Resources: Thrive
Decision-Making for Students: Cultivating Self-Awareness to Deepen Intentionality
Teaching Decision-Making
When we teach most things, we scaffold concepts for kids, teach them intentionally, and provide guided practice.
Between TK and 12th grade, students are given direct instruction on and asked to practice skills hundreds of thousands of times: writing their letters, tying their shoes, shooting 3-pointers, backstroke, balancing chemistry equations, comma placement, and so much more.
In spite of focuses on educating the whole child, very rarely do schools explicitly scaffold for decision-making. Students spend dramatically more time learning how to do a throw-in during soccer than learning how to navigate major moments of their lives.
Slowing down and Sensing in
Slowing down and sensing in are pivotal to skilled decision-making. All people, regardless of age, are benefitted by sensing into their bodies’ physical responses, their emotional responses, and/or their urges.
Providing Practice
Incorporating the practice of facilitating students’ awareness skills, and therefore their decision-making abilities is accomplishable for all disciplines and grade levels. While execution may take a small amount of faculty training, the benefits for students, faculty, and school culture can be enormous. Students making sound decisions that are of themselves prevents many of the major student issues that disrupt school communities and harm students.
Below are brief examples of how schools can build awareness skill practice for students; the possibilities for incorporation, though, are much more extensive. Please reach out if you would like to brainstorm scenarios relevant to your specific community.
1-MINUTE PRACTICE
Responses may be verbalized or simply noticed silently
What is one word to describe how you’re feeling about this assessment?
What is your confidence level right now? (Low, Medium, High)
What is one thing you can do to stay calm and focused?
What is a strategy that has helped you succeed before?
What is one strength you bring into this assessment?
What is one thing you want to remind yourself as you begin?
How is your energy level? What do you need before starting?
What is one small step you can take if you feel stuck?
What emotions are you bringing into class today?
What is one word to describe how you’re feeling?
How full is your energy tank right now?
What is on your mind right now?
What is something that went well for you today?
What is something you need support with?
What is one thing you can do to take care of yourself today?
What is one thing you can control in this moment?
What is a strength you can bring to class today?
10-MINUTE PRACTICE
Situation: A math teacher begins class on a quiz day; students are visibly activated.
Practice: The teacher says something like “While I pass out the quiz, find your breath, notice how you’re feeling, and think about anything you might do to feel calmer as you begin”
Situation: A group of students enter a 6th grade English class whispering to each other, and continue to mouth and gesture across the room as they’re asked to take their seats. It becomes clear that social tension from lunch is unresolved.
Practice: The teacher decides to start class with 10 minutes of quiet reading, instead of leaving it for the second half as planned. The teacher also invites students to use the quiet start to check in with themselves and notice their physical and mental urges in the moment, as well as strategize how they might shift into being ready to engage with the classroom activities in a few minutes.
Situation: A 1st grade student is struggling to grasp how to tell time. The student is becoming visibly frustrated and distressed.
Practice: The teacher may invite the student to pause, close their eyes, and find their breath before attempting again. Asking the student what physical sensations they notice and allowing them to name those for about 15 seconds could be adequate time to regulate the sensations and try again in a calmer state.