Strategies to support students
Self Monitor (Task)
Model strategies: Explain to students how being able to monitor goals leads to success. For example, you can model self-monitor strategies with elementary-aged students by thinking out loud when writing as a class: "Okay, I think we're getting some good ideas down here, but now we need to check out writing objectives to make sure we are on the right track."
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Goals & Check-ins: Learning to develop reasonable goals is not an easy task. We can assist students in develop manageable goals (e.g., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) and help them monitor their progress toward their goals. Once you have a end goal in mind, help the students break the process down into smaller sub-goals. Provide opportunities for students to monitor their progress toward goals with ongoing support (perhaps by checking off a checklist).
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Positive reinforcement: Everyone appreciates hearing they are doing a good job! Avoid praising innate ability or "natural talent." Dweck's work on growth mindset reminds us that effective feedback focuses on factors within the student's control, such as their effort or resilience. A compliment can be a great way of building a positive culture in the classroom, relationship with the student but also send the message that you see the work...even if it seems that work goes unnoticed.
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Explicitly teach strategies: You can teach students to self-questioning strategies by modelling your thinking: "Does this make sense?" and "What am I supposed to be doing at this time?" It might feel awkward to externalize your internal self-questioning, but it helps students understand how effective learners "talk" to themselves as they complete a task.
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Debrief student: We all make mistakes but the important thing is to debrief what worked and what did not work. You can help students by discussing their decision making process. Be sure to provide opportunities to the student to reflect on their own decisions. ​Directly teach and reinforce strategies for effective decision making (e.g., wait before responding, list pros and cons, seek expert advice).
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Open communication: When a student is struggling, initiate a private conversation with them with low-stakes questions (e.g., starting with “How are you doing?" or “tell me about your day”). Calling home to talk to parents doesn't have to be stressful. If a student is really struggling (depending on your school policy) have the student speak to the school counsellor.
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Chunk work: Starting a big project is daunting. That is why it is important for teachers to break big projects into smaller tasks. For example, brainstorm answers as a class, use checklists or organizers to scaffold big assignments.
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Preferential seating: Seating charts are a great way to make purposeful decisions about where the students work. Some students will benefit from being seated in low-distraction spaces. You might also want to place a struggling student beside a classmate who models self-monitor strategies.
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Social stories: Share social stories with the student that highlight how self-monitor skills help their process. This is particularly important for young students or those that require explicit instruction.
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Object lesson: Younger students may benefit from a demonstration of how our physical reactions to emotional situations cloud our decision making. Fill a water bottle with water and add lots of glitter; shake the bottle and explain to the child/class that when we are upset it is hard to see things clearly. Pass the water bottle around and have students shake the bottle and try to look through it. Then shake the bottle and give it a few minutes to sit. After the glitter settles have the students look through the bottle. They can now see clearly through the bottle. Explain that clear-headedness is the best state for making any decisions on how to act.
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