Showing posts with label problem solving. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The Path To Peace
Today I'm excited because we're having our counseling classes on conflict resolution this week outside on our Peace Labyrinth that former Bales Principal Jay Stailey and his friend Reginald Adams designed for us and helped us paint.
The lesson goes something like this:
First I share this funny and engaging Sesame Street clip,
featuring the late Robin Williams,
to show students what conflict is and what conflict isn't.
Then we watch this clip featuring a common conflict, a fight that ensued between two students after one cheated from another.
Before we head outside to the Labyrinth to role play what happens the next day between Jimmy and Max, we talk about what collaborating using the five steps to problem solving would look like on our conflict-resolution Peace Labyrinth.
It's interesting, because as they predict what the steps are, most of the students want to go straight to a solution. Instead, the steps include:
1. State the problem.
2. State your feelings.
3. State the other person's feelings.
{We're calling this one the empathy stop!}
4. Brainstorm solutions.
5. Choose the best solution.
So we head outside, and role play an easy one first, to review the steps: I want to eat at McDonald's, and the student who volunteers to walk the path with me wants to eat at Chick fil A. Then, we select a volunteer to play Jimmy and a classmate to play Max, and we let them walk the path to peace.
We're so happy even our Labyrinth is smiling!
Friday, January 29, 2016
PPBF: Turn! Turn! Turn!
Today's post will be short and sweet as we wrap up
The Great Kindness Challenge and get ready to celebrate
National School Counseling Week.
Today's PPBF perfectly complements both.
To everything, there is a season ...
Title: Turn! Turn! Turn!
Author: Pete Seeger
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Date: September 1, 2003
Suitable for: age 5 and up
Themes: inspirational, peace, circle of life
Brief Synopsis: Based on the inspiration of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, this book uses text from the Byrds song Turn!, Turn!, Turn! to explore and enjoy the ways people turn through the pages of the book of life.
Opening page:
Resources:
*Listen to the song on CD, included in the book.
*Have students draw a time line of their lives; challenge them to make it circular rather than linear.
*Encourage students to write and illustrate another line.
A time to ____ , a time to _____ .
What would you add?
Why I like this book: I've always been a fan of that verse from the Ecclesiastes and this song. Then when my friend Ann brought me a copy of the book, I fell in love all over again. Look how pretty it is sitting on my shelf among my angels.
To everything, there is a season ...
The circles on every page are beautifully illustrated to put this poetic text into a peace-filled picture. Such a simple yet important concept to remember, especially as we grieve the good-bye of something special and bounce forward into something new.
This week, some of our students worked with our high school PALs to paint a conflict-resolution peace labyrinth and it reminds me of the circular concept in this book.
To everything, there is a season.
We also hosted singer, songwriter, and expert bucket-filler Red Grammer on the Westwood side. Here he is teaching us to use our lids to keep ourselves happy and safe. Click the picture to see Mrs. Quigley's first-grade students teaching him and our audience the motions they use for his song The Power To Change The World.
And today, we say good-bye to our Principal, Terri, and hello to a new leader, J.T. It's a time of change again at Bales, the perfect time to get quiet and contemplate the circle of life.
Turn, turn, turn.
For more PPBF picks today, turn now to Susanna's blog.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Kelso's Choice For Families Review
Today I'm delighted to welcome my friend Heather Salinas back to the Corner on Character to share her reflections on the Kelso's Choice For Families Kit.
*********************
Kelso's Choice for Families is an invaluable tool for equipping children ages two and up with problem-solving and crisis management skills. (The package stated five years and up, but my two and a half year old was able to join in also with the help of older siblings.) We received this kit a few months after Mrs. Gruener re-introduced the concept of the "school" version to the students in my daughter's Intermediate School. The family version is closely modeled after the school version; because of this, my children were already familiar with the language and it became a natural progression into the "home" version.
The materials that come with the kit are very clear, motivating, and adaptable. There is a fun and informative video for families to watch together that explains the program. It includes explanations about what type of problems are considered "big" and "small" and how to successfully manage a conflict. In addition to the DVD there are also supplemental activities, a workbook, reward chart, crafts, posters, and more. It is a very inclusive kit! For my family, watching the video together and starting the program prompted some amazing family conversations about life, family, and faith; it led to some great family bonding moments!
The materials that come with the kit are very clear, motivating, and adaptable. There is a fun and informative video for families to watch together that explains the program. It includes explanations about what type of problems are considered "big" and "small" and how to successfully manage a conflict. In addition to the DVD there are also supplemental activities, a workbook, reward chart, crafts, posters, and more. It is a very inclusive kit! For my family, watching the video together and starting the program prompted some amazing family conversations about life, family, and faith; it led to some great family bonding moments!
Our home currently has seven children under the age of twelve, and in the beginning this kit was utilized multiple times a day! I think the reason the kit worked so well is that there is such rich, complex information broken down into a way children can easily understand and adapt to their own situations. The days following us starting this program, I noticed the children solving their "small" conflicts on their own and directing each other to the chart when a problem came up -- a built-in accountability! The distinct choices given to solve issues in the kit were extremely adaptable to any "small" conflict that came up. I did give my children the freedom to choose a solution from either the "younger" version or the "older" child version once a conflict came up. I could tell my children gained a sense of pride and empowerment to make the choice themselves. As the weeks went on, I noticed a big difference in my children's independence and desire for responsibility.
I would highly recommend this program to families with any number of children, as Kelso's Choice for Families could also be utilized for extended family, friends, sports teams, etc. I strongly believe these same conflict management skills will help my children in future relationships, in the workplace and beyond. We are very thankful to have this kit at home as my children (and their conflicts) grow and change over the next years.
Author’s Note: I am so thankful to Mrs. Gruener for inviting me to review this product! My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have four amazing children (ages 9 to 1), two dogs, three birds, 10 turtles, 11 chickens, and a yard full of wildlife! Our life never stops being interesting!
I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwestern University in 2002, and a Master of Science Degree in Journalism from Quinnipiac University in 2004. For the last five years I have run my own full-time dog boarding business that I absolutely could not be more blessed by! On a part-time basis, I also edit criminal court transcripts for Harris County.
******************
Thank you, Heather, first and foremost for your friendship, and then for your willingness to share your thoughts, insights and perspective with our readers.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Social Stations
Today I'm super excited because we go back into Social Station rotation in counseling classes this week. Here's what we have planned:
1. In the Creation Station, we'll be writing thank-you notes, like these, only on 3x5 cards, for a volunteer in our community who distributes them when she sees a man or woman in uniform. We must never forget ...
2. At the Staging Station {with or without puppets}, we'll be role playing different scenarios and working through some common, every-day conflicts.
3. In the Ukulele Lab, we'll be learning our first few chords. In a fun development after a Twitter convo yesterday, we'll be adding ten ukuleles to our lab thanks to the generosity of authors Dave and Shelley Burgess of Teach Like A Pirate and P is for Pirate fame.
I sure hope Mr. Fred can find us ten more chairs!
Update: Yay - the new UKEs have arrived!
4. In the Reflection Station, students will be writing and drawing their thoughts about last week's Dennis Lee show and/or our Hometown Heroes pep rally.
5. There'll also be a Gaming Station and a Collaboration Station, both of which will have connection activities to sharpen our problem-solving and leadership skills.
UPDATE: Check out this collaboration!
So there ought to be something for all learning styles and work preferences. Do you use Social Stations to facilitate and nurture your students' social and emotional growth? If so, we'd love for you to share how they work.
Need more ideas? Check out this presentation on Character Centers!
Friday, September 25, 2015
Daring To Be Brave
Hello dear reader, and happy Friday.
Today I'm excited to introduce you to a fun new book
that just might help your child understand and conquer a fear or two,
but not before I tell you about my trip to NASA yesterday.
John's supervisor invited me to talk with a few leadership giants
about Fixed and Growth Mindset, so I went to share Carol Dweck's work with a Star Wars spin that I adapted from {here}.
I have it on good authority that they really connected with the Mindset song
I wrote for them and played on the Ukulele.
You are my Padawans, my Mindset Padawans ...
Anyway, so many fun presenting opportunities presenting themselves.
And now, today's book review:
Title: Daredevil Duck
Author & Illustrator: Charlie Alder
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Date: May 12, 2105
Suitable for ages: 3 and up
Fiction
Theme: courage, friendship, fear
Brief synopsis: Daredevil Duck only dreams of being brave. Will he be able to muster up some courage when mole's yellow balloon gets stuck in a tree and he needs Duck's help?
Opening page:
Compare and contrast this Duck tale with another book
Why I like this book: If you've already watched the little clip, you've seen the flip-flap feature that instantly endeared me to this treasure. I love lift-the-flap books, but it's rare to find them beyond the Board Book stage.
Daredevil Duck totally wants courage to be his superpower. He wants do brave stuff, to be a superhero, but time and time again, his fear gets in the way, and he's scared silly. This is super common in younger children, so I predict they'll connect with this beautifully-illustrated Duck tale that has sent my heart soaring.
As an enrichment idea, encourage students to create their own Fear-This Flip-Flap book listing or drawing out things that scare them. Under the flap, they can show ways in which they imagine processing through to conquer that fear. Give them a yellow balloon as a tangible reminder about Duck and his adventure.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Kelso's Choice For Families
As many of you know, we have been using Kelso's Choice at school for almost a decade to equip and empower our learners with the skills and confidence to solve their small {bothersome but not threatening} problems on their own.
We've got a special spot set aside in each room at school for
in heavily trafficked areas, we've made the nine problem-solving choices from the Kelso conflict-resolution wheel available as engaging visual displays.
Today I'm over-the-moon to announce that now there's a Kelso kit to support the work of parents, guardians, and caregivers in the home. Introducing ...
I was chatting with Nicole Terzic, Product Development Manager at Cerebellum, and she graciously agreed to give us a little intel
on this new conflict-management empowerment tool for families.
I'm so excited about the new Kelso's Choice For Families parenting kit. Can you tell us about it?
Nicole: Yes, we are very excited about it too! Kelso’s Choice for Families is a fun, easy-to-use kit that will help your young children learn how to solve small, kid-sized problems on their own! It is modeled after the Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management curriculum kit that has been loved by child specialists and educators for over 20 years. In a nutshell, this kit is for parents to use with their young children (recommended for ages 5+) to teach them 1) how to identify a problem as being safe for them to solve on their own and 2) how to select and use one of Kelso the Frog’s nine problem-solving “choices” to bring peace to a situation – all without the intervention of an adult. What parents will see after using the kit is that a problem between siblings will no longer end in tears, physical fighting, or tattling, and children will be equipped to handle internal frustration if a conflict happens between themselves and an adult, like a parent.
Children will also be given tools to handle a BIG problem that must always be taken to a trusted adult to resolve. This kit is also a really effective tool for children with learning or developmental disabilities. The secret to its success with all children is presenting seemingly complex information in an easy, fun, concrete way that young minds can grasp onto.
The Kelso’s Choice for Families kit comes with:
· 1 Workbook with instruction and plenty of crafts. Is accompanied by a CD-Rom with printable materials.
· 1 Reward Chart to encourage your kids to use each of Kelso’s Choices (printed front and back with two different designs)
· 2 Posters of the Choices Wheel, a clear, colorful visual tool to help your child learn each of Kelso’s Choices
· DVD with two short vignettes of real children using Kelso’s Choice to solve common at-home problems
Go {here} to download a free Kelso’s Choice for Families craft. It’s my absolute favorite!
How does this kit differ from and/or complement the Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management curriculum kit that many schools use?
Nicole: The essence of the two kits are the same – and by essence, I mean that the Kelso’s Choice for Families kit will teach the same core values as the Kelso’s Choice Conflict Management curriculum kit. Both kits will teach children the difference between small and Big problems, and will teach children each of Kelso’s nine choices. The difference is HOW the information is taught, and the depth at which the lessons are taught. A home setting is somewhat spontaneous, and instruction happens during sporadic moments of opportunity whereas a curriculum is much more structured, and each lesson follows specific goals. At first glance, it may seem like the home kit is an abbreviated version of the curriculum kit, but the overall method used to instruct the children is very specific to the respective settings.
Why parenting?
Nicole: For years we’ve been getting requests from parents to come out with a Kelso’s Choice kit that was specific to their needs, and at a price point that they could afford. Parents would find out about Kelso’s Choice from their children who learned it in their classrooms, or school counselors and teachers (who were also parents) would bring Kelso’s Choice lessons they learned on the job into their homes. But there was never a comprehensive resource to bring the Kelso’s Choice lessons into the home – until now!
Plus, knowing how to solve small problems is not at all a school-specific skill. It affects almost every aspect of a person’s life, in all stages of their lives, and what parent wouldn’t want to help their child along in learning how to navigate that aspect of the world?
Why now?
Nicole: We always knew we wanted to create a kit specifically for families, but it took a while to figure out how to properly execute it. The authors, Diane Lee and Barbara Clark, have a very high standard for the Kelso resources, and wanted to make sure it was clear, had quick instruction, and would be effective in a completely different environment than that of a classroom.
One of the biggest challenges was to make sure that the instruction was clear enough for any parent or guardian to teach, without having to have professional training. Part of that process was having parents without any prior experience with Kelso’s Choice review the workbook of lessons and activities. We had to really make sure we weren’t using language that was foreign to someone outside of the education profession, and we had to make sure there was clear value in every activity we included in the book.
After we felt confident in being able to effectively translate a full curriculum into a quick, yet comprehensive tool for home, we had to figure out how to make it affordable, which was its own challenge. But after years of having a home kit on our wish list, we were finally able to create something we know lives up to the Kelso standard of quality, and one that we know will live up to parents’ expectations!
How do you anticipate this product helping or changing families?
Nicole: I’ve spoken to several school counselors and teachers over the years and the feedback I always get is that the Kelso’s Choice methodology works to significantly reduce tattling and conflict among children, as well as improve communication skills and build the confidence in children to resolve small problems. Friends end up having better friendships, children are able to move on from conflicts quicker – making more time for the important stuff in life - and adults get to see children become more independent. These have all been consistent results from children learning Kelso’s Choice. Plus, I also know that kids flat out, unequivocally LOVE Kelso the Frog and are so responsive to his lessons. I think parents are going to have no problem getting children excited about learning Kelso’s Choice, because, let’s face it, that’s half the battle. The rock-solid methodology that Diane Lee and Barbara Clark have created will be a sure-fire way for kids to be problem solvers on their own in no time! I really, truly think this kit will make a big, positive impact on families' lives!
I know you're always creating. Can you give us a sneak peek at what's next?
Nicole: We don’t have any immediate plans for new Kelso resources, but we always love to hear what our customers and followers want. We take your feedback very seriously! Please leave a comment on this blog, on our Facebook page or email us (kelsoschoice@cerebellum.com) with suggestions. We’ll keep a lookout!
Thank you, Nicole. We appreciate you.
And now, more hoppy news; we're giving away a
Kelso's Choice for Families kit to one lucky reader!
Enter now for your chance to win; then check back here
on Friday, September 25th, to see if it's you!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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