In October we will be focusing on problem solving. I will begin by reviewing the lesson from the previous month and then asking the students to define what a problem is. After speaking about this I will then ask them how they can currently as second graders solve problems. We will then delve into some different problem solving strategies that can be employed when a disagreement or problem arises. I will be using the attached sheet as the skills being practiced for the day. They will then be broken into groups and have to work together to decide which skills could help them with a problem I give the class.

November's lesson revolves around being able to problem solve and work as a team. I will begin the lesson by reviewing the different ways we can solve problems when working with others. Then I will speak about how to work in a group effectively and some of the things students should be trying to do and things to avoid. I will give examples about staying calm versus getting frustrated with their team mates, tackling the problem as a team versus blaming someone for an error. After we talk through this I will introduce the activity. I will ask the students to work in teams of 3-4 students to stack solo cups using a rubber band. I will impose rules such as they can only have one finger on the rubber band, they cannot touch the cups with anything other than the rubber band, if they break the rules they have to start over. In between rounds we will be talking about is making groups successful and switching up partners within the groups. After the group is finished we will discuss what went right, what made it difficult, and what they learned. I will implore the importance of being able to work in a group as it becomes more essential as they get older. 

I will be focusing on kindness and thankfulness for the month of December in second grade. We will be reading the book "Thankful" by Elaine Vickers. In this book it highlights all of things the child is thankful for. After reading this I will then be asking students to make a card for someone they are thankful for. This could be anyone who has made an impact of helping the student. I will also make sure to help the student get this card to the person they are thankful for.

For the month of January we will be focusing on how to identify and manage stress. We will be reading the book "I'm Stretched" by Julia Cook. In this book the character struggles with feeling stretched in too many ways and works through how to manage that feeling as well as the stress that accompanies this. After reading this I will ask the students to identify the parts of their lives that make them feel stretched. After talking about this we will be reviewing ways to manage this through coping skills and making healthy choices. We will work on a worksheet together to identify positive ways to make them feel better. 

The lesson in February will revolve around the idea that everyone is different from one another and the importance of enjoying what make everyone unique. We will read the "Perfectly Norman". The main character struggles with embracing the thing that makes them unique, and instead tries to hide it. I will talk to students about the importance of being happy with oneself and being kind to others for what makes them unique and different from one another. 

March's lesson will be about practicing self reflection and utilizing coping skills. For this lessons I will ask students to use a blank piece of paper to answer the question "How are you feeling right now". Before letting them complete this we will talk about the importance of paying attention to one's feelings and the impact this can have on a person. We will discuss how not paying attention can change a person's day, especially negatively if they are in a bad mood or feeling frustrated about something. The students are able to write, draw, make a comic, however they would like to express how they are feeling. When we are finished if students would like to share they may do so. We will end by talking about ways to manage those feelings and how journaling can be a positive coping skill to manage emotions. 

For the month of April we will begin talking about career exploration. I will review what a career is, with the basic premise that it is a job we intend to have for a longer time and that we typically are paid money for. I will then talk to students about tools and traits in regards to careers. We will talk about how tools are specific physical items that are utilized for a particular career, and traits are character traits that are important for a person to have in a specific career. I then let students pick a career of their choice and ask them to draw themselves with the tools of career and to list the traits of that career. We will do an example together and then students are able to work on this independently. After everyone is finished we will do an art walk to let everyone see everyone else's work.  

For their final lesson of the year students will continue working on identifying careers. I will ask students to partner up to work on a Scategories like game for careers. Each pair will receive a piece of paper with the letters A-Z. Each pair will be asked to come up with a career for each letter. When the class is finished we will come together to score the sheets. I will pick a letter and any group who has an answer for that letter will read it out loud. If no other group has that answer they will receive a point. If someone else has that answer the groups cross their answers out. Whoever has the most points is the victor.