This morning, I finished the last of the fifth grade lessons for April. Each lesson included how to have self-control and problem solve. This information was adapted from the Skillstreaming curriculum, and each skill was broken down into small steps.
The end each lesson, I had students complete a Google Form which asked what their two biggest worries were concerning middle school. 43% of students answered that lockers were one of their biggest worries. 40% felt homework was a big worry, and schedules accounted for 38% of students’ worries. Other responses, such as friends and bullies didn’t have the same high percentages.
I am using this information to decide what to discuss in our May lessons. Since lockers was a big concern, we will practice opening a combination lock, and keeping a locker organized.
The May lesson will also include information about how to organize our homework and time, so that students are able to feel they can successfully complete homework. I will also include information about how students can get additional help with homework if needed.
To address schedules, I have asked the Park counselor for an example of a student schedule so we can look at and discuss how to read the schedule. We will also talk about schedule-related concerns such as finding the classes and getting there on time.
While those are the overall numbers for fifth graders, I also broke the data into smaller sets based upon homeroom teachers. Due to some classrooms having more students concerned with friendships and/or bullies, I will also include some tips in those classrooms.