Building Cooperative & Problem Solving Skills

A new school year is just beginning. Teachers and students are in the process of acclimating to a new #classroom_community which means learning about the group of new people. One way that can help the class come together as a community is to create a #classroom_directory. The directory is a class-made book that the children create in collaboration with each other.

A project like this allows children to see the positives in each other and how each of them has something to contribute. Before working on the directory, the teacher should prompt discussions about how their strengths can be used to help friends within the class community.

To create the classroom directory, each child identifies one skill that they are willing to help their classmates with

• The teacher holds a class discussion about a person's strengths and how they contribute to the welfare of the community. In this case, the class community.
• They draw a picture of this skill on a sheet of paper.
• The teacher then collects the papers and binds them together to make the classroom directory.

This activity not only helps bring attention to children’s strengths and individuality but also demonstrates how the classroom community respects everyone by having each child offer a special service to the group. Once created, the teacher can point to the children should they ever need help with a specific skill. A process like this helps to confirm a child’s value and worth.

Activity/Lesson Plan Suggestions

*Archived from ChildCareEd's Constant Contact Newsletter [8.30.2023]

Link: https://conta.cc/45vIbP1