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Boys Town Skill of the Week

Working With Others

Boys Town Skillof the WeekWorking With Others

Working With Others

Students sometimes have difficulty working with others, especially when assigned to work with someone outside their group of friends or with someone they do not know very well. It is important for students to develop skills so that they can work with everyone. This week's skill focuses on working as a team so students can successfully complete projects or assignments and more importantly, gives them the skills they will need to work successfully with others they encounter in life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZqFYtWCWXg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JvTJchlk48&list=PLMvKTqreBuE9XqTEm894kiImlFLjCQExv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3YyTzQ-4GA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-8u3o6z5E

Planned Teaching

Introduce the Skill


  • Discuss what it means to be part of a team or group and what the attributes are of a good group or team member

Describe the Appropriate Behavior



  1. Identify the task to be completed
  2. Assign tasks to each person
  3. Discuss ideas in a calm, quiet voice and let everyone share his/her ideas
  4. Work on tasks until completed

Give a Reason



  • You will get your work done in time
  • Others will want to work with you on projects or assignments
  • You might help someone learn something new

Practice with team building activities



  • Cup stacking, cup stacking with rubber band tool, cup stacking puzzles'
  • Minute to Win It partner games
  • Board games promote good sportsmanship
  • STEM Challenges
  • See other team challenges below

Feedback



  • Be sure to frontload students with the expectations of working with others each time before they do group work
  • Praise specific steps followed and give feedback on areas of improvement. Let students know you will be watching in order to "catch them" using the skill
  • Continue to praise and re-teach as needed
Kagan Cooperative Learning
Kagan cooperative learning strategies

Other Ideas

  • As a class, come up with a team name for your classroom
  • Create team handshakes, songs, chants, cheers
  • Integrate team builders into Morning Meeting
  • End of the day/week meetings to wrap up - students offer praise and compliments for things that happened successfully - celebrate each other - discuss how to make difficult or unsuccessful things better next time
  • Partner with older/younger grades to model and practice social skills & procedures

Read Alouds for getting along and working together

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Spaghetti In a Hot Dog Bun

Shows how to do the right thing, even in challenging situations.
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Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

Molly gets picked on, but she knows how to respond.
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Recess Queen

Mean Jean learns to be kind.
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Hooway for Wodney Wat

Helps students see that even though we are different, we can still be friends.
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Rude Cakes

Even the rudest of cakes can learn to change their ways.
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Stick and Stone

Power of friends sticking together.
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Crayon Box That Talked

When we all work together, things are more colorful and interesting.
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Invisible Boy

About a boy nobody seems to notice until.....
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Most Magnificent Thing

Persevering when we are frustrated and stuck.
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Enemy Pie

The difficulties and rewards of making new friends.
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Crabby Pants

When things don't go his way, he becomes very difficult. Until he finds a better way.
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Do Unto Otters

Importance of following the Golden Rule.
Pixar short film "Piper"
Pixar's brand new short film "Piper" is about overcoming fears to be your best self and also shows how friends can help each other do that.