❖ Minimal encouragers

❖ Reflecting and mirroring

❖ ‘I’ messages

❖ Paraphrasing

❖ Summarize

❖ Effective pauses and silence

Establish a culture/community of where everybody speaks the language of ATL Skills.

Ensure that there is an authentic and reliable assessment which will help learners in self-regulation.

Using the skills to spin the the learning wheel.

Objective:

By the end of the lesson, students will understand how to solve simple conflicts by using basic communication and social skills from the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) Approaches to Learning (ATLs), with a focus on active listening.

Lesson Overview:

• Grade Level: Kindergarten (KG)

• Subject: Social-Emotional Learning / PYP Approaches to Learning (Communication and Social Skills)

• Duration: 30 minutes

Materials:

• Picture cards showing common conflict situations

• Puppets or stuffed animals for role-playing

• Visual poster of conflict resolution steps (using pictures and simple words)

Key PYP ATLs:

• Communication Skills: Active listening (listening carefully without interrupting)

• Social Skills: Resolving conflict and cooperating with others

Introduction (5 minutes):

1. What is a Conflict?:

   • Ask: “Has anyone ever had a problem with a friend or classmate?”

   • Explain: "Sometimes, when we don’t agree with someone or want different things, we can have a conflict. But that's okay! We can talk and listen to fix it."

2. Introduce the Big Idea:

   • Say: "Today, we are going to learn how to solve problems and stay friends by talking, listening, and being kind to each other."

Main Lesson (20 minutes):

1. Skill 1: Active Listening (5 minutes):

   • Explain: Active listening is when we listen very carefully to someone without interrupting. This helps us understand how they feel.

   • Demonstrate:

     • Ask two students to come up and practice.

     • Model it by speaking to one student and showing how to listen with full attention (eye contact, nodding, being quiet until the person finishes speaking).

     • Say: "When we listen, we show we care!"

Practice Activity:

1. Ask students to pair up and take turns telling each other something simple (like their favorite color or toy). The listener must listen without interrupting.

2. Skill 2: Using Our Words (5 minutes):

   • Explain: When we have a problem, we should use our words instead of pushing or grabbing. Teach them to say: “I feel ____ because ____.”

   • Example: “I feel sad because you took my toy.”

Practice Activity:

2. Show picture cards of children in conflicts (e.g., one child taking a toy, two kids wanting the same swing). Ask students to practice saying how they would feel and using words to talk about it.

3. Skill 3: Solving the Problem Together (10 minutes):

   • Explain: After we listen and talk about our feelings, we find a way to solve the problem together. We can ask, “How can we fix this?” or “What can we do so we are both happy?”

   • Puppet Role-Play:

     • Use two puppets or stuffed animals to act out a simple conflict (e.g., one puppet wants to play with a ball, and the other puppet wants the ball too).

     • Ask the students: “How can we help the puppets fix their problem?”

     • Guide students to suggest sharing, taking turns, or finding another game.

Student Role-Play:

3. After the puppet demonstration, invite students to act out similar scenarios using puppets or real-life situations. Help them practice using their words, listening, and solving the problem together.

Conclusion & Reflection (5 minutes):

1. Review the Steps:

   • Ask: “What do we do when we have a problem with someone?”

     • Step 1: Listen carefully (active listening)

     • Step 2: Use kind words to talk about feelings (“I feel…”)

     • Step 3: Solve the problem together (take turns, share, or find a solution)

2. Closing Reflection:

   • Ask: “How will we use these skills when we have a problem at school or at home?”

   • Encourage students to share examples of how they might use these skills during playtime or in other situations.

Assessment:

• Observe student participation during the role-playing activities.

• Ask simple questions to check understanding (e.g., “What should you do first if you have a problem with a friend?”).

Extension Activity (Optional):

• Conflict Resolution Craft: Create a “Listening Ears” headband where students color and decorate ears as a reminder to practice active listening.

• Home-School Connection: Send a note home with an easy activity for parents to practice problem-solving with their child.

Thank you Nadia, you are amazing!

Thanks a million Nadia

I will definitely use it from now on!

Great Job Nadia,,,!

This article is true or false ?

It's true

1- iPSCs can be generated from adult cells, which are then reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state. This method has been applied across various species, including endangered ones like the giant panda.

2- There are credible scientific publications documenting the generation of giant panda iPSCs, providing data and methodologies that validate these findings.

A link embedded in the article links to a genuine website with the correct LOGO.

As below:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/02/bees-intelligence-minds-pollination

Cross references in the Google Search bar.

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Asking Simple Questions

• Objective: Students will learn to ask simple "What" questions based on pictures or objects.

• Activity:

  • Warm-up: Show students pictures of familiar objects (cat, dog, bat, sun) and model how to ask “What is this?”

  • Modeling: Use gestures and visuals to prompt students to ask “What” questions.

  • Think, Pair, Share: Partners practice asking “What is this?” using a set of picture cards with CVC words (e.g., "bat," "cat," "sun").

• Assessment: Monitor students' ability to ask simple questions.

• Resources: Picture cards with CVC words, real-life objects like a toy bat, cat plush, etc.

• Differentiation:

  • Provide extra modeling for students who need more support.

  • More advanced students can add descriptors (e.g., “What color is the cat?”).

• Objective: Activate prior knowledge and set the context for thinking.

Activity:

• Show students a simple picture (e.g., a tree or animal) and ask, "What is this?" to engage them in a conversation about familiar objects.

• Use gestures and point to different features to guide answers.

• Say, "We are going to think about this together" to introduce the concept of thinking.

Language Support:

• Provide vocabulary support with pictures, repeating words such as "tree," "leaf," or "animal."

Lesson Plan: Making Healthy Choices

Unit: Who We Are

Focus: Making Healthy Choices

Grade Level: 1 (Low Ability, EAL Learners)

ATL Skill: Thinking Skills - Information Transfer

Language Focus: Reading CVC words

Time: 45 minutes

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand the concept of healthy and unhealthy choices.

2. Recognize and read simple CVC words related to food and health (e.g., "nut," "sun," "run").

3. Use thinking skills to transfer knowledge and create a healthy choice poster.

Materials

• Flashcards with CVC words (e.g., "nut," "bun," "run," "sit," "fun")

• Pictures of healthy and unhealthy food and activities (cutouts or digital images)

• Blank paper, crayons, glue, and scissors

• Simple "Healthy or Unhealthy" chart

• Basket or container for an activity

• Whiteboard and markers

Lesson Plan Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Warm-Up Activity:

   • Start with a quick review of CVC words by showing flashcards and having students read them aloud.

   • Introduce the theme: "Today, we will talk about making good choices to stay healthy!"

2. Discussion:

   • Show two pictures: one of a child eating vegetables and another of a child eating candy. Ask students: "Which child is making a healthy choice?" Discuss why eating vegetables is good for health, while eating too much candy is unhealthy.

   • Introduce simple words related to healthy choices, such as "run," "sit," "nut," "fun," using flashcards and visuals.

Body (20 minutes)

1. Sorting Activity (Information Transfer):

   • Activity Setup: Prepare two containers labeled “Healthy” and “Unhealthy.”

   • Pass out small pictures of food items and activities to students (e.g., a running child, vegetables, a sleeping child, candy, etc.).

   • Student Task: Have students take turns picking a picture from the basket, say what it is, and place it in the correct container. Help them pronounce the CVC words if needed (e.g., “nut,” “sun,” “sit,” “run”).

2. Concept Review & Information Transfer:

   • Discuss why the chosen pictures are healthy or unhealthy. Use CVC words they have learned to reinforce the concept (e.g., "Run is good. Candy is bad.").

3. Creative Task: Poster-Making

   • Each student will create a "Healthy Choices" poster.

   • Provide blank paper, crayons, and cut-out pictures of healthy and unhealthy items. Students will glue healthy choices on their poster and write CVC words (with support) for each picture (e.g., "nut," "sun," "run").

   • Encourage them to transfer what they learned in the sorting activity to create their posters.

Conclusion (10 minutes)

1. Show and Tell:

   • Students will briefly show their posters to the class, pointing out one or two items that are healthy and reading the CVC words they wrote.

2. Wrap-Up:

   • Review what it means to make healthy choices. Ask simple questions like: “Is ‘run’ healthy?” (Students respond, "Yes, run is healthy!")

   • End with a fun chant about making healthy choices, emphasizing CVC words learned in the lesson.

Assessment

• Informal assessment during the sorting activity (Are students placing pictures in the correct category? Can they recognize and read the CVC words?)

• Assess posters for correct placement of pictures and simple CVC word use.

Differentiation Strategies

• Provide additional picture clues for students who need more support with reading CVC words.

• Pair students up for the sorting activity if they need peer support.

• For early finishers, offer additional CVC word flashcards to match with more healthy or unhealthy items.

This lesson combines language development, thinking skills, and the concept of making healthy choices, with hands-on and engaging activities designed for low-ability EAL students.

All About Me Collages:

I got my students to create collages using pictures and words that represent themselves. I also discussed what they included and why.

I encouraged them to notice details about themselves and others.

I promoted curiosity by asking open-ended questions about identity and community.

Today, I enjoyed exploring practical examples of ATL skills in the PYP. Often, PYP is seen as heavily focused on inquiry-based learning, but it's amazing to see how seamlessly ATL skills are already embedded in our teaching practices. Discussing a typical unit plan allowed me to identify specific moments where students naturally engage in self-management, critical thinking, and communication skills. It's not about adding more content but rather recognizing and labeling what we're already doing as part of their ATL development. The key is making these skills more explicit to both students and teachers, enhancing the learning experience.

I will discus self management skills with my team.

I will also share the PYP classroom map with my team.

I discovered the little creative inside me that I have forgotten about for a while :)

Step 1: Establish Clear Routines and Expectations

• Objective: Create a structured environment with clear routines for activities, transitions, and behaviors.

• Action:

  • Begin each day by reviewing the daily schedule. Use visuals (e.g., picture charts) to show what activities are happening next.

  • Set specific expectations for common self-management tasks, like how to transition quietly, where to place belongings, and how to walk in the corridors.

  • Use role-play during circle time to practice good behaviors (e.g., tidying up, safe stair use).

Step 2: Teach Self-Regulation Strategies

• Objective: Help students recognize and regulate their emotions and behaviors.

• Action:

  • Introduce calming techniques, such as deep breathing, counting to ten, or using a “calm corner” where students can go when they feel overwhelmed.

  • Use visuals or a feelings chart to help them identify how they are feeling (happy, sad, angry, etc.) and how to respond appropriately.

  • Practice these strategies regularly as part of circle time.

Step 3: Positive Reinforcement and Praise

• Objective: Reinforce desired behaviors through positive feedback.

• Action:

  • Use a reward system (e.g., stickers, tokens) for good self-management (waiting turns, organizing belongings, etc.).

  • Praise students immediately when they follow expectations, like tidying up after an activity or using quiet voices in the hallway.

Step 4: Break Tasks Into Manageable Steps

• Objective: Scaffold tasks for students struggling with organization or transitions.

• Action:

  • Give step-by-step instructions for activities like tidying up or transitioning between lessons. Model these steps clearly.

  • Provide gentle reminders and visuals to guide them through each step of a task.

  • Have them practice transitioning between activities in a calm, orderly manner, perhaps with a timed routine.

Step 5: Teach Empathy and Social Skills

• Objective: Encourage respect and collaboration during partner work or group activities.

• Action:

  • Teach turn-taking and sharing explicitly. Use games and activities that focus on waiting and taking turns.

  • Model how to work with a partner respectfully, emphasizing listening and using kind words.

  • Praise students who demonstrate respectful behavior towards their peers.

Step 6: Consistent Consequences for Disruptions

• Objective: Address disruptions (e.g., asking to go to the toilet during mat time, spraying water) with clear, fair consequences.

• Action:

  • Set up a visual cue system (e.g., a red-yellow-green light) for behavior management during mat sessions.

  • If a student asks to go to the toilet unnecessarily, remind them of the appropriate times to use the restroom.

  • Use natural consequences, like asking them to clean up if they spray water during lessons.

  • Consistently follow through with consequences while maintaining a calm, supportive demeanor.

Step 7: Frequent Check-Ins and Self-Reflection

• Objective: Encourage students to reflect on their behavior and progress.

• Action:

  • At the end of each activity or day, ask students to reflect on how well they managed themselves (e.g., “Did I wait my turn? Did I keep my hands to myself?”).

  • Use simple reflection tools like a thumbs-up/thumbs-down system or smiley faces to assess how they feel about their self-management that day.

Step 8: Family Involvement

• Objective: Engage families to support self-management development at home.

• Action:

  • Send home notes or progress reports that highlight how the child is managing themselves in school.

  • Offer suggestions for activities families can do at home to practice self-regulation and organization (e.g., packing their school bag together).

This plan focuses on gradual improvement in self-management by reinforcing positive behaviors and addressing challenges in a structured and consistent manner.

2.    Along with planning which we will explicitly teach, we need to create a small observation checklist (?) that will help us assess the students in how they are developing those skills.

3.    Create classroom signs based on those explicitly taught skills to reference during class and small reflective/self-assessment sheets the students can use to check their own development of these skills.

4.    Create a SeeSaw folder for photos/reflections based on ATL skills to collect for parents.

5.    We will make sure that we include one aspect of our summative project rubric toward those ATL skills.

I will assist teachers in introducing calming techniques, such as deep breathing ("smell the flower, blow out the candle"), and model how students can use the space to reflect on their behavior and interactions. We will monitor the effectiveness of the calming corner, making adjustments as needed to ensure it remains a supportive tool for both self-management and social development, helping students grow in their ability to regulate emotions and build positive relationships with peers.

1. Identify Specific Self-Management Skills to Focus On

   • Determine key self-management skills most beneficial for the students, such as time management, organization, goal-setting, and perseverance.

2. Introduce Skills through Explicit Teaching

   • Begin with dedicated lessons that clearly define each skill. Use real-life examples, class discussions, and multimedia resources to illustrate the importance and application of these skills in both academic and personal contexts.

3. Monitor and Assess Initial Proficiency Levels

   • Use self-assessment surveys, teacher observations, and one-on-one conferences to gauge students’ current proficiency in each skill. Identify strengths and areas needing improvement.

4. Incorporate Skill Practice into Regular Learning Activities

   • Embed self-management skills into daily routines and assignments. For example:

     • Time Management: Set clear deadlines and use planners or digital tools for task tracking.

     • Organization: Implement checklists and encourage neat and structured note-taking.

     • Goal-Setting: Begin each unit with students setting personal learning goals.

     • Perseverance: Design tasks that require sustained effort and reflection on challenges faced and overcome.

5. Facilitate Reflective Practices

   • Include regular reflective exercises, such as journals or class discussions, where students analyze their use of self-management skills, successes, and areas for growth.

6. Encourage Peer Support and Feedback

   • Implement peer mentoring or group projects where students can support each other in developing these skills. Use peer feedback sessions to discuss strategies for better self-management.

7. Conduct Regular Self-Assessments

   • Have students periodically assess their own progress in self-management skills using rubrics or reflection sheets. Encourage honest self-reflection and setting new targets based on their assessments.

8. Adapt Learning Engagements Based on Progress

   • Modify class activities and support based on observed progress and challenges. For students struggling with specific skills, provide targeted support or alternative strategies.

9. Celebrate Achievements and Reflect on Growth

   • At the end of each term, hold a session to recognize and celebrate improvements in self-management skills. Reflect on how these skills have impacted their learning and set goals for the next term.

10. Maintain Consistent Support and Encouragement

    • Continuously reinforce the importance of self-management skills throughout the year, providing ongoing support and encouragement to help students internalize these habits as part of their daily routines.

West: What do I find most

worrisome about ATL going

forward?

East: What am I most eager to share with my own colleagues about ATL?

Need- I think we still need to create a one tool document to be seen by all involved team.

Thanks all

South: What surprised me most is the amount of documentation schools to for the ATL. I would have thought it was more integrated in planning.

West: The way the sub-skills are broken up, it is a lot of language for students to learn.

East: I am most eager to meet with my colleagues and practicing breaking apart the ATL together. Discussing what that looks like in different grade levels.

Surprised: I was surprised at how easily the ATL skills fit and supported my summative projects in each unit. I think doing more explicit teaching will fit nicely.

Worrisome: Finding the time to plan backwards with my team to make sure we're all working toward the same goals and hitting each ATL.

Eager: I'm excited to explain how ATL skills fit with our next unit's summative project. I've already thought this thru so it's not too much work to pull it together. Then we can collaboratively plan the other units together.

South: We are constantly emphasizing these skills and they are very easy to implement.

West: the we get too caught up with checking boxes and covering content that we keep it last.

east: We are on the right track! Keep up the good work :)

How to engage parents more so that what happens at school can be continued at home

What surprised me the most

I think I already use most of the principles in my teaching. It was interesting to find out that most schools/teachers were experiencing similar needs e.g. students need to develop their self management skills.

What do I find most worrisome

Trying to get students to take responsibility and ownership of their behavioural, self management and academic goals.

What am I most eager tp share with my own colleagues about ATL

That we need to teach ATLs explicitly

South: It's encouraging to see that in our schools we're already indirectly applying many of these skills. It's a matter now of explicitly highlighting them and teaching them as we take them for granted as something that our students implicitly know.

West: Finding the time and energy to work with Department Leads in planning out the skills more thoroughly across our program. It seems like we're especially pinched for time this year and there's been a lot of pushback for a variety of items for this year. How to go about increasing buy-in and having staff see the value this task?

East: I really enjoyed compiling so many of the resources and ideas that we've shared over the week. It definitely makes it easier to work with colleagues when you have a bank of resources to share.

South: What surprised me the most? It is mainly challenging in PYP to maintain the balance between explicit and implicit teaching of ATL Skills.

West: What do I find most worrisome about ATL going forward? I always think about what effective strategies could be implemented in order to support the students in transferring the ATL Skills to outside the context of the classroom.

East: What am I eager to share with my own colleagues about ATL? As participants in this workshop, we will be sharing best practices and takeaways in a PD session with the rest of our colleagues. We will ensure to share and highlight the importance of explicit and implicit teaching of ATL Skills and to share the tools that will support them during the planning process.

South: What surprised me the most?

West: What do I find most worrisome about ATL going forward? I think it might be easy to feel overwhelmed or anxious about the success we may or may not be having teaching our students ATL skills effectively. So, we need to be mindful to consistently reflect on what's working well and what we need to focus on improving and share and collaborate with our team about some useful strategies and ideas that we can teach and share with each other.

East: I'm eager to share the ATL Step plan and also the unit plan on our upcoming unit that I have spent time planning out through the ATL lens.

South: What surprised is the breakdown of each ATL, there is a lot of hidden work.

West: The work load and how I am going to be successful in teaching them to the students.

East: To plan collaboratively with my colleagues explicit activities to integrate the ATL skills into the planning.

South: ATL skills need to be taught explicitly; out of the units' context. How easy and engaging it can be to implement in the classroom.

West: Whether it will be feasible with an all-boys classroom.

East: I am eager to share my knowledge with my team and communicate with one another in order to reach the best unified approach to apply and assess the skills in our classrooms.

South: What surprised me the most is how unconsciously we are somehow already practicing these skills.

West: I find it worrisome that the students won't be able to put these skills outside of the classroom and how to get the parents involved in this.

East: I'm most eager to share the social and listening skills I learned with my colleagues.

Will the ATL skills remain the same in the long-run? Did IB ever consider adapting or adding anymore? Is there a need to do that? How can students take the ATL skills to the outside world without us being around them all the time?

-What do I find the most worrisome about ATL going forward?

Artificial intelligence and its effect on ATL skills. What will students do to adapt and how? What is the role of the teacher in making sure that students are making the best out of AI?

-What am I most eager to share with colleagues about ATL?

I found the resources from toddle about each an every ATL very beneficial to be used when planning for our units and deciding which ATL skill we need to adapt in that unit

S: I was surprised that there are a lot of commonalities regarding the ATL implementation challenges across different schools and regions.

W: Creating adequate time to explicitly teach the ATLs while balancing the time to explore other curricular content.

E: Some techniques to explicitly teach the ATL skills.

South: ATL needs to be taught at younger ages heavily but through the journey ATL should be shown and noticed without announcing the skill. I can see that evident when my student do criterion B from the personal project.

West; My personal challenges are resistance to change from old teacher and the commitment of the students to the skills. How will i motivate them to give the skill a chance to use and apply it?

East: I am eager to collect and read the explicates and implicit from different disciplines,