Social Smarts*
There are many different kinds of "smarts." We need social smarts in order to make friends, connect with others, and feel like we belong. Our words and actions affect those around us. Showing interest in others and thinking about how others feel doesn't always come easy. When we act in "unexpected" ways, the people around us have "uncomfortable" thoughts. In David Goes to School by David Shannon, David spends the day wreaking havoc in his classroom. His exasperated teacher utters the phrase, "No, David!” over and over again. David is seemingly unaware of the effects of his behavior on his unfortunate classmates.
There are many different kinds of "smarts." We need social smarts in order to make friends, connect with others, and feel like we belong. Our words and actions affect those around us. Showing interest in others and thinking about how others feel doesn't always come easy. When we act in "unexpected" ways, the people around us have "uncomfortable" thoughts. In David Goes to School by David Shannon, David spends the day wreaking havoc in his classroom. His exasperated teacher utters the phrase, "No, David!” over and over again. David is seemingly unaware of the effects of his behavior on his unfortunate classmates.
With a picture of David and a classmate projected on to our whiteboard, we add thought bubbles and brainstorm David's classmate's uncomfortable thoughts. We decide David needs clearly defined expectations and reminders to use his social smarts, so that he can be successful and his classmates can feel safe and comfortable around him.
Our Promises
After reading David Goes to School, we agree that every classroom needs a set of clear and reasonable expectations. Promises we can make to one another to ensure that all members of the community feel safe, comfortable, and successful.
We ponder this important question:
Our Promises
After reading David Goes to School, we agree that every classroom needs a set of clear and reasonable expectations. Promises we can make to one another to ensure that all members of the community feel safe, comfortable, and successful.
We ponder this important question:
**To begin the process we consider the following:
1. What kinds of student behaviors will make our classroom an uncomfortable place to be?
2. What kinds of student behaviors are important for making our classroom a safe, happy, and fun place?
3. What kinds of teacher behaviors will make our classroom an uncomfortable place to be?
4. What kind of teacher behaviors are important for making our classroom a safe, happy, and fun place?
5. What kind of behaviors drive you completely crazy in a classroom?
6. What promises can we make to one anther in order to make this the best year ever?
In small groups, we rotate around the classrooms jotting down our responses to these questions on large sheets of paper. Each person has a different color marker, so we can be sure everyone's thinking is represented. Next we read our classmates' ideas and comment back. We can agree, disagree, give an example, or ask a question.
1. What kinds of student behaviors will make our classroom an uncomfortable place to be?
2. What kinds of student behaviors are important for making our classroom a safe, happy, and fun place?
3. What kinds of teacher behaviors will make our classroom an uncomfortable place to be?
4. What kind of teacher behaviors are important for making our classroom a safe, happy, and fun place?
5. What kind of behaviors drive you completely crazy in a classroom?
6. What promises can we make to one anther in order to make this the best year ever?
In small groups, we rotate around the classrooms jotting down our responses to these questions on large sheets of paper. Each person has a different color marker, so we can be sure everyone's thinking is represented. Next we read our classmates' ideas and comment back. We can agree, disagree, give an example, or ask a question.
Now it's time to "close read" our responses. We look for patterns and similarities, and we record our noticings and realizations. We write down the big ideas on sentence strips and work in small groups to combine these ideas into paragraphs. Finally, the teachers take all the drafts and combine them into one draft. We look over this draft together and make a few revisions before printing out our final draft. Here's what we came up with:
It was important that the class work together to establish these expectations, so that everyone felt valued, invested, and represented. The promises we made will have an impact on our classroom community every day throughout the school year!
*To learn more about social thinking visit Michelle Garcia Winner's website at socialthinking.com
**Thanks to Bill Ferriter for sharing this process!
**Thanks to Bill Ferriter for sharing this process!