Healthy Children and Strong Students: Personal Skills for Success

1. Healthy Children and Strong Students: Personal Skills for Success Brian P. Leung, Ph.D. Loyola Marymount University

2. Agenda – Day 1 • Introduction I. Student Skills for Success • Social Emotional skills • Personal skills • Academic skills II. Supports to make Student Skills Impactful • Classroom factors • School factors

3. Agenda – Day 2 • Review and Sharing • Questions & Answers III. Best Practices in Building a Skill Program • School-based Teams • School-wide Opportunities for Practice and Recognition • Parent Involvement IV. Tracking your Success • Setting school Indicators • Collecting data • Documentation over time • Summary

4. Student Skills for Success Social Emotional Skills Personal Skills Academic Skills

5. Helping children succeed If a gardener wants a beautiful yard, she cannot focus only on removing weeds and trash because she would only have an empty piece of land, and eventually, other weeds will grow back. She must also carefully choose flowers, grass, and trees…different ones that mix well together and are supported by the soil of the yard. The new plants will also prevent weeds from growing back! Likewise with developing a child. It’s not the best to focus too much on removing bad behaviors alone because other behaviors will always develop. It’s important to teach new skills…skills that fit with the child’s personality. These new skills will also help to prevent bad behaviors from returning.

6. Skills for Success in school and in life • There are many many skills for children of all ages to know to be successful in school, work, and in life. • Not all skills can be taught…and not all children will learn. • Some skills are better “fit” than others for different children. **Children learn skills mostly by: • Teaching from teachers, parents, friends • Watching teachers, parents, and friends • Exposure to the media (TV, internet, games)

7. In this workshop, we will focus on these 11 skills • Social Emotional Skills (SES-4) • Emotions understanding & expression • Anger management • Stress reduction • Conflict management • Personal Skills (PS-4) • Resiliency • Friendship • Problem solving • Thankfulness • Academic Skills (AS-3) • Organization • Memory • Test taking

8. Benefits of Social Emotional & Personal skills • All 11 skills have been shown in research to help students: • Develop self-management and self-control • Improves relationships at all levels of school and at home • Enables academic achievement • These skills will help young people to be mentally healthyand more successful in school and life!

9. Teaching Skills should be “interactive” • Teach the skill in developmentally appropriate ways, using: • Discovery methods • Direct instruction methods • Practice • Feedback and Correction -------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach • Practice • Feedback and Correction ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach…

10. Instructional Methods • Discovery method • Exercises (individual or small group) • Discussions • Scenarios • Direct instruction method • Lectures • Readings • Demonstrations

11. Skills Instruction should be “interactive” • Teach the skill in developmentally appropriate ways, using: • Discovery methods • Direct instruction methods • Practice • Feedback and Correction -------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach • Practice • Feedback and Correction ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach…

12. Some resources online • http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/ • Worksheets on many social emotional skills • Award certificates • Suggested articles and books • http://kidshealth.org/ • Ideas and strategies for parents, children, and teens • Just for girls: http://www.girlshealth.gov/ • Just for boys: http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/ • For younger kids: www.emotes.com

13. SES1: Emotion Understanding The skill to identify an emotion in yourself and express it in healthy ways (also called “emotional intelligence”) • Recover from disappointments • Use non-physical ways to solve problems • Avoid over-reacting to situations Some content to help students learn this skill: • Know a variety of human emotions and put them into words. • Know that emotions are normal and there are healthy and unhealthy ways to express any of them. • Learn how the body changes with different emotions. • Practice acceptable/healthy expressions of different emotions • Know some basic techniques: • Change the environment to remove or enhance emotions • Relaxation techniques • Prepare a set of statements to use for situations • Think ahead to anticipate results

14. Example: “Discovery method” of instruction • There are healthy and unhealthy ways to express an emotion. Read each situation, identify the emotion, and list positive and negative ways to express it. • Phuong practiced very hard to get ready for his soccer game, but despite his best effort, his team lost the championship. • Tuan has been waiting for her father to come home from a trip. Just now, he walks through the door. • Nguyen walked into her high school classroom for the first time.

15. Example: “Direct Instruction” method • Having emotions is part of being a human being. People of all ages experience emotions. Some emotions make us feel good so we call these “positive emotions”; and some emotions make us feel bad and we call these “negative emotions”. In truth, there are no positive or negative emotions, just positive or negative ways to express emotions. • Read the handout and learn about how our bodies respond to different emotions, so you can name the emotion when you experience it.

16. Example:“Worksheet” to reinforce learning Emotion Understanding & Expression • Put each emotion into words. e.g. “X is…”, • How does the body respond to each emotion?

17. Example: “Practice” Pick a partner to practice the following: • Describe a situation where you experience an emotion and how you responded. • Partner names the emotion. Was s/he right or wrong? • Partner tells if response was healthy or unhealthy. Do you agree? • Discuss together other healthy and unhealthy ways to respond to that situation. • Reverse roles and let your partner tell you a situation. (teacher gives feedback)

18. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups, pick an age group: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Emotion Understanding & Expression • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforcelearning Emotion control 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice Emotion Control

19. Skills Instruction should be “interactive” • Teach the skill in developmentally appropriate ways, using: • Discovery methods • Direct instruction methods • Practice • Feedback and Correction -------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach • Practice • Feedback and Correction ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • Reteach…

20. SES2: Anger Management The skill to handle in an acceptable and not destructive way. Some content to help students learn this skill: • Understand and talk about situations that cause anger • Learn to label the anger emotion in words • When wronged, help students talk about what they would like to see happen • Know that anger can be expressed outward or inward • Learn that there are healthy ways to express anger • Some basic strategies to teach: • Use books and stories to illustrate anger management • Practice words to use to describe angry emotions • Allow students to draw pictures to show their anger • Relaxation techniques to calm down

21. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Anger Management • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforcethe learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill Be prepared to share your work with others! 

22. SES3: Stress Reduction The skill to handle situations that create pressure and uncomfortable feelings. Some content to help students learn this skill: • Learn to recognize when you are under stress. • How to change the environment to remove stress • Identify who can help • Develop a variety of strategies to use: • Close your eyes, count to 20 to relax • Call a friend • Go exercise • Make a plan • A special case of stress is Test Anxiety.

23. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Stress Reduction • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

24. SES4: Conflict Management The ability to deal with disagreements between people in healthy ways. Some content to help students learn this skill: • Tackle a big problem in small pieces • Generate many solutions to choose from • Guess and Check (trial and error) • Working backwards Be prepared to share your work with others! 

25. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Conflict Management • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforcethe learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill Be prepared to share your work with others! 

26. PS1: Resiliency To bounce back from severe personal and/or academic adversity and be successful. Resiliency is supported by both internal and external protective factors.

27. PS1: Resiliency for students (Internal Protective factors – “Personal Assets”) • Sense of humor • Ability to make friends (and engage adults) • Learn from mistakes (reflect on own behaviors) • Flexibility (handle changes) • Good at “something” (sense of competence) • Positive view of the future (optimistic)

28. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Internal Protective Factors • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill Be prepared to share your work with others! 

29. Resiliency for students(External Protective factors – “Environmental Assets”) • Caring adult(s) • High warmth • Low criticism • Clear rules • Given responsibility (required helpfulness) • Opportunity for service to others • Expressed high and realistic expectations • Guidance to set goal and planning What factors can you create for your students?

30. PS2: Friendship Skills The skill to form interpersonal relationships with others (i.e. making and keeping friends). Some content to help students learn this skill: • Learn to act friendly (smile and greet others) • Listening skills to learn about others • Importance of seeking common interest • Learn strategies to find and maintain friends: • Going to places to find people with common interests • Continue to show interest in others • Willing to spend timewith others • Willing to share (things, stories) • Get involved to meet others

31. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Friendship Skills • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

32. PS3: Problem solving The skill of systematically approaching a problem and solving it. Some content to help students learn this skill: • How to break a big problem into small pieces • Generate many solutions to choose from • Seek out resources to help (people, material) • Some strategies useful for solving problems: • Guess and Check (trial and error) • Working backwards from goal • Draw a diagram • Try a new way

33. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: • Develop ONE lesson to teachProblem Solving • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method • Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning • Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

34. PS4: Thankfulness The attitude to be thankful for what you have. Design some activities and a work-sheet to teach: • One can choose to focus on the good or bad (glass half full) • Learn different ways to express gratitude • Ways to practice gratitude: • Counting your blessings (make a list & share) • Encourage generosity • Role playing to experience receiving thanks • Find the good in every situation or person • Accept failures and weaknesses

35. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Gratitude • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

36. AS1: Organization Skill The skill to ask for help without fear. Design some activities and a work-sheet to teach: • Knowing who to ask • Knowing when to ask • At frustration points • Needed to go to the next steps • Knowing what to ask • Cues, strategies, tips

37. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Organization Skill • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

38. AS2: Memory Skills Skills to help improve retention of learned material. Some content to help students learn this skill: • Know that “understanding” helps with “remembering” • Can’t remember something you didn’t learn • Active learning supports better memory • Some strategies to help remember: • Connect it to something you know well (association) • Use visual images or draw diagrams • Use acronyms • Be well rested when learning • Breaking into smaller pieces • Take good notes to review later • Don’t be afraid to ask for help to improve understanding Teachers can help by teaching in different ways!

39. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Memory Skill • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

40. AS3: Test taking skills Skills that allow a student to demonstrate what he/she knows on a test. Design some activities and a work-sheet to teach: • Look for key words in a test question • Strategies for different types of items • Plan your time to complete the entire test • Relaxation techniques • Keeping a positive attitude during and after • Check over the test if time permits

41. Make this practical for YOU Work in small groups: 1. Develop ONE lesson to teach Test Taking skills • Discovery method or • Direct instruction method 2. Develop ONE worksheet for students to reinforce the learning 3. Develop ONE strategy for students to practice the skill

42. Test Anxiety! Four levels of interventions: • Individual – counseling, skill remediation • Classroom – feedback, climate • Home – support, preparation • School-wide – events, support

43. Interventions ideasfor Teachers • Help students prepare for tests • Review content • Discuss test taking strategies • Show test format • Modify test environment • Eliminate and anticipate distractions during testing • Identify who needs what type of support • Worry • Emotionality • Allow other ways for students to demonstrate learning * Let students know that you want them to be successful!

44. Schoolwide Interventions • Study student reactions to determine if school-wide interventions are needed. • Design small group interventions on specific topics (e.g. test-taking strategies, relaxation, self talk, etc.) • Students with high TA may need more individual attention. • Principal, teachers, counselors, and parents all worked together and shared ideas.

45. What does this story teach? A man was trying to fix a ceiling fan. He is on a chair and on his tiptoes barely reaching the fan. He wobbled frequently and looked like he would fall off. His wife and mother were watching. His wife says, “Dear, you’re too short!”. His mother says, “Dear, the chair is not tall enough!”.

46. Environmental Factors to Support Student Skills Development Classroom Factors School Factors

47. Classroom Factors • Curriculum • Interesting and Engaging • Relevant and Useful • Opportunities for Success • Teacher • Interest in students • Cares about their success • Passionate about content • Able to manage student behaviors • MODELS positive skills

48. Classroom Factors • Motivation (student engagement) • Influenced by what happens in that classroom. Research has also shown that good everyday teaching practices can do more to counter student apathy than special efforts to attack motivation directly. Most of your students will respond positively to: • a well-organized course • taught by an enthusiastic instructor • who has a genuine interest in students and what they learn

49. Classroom Strategies:General Considerations to motivate • Capitalize on students' existing needs & interests. • Make students active participants in learning (choice). • Hold high but realistic expectations for your students. • Help students set achievable goals for themselves. • Tell students what they need to do to succeed in your course. • Avoid creating intense competition among students. • Check your attribution of student behavior/failure. Ask students to analyze what makes their classes more or less "motivating."

50. Classroom Strategies:Communicating low expectations Well-meaning but counter-productive teacher behaviors: • Pity and Anger • Praise and Criticism • Offer of Help • Avoidance behavior