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By Erin Peace, LCSW, RPT: ACE Academy School Counselor
February 2, 2023
February SEL Spotlight: Responsible Decision-Making
CASEL defines responsible decision-making as “the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.” Responsible decision-making involves learning how to evaluate a problem, analyze the options, and consider the potential consequences of each of those options for themselves and others. In order to use these skills, students must draw upon other SEL skills, including self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship skills.
Identifying the Size of the Problem
In order to develop solutions to a situation, a student first needs to identify the problem and what is needed. Is the underlying problem related to a miscommunication? Differing perspectives? Lack of fairness? A way to help students identify the underlying issue is by using a visual to help students name the "size" of a problem, which can then help narrow down how to solve it and how many people should be involved in the problem-solving process. If your student has a "big" reaction to a "tiny" problem, it can be helpful to work through a reflection sheet with students once they have returned to state of calm to help them problem-solve for a future situation.
Problem-Solving Steps
In order to help students scaffold their decision-making skills, students benefit from explicit instruction on how to evaluate short-term vs. long-term consequences, as well as exploring how their decisions impact others. The graphic below explains the steps, and you can use the handout to demonstrate how to work through a scenario: For example, how could your student respond if they found a wallet on the ground during recess? What are the short-term vs. long-term consequences of their choice options? How do the different choices impact themselves and others?
Responsible Decision-Making: Values and Video
Older students, such as middle schoolers, also benefit from discussions about identifying their values in order to develop an ethical decision-making paradigm. When students are able to clarify their top three values, they can use these principles to guide decision-making instead of allowing their emotions to "drive the car."
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