Make it a practice to look for the “light” in others; see their kindness, compassion, strengths, and talents. Sit in a circle of 4-6 people, each person having a blank sheet of paper and pen. Each person writes their name on their paper, then passes it to their neighbor. Each person in the circle writes …
A valuable resource for learning how to think critically and responsibly about multicultural and social justice issues. It is made up of seven letter prompts, each of which represents a different thinking strategy. Each letter can be used to generate a question or claim. W-R-A-I-T-E-C is below: W – WHAT do you mean by that?R …
When people are upset, they access the fight/flight part of their brain. Do not try to solve problems if you or the youth are angry and upset. Create a cooling-off period and secure a time and place to work through the issue when the adult and the youth have clearer heads. Purpose is to de-escalate …
The use of feedback can reduce stress and confusion. Immediate feedback should be specific and focus on ways that youth can improve. Try to avoid an overall evaluation and focus on both what went well and what needs improvement. Also include supportive peer feedback. Feedback should be delivered with calm and supportive language, avoiding judgment …
Plan meetings as a whole family (try for weekly) where members discuss the upcoming week. Identify where family members might need some help. Family Meetings are a safe space to talk about challenges each family member may be facing. Rotate who facilitates each week, using talking sticks or balls as a way of sharing equally. …
An interactive activity that increases awareness of our own and others’ preferences and opens doors to empathy. Create four signs on large chart paper – North, South, East, West . Write these traits associated with each “point”, and leave some room for note taking. North: Acting – Let’s do it, try new things, jump in, …
Identify cultural treasures from the families in your classroom. Have families come in and share their cultural traditions. Highlight ways of celebrating community through dance, art, music, and food. Crosswalk the experiences to highlight the sharing of humanity’s various cultures. Additionally, youth can find hybrid cultural forms of expression and food that show cultural collision, …
Although narrative structures are more easily remembered and come more naturally to youth, ask them to try these expository writing structures: Compare & Contrast (discuss the similarities and differences between people, places, items, or events, without bias); Problem & Solution (define a clear problem with multiple solutions and choose the best solution and explain why); …
Use drama and dance to build community, foster active learning, and support youth growth. Use both to aid classroom management, address multiple intelligences, and to develop abstract, creative and critical thinking skills. Assign various roles to youth in the “Theater Company” including: Playwright, Director, Choreographer, Actors and Actresses. Use dramatic play with young children to …
Includes active listening plus listening for the counter story. A counter story is one that will introduce possibilities of resolution or that will help you to identify underlying needs. Involves listening beyond facts and more deeply for values important to the speaker. The listener should make note of the speaker’s posture, tone, volume, demeanor, and …