Tired of Sorting out Recess Squabbles?

“He won’t let me play soccer at recess.” 

“She said she won’t be my friend.”

“That’s not fair!” “He is always on the computer. It is my turn!”

It seems every day after a recess break, students want me to solve their squabbles.

Children have a good sense of fairness and equity. Why can’t they solve their own problems?

As a teacher, I have asked students to “sort it out” between them before entering class. Later I realized children are not born with the ability to figure out these higher-order emotional skills on their own, just like they are not born with manners. They need pro-active, explicit instruction.

Children need to try out different styles of communication so they can discover the impact when, for example, they talk to the principal while upset in the same way they talk to their sibling when they are angry.  Children need opportunities to learn real-life lessons without suffering from real-life consequences.

Having experienced misunderstanding and trauma in my own life and often witnessing that in the lives of my students, I (Margaret) have been developing myself as an expert in social, emotional and communication skills in children as well as in adults.  Building that knowledge into cross-curricular work while using experiential and inquiry-based learning, provides an authentic integration.  Results include students that are:

Raising academic scores

Building resilience

Compassionate, empathetic citizens

Responsible

Thrilled about their learning

Working collaboratively

Talking enthusiastically about their work outside of class

In fact, the school is buzzing with excited learners who are confident and self-expressed.

Check out our website to see examples of units that elicit these results. 

Explicit teaching of these skills vastly affects academic success. Teach social and emotional skills proactively and in a state of calm. Contact us for support.