Unit Four: Decision-Making

Introduction

Dr. Seuss once said, "When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you." How do we teach our students to choose the right option of letting everything strengthen you? Well, I am going to do my best to give you strategies in encouraging children to look at all their options and choosing the right path. It is not easy! As adults, we struggle with this and learn from our mistakes. Fostering this mindset of positive decision- making at a young age can help children grow to be thoughtful decision makers.

Learning Targets

🎯 Define the four essential factors for decision making: safety, risk, benefits, and consequences.

🎯 Identify why decision-making is important in the classroom.

Lesson One: Four Factors of Decision-Making

In Lesson One we will take a look at each of the four steps in making a decision: safety, risks, benefits, and consequences. We will learn how each factor can help children make responsible choices and how they will affect them in their lives. Lesson One: Four Factors in Decision-Making

According to Psychology Today, there are sources that say we make as many as 35,000 choices a day! Decisions and choices come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They could be small like what color shirt to wear or as big as where to go to college. Students are making decisions in the classroom all day every day!

Safety

One of the first things to teach children when making good choices is deciding if that choice is safe. This could be whether they are in the classroom, on the playground playing with friends, or even walking in the hallway. This worksheet (see below) could be completed after listening to a read aloud about making safe choices. Listed below are some great read aloud choices, choose one to listen to:

✨ My Way to Good Choices (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIK70okMEbc)

✨ Choices are my Superpower (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTmOrHah4VY)

✨ My Magical Choices (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usM 22MEOhuI)

Risk

From the moment children learn to ride a bike to leaving home for college, children are presented with risks on a day to day basis. Danger zones are all around us from infancy, to childhood, and all the way into adulthood. Eventually we need to learn the different way to navigate these danger zones and the appropriate ways to make decisions. In the article by David Robson, he touches upon the key components in teaching children to recognize danger vicariously and how to navigate decision- making. Take time reading through this article and note some different strategies - How to Teach Children about Risk (https://

www.bbc.com/future/article/20221101-how-to-teach-kids-to-make-great-choices). This article does touch on topics more specific to older children but try and view it through the lens of whatever age group applies to your field.

Benefits and Consequences

In a child's journey to learning about benefits (choices) and consequences, it is important to understand that it is crucial to teach an effective understanding. Teaching consequences to children is providing them with a mental compass to direct them in making positive choices. It its core, teaching consequences helps in developing the key components of cause-and-effect relationships and accountability/responsibility. Creating approaches for each appropriate developmental stage is of prime importance. For this mini-course specifically, we will look at the early elementary stage (ages 6- 8). Children in this stage start to understand how their actions can cause short-term and long-term consequences. Take a look at this lesson created by a counselor to help teach choices and consequences - Choices and Consequences Lesson (https://theresponsivecounselor.com/2017/11/choi ces-and-consequences-lesson.html)

Reflection

In this mini-course, reflection and collaboration are an important factor in becoming a skilled SEL educator. Use this link (Reflection Journal) (https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/index.php?title=Reflection

_Journal&veaction=edit) to communicate and reflect with fellow participants on each lesson your

complete. Under the section of what unit and lesson you completed, create a subheading beginning with your name (ex. Matilda Contreras - Reflection). Reflections should be about a paragraph long (5- 7 sentences) answering the question stated in each lesson under the reflection title.

What new questions or ideas do you have about decision-making in the classroom?

Once completed head on over to Lesson Two of this unit and learn about more activities you can add to your teacher toolbox! Lesson Two: The Role of Decision-Making

Lesson Two: The Role of Decision-Making in the Classroom

In Lesson Two we will learn how decision-making affects the classroom atmosphere positively and negatively. How you as an educator can promote healthy decision-making through different activities. Lesson Two: The Role of Decision-Making

In this lesson we will look at just a few activities you can incorporate in your classroom to help facilitate positive decision-making in your classroom. Though there is an amplitude of different activities you could do, these are a few that I have found useful and beneficial in my first grade classroom.

Decision Trees

If this idea is new to you, a decision tree is a visual learning tool used to help students analyze problems by breaking them down into smaller and more manageable choices and outcomes. I have provided an example below of my Decision Tree. However, these could be made with construction paper and markers or whatever you have available within your classroom.

This might seem silly but board games provide children with the opportunity to make decisions in a

more structured and engaging way. This allows children to experience the consequence of their decision (making a certain move, ect.). Board games also encourage critical thinking as children are navigating the game. Children have to decide how they will play at every turn. Some great educational board games to help teach decision-making in your classroom are:

✅ Connect Four

✅ Chutes and Ladders

✅ Scrabble Junior

✅ Candyland

Decision-Making Journals

This is one of favorites! Not only does decision-making journals help students practice their writing skills, it also helps you as the educator get to know the students more. Add this in at anytime you have about ten minutes for students to independently write (morning work, end of the day, ect). Post a question for students to answer in their journal. I have provided a free pdf filled with questions that will help your students decide what to write about or how they would answer the question. 100 Fun Writing Prompts for 1st Grade (https://www.splashlearn.com/blog/first-grade-writing-prompts/

Reflection

In this mini-course, reflection and collaboration are an important factor in becoming a skilled SEL educator. Use this link (Reflection Journal) (https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/index.php?title=Reflection

_Journal&veaction=edit) to communicate and reflect with fellow participants on each lesson your complete. Under the section of what unit and lesson you completed, create a subheading beginning with your name (ex. Matilda Contreras - Reflection). Reflections should be about a paragraph long (5- 7 sentences) answering the question stated in each lesson under the reflection title.

What learning occurred for you in this lesson?

YAY! 😁

You have completed Unit Four in this mini-course. Buckle in because we have just one more unit to complete before you take lead and apply what you have learned in your final project!