Social Decision Making and Problem Solving
Click on a social decision picture to learn more.
Coman Hill
teachers use the Social Decision Making
and Problem Solving Program to teach students self-control, social
awareness and strategies to become independent problem-solvers. With assistance from
parents and other members of the community, students learn to use these
strategies both in and out of the classroom.
Speaker Power
Speaker
Power helps students develop an awareness of appropriate behavior during a
discussion, including the values of respect for others, patience, and
listening. An object may be passed from
student to student to designate whose turn it is to speak or students may raise
their hands to take turns speaking.
At
home:
Families
can practice Speaker Power at the dinner table by choosing a topic for
discussion, passing an object around the table, and setting a time limit for
each speaker. This helps students
realize the value of Speaker Power in everyday situations.
Good listening skills help
children concentrate and think about what is being said. To encourage effective listening, students
are taught Listening Position. When
students are in Listening Position, they sit or stand straight, face the
speaker and look at the speaker.
At
home:
Families
can practice Listening Position when sitting at the dinner table, during family
discussions, or when reading with your child.
Sharing Circle
Sharing
Circle provides a structured opportunity for students to communicate and share
thoughts or feelings in a safe environment.
In school,
we gather as a group where each student has the opportunity to share
information while practicing Speaker Power and Listening Position. Appropriate tone of voice and remaining on
topic are also encouraged.
At
home:
Families
can incorporate
in the car.
Keep Calm
Keep Calm
helps students maintain or gain self-control when faced with situations that
trigger strong emotions. This strategy
consists of a series of verbal and physical cues which the students follow in order to
gain control. These steps are:
1.
Tell yourself
to STOP (press the palms
of hands towards floor).
2.
Tell yourself
to “Keep Calm” (think
it or say it).
3.
Slow down your
breathing with two long deep breaths (count to five using fingers to signal length of each
inhalation and exhalation).
4.
Praise yourself
for a job well done (pat
yourself on the back).
At
home:
Families
may use this strategy when conflicts arise, such as disagreements between
siblings or homework difficulties.
This
strategy encourages students’ confidence by helping them clearly say what they
think and feel in a respectful manner.
When students are “Being their B-E-S-T,” they are focusing on the
following behaviors:
B-Body
Posture (stand or sit tall; don’t slump)
E-Eye Contact
(look the speaker in the eye)
S-Things to Say
(use appropriate language)
T-Tone of
Voice (use a calm even tone of voice)
Children
learn that in any situation there are three different ways they can act when
talking to another person. They can act
like a mouse (meek and passive),
they can act like a monster (bossy
and loud), or they can act like “me” (a
confident person who speaks his or her mind, but respects the rights and
feelings of others).
At
home:
Families
may remind children to “Be their B-E-S-T” when resolving conflicts with
siblings and friends.