Tag: conflict resolution

Final Episode™: Resolving Conflicts Through Communication, an Engaging Learning Experience for High School Students

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Bored, Uninterested Teenagers Become Engaged, Empowered, Knowledgeable, and Skilled

The first thing that sparked my bored, mistrusting high school class during “Final Episode™: Resolving Conflicts Through Communication” was showing them a segment from a popular family drama TV series. Heads popped up and eyes engaged with the screen as if to say, “Cool. Are we going to study this?” Well…yes, in a way…

This image shows the cover of the "Final Episode" resource for high school students.

Resolving Conflicts Through Communication Lesson Without Lecture

This image shows an example of what's included in the Final Episode resource. It is a picture of the "Organizing the Final Episode Worksheet."

In the activity, each student assumes the role of a family drama TV series scriptwriter. To prepare for their scriptwriting, instead of a lecture about resolving conflicts through communication, the students tackle a document-based-questionnaire (DBQ).  In small groups, they safely explore conflict and conflict resolution – what it is, why we get into it, and what we can do about it.

When it got to the scriptwriting, with heads down, students diligently worked away on their conflict resolving scenarios and scripts for their “network’s” series finale.

But That Wasn’t the Best Part…

The best was when they read their scripts to their classmates while being videotaped. Complaining and withdrawing at first, once complete, students reveled in seeing their onscreen performances.

And even better for me were their reflections on their Final Episode™ experience. They told me they liked the activity and learned ways to realistically implement what they learned in their relationships. Score!

This image shows another handout included in the Final Episode resource. It is a picture of the "Final Episode Reflection Worksheet."

A DBQ For Mental Health Skill Building?

This image shows the cover of the "Final Episode" resource that helps students learn how to resolve conflicts through communication.

Final Episode™ uses “documents” including artwork, cartoons, letters, book quotes, magazine articles, and posters. Students found that it was a terrific way to, not only learn about conflict and ways to resolve it, but the items illustrated how there’s a myriad of “documents” out there to learn from.

If I Told My Students They Were Going to Perform, They’d Walk Away

The Final Episode™ activity gradually walks students first through the process of developing a scenario and a script. Performance is the last piece of the experience and can be approached at that time. But, like I found, students might initially resist but eventually come around.

I Don’t Have Time To Do All This

The Final Episode™ resource is perfect for chunking. The work can be spread out over a number of days or weeks. And you won’t have to worry. Students will look forward to getting back to their Final Episode™!

Don’t Take my word for it. See for yourself how this resource won top honors from the NYS education department!

Mental, Emotional, and Social Health with Toys? Yes, with MESH!

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MESH + Toy Industry + aws Studios

While perusing an issue of “The Toy Book,” a toy industry trade magazine, I came across a mention by Editor in Chief James Zahn in his editorial about “MESH,” a new acronym for “mental, emotional, and social health.” For me, this was a ‘needle in the haystack’ discovery. To find a link from the toy industry to me — a mental health educator, picture book author/illustrator, and toy designer — was a jump for joy moment.

Where did this MESH acronym come from?

I needed more info. After a little searching, I found a podcast about “MESH” by The Toy Coach, Azhelle Wade. In this podcast, Azhelle interviews Rachele Harmuth of ThinkFun and co-originator of the MESH acronym. In short, seeing how mental health issues were increasing worldwide in children and teens, Harmuth, with years of experience in the toy industry, wanted to know if there was a way to help families — kids and parents — build their resiliency to mental illness with play and toys.

Combining Mental Health Education and Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Harmuth then partnered with resiliency expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa and the two came up with the MESH term combining both the fields of mental health and social emotional learning. Genius! And it’s about time. For the past few decades, the fields of mental health education and social emotional learning (SEL) operated separately and siloed. Harmuth and Gilboa have combined the two fields — the skills of mental health and the “Pillars” of SEL— into the following eight skills:

  • Problem solving
  • Perseverance
  • Adaptation
  • Conflict resolution
  • Self-regulation
  • Self-advocacy
  • Cognitive skills
  • Communication strategies

Then they identified four areas where toys and games can build these skills:

  • A focus on problem solving and perseverance
  • Encouraging storytelling
  • Presenting new or increasing challenges over the duration of play and
  • Drawing children and their adults together in play.

[Find out more here at MESHhelps.org]

What’s all this got to do with aws Studios?

I was initially perusing “The Toy Book” because I have been trying to learn more about the toy industry. And I was doing this because I created a toy, specifically a plush (a stuffed fabric toy), designed to help kids build their MESH skills. Currently, I am trying to license the toy to a licensing manufacturer, aka a licensee.

Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Skill Building Through Toys and Play

I am thrilled to see a connection between mental health skill building and the toy industry. Like what the industry has done by connecting toys and games to STEAM, the interdisciplinary approach to learning that combines science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, the MESH movement is doing the same. It’s making connections to current toys and games on the market that build one or more of the mental, emotional, and social health identified skills.

There’s no better way to build mental, emotional, and social health — MESH — skills than through toys and play!

How have toys helped your kids build their mesh Skills? Tell us in Comments
check out my MESH skill building activites here

Social and Emotional Health Education Teaching Strategies Engage Students with Art

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A Writer and an Artist

I am a Gemini.  Born between May 21 and June 21. I have always thought the Gemini symbol of The Twins defined me well. The two distinct personalities or personas speak clearly to my being an artist and a writer.  Most of my posts to this point have been about my art.  It’s time for me to blog about my writing, in particular, my social and emotional health teaching strategies.

Parenting Education

Two little girls hugging

I started developing educational curricula and teaching strategies as a Parenting Educator.  For many years, I provided programming for parents including single moms and single parents and other caregivers.  As a new mom, I participated in the  “Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP)” program presented by my health care provider and a series on conflict resolution presented by the New Justice Conflict Resolution Services in Syracuse, NY. 

Then, I became a trainer. This was for the “Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)” parenting education program.  Taking parts from all three of these programs, I created and taught a parenting education program. I then taught it for the NYS Board of Cooperative Education Services’ (BOCES) Adult program. 

I loved parenting education, sharing what I had learned and helping other parents.  This work extended into programming I did for in-home day care providers enrolled in the Onondaga County Day Care “Magic Bus” program.    Implementing literary and culinary arts into this curriculum provided fun and engaging activities for both the children and the care providers.

Mental Health Education

After receiving a Masters in Health Education, my curriculum development continued to focus on mental health, providing social and emotional learning (SEL) teaching strategies for K-12 teachers, parents, youth workers, foster care caseworkers and foster parents. 

A illustration of an old woman and the shoe with lots of kids living in the shoe.
A picture of the cover of Final Episode a communication skills resource for high school students.

Award Winning Curriculum

After receiving a Masters in Health Education, my curriculum development continued to focus on mental health, providing social and emotional learning (SEL) teaching strategies for K-12 teachers, parents, youth workers, foster care caseworkers and foster parents. 

During this time,  the NYS Department of Education hired me as an External Consultant to assist in  developing a high school/”commencement level” parenting education curriculum guide.  For the guide, I created, “Final Episode™: Resolving family conflicts with communication,” a commencement level learning experience.

I was thrilled when this curriculum met the State’s ‘Academy for Teaching and Learning” requuirements. With an intense peer-review process, the Academy seeks to award well designed K-12 curricula.

“Final Episode™” incorporated many different art disciplines. These include theatre/drama arts and a “Document Based Questionnaire.” A DBQ engages student learning using paintings, comics and other graphic artwork. This leads students on an entertaining, self-directed journey to learn about how to communicate in safe and healthy ways. 

“Final Episode™” and my other curricula illustrate how my art connects with my mental health curriculum.  Perfect examples of my “gemininess!”  

If you would like to receive an outline of the Final episode curriculum, click here for a free pdf!

Engaging teaching strategies