What does it mean to Self-Direct?
Self-Direction is the ability and learned skill to cast a vision of future goals and then take intentional steps toward who, where, and what we want to be. Instead of focusing on things to control or avoid, we emphasize our responsibility to make positive choices related to our emotions, attitudes, and actions.
Why focus on Self-direction?
- Self-direction strengthens relationships. Self-direction helps to grow social skills and develop meaningful, positive relationships with others.
- Self-direction teaches personal responsibility. Learning to self-direct teaches students to take responsibility for their own actions.
- Self-direction helps us to regulate emotions: Self-direction empowers students to regulate their impulses and emotional responses to situations and circumstances in their life.
Self-Direction in Action:
- Practice goal setting and action planning. When we establish goals and develop action plans, we learn to take intentional steps to successfully achieve goals.
- Monitor and adjust. Provide students with regular feedback and opportunities to self-assess progress toward goals to make adjustments and improvements in their behaviors.
- Reflect and evaluate. Facilitate discussions and reflection to prompt students to examine what they do, think, and say against their goals and vision for their life and learning.
From Mrs. Katie: Navigating Social Challenges Leads to Increase Confidence
As parents, we want to make our children’s lives as easy as possible and see that they are happy. However, when we often solve social problems for our children, kids can’t develop the confidence and resilience they need to thrive. Swooping in and saving your child from every social challenge won’t help in the long run. Your elementary schooler is more likely to establish healthy friendships and feel more confident when prepared with social skills. These skills won’t just help your child navigate the playground successfully, they will make your child feel more confident in the classroom too.
The following are some ideas to help strengthen your child’s social skills.
Empower your child to take action. Listen closely when your child comes to your with a problem. Say, “That sounds frustrating. What did you do next?” Then, give your child a chance to think of a solution. Sometimes, all kids need is someone to listen to them and help them see that they already have tools that can help them solve their problem.
Model resilience. Talk about your own social struggles and how you faced them. When children hear stories about how family members overcame obstacles, they become more resilient in the face of challenges.
Teach your child to be assertive. Show your child how to speak up. Role play and model the correct tone of voice and body language to use in social situations. Practice ways to solve conflicts at home so they will feel more confident when executing on their own.
Every Wednesday, Dix Street Elementary will have a delayed start, with the school day beginning at 9:50 a.m. During this time, our dedicated staff will be focusing on planning interventions, engaging in Professional Development, and collaborating to enhance our students' learning experience.
Please note: There will be no delayed start on scheduled half-days.
