social skills Archives - Check in with Mrs G

Do you know how to take Data on Community Based Instruction?

Collect data on your classroom community based instruction activities using an outing specific community based instruction rubric. When you know your students, you know whether or not they are progressing. You watch, listen, and just have an overall sense of where they are at with their goals. But, giving your “general feeling” about how they are doing simply (and unfortunately) does not cut it at IEP meetings.

Capturing a general feeling or an “overall disposition when in the community” and making it measurable is difficult. You need a rubric. Yes, I said the dreaded word. I know, it is tedious, but it is necessary and once you make yours, you can reuse it time and again.

A Community Based Instruction Rubric will:

Make your observations measurable
Highlight success and areas of opportunity
Allow you to pre-teach expectations
Involve students in their own learning.

Before our Community Outing:

I created community based instruction curriculum for the places we visit most often on our community outings. Each item aims to teach five skills necessary to be successful in a specific outing location. For my group this includes: restaurants, libraries, public transportation, stores, workplaces, and community centers. I try to pre-teach as many community based instruction ideas as possible before we ever leave the school with community based instruction curriculum. I use YouTube videos, workbooks and writing journals that help students understand what community based instruction is and how they can be successful during trips! (You can read more about how I use workbooks to teach life skills here!)

I like to show my students the rubric ahead of time so that they think about their goals and ask questions about my expectations. Also, I give students a brainstorming form that helps them create a personal and specific goal around the outing.

My students share their goals during our social group. This allows students to hold each other accountable during the outing. In general, it keeps us more on track as a group. The students take our outings more seriously when we take the time to set our intentions.

Rubrics for Data Collection

During the outing, I bring a clip board with a community based instruction rubric for each student. I float between students and watch them intently in each category listed. I assign a preliminary score and complete one rubric for each student.

Then, immediately following our outing, I pass out the student self reflection rubrics. Each student completes the rubric assigning a score to their own behavior on the outing. Meanwhile, I complete my teacher assessment rubric. I fill in details and make any adjustments or notes required.

How I use Data from my CBI Rubrics

I keep my teacher assessment rubric and the student self reflection rubric in my student’s data files. Students track their growth from month to month and participate in goal setting conversations. I use the data to progress monitor community based IEP goals, independent living goals and life skills goals. Also, I compare the student’s rubric to my own. This allows me to see areas of misunderstanding and address them in upcoming social lessons or community based instruction curriculum.

what is community based instruction rubric

free-community-based-instruction-lesson-plans

Community Based Instruction Data Collection Rubrics

FREE Community Based Instruction Rubrics

FREE community based instruction lesson plans: Restaurant Outings, Vocational Problem Solving, Recreation and Leisure, Job Interactive Notebook

Where does your class go on your community outings? How do you collect data for CBI? Share your community based instruction trip ideas with me on instagram @checkinwithmrs_g

by admin

Books for Read Aloud in the Elementary Classroom

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I love a good picture book. Books for read aloud are my absolute favorite ways to teach social skills for kids, spend 10 minutes before the bell, or celebrate a holiday with my class. I use them with every special education group, in my sub plans, and with my general education classes. No matter the student’s age, if you do it right, stories that are read aloud can be pure classroom magic.

I hate to be so “elementary teacher basic” but picture books are up there with beautiful post its, colorful flair pens and fancy planners… right? So, if you are just starting out. I wanted to offer you a short list of my favorite books to read aloud to my littles and a tiny bit about how I use them.

I choose stories for read aloud that are high interest and beautifully illustrated. They teach quick but valuable lessons and you can build them into other skills you are already teaching.

They are linked below but Pro Tip: I have found that in a pinch you can search “read aloud books Youtube” to find almost all of them being read aloud for you. For free. Sometimes having someone else read them on screen is a nice change of pace for restless students. Also, this probably goes without saying but… watch them first, all the way through, just in case. Ok? Great!

Here are my Top 10 Books for Read Aloud

No David read aloud: Use to start conversations about expected classroom behavior or about what it feels like when you make the wrong choice.
Enemy pie read aloud: I use this book at times of conflict among my students. It has a great lesson about friendship.
Green Eggs and Ham read aloud: I love to use this classic read aloud during lessons on CVC and rhyming words.
The Day the Crayons Quit: I LOVE this book. Use it to teach social norms and perspective. Warning, you may lose some students when the peach crayon is out of his wrapper and is “naked.” I once lost an entire group of middle school boys to laughter during this scene! But, it is completely worth it. The follow up, “The Day the Crayons came home” is also amazing. I could teach on each of these for a month.
Pete the cat read aloud: Any, and I mean any Pete the Cat books will do for teaching a positive mind set and appropriate reactions. But, Pete the Cat I Love my White Shoes is a class favorite every time.
Three little pigs read aloud: Compare and contrast the original Three Little Pigs read aloud with The True Story of the Three Little Pigs read aloud which is told from the wolfs point of view. I use this to teach perspective.
The Rainbow Fish read aloud: Use with lessons on making friends.
The Lorax read aloud: I teach with this book on Earth Day. It is also helpful that many of my students have seen the movie and have some background knowledge going into the conversation.
Very hungry Caterpillar read aloud: Another classic read aloud, I use this book when talking about healthy eating. There are SO many extension activities already in existence so it is nice that you can build on its big ideas with little prep.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom read aloud: Basic letter recognition and introduction to rhyming words.

Organize & Store your Books by Skill

I like to store my books by the skill that they teach (in bright containers like these). This way I can access them as they relate to my curriculum. For example, I co-teach some general education classes and love to read aloud books on special needs in order to support inclusion and foster understanding. For my social skills group I have a collection that focuses on anger. I encourage you to build your read aloud collection slowly and always have a wish list of read aloud books handy!

Read Aloud Resource

I created a read aloud companion. I print it in the beginning of the school year and use it off and on throughout the year. This is a journal that provides engaging extension activities that will work with any picture book with no prep. You can learn more about it here! It helps me turn my books into half hour lessons.

by admin

Social Skills Group in 5 Steps

One of my greatest joys in working in special education is the time I get to spend teaching social skills. Helping students learn to be successful in the varied relationships throughout their lives, understand their emotions, and work with people in their communities will change the trajectory of their lives in a way not many things can. This is one of the reasons I love being a Special Education Teacher. My goal is always to impact my students in their lives beyond the walls of my classroom.

Social Skills Group, Where to Start?

Setting up your special education classroom is challenging, but tackling a task as broad as how to develop social skills can be intimidating. The specific skills being taught will vary wildly depending on the needs of the students in front of you. In the past I have worked with students who needed to understand functional life skills. So, our group focused on morning routines, brushing teeth, school bathroom rules, and what to expect in an emergency. My teen social skills group focused exclusively on pre-vocational skills and community based instruction. We studied how to improve social skills in the workplace through problem solving, learned about the process of interviewing, and participated in community based instruction.

You cannot simply throw worksheets on social skills in front of a group of students and expect them improve. Each group is unique in their ever changing needs, abilities, and specific IEP goals. However, there are a few things that will set you up for success no matter what your students need to learn. Here are 5 steps for creating an outstanding social skills group!

Step One: Establish Goals for your Social Skills Group

Like any good lesson, I plan my social skills groups with the end goal in mind. To start, you need to identify the social skills needs of each individual within the group. Good news! You do not have to do this part alone. Truth be told, you shouldn’t!

Gather Input

Get input from general education teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, counselors, and best of all the students themselves. But, do it carefully. Sometimes, asking this question to a frustrated adult can sound like an invitation to vent about a student. Don’t put yourself through that!

Instead ask, “What is the one social skill this student could develop that would make the biggest impact on their day to day life?” This question leads to an honest discussion that is focused on helping the student grow. Collect input from all the parties and make a social skills list for each student.

Once you have identified the lack of social skills training in all students in the group, look for commonalities. Are there social skills on the lists that can be grouped together into a single topic? Do most of your students need support in managing behavior? Are they learning daily living skills? Do they need to develop friendships? Are they transitioning into independent living? Do they have an understanding of functional life skills? Are they elementary students who are heading into middle school? What are your student’s facing now and what will they face next? This brainstorming activity will leave you with a list of social skills. Then, you can turn your list of social skills into smart goals.

Write SMART Social Goals

Writing social skills goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) will give you the backbone for your group sessions. Will you likely deviate from your goals based on the needs of the group? Of course! But, that is because you are a good teacher who reviews data in real time and uses it to inform instruction. Even in social skills group! More on the data later. These goals will be your guide as you plan your lessons.

Step 2: Set Up for Success

Create an environment that is safe and calming. For my students with limited social skills the physical space and routines are key. Use fidgets, and offer a snack as often as you can. There is something magical about a snack, especially for older students who are not used to it. Scaffold assignments so students do not easily become frustrated by work that is either too difficult or too simple for their ability.

Set up your group norms and expectations. The success of your group will depend largely on whether or not your students are willing to be vulnerable in front of their peers, privacy and trust are key.

Until your students reach the place of total honesty, tackle high interest topics that are low risk. I once started a social group by showing a YouTube video of a dance on my phone and asking my students to take two minutes and explain to me why it was so popular. They loved it! The buy in to our group time was immediate. I was making them the experts and setting the bar for being open about something I did not understand.

Develop a Common Language for Social Skills

From the first day, develop a common language for your group. Find big, high academic social skills terms and model how to use them. I start all of my groups by creating a dictionary for the group. I include words like “advocate” and “emotions”. Once we unpack them as a group, I use them as often as possible. After all, my hope is to increase pro social skills in more than just my classroom.

Use the first ten minutes of group to do a quick check in with your students. This will help you determine where students are at when they walk through the door. It can be a fast verbal “bummer or brag” or a formal check in check out journal. Almost any open ended question will do. This an opportunity for them to air any concerns prior to engaging with the group.

Plan your Incentives

There are two more things you will need in place before your start your social group. First, you will need an incentive. Having a reward system in place for your students will help modify behaviors especially in the beginning stages of the group when the relationships and trust have not yet been developed. One option is to set up individual rewards tied to positive social skills. Another option that I have found success with is creating a group incentive that all members can work towards together.

The final thing you will need to be successful is a permanent place that group members can reach you with anonymous questions or concerns. This can be a mailbox, inbox, or designated drawer in your desk. Anywhere will work as long as students understand that it is safe to leave a private note.

Step 3: Curate your Social Skills Curriculum

Based on your goals for your social skills group your curriculum will be wildly varied. Lesson plans can include almost anything depending on which students are in front of you. Here are seven of my best tools!

Check In Check Out System: provide an opportunity for relationship building and self reflection. Include as many adults within the building as possible to make a greater impact!
Books: Find picture books and chapter books to read aloud regardless of the age of students. Books read aloud are opportunities to build empathy in a low risk way. It is amazing how many books you can find for specific topics in Special Education!
Board Games: Games offer huge opportunities to teach a slew of skills. For example, a game of Sorry played with a “taking turns social skills” focus.
Work with Younger Students: Create opportunities for students to mentor younger students.
Community Based Instruction: This instruction can happen within your classroom community and can prepare students to live successfully within their communities as adults. Job related tasks and tasks that serve the school community are wonderful places to start.
Social Problem Solving Scenarios: Use quick verbal problem solving scenarios to prepare students for what they may encounter outside of your classroom.
Social Skills Videos: Have your students make their own videos modeling social skills and use them across groups. Do you have a student that has mastered social stories about personal space? Have him create a video and share it with your groups!
Give Back: Find a way for your group to give back to the school community. Help your students find the joy in kindness. You may even build (or help repair) some relationships!

Step 4: Gather Data

Whether or not your students have IEP goals for social skills, collecting data is a must. This will allow you to discover what is working and find out where the gaps still remain. Also, it teaches students to reflect on and take ownership of their own behavior. I gather social skills data about my students in three ways.

Observation: Sending in para-educators, counselors, or other team members with a very narrow focus for just ten minutes will give you an incredibly quantifiable picture of where your student is performing.
Think Sheets or Communication Journals: When an incident happens teach students to record the details using a Think Sheet or Communication Journal. Use these documents to look for trends on when the student needed additional supports.
Meet with the Student: Allow the student to evaluate his own goals using a rubric and make adjustments accordingly. Transferring the ownership of learning to the student will be more meaningful.

Step 5: Be Sneaky

What if you dont get the luxury of a full 20 minute social group? Sneak it in.

Find ways to infuse relationship building into every single day. I use a center model with my reading groups and have bombarded my reading comprehension lessons with vocational lessons on professional social skills. I use a check in journal as morning work and a check out rating system as an exit ticket. Build emotional vocabulary into your room decor with social skills posters. Model the verbalization of emotions with sentence stems and anchor charts. Read stories aloud in the few minutes before lunch. Ask questions about conflict resolution and turn any book into a social skills book. Practice following directions in a game.

Take every opportunity to let students problem solve in teams, work together to accomplish a task and spread kindness. Learn how to use social stories in the classroom. Let your students earn time to complete fun social skills activities.

Personal social skills will be a significant factor in the happiness of the lives of our students! If you find a way to sneak lessons into your classroom I would love to hear about it. Let’s connect on Instagram or Facebook!

by admin

5 Must Haves for Running a Social Skills Group

Participating in social skills group should be as engaging and fun as possible. My first groups were awful. Then, they became so fun that we were not covering much content. I have a come a long way towards making them interesting and valuable. Here are five things I will never be without when running my groups.

5 Must Haves for Running a Social Skills Group:

Cranium Brain Break: I love this game! It has enough individual brain breaks for the entire school year, it is highly engaging and contained in a package small enough to live on the corner of your teacher desk.
Felt Board & Scraps: In the beginning of the year, I have each student create their own character out of felt. We use these characters all year long to role play scenarios and build perspective taking skills. It is especially helpful when a conflict occurs within the group!
Puppets: At least one. His name is Mike… Between me and you, Mike is kind of a jerk. He has unexpected behaviors. When he shows up he models bad behavior and gives the students a chance to teach him what is expected. In my experience, if you commit to it, bringing Mike to group works (even with 5th graders)!
Picture Charades: A good opportunity to teach perspective taking and get students out of their comfort zones. Specifically choosing a charades game that requires no reading levels the playing field for your students who maybe reluctant to engage due to their limited reading skills.
Mailbox: Yes, you read that right! A mailbox. Encourage students to write letters and notes to you and your paraeducators. They can leave anonymous questions or tell you something important that they may not want to say aloud. My mailbox guarantees my students the chance to connect one on one with me anytime. It gives me the chance to take the temperature of the group and assess the needs of individual students. I write letters back to individual students and address some as a group. My mailbox is a cornerstone of my classroom.

Teaching a Social Skills Group is the Best

Read more about how I run my social skills groups, help students have fun with following directions, and build relationships with my students!

by admin

Establish a Language for your Social Skills Group

I have taught many, many social skills groups at ALL the levels. Starting with adults at a non-profit in my pre-teaching days, and continuing through to my current elementary students. Some would say it is my thing. I simply cannot resist a good social skills lesson.

High School Social Skills

My favorite social skills groups are the high school students. They are past the, “why do I need to learn this” phase of elementary school. They are beyond the “I am too cool to learn this” phase of middle school (shutter). By high school, students onto the “can we talk about real things” phase.

For high school Social Skills groups you need three things:

1. Trust: The students have to know that they are free to ask and tell without consequence or judgement. If this one isn’t there, just send them home. Nothing productive can happen.

2. Structure: This can be as loose or as rigid as the group needs but a structure of some kind has to exist. Students need to know how and when they will have a chance to participate.

3. Behavior Expectations: Will your group call out? Raise their hands? Can they ask anything at anytime or do they need to stick to the topic?

If you can nail down these three things up front, your group will be much more successful. Take as much time as you need to establish each one. It is worth it!

Social Skills Lesson Resources

In order to make progress with my groups, I discovered we needed one more piece to the puzzle. We needed a common language. A social skills dictionary with vocabulary that told us who we were, why we were meeting, and where we were trying to go. Words like advocate, conflict, emotion, participate and role model became the cornerstones of our conversations.

During those early, pre-classroom teacher years, with a group of high school kiddos, I scratched out a list of the words that we needed to define upfront. Originally on post-its and eventually in a doc. That list has evolved over the years into this Social Skills Dictionary. You can try a free sample of it by clicking here! The dictionary scaffolds students understanding of each of these words by providing context. Students are not only asked to define the word, use it in a sentence, illustrate it, and identify its part of speech, but also to use the dialog provided to act it out. Understanding and using these words will be a powerful tool for students who need to advocate for their own needs long after they leave my social skills group.

The journal is meant to take 30 days to complete on average. Although, with some groups I have had, it was longer. On the good days, the vocabulary turned into meaningful conversations and connections were made.

I hope you will find these tools helpful as you support your students in becoming adults (you can read about my Check In Check Out tools here!). If you find yourself scratching out your own list of words I would love if you shared them with me!