Cool Tool
I am Responsible in Specials and My Classroom.
I solve problems peacefully.
 Purpose of the Lesson: explain to students that today the class will be
working on being responsible in the classroom, and specifically you will be
working on solving problems peacefully. Ask students why it is important for
us to solve our problems peacefully in class and at specials, and give a chance
for student response.
 Teaching Examples: Share this story with your students: I have a friend
who is a teacher and in her class they are having a hard time sharing
classroom materials. Often when one student in her class had something like
a set of markers another student would want it and they would get into an
argument over it. Sometimes the students would get so upset that they would
start to yell or even push or shove each other.
Next ask your classroom if they can come up with ways that students in that
classroom, and your own, could solve their problems peacefully (e.g. play
rock paper scissors, ask an adult for help, find a new space in the room, etc.).
List these on the board.
 Student Activities/Role Plays: Once you have generated a list of ways
students can solve problems peacefully, have students split into pairs or small
groups. Have these pairs then choose one of the ways to solve problems and
act it out for the class.

Follow-Up Reinforcement Activity Ideas: give Falkon Feathers to
those solving problems peacefully, leave the list on the board and any time
you see students using one of the strategies put a check mark next to it so they
can see, have students re-perform the strategies at the end of the week, verbal
praise, etc.
Variations:
*After creating a list of strategies to solve problems peacefully, have students
choose one and write a story about the conflict and how it is solved as a writing
activity.
*Have students choose the strategy from the list that they like the best and can use
and then have them write it down, decorate it, and tape it to the inside of their
desk as a reminder.
*Read the book “Little Bill: The Meanest Thing to Say” as suggest by Amy
Covey and Andreal Davis. This book discusses students “playing the dozens” or
“yo mamma.”
Cool Tool
I am Responsible in Specials and My Classroom.
I put materials away and I do my work.
 Purpose of the Lesson: explain to students that today the class will be
working on being responsible in the classroom, and specifically you will be
working on doing your work and putting your materials away. Ask students
why it is important for us to do our work and then put our materials away, and
give a chance for student response.
 Teaching Examples: Read the book “Manners at School” or talk about
having good manners at school. Explain that one way we have good manners
is by doing our work and putting our materials away when we are done. Ask
students what it looks like when we do our work and then put our materials
away(e.g. I am where the teacher asked me to be, my body is quiet, I am
putting the markers away as soon as I am done, etc.).
 Student Activities/Role Plays: Time your class going from the hallway
to their desks and getting to work. And then time them again putting away all
their materials. Tell the class you want to see if you can break this time and
that you are going to try everyday. Post the two times on the board and then
each day give the students a chance to break these times.

Follow-Up Reinforcement Activities: Give Falkon feathers, verbal
praise, every so often after that week ask students if they remember when the
class had timed itself and time the class again to see if they’ve gotten slower
or faster, etc.
Variations:
* Give students an outline of a person and then ask them to write next to their
body parts what each part is doing when they are doing their work (e.g. my legs
are sitting still, my hand is writing, my head is concentrating, etc.).
* Make a list of materials with your class that you use and where they go.