Positive Attitude Toward Self and School

Description of the Lesson(s) or Program

Positive Attitude Toward Self and School (PATSS) is a series of classroom guidance lessons developed at Waseca Junior High School by Pam Kimball, Deb Hoelmer, Gary Meurer, Irene Mulcahey, Lonnie Buschow, and Jim Helms to assist middle school and junior high school students (grades 5-8) in fostering a sense of community by developing self-esteem, respect for ourselves and others and a sense of identity within each individual.  The yearlong program is a collection of lessons developed and adapted by the different educators within the school system.  Each lesson is designed to be delivered within a 45-minute period.  This lesson was actually taught over the period of three days, and is adapted from Group Learning module in Keys to Motivation.

A typical lesson follows.

Consensus Decision Making

Guidelines for Students Using the Consensus Process

• Understand that reaching consensus is a process using ALL information and good ideas in a group; it can also be a considerable challenge.
• Present your point of view logically and listen to others’ reactions and points of view
• Keep in mind all points of view may possibly be useful
• Differences of opinion are natural and expected, and sometimes help the group find a better solution
• Change your mind only if you are given information that makes you rethink your position
• Encourage everyone in the group to speak, and make sure everyone agrees with the final decision
• Follow social guidelines during the consensus-reaching process

Encourage POSitive ACTions

(The rules for establishing social guidelines)

P          -            positive phrasing keeps guidelines clear

O         -            observable behaviors: students need to know what the required behavior looks like and sounds like

S          -            short list of expectations is more manageable than a long list

A         -            add guidelines as needed

C         -            consensus on final list means we all can live with the rules

T          -            treat others as you would like to be treated

NASA PROBLEM SOLVING

Day 1

1.                  Discuss “Consensus Decision Making” and “POS-ACT”

2.                  Give each student a copy of the Individual NASA” worksheet and allow 10 minutes to complete the exercise.

Day 2

3.                  Form groups of 5 to 6 students and select one to be the group recorder.  (The recorder participates in the exercise.)

4.                  Give each group one group worksheet with the following instructions:

A.    Students are not to change any answers on their individual sheets as a result of the group discussions.

B.     The recorder is to record group consensus on this sheet.

C.    Groups will have 15 minutes to complete the “Group NASA” worksheet.

Day 3

5.                  Teacher share NASA rationale for survival items

6.                  Have students discuss this process allowing each student to identify why he or she might have had to compromise individual goals in order to reach the group goals.

INDIVIDUAL NASA WORKSHEET (A)

INSTRUCTIONS:  You are a member of a space crew originally scheduled to rendezvous with a mother ship on the lighted surface of the moon.  Due to mechanical difficulties, however, your ship was forced to land at a spot some 200 miles from the rendezvous point.  During landing, much of the equipment aboard was damaged, and since survival depends on reaching the mother ship, the most critical items available must be chosen for the 200-mile trip.  Below are listed the 15 items left intact and undamaged after landing.  Your task is to rank order them in terms of their importance to your crew in allowing them to reach the rendezvous point.  Place the number 1 by the most important item, the number 2 by the second most important, and so on, through number 15, the least important.  You have 15 minutes to complete this phase of the exercise.

GROUP NASA WORKSHEET (B)

INSTRUCTIONS:  This is an exercise in-group decision-making.  Your group is to employ the method of Group Consensus in reaching its decision.  This means that each group member must agree upon the prediction for each of the 15 survival items before it becomes a part of the group decision.  Consensus is difficult to reach.  Therefore, not every ranking will meet with everyone’s complete approval.  Try, as a group, to make each ranking one with which all group members can at least partially agree.  Here are some guides to use in reaching consensus:

1.                  Avoid arguing for your own individual judgments.  Approach the task on the basis of logic.

2.                  Avoid changing your mind only in order to reach agreement and avoid conflict.  Support only solutions with which you are able to agree somewhat, at least.

3.                  Avoid “conflict-reducing” techniques such as majority vote, averaging, or trading-in, in order to reach your decision.

4.                  View differences of opinion as helpful rather than as a hindrance in decision-making.

NASA ANSWER SHEET

Connections to Related Standards, Competencies, and Domains

Consensus Decision Making directly related to Minnesota Graduation Standard Numbers 8 and 9 (Decision Making and Resource Management).

All of the lessons for PATSS are reflective of the Educational, Career, and Social developmental domains of the Minnesota School Counselors’ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling.

For Further Information

Jim Helms

Professional School Counselor

Waseca Junior High School

Waseca, Minnesota

Email  helj@waseca.k12.mn.us