February
Big Deal vs. Little Deal
Our goal is to help Sage Creek students grow in their ability to problem solve when faced with a tough situation. Oftentimes, we make a mountain out of a molehill and create even more problems for ourselves. This month, we defined what makes something a BIG or LITTLE deal.Â
Little deals:
It might be an accident.
You can ignore it.
You can solve it yourself.
Big deals:
Someone is hurt or in danger.
You already tried to solve it yourself.
You need help from a trusted adult.
We also identified the emotions we feel in our bodies when we're faced with big and little deals - generally, the bigger the problem, the bigger the emotion we feel. For example, spelling tests make us feel nervous while getting lost makes us feel scared.
To practice at home:
Step back and take a breath.
What emotion am I feeling right now?
Identify size of deal - can I solve this on my own? Is anyone hurt or in danger? Can I ignore it?
(Go to a trusted adult to ask for help if it's a big deal.)
Come up with practice scenarios - scenario, emotion, problem solve, who to ask for help (if needed).
Book recommendations for Problem Solving:
Ada Twist, Scientist (also a TV show on Netflix) by Andrea Beaty
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada
Cat & Bunny by Mary Lundquist
Going Places by Peter & Paul Reynolds
Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming
The Boy & The Airplane by Mark Pett
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson
Solutions for Cold Feet (and Other Little Problems) by Carrie Sookocheff
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
Journey by Aaron Becker