Demonstrate,

Demonstrate, Practice
& Prove
How to Teach Rules, Procedures, Social
Skills, and Character Traits
Workshop for Teachers
*Embedded
StoryCorps video on
feel-good story.
 StoryCorps Discussion
• A mischievous boy turning good
• Apply it to real life situations in your
classroom – be positive.
• The power of positivity and how Ms.
Rosa Parks left a mark on her student.
• Kill ‘em with kindness.
• Behaviours are learned and can be
unlearned if needed.
1. Write down a role model you had as a young child,
or even now. Ex: Family member, celebrity, etc.
2. Write down traits that you would attribute to your
role model.

**(Discussion: Are these traits positive? Usually, yes. Discuss

the importance of positive traits in a role model for future
students and how to make them realize the positivity you see
in your role model is what you should emulate as a student)
Role Modeling Through “Broaden-
and-Build Approach”
Broaden-and-Build Theory
• Psychological theory
that suggest + emotions
lead to an expansion of
an individual through
action repertoire,
broadening their
attention and cognitive
abilities and building
personal resources over
time.
Frederikson, BL Cohn, MA
Coffey, KA. Open hearts build
lives: Positive emotions (2008).
• “The broaden-and-build theory
(Fredrickson, 1998, 2001) states
that, over time, recurrent
experiences of positive emotions
allow people to build
consequential personal
resources.”
• This suggests that people judge
their lives to be more satisfying
and fulfilling, not because they
feel more positive emotions per
se, but because their greater
positive emotions help them build
resources for living successfully.
Examples of Broaden
and Build Theory
The Power of Positivity
 POSITIVITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Positivity creates a welcoming and supporting
classroom environment
• It fosters a sense of belonging and acceptance among
students
• Positivity enhances a student's self-esteems and
confidence
• Positivity leads to increased motivation and
engagement
• Positivity can promote growth mindset
• Ripple effect
*Embedded video on the power of
positivity by NatGeo
Gratitude!
• When students feel
gratitude, it broadens their
attention and perspective,
allowing them to notice and
appreciation positive
aspects of their lives.

• Class Discussion – How has

gratitude worked for you in
the past?
• Emmons and McCullough (2003).
• Gratitude journaling led to increased positive emotion,
reported more social support, and showed improvement
in physical health indicators.

• Reflect on your week, and journal about you’re the

positivity that happened in your life.
• Do you think you would feel happier if you made a
consistent habit of this?
• Would you use this in your classroom?
Laughter and Humor
• Makes learning more enjoyable
and engaging – likely to be more
attentive.
• Laughter has been shown to
improve memory
retention/recall.
• Improves stress levels, improves
creativity.
• Positive emotional wellbeing =
better students.
• Improved focus and attention
• Easier classroom management
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved social-emotional skills
• Increased happiness and wellbeing
• Linked to better academic performance
Applying It In The
Classroom
Meditation In The Classroom:
Book Reports on Meaningful Material:
-My experiences in Philosophy with Thich Nhat Hanh
Laughter and Humor:
• Lesson Planning: Hook and
Introduction – easy application for
jokes, etc.
• Be open to humour in your classroom!
• Laughter is good to hear when
students are working together.
Gratitude Journaling:
• Gratitude Nature Scavenger
Hunt
• Many “gratitude games” online.
• Gratitude letter exchange – each
person writes a nice letter of
gratitude to a class member.
• Make it part of classroom
schedule.
• EX: Mondays are gratitude
journaling day to set up a good
week
Tying It All Together - Broaden and Build
Theory Creates a Recipe For:
• Good citizens
• Better classroom experience for student
and teacher
• Compliance through rule creation
• Social skills through confidence, positive
thinking and skill building
• Character trait building
• Overall better health and wellness
*Encourage the
application of some
examples from this
lesson into their
THANK YOU!
classrooms.