Making Decisions

Summary

Students will learn the skills needed to make decisions- in situations throughout the school day.

Students will learn the following steps
• identify the problem
• gather information
• identify alternatives
• predict the immediate and long-term consequences
• make the best choice
• act
• evaluate results.

Students will practice these steps in within their classroom setting and then be prompted as they learn to incorporate them throughout their regular school day

Materials

These lesson plans are based upon the 'Tough Kids Series' Many of the skills found here are taught in the 'Tough Kid Book' and the 'Tough Kid Social Skills Book' I strongly suggest obtaining these books for more complete details and information. I posted the documents that I self created but not those that are copy righted and come with the book. I have made note throughout my lesson plan as to when such documents exist.

Background for Teachers

These lesson plans were created with students who have emotional or behavioral disorders as the target audience. However you will see that they are taught within the regular education setting. Often these skills are best obtained when everyone learns and uses them rather than a select handful of students. I think you will find that these lesson are not only helpful to those students with emotional and behavioral disorders but to all students within your classroom as they strengthen skills that are needed in day to day life.

Instructional Procedures

Decision Making Process Step By Step

Lesson 1 Teach the steps of Decision Making:

• Identify Problems During School Day
• Identify Alternatives
• predict the immediate and long term consequences of thier alternative choices.
• Make the best choice and act
• Evalutate results

Use Document in Materials called Steps of the Decision Making Process for more details. This Document is in Word or PDF format

Lesson 2 - Reviewing Steps and more practice
• Review the steps of Decision Making and present more 'real life' situations in which students often have to make decisions under stressfull conditions.

Use Document in Materials called MORE Situations for Decision Making. This Document is in Word or PDF format

Lesson 3 - Role play
• Divide students in to small groups and have create a role play for a prescripted situation in which a decision needs to be made.

Use Document in Materials called ROle Plays For The Decision Making Process for more details. This Document is in Word or PDF format.

Lesson 4 -Optional
• If needed spend a second day doing role plays

Lesson 5 - Check Up Time
• Lesson 5 should be taught 1 to 2 weeks after lesson 4 allowing the students to have had time where they would have had to use thier decision making skills within thier regular school day.
• This lesson is a lot less structured than the other lessons as it is an open descusion format.
• On you part you will have needed to have been making note of times where you saw students using thier decision makings skills. Be sure to find times of both postive and negative examples.
• Ask students if anyone would like to share a time where they successfully used the Decision making process to help them get through a situation within thier day.
  Allow students to share situations for as long as you feel is acceptable. If no students volunteer then use the notes you have taken across the last few weeks to start the conversation going.
  
• Now ask student to reflect back on the last few weeks and share a time where they did not properly use thier decision making skills or a time where they did not get a postive result because they did not choose the best option.
  If you use notes at this time be sure to keep things as vauge as possible about who the student is to avoid embaressment.
  I often look for my poor example from students who are not in the class that I have seen in the hallways.



Rubrics

• Decision Making Process Skills