Self Monitor (Task)
Self Monitor is grouped to be both self and task monitor since there are small differences.
Self Monitor is our capacity to understand the impact of our words and actions on those around us. We use that information to shift social strategies.
As well as the capacity to Task Monitor our own problem-solving success and failures. Those with strong Task Monitor skills catch their mistakes.​​
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​Students with poor Self Monitoring are prone to making social gaffs... saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Those difficulties can lead to social isolation and, more problematically, difficulty achieving goals that require support from others. Students with poor Self Monitoring (task) tend to miss obvious mistakes in their work. Teaching students to review their work is not easy, but it is important. ​​
​​Self Monitor is measured with survey items, such as “I don’t notice when I cause others to feel bad or get mad until it is too late” and “I talk at the wrong time."​​ Whereas Task Monitor is measured with items, such as “I don’t check my work for mistakes” and “I have problems completing my work.”​
How to support students who struggle with Self Monitor (task)
Students who can Self Monitor (task) are aware of when they are making errors socially OR as they work through problems. For example, they know from previous experiences that things go better when they begin tasks early. They also know that checking over their work is an essential step in the process. Teachers can help by building systems of task monitoring (anchor charts for revision) and making those checks a regular part of the classroom experience. Young children often need extensive supports to understand what went wrong in social situations like at recess time or with their task.
Some classroom strategies:
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