The Super Seniors in Room 512 participate in monthly Life Skills lessons designed to build and strengthen skills that promote greater independence and successful participation in school, community, and workplace settings. Each monthly topic will connect directly to real-life situations and encourage students to recognize their strengths, build confidence, take responsibility for their actions, and develop strategies for managing everyday challenges.
The students began the school year by focusing on the important concept of a growth mindset. As part of the growth mindset activities, students listened to the story The Magical Yet by Angela De Terlizzi and discussed the idea that there are skills they may not be able to do “yet.” Following the story, students created a drawing of their own “Magical Yet” and identified a skill they would like to learn or improve upon. For example, a few students wanted to learn how to cook or play a musical instrument. The “Power of Yet” teaches students that they may not be able to do something yet, but with practice, effort, support, and persistence, they can continue working toward their goals. In a life skills setting, students can apply the “Power of Yet” to functional skills such as learning a new job task, communicating their needs, completing a daily routine, and navigating the community.
The class also focused on the importance of responsibility by listening to the story A Little Spot of Responsibility by Diane Alber. Students discussed ways they can demonstrate responsibility in school, community, and workplace settings. They then participated in interactive Boom Card activities designed to reinforce responsible decision-making. The students listened to a variety of scenarios and had to decide if the person was being responsible or irresponsible. While learning about being socially responsible, the students enjoyed the story What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick. The book shows how a young boy’s small, irresponsible choices can create bigger problems when everyone decides to do the same thing. It encourages students to think about how their behavior affects others and reminds them that everyone is responsible for making safe, respectful, and responsible choices. Students then discussed how small actions like not cleaning up after lunch or not putting away job tools can cause problems for their classroom.
Through these Life Skills lessons, the Super Seniors are developing a greater understanding of how their choices, actions, and attitudes impact themselves and those around them. By connecting lessons to familiar school routines, community experiences, and workplace expectations, students are encouraged to apply these skills throughout their daily lives.