Lesson 6 : January 19-23rd

Being a Problem Detective; Big Problems & Small Problems

• Small problems

  • Can bug and frustrate us

  • Can happen often, but are no big deal

  • We can solve ourselves

• Big Problems

  • Can be dangerous

  • Can be scary

  • Need an grown up's help and support

Problem Solving Proactively

Another protective factor we can arm students with is an ability to problem-solve proactively. This means helping them have a plan for what to do when they face specific situations that might cause them distress (and that are also just part of life). For example:

• Not liking the group they are assigned to

• Not getting called on during class

• Being told they can’t play how they want at recess

Planning for these scenarios helps to eliminate the surprise and gives them confidence that they know just what to do!

Lesson 3: October 6-10th

Green Light & Red Light Choices

What do we mean by Green Light and Red Light choices?

Green Light Choices are expected choices to do, such as using gentle hands, walking feet, and safe habits when playing and working. Green represents “Go,” and keep making green light choices. Red Light Choices are unexpected choices that are unhelpful, unsafe, and unkind. Red means stop — think-- choose a choice that brings you and others back into the green zone. 

Lesson 2: September 15-19th

Expected vs. Unexpected Behavior; how to match your behavior to where you are

What do I mean by expected and unexpected behaviors?

Expected behavior is simply behavior that is normal, reasonable and anticipated. Unexpected behavior is behavior that is out of the norm, and is unusual.

This way of talking about behavior is different than how it is normally discussed, in that it doesn’t address behavior as simply “positive” or “negative”, since what is expected can vary from situation to situation. For example, it is expected to speak quietly at a library, but not at a football game. It is expected to raise your hand to speak at school, but it would be unexpected to do that at home.

Why does this make a difference?

One of the key components of talking about expected and unexpected behavior is encouraging students to consider how their behaviors make others feel,  how their behaviors lead others to react, or even how their behaviors influence the way that others view/treat them. It is this piece that I believe really gets students to understand that their behavior has consequences. If they exhibit unexpected behaviors at recess (hitting, not playing by the rules, etc.) it may lead to students not wanting to play with them.

When students begin to understand that their behaviors impact how others view them, they may be more motivated to change their behaviors.

Activity:

• Identify and color expected vs. unexpected behaviors at school