Walking In Line

This can be a tricky concept if you have little awareness of friends around you. It is important in a school setting. Since it is the way that we move large groups of kids around and later on as an adult, they will all have to deal with standing in line every day. It is important to get this one nailed down as soon as you can. I have seen little kids in toddler programs hold on to a rope to stay in line, but when kids are older that looks a little goofy. Often times it is a good idea to either hold the hand of your friend at the front of the line to keep them up with the pace, but many times it is best to give your friend a little more space that the end of the line provides. It always helps to have one of the busy body students in back too so that they can help keep your friend in check. Try it out. Enjoy!

Sometimes it is important to stand or walk in a line. A line is a straight row. It has a front and a back. There may be times when I am in front and times when I will need to be at the back.

There are 2 lines that I find myself in.

One line is when I am moving from one place to another with a group. It may be when my class travels somewhere in school. I will need to walk in a line when I go to places like lunch, PE, music, art or library.

The other line is when I have to wait for something. These lines are everywhere. I have to stand in line when I am with my mom at the grocery store, or when I want to go to the water fountain at school, or when I am waiting to get my lunch tray in the cafeteria. This line moves after each person takes a turn.

Whenever I am in either one of these lines, I will try to remember a few rules.
1. Face Forward
2. Move ahead when it is time
3. Wait my turn
4. Keep my hands to myself

If I try to follow these rules, then waiting or walking in lines may not be so bad. It will also help me stay where I need to be.

Working In My Clasroom

This friend was having issues adapting to being in school. She did not have friends because her social skills were not in line with her peers that were her age. She was more comfortable in the Special Education room because there were not as many demands put on her socially. We needed to try to increase the time that she spent in the classroom, so this story was a start. In this story, I focused on the classroom being a cool place to learn and reminded her how she could be a great helper to the other kids without being "bossy". She will need many more stories about greeting friends, working in groups, taking turns and so on, but this is where we start. Read on and Enjoy!

In my classroom, there are a lot of other students. It is great to be in the classroom because Mrs. Smith can teach me lots of cool things.

When I spend time in the classroom, I will try to be nice to my friends. I will help them if they need help, like borrowing a pencil, crayon or a piece of paper. I will try to work nicely with them to follow directions. If there is something that I don't think is right, I will raise my hand and tell my teacher. It is not my job to tell kids what to do, so I will ask for help form the teacher.

If I do a good job with my friends and teacher at school then I will have a great day in my classroom. Everyone will be very happy with me.

Stop And Think And Try Not To Argue

This story is another one on arguing. It seems that many of our friends have the tendency to think that it is their way or the highway, so this comes up a lot. The student who needed this one was a 6th grader. This still is an on-going issue and a hard one to break, but slow and steady will chip away at fixing this one. Deep breaths and take the time to Enjoy!

When I am working with my teachers, they give me many directions during the day.

Sometimes when they tell me to do something, I argue with them. Arguing means that I disagree and let them know about it.

The teacher is in charge in the classroom. They tell me what I need to do and make decisions for me when I am at school.

Even if I don’t like what they tell me to do, or I disagree, I need to try to do what they tell me to do and not argue.

The problem with arguing is that it interrupts the learning of myself and the other students. It also takes time away from my teacher teaching me.

I will try not to argue with teachers. Instead, I will try to just say “okay” and do what is asked of me.

Fun On The Playground

The freedom of unstructured time on the playground seems to be a tricky time of the day for my friends. The social rules are in charge on the playground and since there are so many unwritten laws of free play, there are glitches a couple times a week. Teachers can't hover over the kids when they play. It is their downtime. The only time of the day where they can be who they are and let loose at school. This friend gravitated towards sticks and was a little obsessed with them. He would chase kids and sometimes hit them. Needless to say chasing and hitting kids with sticks on the playground is an immediate bypass to the Principal's office. I had to try to stop this vicious cycle and came up with this story. It is a start. Although we are not out of the woods with this problem, this story and careful monitoring, constant reminders and praise for leaving those sticks on the ground helped to tone down this problem. Enjoy!

Recess Fun

The playground is a fun place to play.

There are many things to do.

There are swings to swing on.

There are slides to slide down.

There are monkey bars to climb on.

There are basketball courts to play ball on.

There are soccer field goals to shoot the ball in.

Every day, I get some time to play at recess.

I have many fun choices.

Playing with sticks is not one of those choices.

My mom doesn’t want me to play with sticks.

My teachers and principal don’t want me to play with sticks.

It is against the rules to play with sticks.

Sticks belong on the ground, end of story.

I have so many fun choices on the playground, so I don’t need to pick sticks.

Rules To Follow

School rules aren't always clear cut and apparent to our friends. There is often a need to spell them out so that they can relate to them. With that being said, our friends don't always remember them, so you will definately want to review continually until everything falls in place for your friends. Practice - Practice - Practice and add in a lot of deep breaths. Enjoy!

There are many rules that are in place at school. These rules are here to help kids learn as best as they can.

In addition to school wide rules, I have some goals that I am working on.

1.    I need to try to stay in my designated area. (This means that I should be where I am suppose to be)

2.    I need to try to ask 3 before the Teacher. (This means that I should try to figure out the answer to my question by thinking about it for a minute myself, and then ask 3 friends to see if they know the answer- If they don’t, that would be the time to ask the teacher.)

3.    I need to try to complete my work. (This means all work. Homework, class work and group work all fall in this category).

4.    I need to try to follow directions. (When a teacher tells me to do something, I need to do it.)

5.    I need to try to be respectful to people. (This means Teachers and students. I should always try to treat people the way that I want to be treated.)

I will have 2 times during the day to check in with Mrs. Aman about my day. She can help me make sure that I am on track.

If I follow the school rules, then I will have a great day and everyone will be happy with me.

When A Substitute Comes To My Class

School days when substitute teachers come always throw a wrench into everybody's day. As always, the more that you plan ahead and try to keep one step in front of things the better off things tend to go. Prepare your friends upfront and they will have a plan on how to proceed. Good luck! Enjoy!

Some days are different than others. When a substitute teacher  comes to my class, my day is a little different.

My regular teacher won’t be with me when a substitute comes, but my classmates will all be there.

The rules of my class are the same when there is a substitute and my schedule is the same too.

When a substitute comes to my class, they are the boss when my teacher is gone.

I will try to follow the substitute teacher’s rules. I will try to keep following the rules of my class.

If the substitute teacher isn’t sure about how to do something, I can try to help them out.

My teacher will come back the next day and will find out what happened when she is gone. I will try to do my best so that when she comes back, she will be proud of me.

Getting Along With My Classmates

Peer relationships are often an area that causes problems for my friends. Social cues are hard to read and understand. They also change from friend to friend or day to day. Many of our friends think that the world revolves around them, so give and take in peer realationships are sure to be tricky for our friends. Lots of practice that includes reviewing events, considering point of views from all involved and looking at how behavior contributed to these events all need to be a part of figuring out the fine art of getting along with others. You'll need to spend a lot of time on this one. Good luck and Enjoy!

This year I am in 5^th grade. I have many kids who I work with each day. I like to work and play with them.

There are times when I have some difficulties with them. Sometimes there are misunderstandings. That means that my friends and I have trouble getting along and then we get mad at each other. This seems to happen a lot.

I have options when this happens.

1.   I can take deep breaths and try to calm down.

2.   I can walk away and find someone else to play or work with.

3.   If I am really frustrated, I could talk to an adult and try to get some help.

4.   I can ask to take a break in the Learning Lab and get some help with my problem.

People don’t always get along with each other. That is normal. Next time when I have trouble getting along with others, I will try my best to use these strategies to help me work things out.

Fridays Can Be Rough But They Should Be Fun

On Fridays at our school, the schedule is much more relaxed. We have special events, field trips, parent readers, extra recess, special assemblies and the list goes on and on. Teachers tolerance is low and kids amp up in anticipation for the weekend. As with most change or different things, our friends get out of whack on days like these. So, prepare them with a story like this and see if it makes a difference.

On Fridays, we have a very different schedule.  We have a time called Connections and sometimes we go to a different classroom with different teachers. We do different activities on Friday. We even have Reading Buddies where I get to read with Emma.

Today, was Friday and things didn't go so well for me. The good thing is that I can have another chance next Friday and try to do a better job. Just because I do different activities on Friday, doesn't mean that my behavior should change. 

Next week I will try to follow the rules. Mrs. Molloy and Mr. Luna will spend time with me next Friday as well, just in case I need a little support. I know that will help and I will have a GREAT Friday!

When I Have A Question In Class

My friend was Murt the blurt in the classroom. His voice was speaking out more than the teachers. He was sorta a know it all, and that got old quick with his classmates. To help him save face and get with the program, I wrote this one. The story alone didn't fix the problem, but with a little coaching on the side, the behavior decreased. Remember, they need to understand why their problem behavior is a problem, because they just don't see it as being problematic. Good luck!

There are many times in school when I need to say something. I may have a question or a comment that relates to a class discussion. when this happens, I need to raise my hand. 

When I raise my hand, I need to try to keep my mouth shut. I also should try to keep my hand still. If I am wiggling it like crazy, it distracts people when I move  it around. 

I have to wait my turn to be called on and should try not to talk out. When I get my chance to speak, it should be on the topic at hand and what the class discussion is about. The middle of a lesson is not the place to chat.

If I follow these rules about raising my hand in class, my teacher will be able to call on me because I will be acting appropriately and contributing to the class discussion.

Holding A Grudge - Not A Good Idea

Many times our friends have issues seeing things the way that they are. This friend's perception was that everyone was out to get him. He would get mad at a person who didn't even know that he was mad at and not let it go. His behavior was outright rude to others and the kids didn't understand what was happening. I had to teach him to communicate, so this is the story that I came up with. We didn't fix it, but it got a little better, especially with coaching on the side.

Merrium Webster's definition for the word "Grudge" is a strong lasting feeling of resentment toward someone for a real or imagined wrong. I tend to hold grudges against other people. It is not a good habit.

Sometimes it is hard not to hold a grudge, especially  if there has been repeated incidents with a particular person. Sometimes it is hard not to hold a grudge if my perception is off a little bit. This means that I think one way and the other person didn't intend to make me feel this way. This is tricky, because the person who I hold a grudge against may not even know that I feel this way about them. So, there can be a lot of misunderstandings when a grudge is held against someone.

I need to try to find a way to deal with angry feelings besides feeling grudges against people. I have a lot of avenues to try. The first thing and probably the best thing to try is to talk to the person who I am angry with or who may have hurt my feelings. If all goes well, expressing my feelings tactfully will help the other person understand my feelings and change their behavior. I have to be careful with this, because my words have to be chosen just right or I may make the other person angry at me.

If this doesn't go well, I have people who I can trust to talk to about issues that come up. I have my teachers, my siblings, and my parents. They can help me understand my feelings better and perhaps give me some ideas on how to handle my feeling s of anger.

Getting control of my anger towards a person is important. I have to learn to let little things go and also be honest (tactfully) with how I feel. I also need to try to think about my anger and let go of the little things that may bother me. Hopefully this will help with friendships and relationships in my life.

Threats To Kill Are Not Allowed

This story is short and sweet and to the point. There was no room for discussion. This behavior had to stop. So without further wait.., Enjoy!

Sometimes I get really mad and say "I am going to kill someone."
This is wrong and scares people.
I should try to never say that I want to kill someone.
It is okay to be mad.
It is never okay to say that I am going to kill someone.
End of story - Off limits -Not appropriate!

The Spelling Bee

I happen to be in the winner in my class spelling bee. I haev always been an excellent speller, so this doesn't come to much of a surprise. I need to be proud of myself, but I don't need to brag as it may make other people who didn't win feel bad.

Next week, I will participate in the school wide spelling bee. It will be a different format that the one in my class. First of all, there will be 5th and 6th graders in the Bee as well. I may meet my match with them.

Secondly, the contestants  are on the stage in the cafe. We ill be seated in a row across the front of the stage.

If any of the contestants miss a work, then they will not continue in the bee. If I miss a word, then I will quietly take my seat and control my actions. I will think in my head "Better luck next time". I need to try to remember to be a good contestant and feel proud that I am one of the best spellers in my class as well as my school.

If I do become a winner or runner up I need to be excited, but also continue to control myself. Some people may be upset that they didn't win and I wouldn't want them to feel bad.

4th grade is the first year that kids can participate in the Bee. I have until 8th grade to win.

It is a great honor to be in the Spelling Bee! I will really enjoy the experience when I remember to remain calm, cool and collected.

Giving High Fives

Our friend was a champ at invading personal space. He loved to hug to the point that it hurt smaller kids. As he got older, this wasn't working. We gave him a different option and explained our reasoning. We gave him rules about how to proceed and he went down that path. Wah Lah.., our social story below fixed his hugging habit! Give it a try.

I am always very friendly to other kids and to my teachers at school. I love to say "Hi" when I see people who I know. My friends and teachers want to be friendly to me too.

Kids in intermediate are growing up just like me. When kids get excited about seeing friends and adults that they know, they sometimes give each other a high five. That is when they reach out and gently smack their hands up high to greet each other.

High fives are a great way to show that I'm really happy to see someone. I can say "Hello" and give a teacher a high five, too.

Now that I am growing up, I will save my hugs for my family. Giving hugs at school can make some people uncomfortable and invades their personal space. 

I will remember to say "Hello" or "Hi" to my friends and teachers in the hall and when I  am really excited to see someone, I might also give them a high five. 

Everyone will be happy to give me a high five too!

Work Then Break

Kindergarten is a huge transition from play to work. It takes many kids a lot of time to adjust. With our special friends, it sometimes can take a whole school year. This friend wanted to take constant breaks. He didn't like the work part and tried his best to avoid it. We let him know that breaks were great, but that he had to work first. Once we got his work - break routine down, we worked on quality work production. We had to start someplace so this is where it was. In addition to this story, we gave him a work card that he turned in with his work when he finished and then we gave him a break card that he turned in when his break timer went off. So the cycle began and since it was so tangible and black and white, it worked.

I am in Kindergarten this year.
I sit at a new desk to do my work.

When I finish my work, I get to have a break.

When my break is over, it is time to work again.
I will go back to my work desk and work.

This will be a good way to go through the day.
I just need to remember, work first then break.

Morning Expectations

One  of my parents was having a terrible time getting her child to get with the program and follow a routine in the morning. I happily jumped in and creating a routine for him so that there could be some peace in their household every morning before school. This was quick and easy and very cut and dry for my friend. Enjoy!

Here are my morning expectations:

1. Wake up
2. Eat breakfast
3. Take care of teeth (brush, floss, Listerine)
4. Get dressed
5. Skin routine (apply lotions)
6. Dilly dally time?
7. 7:45 Grab backpack and out the door

If all goes well, I will have some time to myself. This will help to create a good start during morning rush. Hopefully I can help there be PEACE in my house every morning.

Temper Tantrums In 4th Grade? You've Got To Be Kidding!

When some kids don't get their way,  they throw a little fit or tantrum. This typically is a strategy for young children who lack reasoning skills to handle the word "No". Not this friend.., he wanted his way ALL of the time and when things didn't go his way, he would pitch a fit. This doesn't work in a mainstream class, so we needed to address it. He already had several strategies under his belt, so we added counting down from 100. When the brain thinks about numbers and math, it can't focus on anger. Try it sometime. Counting backwards from 100 takes some time as well, so in this period of time, he was likely to settle down. He needed reminders to use this strategy, but with that, this became an automatic tool for him to use. Read all about it.., Enjoy!

Since I am in the 4th grade, I am a classroom leader this year. There are times when things don't go my way. Sometimes when this happens I get so upset that my blood boils and if steam could come out of my ears, it would. I have got to learn to control those emotions.

I have many strategies that I can use when I am upset. I can take deep breaths, let my anger go, remove myself for a moment, talk about my problem, or journal it. I have to remember "You get what you get, so I shouldn't throw a fit."

Today I learned a new strategy. When I get really upset, I can count backwards from 100. When my brain focuses on counting backwards, my anger decreases. This has a calming effect on my whole body.

Next time when my anger or frustration gets to me, I will try counting backwards. I am glad that I have a new strategy to try out when I lose it. This will help calm me down so I can focus on learning, friendship and fun.

Transitions

Many of my friends have issues when it is time to change from one thing to the next. In a mainstream classroom, transitions are happening frequently throughout the day, so you need a plan. Teach your friends what a transition is as well as what the expectations are during a transition. It will help everybody's day flow seamlessly. Give it a try. Enjoy!

I am a hard working 4th grader at my school. There are times in the day when there are not specific scheduled activities or when I am finished with my work or just when there is time that I have to wait for the next activity. These are called transitions.

Many times during transitions, I seem to get off track. This can cause a commotion for the class, my teacher and myself. If I am off track, I may miss out of instructions. Then I could get behind on my class work or whatever the activity is that I am doing. If I am off task, I could also get in to trouble and then all kinds of problems arise.

During transition times, I need to keep my cool. I should be ready for any instructions that my teachers may give me. I can busy myself in my space, I could quietly visit with a friend, I could think of topics of interest and even daydream a bit. I should try to keep myself in my spot and under control during transitions.

Transitions should be smooth and seamless. I f I remember theese tips, it will help me during times of transitions.

Calm Down

This kiddo would get angry in a snap. There wasn't a period where he would gradually increase his anger, it would just switch right on. His anger was displayed mainly through verbalization, complaints and threats, but it was troublesome in this Kindergarten classroom. I jumped in with some strategies and  got him on the right course. He will be in third grade now and these behaviors are automatic thanks to a story like this.

I am in Kindergarten this year.
Sometimes I get so mad that I have trouble calming down.
There are some tricks that I can use to calm down.
One is to talk about my anger.
The teacher or my parents are the best people to talk to about this.
Another thing is to count backwards.
If I count backwards from 10, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0 slowly then my mind will calm down and I can think about other things.
Another way to calm down is to take deep breaths, When I get more oxygen in my body it will push the anger out.
Sometimes if I am really mad, I may need a cooling off break to help me get on track.
When I calm myself down, I can make good choices about what to do with my anger.