Embedded Files
“Conscious control is the first step toward engaging with others and the outside world. . . .”
— Dr. Nancy Sulla, 2018
Conscious control consists of
Storing and manipulating visual and verbal information
Remembering details
Holding on to information while considering other information
Shifting focus from one event to another
Attending to a person or activity
Focusing
Concentrating
Thinking before acting
Managing conflicting thoughts
Birdwalk Challenge – Read a description of how you can have secondary students engage in this challenge to help them focus, concentrate, and manage conflicting thoughts.
Affinity Mapping- This protocol works best when begun with an open-ended analytic question that asks for defining elements of something, or that has many answers and thereby provides many points of entry for deepening a conversation.
Consider using Affinity Mapping for test prepping. How can students also use an affinity map or even a mind map to show all of the things they know about a topic prior to the test?
Elementary: Help students categorize ideas using visuals.
Sci Ex: Using picture cards of planting tress, turning off the faucet or lights, tossing items into a recycling bin, etc.), have them group images that are similar. They can label how the groups fit together.
Literacy: Students could address the question of what is noticed in the story. Again providing picture cards they could sort based on characters, events, setting, etc. Students could also sort pictures or word cards, identifying vocabulary for a specific unit or pattern recognition (phonemic awareness).
Secondary Health: Give students a prompt like "Factors Influencing Teen Stress." They write ideas on sticky notes. They must then categorize them into "Internal," "External," "Controllable," and "Uncontrollable." This forces them to manage conflicting thoughts about where a specific stressor belongs.
Music: Students use items similar to rhythm blocks or a notation software. They are given a "brain dump" of various 1-measure rhythms. Students can categorize them by "Time Signature," "Complexity," or "Dynamic Feel." Level up by having students add or create their own categories. Students can hold the "sound" of the rhythm in their head while physically moving the blocks to the correct category.
PE: After a visualization activity (see visualization further down), students could participate in an Affinity Map looking at the "roadblocks" they saw in their minds. For ex: If they visualized a basketball shot but "saw" themselves missing it, have them categorize the "why" (example: Balance, Focus, or Nerves). This makes the invisible mental work visible and actionable.
Keep in mind some of the Executive Function skills students need during test prep:
Focusing
Concentrating
Shifting focus from one event to another
Holding on to information while considering other information
There are many more! These are just from conscious control!
Now You See It; Now You Don’t - Read a description of this activity that helps students to build their skills of focusing, concentrating, and remembering details. Secondary school students can look at maps, complex equations, or artwork.
Power Tool: Now You See It; Now You Don't - Supports SDI (Specially Designed Instruction for Special education classrooms)
Focus Cards-Use these cards to help students attend to a person or activity, focus, and concentrate. Ask students questions such as, “How did you know you were focused?”or “What distracted you or made it hard to stay focused?” Think back to students you have taught or worked with in the past. Who might have benefitted from this structure?
If … Then Implementation Plans - Have students use this tool to create "If, Then" plans to stay on track for achieving short-term behavior goals. *More on this resource under EF: Engagement tab.
PE example: Before the game, ask the student: "If someone gets the ball before you, what is your plan?"
Consider an "If, Then" for test prepping
Example: If I get distracted, then I will set a 5-minute focus goal.
Primary Task Persistence Cards OR Student Persistence Cards - Use these cards to help students persist in a task. Are there any students for whom you think this structure might work? How could you adapt it?
Impulse Reflection Graphic Organizer - Impulse control is all about thinking before acting. This graphic organizer will help you think through what you did, how it affected you, how it affected others, and what you can try next time to better manage your impulses. *Which supports EF: Collaboration.
Visualization - In your classroom or at home, have students visualize completing a challenging task. What are the movements? What will they say? What will they need to do to be successful? This is especially great to do before testing, which tend to cause anxiety. This allows for focus and confidence.
Examples:
Math: Solving an algebraic equation. Close your eyes and see the equation 3(x + 5) = 30 on your paper. Before you touch your pencil, picture the "equal" sign as a physical balance scale. Imagine picking up the +5. What is its opposite? See yourself performing that action on both sides of the scale to keep it level. Now, open your eyes and make your first move.
Science: Picture a single cell in front of you. Imagine shrinking down until you are standing inside the cytoplasm. Look around. Where is the nucleus? Visualize the ribosomes as small machines building proteins. Watch how they move and interact. As you open your eyes, keep that "map" of the cell in your mind for your diagram. Now begin to draw.
PPS/Guidance: Before we talk, visualize a clear, calm space. See yourself sitting tall and feeling the floor under your feet. Imagine a door in your mind where you can leave the hallway noise behind. Picture yourself taking a slow, deep breath. Take that breath in... and out... You are ready to focus on our goal for today.
PPS/Guidance: Guardians, have the student close their eyes and picture their backpack. Imagine the items they need: the (Math, World language, ELA, etc) folder, the water bottle, the chromebook/iPad. Picture placing each item into the bag one by one. Imagine zipping the bag and feeling how heavy it is when it's ready. Now, open your eyes and check if your real bag matches that picture.
World Language: Close your eyes and hear the word Azul. Picture a giant bucket of bright blue paint. Imagine yourself dipping a brush into the bucket and painting a big circle on a white wall. Feel the smooth movement of the brush. Now, open your eyes and find three things in the room that match the color you just painted.
World Language MS example: Visualize yourself walking into a busy piazza in Florence. What do you notice around you? Picture the fruit stand. See the mele (apples) and arance (oranges). Before you speak, visualize yourself reaching into your pocket, feeling the coins, what do you pull out? Imagine handing them to the vendor while you say, "Buongiorno! Vorrei due mele, per favore." Imagine the vendor's reaction to you.
Art example: Begin by visualizing your space. What brushes do you have next to you? What does the brush feel like in your hand? What type of paint are you using? What does the paint smell like? Are you using an easel or some other type of surface? What type of canvas did you choose? Picture the light you want to bring into your painting. Where do you see dark? Where do you see light? Where are the big patterns of dark and light and gray in between? What shapes are coming into focus?
PE Elementary: Before a relay race or learning to dribble, have students sit in a "power pose" with eyes closed." See your hand touching the ball. Hear the thump-thump on the floor. Feel your knees bouncing like springs."
PE Secondary: As students prepare for an upcoming fitness test. Have them visualize the actions."Visualize the 11th lap. Your lungs are feeling tight. See yourself taking a deep "belly breath." Picture your feet hitting the line right as the beep sounds.
Health: Before practicing how to say "no" to peer pressure."Imagine you are at a party. Someone hands you something you don't want. What does your voice sound like? Is it firm? Do you need to leave the environment? What will you say to leave the situation? Where is the exit? Imagine yourself walking toward the door."
Great Student Rubric - can support the executive function skills of conscious control AND the SEL competency of self-awareness by setting clear expectations. Consider using rubrics to outline what a “great student” looks like and have students self-assess on it periodically.
Consider what a Great Student, Great Athlete, Great Musician, Great Artist, etc. would look like.
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