Self-control doesn’t just apply to sweet treats and delicious goodies! Through the use of “Advice Bubbles,” students at Achieve Charter Academy were able to practice self-control during the month of December by giving advice to each other.
The challenge varied based on grade level. Third-grade students gave advice on how they can calmly handle frustration or disappointment, fourth-grade students gave advice on how they can put responsibility first, even when tempted not to, and fifth-grade students gave advice on how they can control emotional reactions when they get upset.
Staff provided them with real-life examples of situations that they have encountered at school to help them brainstorm what they can do in those moments to show self-control.
“It is important to teach students self-control, so they can learn to respond appropriately in all situations and stay focused on their academics,” said Tiffany Kopsi, third- through fifth-grade dean at Achieve. “Self-control doesn't always come naturally to students and it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. Having self-control is an important life skill that will help students become successful citizens.”
Individual classrooms completed their own self-control activities either using the Moral Focus curriculum or teacher-created activities. “We focused one week on how they can show self-control at recess and during lunchtime. Another week we focused on how students can show self-control when they are upset and frustrated,” said Kopsi.
For the wing-wide activity, students were challenged to give advice to their classmates on how to use self-control on specific situations which aligned to their monthly focus provided through the Moral Focus curriculum.
Great work, Achieve!
About Achieve Charter Academy
Achieve Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Canton, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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