Intervention and Rationale
Community Building Action Plan
Based on both my needs assessment and the information I had gathered about the positive effects of a safe and supportive learning community, I recognized a need for the establishment of a safe and supportive learning community in our classroom. In their article “Emotional Security in the Classroom: What works for Young Children,” Gregory Janson and Margaret King stated
“Educators are uniquely positioned to provide an emotional counterbalance to the daily chaos and the potential risks to the emotional, cognitive, and social development of young children.”
As such, I plan to implement lessons aimed at the specific components I found most necessary to build a safe learning community in my classroom: self-awareness, self-efficacy, and problem solving. The development of these three components comes from a combination of the research that is provided in my Literature Review, academic discussions with field experts and ideas adapted from the Second Step Program used at my school.
The component self-awareness refers to students being aware of their own bodies and feelings and how they can address those feelings. This is a common starting point for many community-building lessons I researched, most notably Second Step. The component of self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence and belief that they are capable. This is a psychological component that is supported in various document as well as aligned with the school wide focus of self-esteem. The school even has a chant and dance the students recite and that goes “With these hands, and this heart and this mind, I can do anything!”. The third component, problem solving, is supported in many of my resources, specifically “A Conflict Resolution Protocol for Elementary Classrooms” by Denton and Kriete and the Second Step Program.
This first phase will last for approximately two weeks, with a one-week reflection period following to fine-tune the plan.
“In effective emotional intelligence programs, negative emotions are not vented nor suppressed, but instead viewed as an opportunity for a child to develop a deeper understanding of self and others and process negative emotions effectively” (Haydenberk and Haydenberk 2007)
In the first week of phase one, the lessons will focus on identifying both your own feelings and the feelings of others, and ways of handling those feelings. The second week will build on this and focus on problem solving. While each lesson is important, consistence with my redirection of behaviors and assisting students with appropriate reactions to feelings and problem solving with be important in achieving the desired independence necessary for a safe and supportive community.
In this first week, the first lesson focuses on feelings, and students' understanding their own feelings, and how to identify their own feelings. These feelings will be charted for students' easy identification and reference.
“Educators are uniquely positioned to provide an emotional counterbalance to the daily chaos and the potential risks to the emotional, cognitive, and social development of young children.”
As such, I plan to implement lessons aimed at the specific components I found most necessary to build a safe learning community in my classroom: self-awareness, self-efficacy, and problem solving. The development of these three components comes from a combination of the research that is provided in my Literature Review, academic discussions with field experts and ideas adapted from the Second Step Program used at my school.
The component self-awareness refers to students being aware of their own bodies and feelings and how they can address those feelings. This is a common starting point for many community-building lessons I researched, most notably Second Step. The component of self-efficacy refers to a student’s confidence and belief that they are capable. This is a psychological component that is supported in various document as well as aligned with the school wide focus of self-esteem. The school even has a chant and dance the students recite and that goes “With these hands, and this heart and this mind, I can do anything!”. The third component, problem solving, is supported in many of my resources, specifically “A Conflict Resolution Protocol for Elementary Classrooms” by Denton and Kriete and the Second Step Program.
This first phase will last for approximately two weeks, with a one-week reflection period following to fine-tune the plan.
“In effective emotional intelligence programs, negative emotions are not vented nor suppressed, but instead viewed as an opportunity for a child to develop a deeper understanding of self and others and process negative emotions effectively” (Haydenberk and Haydenberk 2007)
In the first week of phase one, the lessons will focus on identifying both your own feelings and the feelings of others, and ways of handling those feelings. The second week will build on this and focus on problem solving. While each lesson is important, consistence with my redirection of behaviors and assisting students with appropriate reactions to feelings and problem solving with be important in achieving the desired independence necessary for a safe and supportive community.
In this first week, the first lesson focuses on feelings, and students' understanding their own feelings, and how to identify their own feelings. These feelings will be charted for students' easy identification and reference.
The Second lesson will discuss appropriate ways to manage different feelings, specifically on anger. We will use a “what to do if you are angry” chart that I am using form our schools Second Step Program.
The third lesson will focus on reviewing and connecting the first two lessons, identifying your own feelings and managing those feelings, then build on that with identifying other people's feelings. I will again have students identify their own feelings, then have them try to guess another student's feelings, in a role play type of game. The identification of your own feelings, and recognizing similarities and differences of others feelings, is needed for problem solving, which is the fourth lesson of this phase. This is also the foundation for being “other-aware” which is something I hope to elaborate on when the students have more context of why other people are important (in their five and six year old minds).
This lesson will conclude with the moral of both lessons which is that everyone has feelings, and it is okay to be mad, jealous, happy, sad etc. I will have students discuss ways of helping and encouraging friends when they are experiencing certain feelings. We will discuss that what is important, and what makes students' safe, is how they handle these feelings.
Moving on to week two, and building off of what they students' learned through week one, the second week will begin with a lesson on problem solving. This will include a review of identifying both our own feelings and other's feelings, managing our feelings, and build on this with a four step guideline for further handling feelings, including an I-Statement for resolving conflicts with friends. The four steps and I-Statement were both from the article “A Conflict Resolution Protocol for Elementary Classrooms” by Denton and Kriete.
As discussed in the Literature Review, the four steps as described by the authors include:
1. Calming down
2. Explanation of the upset
3. Discussion and resolution
4. Some kind of acknowledgement
Building on this, and giving specific guidance for step 3, the I-Statement reads:
“When you______, I feel_______, because______, so what I would like is ________.” ((Denton and Kriete 2000)
The students will be introduced to this protocol, and given time to practice both as a group and with a partner. The steps and I-Statement will be posted on the wall and students will have a safe zone in which they can ask a student to come to the zone and solve a conflict. In a safe zone, the students will be away from the other students and understand that in this space, problems are solved. Having the strategies on the wall gives the students something to refer to when stuck. The location is next to the teacher’s desk, making it ideal for giving the support and guidance that is usually given when a student is at the teacher's table. I feel that giving the students a place to solve conflicts removes them from the situation or conflict, gets them away from the interference of uninvolved students, and gives stability the expectations necessary in solving a problem.
This lesson will conclude with the moral of both lessons which is that everyone has feelings, and it is okay to be mad, jealous, happy, sad etc. I will have students discuss ways of helping and encouraging friends when they are experiencing certain feelings. We will discuss that what is important, and what makes students' safe, is how they handle these feelings.
Moving on to week two, and building off of what they students' learned through week one, the second week will begin with a lesson on problem solving. This will include a review of identifying both our own feelings and other's feelings, managing our feelings, and build on this with a four step guideline for further handling feelings, including an I-Statement for resolving conflicts with friends. The four steps and I-Statement were both from the article “A Conflict Resolution Protocol for Elementary Classrooms” by Denton and Kriete.
As discussed in the Literature Review, the four steps as described by the authors include:
1. Calming down
2. Explanation of the upset
3. Discussion and resolution
4. Some kind of acknowledgement
Building on this, and giving specific guidance for step 3, the I-Statement reads:
“When you______, I feel_______, because______, so what I would like is ________.” ((Denton and Kriete 2000)
The students will be introduced to this protocol, and given time to practice both as a group and with a partner. The steps and I-Statement will be posted on the wall and students will have a safe zone in which they can ask a student to come to the zone and solve a conflict. In a safe zone, the students will be away from the other students and understand that in this space, problems are solved. Having the strategies on the wall gives the students something to refer to when stuck. The location is next to the teacher’s desk, making it ideal for giving the support and guidance that is usually given when a student is at the teacher's table. I feel that giving the students a place to solve conflicts removes them from the situation or conflict, gets them away from the interference of uninvolved students, and gives stability the expectations necessary in solving a problem.
The last lesson of this first phase is going to tie the three lessons together, and provide a review for the students of what was learned, as well as give them opportunities to discuss what works and what doesn’t. Student feedback is important, and this time will be designed to fill gaps in problem solving that may be identified as well as provide clarity and guidance to the protocol as needed.
In the third week, the week of reflection, I will gather more feedback from students as well as begin to plan the second phase, which at this point, is intended to focus on responsibility and cooperative learning.
Throughout this process I will always remember my main goal: “To develop a safe and supportive learning community”.
“A classroom characterized by warmth and affirmation may be the only place where children can safely express their true feeling.” (Janson and King 2006)
In the third week, the week of reflection, I will gather more feedback from students as well as begin to plan the second phase, which at this point, is intended to focus on responsibility and cooperative learning.
Throughout this process I will always remember my main goal: “To develop a safe and supportive learning community”.
“A classroom characterized by warmth and affirmation may be the only place where children can safely express their true feeling.” (Janson and King 2006)