Circle Time-Booklet APPROVED LowRes

Activities for Strengthening the Social and EmotionalSkills Needed for Student Success and Wellbeing

You Can Do It!

CIRCLE TIM

E

Michael E. Bernard

Caroline Burston

www.youcandoit.com.au

you can do it! CIRCLE TIME

Activities for Strengthening the Social and EmotionalSkills Needed for Student Success and Wellbeing

You Can Do It!

CIRCLE TIM

E

Michael E. Bernard

Caroline Burston

illustrations by Roger Roberts



Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of research or private study or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publisher, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of the license issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publisher.

Australian Scholarships Group 25-35 Hanover Street Oakleigh, VIC 3166 T: (03) 9569 8830 F: (07) 3289 3254

ISBN 978-0-957838-74-1 © Copyright 2009 Michael E. Bernard

About Michael E. Bernard. Michael E. Bernard, Ph.D., is a consultant to educational authorities, organisations, and government as well as a Professor at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Graduate School of Education. He is the Founder of You Can Do It! Education, a program for promoting student social-emotional well-being and achievement that is being used in over 6,000 schools in Australia, New Zealand, England, and North America. Professor Bernard has worked as a consultant school psychologist helping families and schools address the educational and mental health needs of school-age children. He has spent extensive time counselling children with emotional, behavioural, or academic difficulties. Professor Bernard is a co-founder of the Australian Institute for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy and is the author of many books on REBT. For eight years, he was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy. He is the author of over 50 books, 15 book chapters, and 30 journal articles in the area of children’s early childhood development, learning and social-emotional well-being, as well as parent education, teacher professional development, and school improvement.

About Caroline Burston. Caroline Burston is a Teaching and Learning Coach with extensive experience in the study and presentation of Circle Time and how to embed the program into a school curriculum. She has used different Circle Time Programs and approaches with students in different schools. Caroline has conducted Circle Time workshops for schools and has presented at Student Wellbeing conferences. Caroline has also managed student wellbeing in several schools.


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ContEnts

1 ....... Introduction to You Can Do It! Circle time1 ....... What is Circle Time?8 ....... Circle Time Cards9 ....... Age Range for YCDI! Circle Time

11 ..... You Can Do It! lessons for Circle time11 ..... Important Notes13 ..... Lesson 1. The Keys to Being Successful

and Happy: You Can Do It!21 ..... Lesson 2. Being Your Best in Tough Situations29 ..... Lesson 3. Positive Ways of Thinking to Start

(and End) the Day39 ..... Lesson 4. Negative Ways of Thinking that

Block Your Success and Happiness47 ..... Lesson 5. Goal Setting

53 ..... Appendix53 ..... The Theory of You Can Do It! Education59 ..... References


TEACHER NOTES:

you can do it! CIRCLE TIME You Can Do It! Education 1

wHAT iS CiRClE TimE? Circle Time has been introduced in schools for over 20 years and is seen by educators as an excellent vehicle for having young people develop a range of social and emotional literacy skills as well as solving interpersonal issues. The history of Circle Time can be traced, in part, to the Quality Circle. This initiative was introduced to business by Ishikawa in Japan in the 1960s, based on the principle that full participation of workers in problem solving and decision making improves worker performance and well-being (Ishikawa, 1985). Circle Time is a structured framework for group interaction (Roffey, 2006). It provides the opportunity for students to contribute to discussions, issues and conversations in a supportive and structured setting. Students sit in a circle and each has an equal opportunity to contribute to the conversations. This is seen as a fair and inclusive process, where all can speak and be heard.Students are encouraged to share their ideas, value the opinions of others, and at the same time, have their contributions valued. There are set protocols in which these circles operate which are developed and agreed on by the group.

Circles assist students to:• Feel part of the group, fostering a sense of belonging• Participate in a fair process, knowing they will have

the same opportunity to contribute • Develop a sense of empathy for others• Further develop their listening and speaking skills• Gather strategies from other students • Enhance communication skills

iNTROduCTiON TO yOu CAN dO iT! CiRClE TimE

you can do it! CIRCLE TIME2 You Can Do It! Education

Circle Time can be used to assist students in solving their problems but it can also give the teacher enormous insight into what is going on with his/her class. The system helps children and adults to learn to relate to each other in truthful and enjoyable ways, while providing a much needed listening system (Mosley, 1996).With a focus on the social and emotional skills of Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience (Bernard, 2006), You Can Do It! Circle Time is an effective way for teachers to understand their students’ levels of understandings of the skills all people need to be successful and happy, to share effective strategies and to unpack and recognise negative and positive feelings within themselves and in others. The theory of You Can Do It! Education with specific reference to the social and emotional skills that are presented in this Circle Time program, are outlined in the Appendix.As we approach the second decade of the twenty first century, educators throughout the globe are looking to schools to provide young people with social and emotional literacy to not only enable them to assume the responsibilities of citizenship, but also to support their well-being and learning. The field of social and emotional learning has come of age and Circle Time, as can be seen in the activities presented in this program, is an ideal vehicle for such learning (CASEL, 2007).

PROTOCOl Of gOOd CiRClE TimE PRACTiCE

1. setting up Circle time sessionsSetting up the circle can be done in a variety of ways, depending on your relationship with the group you are working with:


• Clearing furniture and having students seated on chairs in a circle• Students sitting on the floor in a circle• Having cushions to sit onThe setting and look of Circle Time is all about what works for you, the needs of your students and the space you have available. It is important to have a space to form the circle that is clear of distractions, such as furniture students can lean against. You might put a sign on your classroom door to prevent unnecessary interruptions.

2. the rules of Circle timeEstablishing the rules of the circle is important and may need to be reiterated at the start of circle time sessions until it is second nature.• Some effective rules are• No talking when someone else is• Everyone has a turn• It’s OK to pass• No put downsThese are rules common to most circles. They need to be established together so students have ownership and understanding of the rules. Three to four rules are an effective number as students can easily remember this amount. Too many rules can be counterproductive to the process.

3. the talking PieceWhen conducting Circle Time, some teachers find using a talking piece to be a very important and symbolic part of the process. The person holding the talking piece is the only one allowed to speak. This works well with a very chatty group as having something to see and feel can help students focus on the ‘no talking when someone else is’ rule. Talking pieces can be anything - a stuffed toy, a piece of wood, a soft ball or something else of significance. Whatever you choose, this should not be used for anything else, or it can lose its importance.


One suggestion is to use a stick or baton and decorate it with ribbons, wool or other materials, encouraging the students to participate in the decorating process. This emphasises the importance and ownership of the talking piece. In using the YCDI! Circle Time program, you may elect to use or not use the talking piece.

4. Managing Circle timeStudents need to feel comfortable in the circle while still recognising there are protocols to follow. Asking students to sit in a circle can lead to some students sitting with friends and others who may not be sure where to sit, needing encouragement to sit in the circle. There are some strategies that you can implement to assist in organising the circle more effectively. It is good to mix up the different ways to ensure that students have the opportunity to sit with a variety of their classmates. They are also given the opportunity to work with someone different and get to know something about them that they may not have had the opportunity to discover already. Students learn quickly that they will be working with a wide range of classmates, not just their friends.

5. opening each sessionAll Circle Time sessions begin with a reminder of the rules by the teacher or students (everyone has a turn; when someone is talking everyone is listening; there are no put-downs; you may pass). The session may begin with all students greeting each other. Two common greeting techniques are: Silent Greetings (one person initiates an action towards the person sitting to their right or left): high five, Mexican wave, pass the wink)


Spoken Greetings: Ways of Greeting (go around the circle with many different verbal ways of greeting someone: “Hi, Hello, what’s up?” “Say your name backwards (ekiM, loraC).”

6. seating strategies and mixing up the groupMixing up the group so that individuals interact with different people in the class, is a central feature of Circle Time. Here are some suggestions for mixing up your group: • Stand Up and Change Places - with anyone who has the same eye colour; has

a brother/sister; likes pizza; supports same football team; has a birthday in same month

• Boy/Girl, Boy/Girl – simply ask students to sit boy/girl, boy/girl• Sit with someone you work well with – students need to consider who they

will work well with and who may influence their behaviour in a positive manner and not distract them

• Free choice – Students sit where they like in the circle • Silent steps – when students are seated in a circle, ask a question of the

students; for example, who ate toast for breakfast? You can ask those that answer affirmatively to stand up and, without speaking, swap places with someone else who is standing. You can ask several of these types of questions to mix up the circle until you are happy with where your students are seated.

Other statements could include:• Who has blue eyes?• Who has one sibling?• Who hates spinach?


You can make up a variety of these types of questions that are relevant to your students. • Introductions – Students pair up in the circle and share

something about themselves, such as favourite sport, food or hobby. Each student takes turns to introduce each other saying “This is Susan and she likes soccer”. Go around the circle until each student has had a turn.

• Shift 3 - Ask students to sit in a circle. Pass the talking piece to a student and then ask them to pass it to the third person to their left. After the talking piece has been passed around once, ask the students who received the talking piece to stand and then move clockwise and sit in the next space. This can be repeated several times, starting with a different student each time until the circle is mixed up enough.

• Birthdays - Ask students to line up according to their birthdays. This must be done in silence, so students need to communication non-verbally. When students are lined up in birth order, ask the students at each end to move towards each other to form a circle. When the circle has been formed, ask students to sit down.

• Heights - Ask students to line up according to their height, shortest to tallest. This must be done in silence, so students need to communication non-verbally. When students are lined up in height order, ask the students at each end to move towards each other to form a circle. When the circle has been formed, ask students to sit down.

7. Forming small groups/pairsDistribute cards with different colours, one card per person. Students form groups based on students having same coloured card. Half the cards have upper case letters, half have lower case letters. Students find their matching half.


To form groups of five, distribute cards with one of the following names appearing on each card: ‘Mr.’ ‘Mrs.’ ‘Brother’, ‘Sister’ and ‘Baby’ and the last name (Mr Jones, Mrs Jones). Different sets of five cards are prepared with different last names. Cards are distributed to students and are passed around until the teacher says: “Find Your Family.” Then, students find other members of their family with the same surname.

8. Managing transitions between activitiesNegotiate with class how to gain everyone’s attention: (clapping rhythm and everyone’s hands on knees; hands in the air; folded arms, everyone follows suit; a small tinkling bell

9. Closing the sessionAppropriate Circle Time practice is for the final activity in a session to be one where students can relax and calm down from previous activities. There are a number of ways you can do this, including: students practising relaxation skills. For example, you can use the following directions to teach them the 5-3-5 deep breathing technique which they can use at any time when they are feeling stressed:“To begin with, rapidly exhale all the air from your lungs. Next, slowly to a count of five, inhale … one … two … three … four … five. Hold your breath of air for a slow count of three … one … two … three. Now slowly, very slowly, exhale the air to a slow count of five … one … two … three … four … five. You have just completed one repetition. To continue to relax, breathe in slowly to a count of five, hold for a count of three, and again exhale to a slow count of five.”Other suggestions include telling a story, reading a poem that has a happy and positive ending, listening to soothing music or playing a quiet game.


At the conclusion of each Circle Time session, you should thank the children for their contributions, congratulate them on sitting still, taking turns or listening well. You can also acknowledge their use of one or more of the five social and emotional skills (e.g., “That took confidence to share your ideas” or “That wasn’t easy to do, but you showed persistence in completing the activity.”)

CiRClE TimE CARdSThe majority of conversation and discussion in the Circle Time sessions will surround the YCDI! Circle Time cards. The pack of cards accompanying this guide contains 52 A5, laminated cards. They all have the same back design and colour (You Can Do It!). The fronts of the cards are different and appear as follows:• 9 Confidence Cards (canary yellow): Sounds Like card,

Looks Like card, Feels Like card, Definition card, 4 Positive Ways to Think cards, 1 Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud card

• 8 Persistence Cards (purple): Sounds Like card, Looks Like card, Feels Like card, Definition card, 3 Positive Ways to Think cards, 1 Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud card

• 7 Organisation Cards (orange): Sounds Like card, Looks Like card, Feels Like card, Definition card, 2 Positive Ways to Think cards, 1 Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud card

• 9 Getting Along Cards (green): Sounds Like card, Looks Like card, Feels Like card, Definition card, 4 Positive Ways to Think cards, 1 Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud card


• 7 Resilience Cards (red): Sounds Like card, Looks Like card, Feels Like card, Definition card, Resilient Ways to Think card, Resilient Things to Do card, 1 Empty Positive Ways to Think and Do Cloud card

• 12 Negative Ways to Think cards (grey/white) (One for each of the 12 Negative Ways to Think)

• The Positive and Negative Ways to Think cards share similarities in design. The name of the Way of Thinking (e.g. Setting Goals) is set in large type and is located above the arrow ( ). The meaning of the Way of Thinking appears in the thought cloud in the accompanying illustration. The arrow ( ) conveys the idea “leads to.” You will want students to be able to say, for example, that “Setting Goals is a Positive Way of Thinking that means that setting a goal can help me to be successful. Setting Goals is a way of thinking that helps me to be organised.”

There are two I Can Do It Positive Ways of Thinking cards. One card in the area of Confidence, the other, supporting the area of Persistence.

AgE RANgE fOR yCdi! CiRClE TimEThis program can be used with students from 9 to 16 years of age. For younger students and those with limited English proficiency, some of the activities will need to be further simplified.



imPORTANT NOTES 1. The activities in each of the following five lessons

can be scheduled across several sessions. There is no need to complete them all in one session. Remember it is generally a good idea to leave enough time at the end of your session for students to engage in a calming activity that can involve listening to a story, poem, music or practising a relaxation skill as described in the Introduction.

2. Circle Time rules to be presented and reviewed at the beginning of lessons include: No talking when someone else is; no put downs; everyone has a chance to talk; it’s OK to pass.

3. The lessons that follow contain various Teacher Prompt Questions that help guide discussion and activities. These questions can be written on the board or on a large piece of paper for students and teacher to refer to.

4. If you are unfamiliar with conducting Circle Time groups, it is suggested before you present the following Circle Time lessons that you might first like to ‘have a practice’ in running a session or two using simple Circle Time activities (e.g., using other ‘bear’ or ‘strength’ cards). This might be focused on having students to speak and listen to one another.

lESSONS fOR CiRClE TimE


and happy: YOU CAN DO IT!

The keys to being successful

12 You Can Do It! Education

TEACHER NOTES:




You Can Do It! Education 13

lESSON AimThe activities that follow are designed to assist students in: 1. Learning about and deepening their understanding of the social and

emotional skills (SELs) of Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience,

2. Exploring the definition of each SEL, and3. Considering what each of the SELs may Sound Like, Look Like and

Feel Like through sharing their understandings and listening to those of others.

mATERiAlS NEEdEd20 cards*• 4 Confidence cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Persistence cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Organisation cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Getting Along cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Resilience cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition*Talking Piece (if used)

lESSON 1:

THE KEyS TO BEiNg SuCCESSful ANd HAPPy: yOu CAN dO iT!





ACTiviTy 1 • Seat students in a circle.• Have students greet one another.• Review Circle Time rules.• Discuss Talking Piece if in use.

ACTiviTy 2 • Ask students the following question: “What do you think

young people need to have to be successful in school and happy as a person and with friends?”

Is it owning lots of stuff and having lots of money?” (Answer: While it never hurts to have money, money can’t buy happiness.)Is it having good parents? (Answer: While positive parents help, it is not a key you have to have. Some young people have parents who care about them but those same young people are not doing well in school and there are young people who may only live with one parent and who may not have parents who spend much time with them who are doing well in school and are happy.)Is it being smart? (Answer: Again, while it helps to have ‘book smarts,’ there are many young people who have ‘book smarts’ who are not successful. And there are many young people who are doing their best in school who are not super brilliant in the area of schoolwork –but are in other areas).

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ACTiviTy 3• Shuffle the complete set of 20 cards and hand out one to each student. (If

there are more students than cards, students can pair up.). Say, “I want to talk now about five things that lots of people use to help them to be happy and successful. We’ll call them keys. We’re going to look at them.”

• Say to students, “I want you to explore the information on these cards. There is information that will help all of us to find out what keys everyone needs in life to be happy and successful. Let’s see if we can discover information about the keys.”

• Say to students that if they have a word that is difficult to read, they can ask the person sitting next to them or raise their hand.

• Say to students, “I want you to reflect on the following questions. I am going to give you five minutes (or whatever amount of time you gauge to be appropriate for your students) to think about your card and the questions I ask, and then we will share our understandings.”

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What is your card about? What do you think the card is telling you?What do you notice about your card?Is there anything else you would like to add?

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ACTiviTy 4 • After students have had time to explore their card, ask

for a volunteer who would like to share their card first. • Explain that each student sitting to the right of the

student who has answered first will hold up his/her card and share something about the card with the group.

• After a student has shared his/her card, thank him/her for the contribution and ask the next person to contribute. (Remember, students may choose to pass). Allow all students to share their card with the group. You may assist or prompt students who need help starting or finishing.

• When every student has contributed, ask, “What are the five keys to success and happiness?” Have students brainstorm. After students have named the five keys, write their names on the board: Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along, Resilience.

ACTiviTy 5• Ask the students to place their cards randomly in

the middle of the circle, face up, so students can see the ‘Looks Like’, ‘Sounds Like’, ‘Feels Like’ and the ‘Definition’ sides of the cards.

• Explain to students that you would like them to organise the cards into groups. Indicate that there are several ways that the cards can be grouped. Have students stand up and look at all of the cards. They can walk around to have a look. When students have had a chance to look at the cards, ask them to sit back in the circle.

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• Ask the question: “Can anyone think of a way that we could group these cards?”• Ask students to group the cards in five groups representing each of the five

different keys. There will be five groupings of cards in the middle of the circle. Ensure that all 20 cards are placed face up and are spread in the middle of the circle in the five groupings so students can see them.

• Discuss with students that the colours are linked to each Key. Confidence = Canary Yellow, Persistence = Purple, Organisation = Orange, Getting Along = Green and Resilience = Red. Students may find it easy to remember that the key and the matching colour start with the same letter.

• Explain to students that you would like them to stand up and have a look at all of the cards in the centre of the circle.

• Say that you would like students to select one or more cards that they like the best and stand close to one of them. You can indicate that they can select a card that says something about them or describes them, or is a skill they would like to develop. More than one student may stand by the same card.

• Once students have had a chance to look at the groupings, ask students to select a card they like and return to sitting in the circle. Ask students to pair up with the person next to them. Explain that you would like them to share which card they selected and the reasons why with their partner, who, in turn, is going to share the card and the reasons for selection with the whole class.

• Provide several examples such as “Susie selected organisation because she likes to have her pens and books ready before she does her homework” or “John selected confidence because he wants to be school captain and needs to be confident to speak in front of the class.”

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What is the key you like the most?Why did you select this key?Why is it important to you?When might you need to use it?

ACTiviTy 6 • Spread out the 20 cards in the middle of the circle in a

random order. • Say, “There is another way to group the cards. Can

anyone see how to group them?” There should be discussion about the ‘Sounds Like’, ‘Feels Like’, ‘Looks Like’ and ‘Definition’ cards.

• Say, “Let’s try sorting the cards into four different piles. The first pile should have what each of the five keys looks like, the second pile what it sounds like, and the third pile what it feels like. The fourth pile should contain each of the definition cards of the five keys. Indicate that one good way to learn about each of the keys is paying attention to what each looks like, sounds like and feels like as well as its definition.

• Have five students volunteer to read through the ‘Feels Like’ card for each of the five keys (distribute one of the ‘Feels Like’ cards to each volunteer). You can then repeat this exercise using the ‘Looks Like’ cards with five different volunteers and, again, using the ‘Sounds Like’ cards.





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ACTiviTy 7• Ask students to volunteer to describe their understanding of the

meaning of each of the five keys to success and happiness.

• Ask for a show of hands to answer each of the Teacher Prompt Questions. Ask if anyone else has anything to add, listen to their contribution, and then ask for a student to volunteer to read the definition card out loud to the class.

• Repeat this for each of the five keys to ensure that students have begun to establish their understandings of the definitions and can articulate them.

• You can have five students volunteer to read through each of the five definition cards.

Can anyone give me their meaning of Confidence?Can anyone give me their meaning of Persistence?Can anyone give me their meaning of Organisation?Can anyone give me their meaning of Getting Along?Can anyone give me their meaning of Resilience?

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in tough situations

being your best


TEACHER NOTES:


in tough situations

being your best


lESSON AimThe activities that follow are designed to assist students in: 1. See how the five keys can be used to cope with common Tough Situations they

may face, and2. Gain practise in using the five keys in order to handle different, everyday

Tough Situations in the best way possible.

mATERiAlS NEEdEd20 cards*• 4 Confidence cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Persistence cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Organisation cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Getting Along cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition

• 4 Resilience cards: Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition*Talking Piece (if used)

lESSON 2:

BEiNg yOuR BEST iN TOugH SiTuATiONS:


in tough situations

being your best


ACTiviTy 1 • Seat students in a circle.• Have students greet one another.• Review Circle Time rules.• Discuss Talking Piece (if used).

ACTiviTy 2 • Spread out the cards face down in the middle of the

circle. Ask students to recall the names of the five keys to success and happiness. Summarise by writing the names of the keys on the board.

• Have pairs of students select one of the cards. Say, “I would like you to find all other pairs of students who have a card representing the same key to success and happiness on their card. For example, the pairs that have cards related to Confidence should find each other.

ACTiviTy 3• Ask students who have cards related to each to sit together

to form small groups. Then, have all like groups sit together, one after another, around the circle.

• Ask for students in each group to select one of the ‘Looks Like’, ‘Feels Like’, ‘Sounds Like’ or ‘Definition’ cards that they can most relate to or like the sound of.

• Then, going around the complete circle, have each student say why they picked the card, and then read the card.

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in tough situations

being your best


ACTiviTy 4 • Reconfigure the seating arrangement.• Say to the group, “I’d like you to think of someone you consider to be a

confident person. Let’s go around the circle and say who you think is a confident person. It may be someone in the class; it may be an athlete or a performer, or someone else you know.”

ACTiviTy 5• Explain that ‘Tough Situations’ are those personal times that are difficult such

as being treated unfairly, having an important test to take, someone calling them a name or having too much work to do and not enough time to do it. (If students bring up examples of being physically harmed or witnessing violence especially outside of school, acknowledge that the situation is serious and that a discussion of these more personal issues should be done in private with you outside of Circle Time).

Who is someone you think is confident?What do they do that shows you they are feeling confident?What does a confident person look like? What does a confident person sound like? What do you think a confident person might be feeling on the inside? How might you know this?Look at the ‘Confidence Looks Like/Sounds Like and Feels Like’ cards. Ask volunteers to read each card out. You can repeat this activity and questions for the four remaining keys.

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in tough situations

being your best


• Ask students to list examples of Tough Situations they experience at school in connection with their classmates, teachers and what they are studying. Write specific examples on the board. Some examples could be:

• Not understanding something in maths • Being left out of a game • Going to a birthday party and no one wants

to talk to you • Reading a book with many difficult words

that are hard to understand • Practise spelling list • Getting a low mark on a science project • Having too much homework to do • Have a large report due in a week. • Encourage all students to think of a Tough

Situation. It is good role modelling if the teacher contributes to this so students can see that we are all faced with Tough Situations at different times of our lives.

ACTiviTy 6• Place all of the cards face up in the circle. Say to the

students that they are going to look at ways to look, sound and feel, in order to do their best when faced with Tough Situations.

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in tough situations

being your best


Select one of the situations to begin such as ‘Not understanding something in maths’. Ask for a student to volunteer to select one or more cards that will help him/her manage that Tough Situation. Have the volunteer student look at all the cards and reflect on the ones that he/she could use to assist them to manage in this situation. In order to finish the first scenario, say to the students “Now if you were presented with a difficulty in maths, how would you handle the situation –which keys would you use? Consider the keys you would find helpful and the kinds of things you could think, do and say to assist you.”

• Have one or two other students volunteer to select a Tough Situation to work on. Ask the students to collect whatever cards they think could help them deal with the situation. Have the students say why they selected the cards. Have other students volunteer to say whether they might use additional cards.

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Can anyone select a card or several cards that may give them assistance in dealing with this situation? Which card/cards can help you to stay cool, calm and collected?Which cards can help you feel you can manage difficult schoolwork?Which cards help you plan when you are going to do your homework so that you are not rushed at the last minute?

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in tough situations

being your best


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Can you explain why you selected the card/cards?How do you think these specific cards are helpful for you to be your best in this situation?Does anyone else have different card/cards that they would select?Discuss the selections and encourage other students to contribute their ideas or opinions, referring to the cards that they would use and giving their reasons and solutions to dealing with the Tough Situation.

ACTiviTy 7• Place all of the cards face up in the circle. Say to the

students that everyone is going to look at ways to look, sound and feel their best in Tough Situations. Have students break into small groups of three to five members.

• Once formed, explain that they are to select a Tough Situation and decide which cards (keys) they can use to help them do their best and not get too upset. They are to work out how they would use the cards to assist them deal with the Tough Situation and they can explain how they would approach the situation. Students can share their solutions in the circle. They can act out their solutions if they choose. For example, going to a new school would require Confidence, Getting Along and Resilience. You would need to smile, look people in the eye, say hello in a loud clear voice, start conversations with new people and stay calm and


in tough situations

being your best


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bounce back when things do not go your way. If you asked if you could play a game and were told “No,” you might need your Resilience and Confidence keys to bounce back, thinking to yourself (in a loud clear voice) that you will find someone else to play with or look for others to play with.

• On completion, one or more volunteers from each group present their Tough Situation to the whole group and explain how it was managed.


to start and end the day

positive ways of thinking


TEACHER NOTES:





lESSON AimThis lesson is aimed at helping students to: 1. Develop an understanding of positive thinking and positive self-talk2. Practise using positive self-talk to help them be Confident, Persistent,

Organised, to Get Along and be Resilient, and

3. Set a goal for the following week to increase their use of one of the five keys.

mATERiAlS NEEdEd30 cards* • 7 Confidence cards:

4 Positive Ways to Think, Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud, Looks Like, Definition• 6 Persistence cards:

3 Positive Ways to Think, Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud, Looks Like, Definition• 5 Organisation cards:

2 Positive Ways to Think, Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud, Looks Like, Definition• 7 Getting Along cards:

4 Positive Ways to Think, Empty Positive Ways to Think Cloud, Looks Like, Definition• 5 Resilience cards:

Resilient Ways to Think, Resilient Things to Do, Empty Positive Things to Think and Do Cloud, Resilience Looks Like, Definition

*List of examples of Tough Situations (from Lesson 2)*Talking Piece (if used)

lESSON 3:

POSiTivE wAySOf THiNKiNg TO START (ANd ENd) THE dAy





ACTiviTy 1 • Have students greet one another.• Organise circle seating arrangement.

ACTiviTy 2 • After everyone has taken a seat in the circle, you can

explain to each student that you would like them to think of something positive to say about the person to their left.

• Explain that each student will turn to the next student, look them in the face and pay them a compliment. The person receiving the compliment is to look back at the student giving the compliment and say “Thank you.” It will be helpful to talk to students about offering compliments that mention one of the five keys a student who is offering the compliment has noticed about the student receiving the compliment. Provide some examples to the class such as: “I think that Joe has good organisation skills as he always has his homework finished and handed in early,” or “Sue showed great confidence when she offered assistance to a group of preps in the yard”

• Review the following teacher prompt questions before you start to assist students in formulating their compliments.‘

ACTiviTiES

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• Once completed, have students discuss how it feels to give and receive a compliment. Ask the teacher prompt questions to students, one at a time, as you move around the circle.

tEAChEr ProMPt

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quEstIons

What is a compliment?What are the sorts of things that could form a compliment?Why would we give a compliment?How can we give a compliment? How can we receive a compliment?What are the sorts of things we could compliment our classmates on? (It may be useful to make a list on the board and link a compliment to the five keys.)

What is a compliment?How did it feel to give a compliment?How did it feel to receive a compliment?Why do you think it makes us feel good when we hear positive things said to us?

• Do you think that we can think good things to ourselves that help us to feel positive about what we do? These positive thoughts can be called positive self-talk.

• What are some of the positive things that we could say to ourselves that could be called positive self-talk?

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tEAChEr ProMPt

quEstIons

Who has a card that we have seen before? (These will be the 5 definition cards).Could each person who has a definition card please read their card to the class?

ACTiviTy 3• Shuffle the cards and hand out one to each student. (If

there are more students than cards, students can pair up). • Say to students, “I want you to explore the information

on the card I give you. There is information that will help us to find ways to build our skills and give us strategies to achieve success in using the keys of Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience. Give the students time to explore their cards.

• Say, “We have some new cards that we will be looking at today. I would like to go round the circle and have each person share the card they have. I would like you to hold up the card you have and share your ideas and understandings about that card.” Allow all students to share their card with the group.

• Be sure that students read the thinking inside each thought cloud. Also show students the name of each positive way of thinking that appears in large, bold type on each card (e.g. Accepting Myself, Taking Risks, Being Independent, I Can Do It). Also, be sure that students understand that the arrow stands for “leads to” (e.g. Accepting Myself leads to ‘I feel confident’).

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• What is your card about?• Are there any words on your card that you don’t understand? – discuss word

meanings if necessary• What is the name of the Positive Way of Thinking?• What do you think it is telling you?• What does the arrow mean?• What does the Positive Way of Thinking lead to?• Does anyone have anything they would like to say about a card that is not theirs? • Is there anything else you would like to add?

ACTiviTy 4• Ask students to place the cards face up in the middle of the circle. • Say to students that you would like them to study the cards and find a way to

group the cards. Ask, “Can anyone group these cards?”• You will guide students to see that the definition of each key and the Positive

Ways of Thinking can be grouped together. • Ask the following teacher prompt questions to assist students in linking the

Foundation with the appropriate Positive Ways to Think.

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What are the Positive Ways to Think that help us to be Confident?What are the Positive Ways to Think that help us to be Persistent?What are the Positive Ways to Think that help us to be Organised?What are the Positive Ways to Think that help us to Get Along?What are the Positive Ways to Think that help us to be Resilient?

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ACTiviTy 5• Spread out the different Positive Ways of Thinking cards

in the middle of the circle. • Ask every other student sitting around the circle to select a

card that they like and return to their seat. • Have them show the card they selected to the student on

their left and explain why they liked the particular Way of Thinking written on the card.

• When all students have had a chance to share their card with their partner, they should return the cards placed face up to the centre of the circle. Then, have the other student of the pair review the different Ways of Thinking cards and select one that they like. Using the previous process, have the student share the card with their partner and the reasons why the card was selected.

ACTiviTy 6• Say to students that you would like to refer to some of

the previous Tough Situations discussed in Lesson 2 and see if they can come up with examples of positive self-talk that would help them in the situation to be confident, persistent, organised, to get along or to be resilient.

• Read one of the following scenarios and ask for a student to volunteer to use positive self-talk by handing them an Empty Thought Cloud card as indicated in the parentheses at the end of each scenario below.

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- Not understanding something in maths (Empty Thought Cloud card for Confidence)

- Being left out of a game (Empty Thought Cloud card for Resilience)- Having too much homework to do (Empty Thought Cloud card for Organisation)- Going to a birthday party and no one wants to talk to you (Empty Thought

Cloud card for Resilience)- Reading a book with many difficult words that are hard to understand (Empty

Thought Cloud card for Confidence)- Practise spelling list (Empty Thought Cloud card for Persistence)- Getting a bad mark on science project (Empty Thought Cloud cards for

Confidence and Resilience)- Have a large report due in a week (Empty Thought Cloud cards for Persistence

and Organisation)

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quEstIons

Who do you believe controls the way you think?Can positive self-talk help you to be successful and happy?What self-talk will you say to yourself when you want to behave confidently/persistently/are organised/to get along/to be resilient?How are you going to say this self-talk to yourself? For example, are you going to say “I can do it” in a wimpy voice (teacher model this) or a strong, confident voice “I Can Do It!”?Ask students to repeat “I Can Do It” in a strong confident voice, together as a group.

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ACTiviTy 7• In the centre of the circle place all of the cards face up. • Say to the students: “I would like you to think of one of

the keys that you think you would like to work on in your own life. It may be about improving your Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along or Resilience. We are going to have some practise in using the different Positive Ways to Think to assist us in using one of the keys you have chosen.”

• After students have made a selection, ask each student to share their selection with the student to the right of them.

• Have students group themselves according to the key they have selected. Then, have the five groups of students sort through the cards and locate the different cards that relate to their key.

• In small groups, have a student read what their key looks like and Positive Ways of Thinking that help them to use the key. Then, say to students that during the coming week, you would like them to use the key and to practise using positive self-talk.

• You can say that it is important to know that just because we want to get stronger in using one or more of the keys, it does not mean that it will happen overnight. Explain the importance of practise.

• Provide students with the following example: “I would like to show Persistence in learning my maths and I am going to use the Positive Way of Thinking called ‘Giving Effort’. We





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are going to use the Empty Thought Cloud to assist us in developing examples of positive self-talk that will help us try really hard because we know that the harder we try, the more successful and smarter we will be. The positive self-talk I am going to use is: “I am going to practise my maths at home for an extra 15 minutes a day, before I go and play outside.”

• Give students some think time to consider which key they will select to use and the self-talk they are going to develop.

• Reiterate to students that you would like each one of them to put into practise the key they have selected in the coming week. Say that you especially want them to use the key in any Tough Situation they find themselves in.

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What is the key you want to develop?What Positive Ways of Thinking will you need to use the key?


that block your success and happiness

negative ways of thinking


TEACHER NOTES:





lESSON AimThis lesson is aimed at helping students to: 1. Understand that Negative Ways of Thinking/self-talk can make it very much

harder to use the five keys and can block their success and wellbeing

2. Understand that they have options as to whether in Tough Situations they use positive or negative self-talk, and

3. Practise changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk.

mATERiAlS NEEdEd24 cards* • 2 Positive Ways of Thinking cards• 12 Negative Ways of Thinking cards*Talking Piece (if used)

lESSON 4:

NEgATivE wAySOf THiNKiNg THAT CANBlOCK yOuR SuCCESS ANd HAPPiNESS





ACTiviTy 1• Have students greet one another.• Organise circle seating arrangement.

ACTiviTy 2• Shuffle the 12 Positive Ways of Thinking and the12

Negative Ways of Thinking cards and give one to each student in the circle. If there are more than 24 students, have some students work in pairs Give the students time to look at their card.

• Give students the opportunity to clarify any words. Then, clarify with students using the Teacher Prompt Questions that the cards with grey and white circles are Negative Ways of Thinking and those with colour circles are Positive Ways of Thinking. Have students discuss the difference between a positive and negative Way of Thinking and which Way of Thinking can help them to achieve success and which Way of Thinking can make it much harder.

• Ask students to locate the name of the Positive or Negative Way Of Thinking (e.g. Giving Effort), the meaning of the way of thinking located in the thought cloud of the cartoon illustration.

• Say to students that the arrow ( ) stands for “leads to.” Have students say what the way of thinking leads to (e.g. Giving Effort leads to ‘I am persistent’).

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quEstIons

Are there any words you don’t understand or are not sure about how to say?Why do some cards have gray and white circles and some cards have colour circles?What is the difference between a positive and negative Way of Thinking?

ACTiviTiES

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ACTiviTy 3 • Say to students, “There is one other student who has the opposite card to the one

you have. For example, if you have the ‘I Can’t Do It’ Way of Thinking card, there is someone else who has the ‘I Can Do It’ Way of Thinking card.”

• Ask students to find the student with the opposite card to theirs and to sit down next to them.

• Say to students, “You are going to read out your card to each other. Each card has either a positive or a negative message on it. When you read your card, I’d like you to use your voice to convey the message. If you think it is a positive message, use a strong clear voice, if you think the card contains a negative message, use your voice to convey negative feelings. For example: When you say “I Can Do It”, use a strong clear voice, and say it like you mean it. When you say “I Can’t Do It”, use your body to show how the character on the card may be feeling and speak in a way that shows you really think you can’t do something.

ACTiviTy 4• Illustrate for students how you can have two completely different ways of

thinking about the same event. • Give an example from your own life when you thought to yourself “I can’t do

it” and, then, you said, “Wait a minute. I can do this!” You can indicate that sometimes we might think to ourselves “I Can’t Do It” and this can effect our success in trying new things, or completing our work to the best of our abilities. If we think “I Can’t Do It” often enough, we can come to believe it and achieving success in our lives will become more difficult.

• Have each pair stand up. • Say to students, “I want you and your partner to show how positive and negative

Ways of Thinking can make us feel and behave.” Have the student with the negative Way of Thinking say out loud several times the negative self-talk (e.g., “No point in trying. No point in trying. No point in trying.”). Ask the class how this Way of Thinking will affect the student. Next, have the other student of the pair say out loud several times the positive self-talk (e.g., “The harder I try, the better I get. The harder I try, the better I get. The harder I try, the better I get.”). Have students say how this positive Way of Thinking will influence the student.

• Explain to students that a great skill to have to help them get through Tough Situations is to use positive self-talk rather than negative self-talk.

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ACTiviTy 5• Shuffle the cards and place them face up in the middle of

the circle. • Explain to the students that when they are confronted by

Tough Situations, they can control how they respond to the situation by choosing to use positive and not negative self-talk. For example, have students imagine that a student has received a very poor grade. Say: “Who can find two Negative Ways Of Thinking cards that would make the student feel miserable and un-motivated?” (Self-Downing, I Can’t Do It). Ask students to provide additional examples of negative self-talk that lead to students feeling down and losing their confidence.

• Following on, hold up the Confidence empty Positive Ways To Think thought cloud card. Say, “Who would like to come up with examples of positive self-talk they could use, after receiving a very poor grade, that would make the student feel confident and motivated?” Once a volunteer has exhausted possibilities, ask for additional volunteers, each time handing them the Confidence Way Of Thinking empty thought cloud card.

• You can select other Tough Situations to illustrate the different examples of negative self-talk and positive self-talk and the impact of each on a student’s feelings and behaviour.

ACTiviTy 6• Say, “Sometimes, how we are feeling can affect how we

handle or understand things. If we are in a positive mood and we hear something that we do not like, it is easier to shrug it off or ignore it. If we are feeling negative and we hear something that we do not like, sometimes it is easier to let ourselves get upset and it is harder to ignore.”

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• Ask students to share something that they may have experienced where they were in a good mood, and didn’t let an issue bother them, or when they were unhappy and took something the wrong way.

• Play a game of Whispers. As the teacher, make up a sentence such as “Did you know that Susan likes oranges much better than apples?” Whisper this to a student, who will whisper it to the next person in the circle and so on until the message has been passed round to each person in the circle. Ask the last person to repeat the message. It is a good idea to write the original message down to compare it with the final message.

• Often in this game, the final statement is nothing like the original one. It is a good example for students to not believe everything they hear. Say, “This is how gossip starts, by people hearing something and repeating it. Often we don’t hear everything properly, so the original message is often lost. When someone hears something said about them that is not true, their thinking at these times can cause lots of hurt feelings.” Say, “Remember, just because someone says something about you does not make it true. Also, if you repeat something about someone, make sure it is the truth and that you have the facts.

• If you hear someone saying something about you that is not true, how could you think? What would your negative self-talk be to make you very upset? Review negative self-talk leading to poor resilience when someone says something mean about you including comments such as: “No one likes me. Maybe it is true what they are saying about me. I am a loser. This is the worst thing that could happen to me.”

• Hold up the Resilience Positive Things to Think and Do empty thought cloud card. Ask for suggestions of positive self-talk and things to do that help people to stay resilient. Brainstorm with your class things they could think and do, including: “I have friends. I can cope with this. It is not the end of the world. Just because they say I am a frog doesn’t make me a frog. I’ll just say to them they are wrong and ask them to stop. I might find a teacher to talk to.”

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ACTiviTy 7 • Say, “I want to play a variation on the game ‘I went to

the shop and bought...’ The first person says “I went to the shop and bought carrots” The second person says “I went to the shop and bought carrots and pumpkin”, the third person says “I went to the shop and bought carrots, pumpkin and lettuce”. This goes on until everyone has had a turn.

• Using the ‘I went to the store and bought...’ as an example, encourage a volunteer student to begin. The teacher could go first to model, or go last, whichever is the hardest.

• Next, say to students that you would like the volunteer to say an example of negative self-talk that could result in getting them into a very negative or bad mood. The set of Negative Ways of Thinking cards can be used as prompts. If needed, a list of suggestions could be discussed first and written on the board, but it can be the spontaneity of the game that produces the examples as well.

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quEstIons

In a Tough Situation, how much power do you really have to think positive thoughts?Who do you believe is the master of our thinking, our parents, our friends or ourselves?What does this expression mean: ‘Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me’?

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• This time, say to students that you would like to play the game again but this time have students say examples of positive self-talk they could use in the morning, that could put them in a positive frame of mind for the rest of the day. The set of Positive Ways Of Thinking cards can be used as prompts. If needed, a list of suggestions could be discussed first and written on the board.

• Reiterate to students that you would like each one of them to put into practise the use of positive self-talk and to try to avoid using negative self-talk. Have successive students repeat the previous examples of negative self-talk and add an additional example.

you can do it! CIRCLE TIME goal setting


TEACHER NOTES:



lESSON AimThis lesson is designed to further assist students to: 1. Set goals in a strategic manner, by identifying the steps needed and to

recognise when they are achieving success, and

2. See how using one or more of the five keys (Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along, and Resilience) helps them to achieve their goals.

mATERiAlS NEEdEd35 cards*8 Confidence Cards:

Sounds Like, Looks Like. Feels Like, Definition, 4 Positive Ways to Think 7 Persistence Cards:

Sounds Like, Looks Like. Feels Like, Definition, 3 Positive Ways to Think 6 Organisation Cards:

Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition, 2 positive Ways to Think 8 Getting Along Cards:

Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition, 4 positive Ways to Think 6 Resilience Cards:

Sounds Like, Looks Like, Feels Like, Definition, Resilient Ways to Think, Resilient Things to Do

*List of many different short-term, weekly goals your students could choose for themselves (cut up into individual pieces), *Talking Piece (if used)*Post It notes*Pencils and/or pens

lESSON 5:

gOAl SETTiNg



ACTiviTiES

ACTiviTy 1• Have students greet one another.• Organise circle seating arrangement

ACTiviTy 2• Discussion: “What does it mean to be successful?” Have

students volunteer their understanding of what they consider the word ‘success’ means.

• Ask students, “What is the difference between ‘the best’ at something and achieving your ‘personal best’?”

• Ask students to “Think back to a time when you have been successful at doing something and achieved your goal”. Some examples: Riding a bike or skate board, using a computer, writing a short story or poem, fixing something broken at home, learning to play chess, playing a musical instrument, taking care of a younger brother or sister, learning to draw or paint, learning to swim, listening to instructions or not getting upset when they get something wrong in their work.

• Ask students, “What is something you consider you are successful at? For students who have difficulty, have group make suggestions as to something that they know those students accomplished successfully.

- How do you know you are successful?- How do you feel when you are successful?- What Ways of Thinking have helped you to be successful?- Which of the five keys have you used to assist you in

achieving success? (There may be more than one)

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ACTiviTy 3 • Discussion Questions: How does it feel when you have not done your

personal best and, as a consequence, have not been successful? You can ask about the negative consequences of not being successful, including people being upset with you and not being able to, as an example, play on the team you were trying out for.

• Ask for a volunteer to say how it feels not to be successful (e.g., ‘Sucks’, ‘Bad’, ‘Nasty’, ‘Down’).

• In a counter-clockwise order, ask students to call out similar words. Summarise that not doing your personal best can lead to a lack of success and can feel pretty bad.

ACTiviTy 4• Spread all the cards out face up on the floor in a random sequence. • Ask for a volunteer to walk around the cards and select those key cards that

they think helped them to be successful. • Have the student show the rest of the class the cards they selected and have

them read through the cards.• Have students born in the first half of the year (or another suitable grouping)

stand up and say, “I want you to look at the cards in the centre and select a few cards that have keys that helped you to be successful Then, find a student sitting down and show them which cards you selected.”

• Next, have the cards returned to the centre of the circle. Have the remaining students select cards that represent keys that helped them to be successful. Then, have the students share their selected cards with their partners.

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ACTiviTy 5• Say to students that you would like them to learn a

good way to be successful. Hold up the Positive Way of Thinking card ‘Setting Goals’, explain that when you want to be successful, you sometimes start off by setting a goal.

• Share a goal that you have recently set for yourself (and achieved). For example, you might say that you learned to use a new program for your computer.

• Ask each student to set a goal they would like to accomplish within two weeks. Examples of short-term goals include:

- Completing my English assignment- Learning how to use a bowling ball- Finishing my science project- Learning what my teacher wants us to learn in maths- Making a new friend- Handing homework in on time- Making new friends - Not giving up when learning something new- Answering more questions in class• Say to students that you have many different examples

of short-term goals from which students could select. As you read through each one, have students volunteer to achieve the goal written down. Hand them the different cut up short term goal sheets, or the students may make up their own short-term goal sheets.

• Students identify a short-term goal that can be achieved in a two week period.



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ACTiviTy 6• Spread the cards face up in the centre of the circle. • Say to students, “You know, the reason that I was successful in achieving my

goal was not because I was lucky or it was easy. I was successful because I used my keys for success and getting my thinking right.” Walk around the cards and select those keys that helped you to be successful. When you have collected them, hold each one up and share with the whole class.

• Have the class form new pairs. Ask one member of each pair to walk around the cards and select those keys that will help them achieve their identified goal. Have these students return and share the cards with their partners. Return all cards face up to the centre.

ACTiviTy 7• In pairs children discuss their goal and the effective thinking they will use to

achieve that goal.• Children write their goals onto Post it notes and share with others.• Display on a board and have students post their goal under headings grouped

into each key for success.• Review with students at the end of the setting goals period.



THE THEORy Of yOu CAN dO iT! EduCATiONThe social and emotional learning theory of YCDI developed by Bernard (e.g., Bernard, 2004a; Bernard, 2004b; Bernard, 2006b; Vernon & Bernard, 2006) is based on a body of rational-emotive/cognitive-behavioural and allied theory, research and practice with children and adolescents. This body of work illuminates different attitudes, ways of thinking and coping skills that moderate achievement, behaviour, relationships and emotional well-being. Chief amongst these internal social and emotional learning characteristics are:

rational/irrational beliefs (Bernard & Joyce, 1984: Bernard & Cronan, 1999; Ellis & Bernard, 2006)learned optimism-helplessness beliefs and explanatory style (Seligman, 1975,1991)self-instructional self-talk (Meichenbaum, 1977) self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura, 1977) attributional style and locus of control (Rotter, 1966; Weiner,1979)interpersonal cognitive problem solving strategies (Spivack, Platt & Shure, 1976) cognitive aspects of academic procrastination (e.g., Solomon & Rathblum, 1984),cognitive aspects of internal motivation (Spaulding, 1992) internal goal setting (Schunk, 1996).

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A summary of the five SELs and supporting 12 positive Habits of the Mind (attitudes, beliefs) taught in YCDI are described in ‘The Five Social and Emotional Learning Skills Taught in You Can Do It! Education’ and include: Confidence (work, social), Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience (Bernard, 2006).Research indicates the positive impact of YCDI’s approach for teaching the five core SELs and supporting positive Habits of the Mind on different aspects of student learning, behaviour and well-being. In reviewing the results of five studies that explored different applications and impacts of YCDI, Bernard (2006b) found that teaching SELs on a weekly basis using activities from lessons in Program Achieve: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum (Bernard, 2006c) usually combined with classroom integration support provided by teachers (e.g., visual imagery, awards, integration in academic learning) lead to the following outcomes with students in grades 5 through 10 with identifiable problems (e.g., under-achievement, low grades) and without problems when taught in the regular classroom or alternative settings (after school homework club; mentoring groups that meet during school day): (a) increases in student social and emotional skills and concomitant positive attitudes towards learning, (b) increases in ‘effort’ ratings of student homework and overall quality of homework, (c) increases in class grades and on standardised achievement tests, and (d) decreases in truancy. Bernard (2008b) found a positive impact of YCDI on the emotional resilience of ‘at risk’ elementary-age students with behavioural, emotional, social and achievement problems who attended eight sessions of direct, cognitive-behavioural counselling in emotional resilience using activities drawn from Program Achieve. A comparison control group that received traditional forms of counselling other than cognitive-behavioural showed no improvement.


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THE fivE SOCiAl ANd EmOTiONAl lEARNiNg SKillS TAugHT iN yOu CAN dO iT! EduCATiONConfidence means knowing that you will likely be successful at many things you do. It means not being afraid to make mistakes or to try something new. Positive Habits of the Mind that help develop Confidence include:- Accepting myself - not thinking badly about yourself when you make a mistake.- taking risks - thinking that it’s good to try something new even though you

might not be able to do it; preferring but not needing to be successful all the time- Being independent - thinking that it’s important to try new activities and to

speak up even if your classmates think you’re silly or stupid; preferring but not needing other’s approval

- I can do it - thinking that you have the talent and ability to be successful.

Persistence means trying hard and not giving up when schoolwork feels like it’s too difficult or boring.Positive Habits of the Mind that help develop Persistence include:- I can do it - thinking that you can do things that are hard.- Giving effort - thinking that the harder you try, the more successful you will be.- Working tough - thinking that in order to be successful in the future, you

sometimes have to do things that are not easy or fun in the present.

organisation means setting a goal to do your best in your school work, planning your time so that you are not rushed, having all your supplies ready, and keeping track of assignment due dates.Positive Habits of the Mind that help develop Organisation include:- setting goals - thinking that setting a goal can help you to be more

successful at a task.- Planning my time - thinking about how long it will take you to do your

schoolwork and planning enough time to get it done.

Getting Along means working well with teachers and classmates, solving problems without getting too angry, following the rules of the classroom and making positive contributions to school, home and the community including protecting the rights of others and looking after the environment.

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Positive Habits of the Mind that help develop Getting Along include:- Being tolerant of others - accepting that everyone

acts unfairly towards others some of the time, and not making overall judgments of a person’s character (‘good person’, ‘bad person’) based on their differences or behaviour.

- thinking first - when someone treats you badly, you need to think about different ways you can react, the consequences of each, and the impact of your actions on the other person’s feelings.

- Playing by the rules - thinking that by following important school and home rules, you will live in a better world where everyone’s rights are protected.

- social responsibility - thinking that it is important to take care of yourself and others, to do your best, to give everyone a fair go, to protect everyone’s rights to be free, to be honest, to do what you say you are going to do, to treat others with respect, to act responsibly and to understand, include and be tolerant of others.


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resilience means when faced with difficult and challenging situations and people, being able to: (a) stop getting extremely angry, down, or worried, (b) control your behaviour when very upset (not fighting, not running away), (c) calm down within a reasonable period of time, and (d) bounce back to work and play.Rational ways of thinking that develop Resilience include:- It’s not the end of the world - thinking it’s not the worst thing that

could happen to you.- I can stand It – thinking while you don’t like it, you can stand it.- Accepting myself – not thinking badly about yourself when you

make a mistake- taking risks - thinking that it’s good to try something new even though

you might not be able to do it; preferring but not needing to be successful all the time.

- Being independent - thinking that it’s important to try new activities and to speak up even if you classmates think you’re silly or stupid; preferring not needing approval.

- I can do it - thinking that you’re more likely to be successful than to fail.- Working tough - thinking that in order to be successful in the future, you

sometimes have to do things that are not easy or fun in the present.- Being tolerant of others - accepting that everyone acts unfairly towards

others some of the time, and not making overall judgments of a person’s character (‘good person’, ‘bad person’) based on their differences or behaviour.

Coping skills that develop a young person’s resilience:• Findingsomethingfuntodo• Solvingtheproblem• Findingsomeonetotalkto• Changingnegativetopositiveself-talk• Relaxing• Exercising

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REfERENCESBandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.

Bernard, M.E. (2004a). Emotional resilience in children: Implications for Rational Emotive Education. Romanian Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 4, 39-52.

Bernard, M.E. (2004b). The You Can Do It! early childhood education program: Developing social-emotional-motivational competencies (4-6 Year Olds). Oakleigh, Vic: Australian Scholarships Group.

Bernard, M.E. (2006a). Providing all children with the foundations for achievement, well-being and positive relationships, 3rd Ed. Oakleigh, Vic: Australian Scholarships Group.

Bernard, M.E. (2006b). It’s time we teach social-emotional competence as well as we teach academic competence. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 22,103-119.

Bernard, M.E. (2006c). Program Achieve. A social and emotional learning curriculum, 3rd Edition. Oakleigh, Vic: Australian Scholarships Group, pp. 1,200.

Bernard, M.E. (2008a). The social and emotional well-being of Australian children and adolescents: The discovery of ‘levels’. Proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, 43, 41-45.

Bernard, M.E. (2008b). The effect of You Can Do It! Education on the emotional resilience of primary school students with social, emotional, behavioural and achievement challenges. Proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, 43, 36-40.

Bernard, M.E., & Cronan, F. (1999). The child and adolescent scale of irrationality: Validation data and mental health correlates. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 13, 121-132.

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Elias, M. J., Zins, J. E., Graczyk, P.A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2003). Implementation, sustainability and scaling up of social-emotional and academic innovations in public schools. School Psychology Review, 32(3), 303–319.

Ellis, A., & Bernard, M.E. (Eds.). (2006). Rational emotive behavioural approaches to Childhood disorders. New York: Springer.

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