Guidance Lessons
Guidance Lesson Topics
Respect and Responsibility
In our lesson on Respect we will discuss many ways to show respect, as well as earn respect. Some of these include; treating other the way we want to be treated, being considerate, accepting personal differences, working out problems with others, and not intentionally embarrassing, or harming others.
When we discuss Responsibility we will cover things such as study tips, following directions (both at school and at home) and taking responsibility for our actions. Also we will discuss creating a positive reputation for ourselves by following through on what we say we will do, and performing to the best of our abilities. I love to see children take pride in their own actions.
Honesty/Trustworthiness
Our lesson on Honesty will include the topics of; not lying, cheating or stealing. We will learn to realize that once trust is lost, it is difficult to earn back. Additionally we will talk about intentionally misleading others. Honesty is a wonderful character trait that everyone can have.
Gratitude
We will cover this lesson sometime around the Thanksgiving holidays. I love to discuss gratitude with my students. It is important that we are thankful for what we have, the people in our lives, and what our parents/guardians do for us. There are ways to show this appreciation such as saying "Thank you", writing a note, or giving someone a hug. We will also talk about returning favors to those who help us out when we need it.
Kindness
We can never have too much kindness in our world. With this lesson we will incorporate kindness chains throughout the school. These are pieces of paper linked together to form a chain. Each time someone is caught being kind, or wants to write down a kind act they performed, they will write it down and make a new link for the chain. Our goal will be to make chains that go all the way down each hallway to show just how kind our students are. We will include a topic of Random Acts of Kindness with this lesson and talk about ways to be kind and considerate to others.
Goals
Everyone has goals and needs goals. That is how we get better at anything we do. When a child has a goal, it motivates them to do well and improve in something in their life. Goals may be in school, sports, careers, or any hobby. In this lesson we will discuss long and short term goals, but also what steps we need to take to reach those goals. Writing a goal down doesn't make it happen. It requires work and effort. I will also discuss careers with older grades, and bring in people such as a Veterinarian, Dental Hygienist, Nurse, Banker, Police Officer, and other professions. This allows students to hear and ask questions about what each job entails. It opens their minds to career options they may have never realized they were interested in.
Self Image and Feelings/Emotions
All emotions are normal- we are humans. I teach my students it is okay to feel any emotion from excited to sad, from angry to worried, and from happy to frustrated. It is how we react when we have these feelings that is important. I also teach my students it is okay to cry. There are times that is exactly what they need to work through a difficult time. During this lesson we learn about many feelings, and that they are all acceptable. We learn appropriate ways to act when we are angry, sad, worried or frustrated. We also talk about self image. I want children to have positive self esteem, and work toward helping them feel pride. When a student feels like they are perfect the way they are, they are much more successful. Each child is unique in his or her own way.