Social Skills Ms. Crow’s class Back to School 2015

About Me 2 nd year at Sunnyvale Middle School Past experience: middle school Resource teacher, SDC- 4/5 th combined, Special Day teacher (summer school & SMS) Education: Mills College, CSU Stanislaus- Education Specialist Credential mild/moderate emphasis, Autism Spectrum Disorder certification, English Language Learners authorization

About the Class Elective class focusing on Social Skill Building Use of many different curriculums to strengthen student relationships with peers, family, adults, and develop a positive self image Safe social-emotional space where students can thrive and explore different social concepts

What Are Social Skills? Social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning these skills is called socialization.

Why are Social Skills important? Good social skills are critical to successful functioning in life. These skills enable us to know what to say, how to make good choices, and how to behave in diverse situations. The extent to which children and adolescents possess good social skills can influence their academic performance, behavior, social and family relationships, and involvement in extracurricular activities. Social skills are also linked to the quality of the school environment and school safety. (National Association of School Psychologists)

Consequences of Good Social Skills With a full repertoire of social skills, students will have the ability to make social choices that will strengthen their interpersonal relationships and facilitate success in school. Some consequences of good social skills include: Positive and safe school environment. Child resiliency in the face of future crises or other stressful life events. Students who seek appropriate and safe avenues for aggression and frustration. Children who take personal responsibility for promoting school safety.

Types of Social Skills Survival skills (e.g., listening, following directions, ignoring distractions, using nice or brave talk, rewarding yourself) Interpersonal skills (e.g., sharing, asking for permission, joining an activity, waiting your turn) Problem-solving skills (e.g., asking for help, apologizing, accepting consequences, deciding what to do) Conflict resolution skills (e.g., dealing with teasing, losing, accusations, being left out, peer pressure)

Curriculum Second Step Skillstreaming Movies for Social Learning 9 th Planet Video Modeling Hygiene curriculum Zones of Regulation

About the class structure Whole and small group instruction and discussion Students will actively engage in listening, discussing, presenting, and working with peers and teacher Students should emerge confident with improved social skills to better advocate themselves and be successful in a variety of social and educational situations

Q&A Thank you for your time!