic at the same time. Ask kids to draw how they feel or how they see a certain situation happening. This can be especially helpful for children with limited or weak communication skills. Once the drawing is completed, follow up by asking several clarifying questions, like, “I see that you drew yourself in red, what do you think that means?”. You will be surprised with the responses you get. Drawing can be a great outlet.

2. Ask them to tell a story. You can even use this in the hypothetical-sense. For example, you might ask, “Tell me a story about what might happen at recess today”. There is something about telling a story that is more innocent and open than sharing details about a conflict for kids.

3. Have them write in a journal on their own. Ask the student to write independently for a period of time while you model doing the same. Tell him or her that they can write about anything but they have to keep writing until the timer goes off. Then, when time is up, share what you are comfortable sharing in your journal and ask the child to do the same. Not only can this be great to get a discussion going, but it teaches the value skill of journal writing to share thoughts, too.

4. Weave questions into gameplay. Don’t ask the challenging questions head on. Instead, begin playing a game (really could be anything) and intermittently ask questions throughout the game. This will allow kids to open up and share more without feeling the pressure of just a face-to-face conversation.

Counseling Conversation Starters

5. Use conversation starter questions. Pre-made task card questions are best for this. You can ask the questions yourself or allow students to take turns asking the questions while playing a game. It’s helpful to also mix up the type of questions asked on cards, with some about interests, family, school, and more.

Helping Kids Suffering from Depression

October 1, 2015 by pathway2success 1 Comment

As a middle school teacher, I often see kids exhibiting a variety of different moods and mood swings. Seeing kids suffer from depression is something different, though. Depression is a pervasive sense of unhappiness and sadness that often significantly impacts a child or young adult’s ability to function to their potential.

Recognizing symptoms of depression is important so that adults can find help and provide support for children and young adults. It’s important to know that no two people will exhibit all of the same symptoms or signs with depression. Some signs of depression in kids and adolescents are:

Exhibiting general mood of sadness for over several weeks
Losing interest in activities, especially ones he/she once enjoyed
Exhibiting low self-esteem
Difficulty completing tasks or making decisions on own
Seeming to “not care” about anything, including consequences
Difficulty focusing and remembering things
Pervasive negative view of the world, others, or self
Blaming him/herself for things that may not be his/her fault

At the middle and high school level, it’s particularly important that teachers their share concerns about students by talking with others in their building. Since secondary teachers only see that student for a short period each school day, it may be difficult to tell if the young adult exhibits those symptoms only in their class or across the board in all classes. Teachers with concerns about a student should talk with the guidance counselor, social worker, and other teachers who have that student.

It’s also critical to recognize that depression is not a choice. While it seems silly to even have to explain that, some adults may see a child or teen exhibiting possible symptoms of depression and make the judgement that he or she “just doesn’t want to do the work”. In most cases, it would be easier for the child or young adult if they were able to do the work.

Here are some considerations for interventions for students suffering from depression:

1. Begin by building and maintaining a positive relationship with the child. Show that you care and believe in that student, even when he/she doesn’t believe in him or herself. It’s something that may take several weeks or months to develop, but you can make a difference just by being a consistent and positive role model in the child’s life.

2. Maintain high expectations while providing supports. Instead of exempting the child from assignments or allowing them to get zeros on homework, help them through the work. Offer extra help during the last ten minutes of class when others are working in groups, or ask if he or she can come before or after school some days to work on lessons. Remember to not make this punitive. It’s important to show that the goal isn’t just “doing work”, but learning, because you truly care about the child.

3. Allow accommodations with work. If a child demonstrates low self-esteem over completing work on their own, find simple ways to help him or her do it with other supports. Start by providing a calculator or multiplication chart if the math work is a challenge. Give the student a graphic organizer for their essay and help him or her fill it out. Similarly, it’s okay to reduce the work at times. You want to allow the child to be successful at the task and build confidence, so it’s okay if you lower that bar at first so he or she can feel that success.

4. Use the child’s interests. Find out what the student likes to do and what he or she is good at. Even children and young adults suffering from depression often have positive outlets, whether it is art, sports, music, or another activity. Incorporate that positive outlet into the classroom when you can. Be creative! Can the child take an extra session of music or gym? Could you keep an extra guitar or keyboard in your classroom for break time that the student could use? Even consider allowing drawing time after a test or quiz to alleviate stress and allow for a positive sense of accomplishment after completing a task.

5. Talk to his or her parents. It’s important to find out what is going on at home for the child so the school can be a stronger support, when needed. If the home situation is challenging, direct the parents or guardians to appropriate supports inside and outside of school.

6. Seek help from guidance counselors, social workers, and administration. As general education teachers (and even special education teachers), we are not mental health professionals. Talk to the appropriate staff in your building with your concerns. Most of all, if you ever feel a child is an imminent risk to him or herself, get help right away.

For more information about depression in children, consider these sites:

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