Next, we learned how to use Think, Turn, Tell - an activity where students share their ideas with their partners. In Think, Turn, Tell, the first thing we do is think: I ask students a question, and when they have an answer, they give me a thumbs-up. Once students have their answer, I instruct them to turn and tell their partners. Once they are finished sharing, they show me another thumbs-up so I know we are ready to move on.
Puppy and Snail came to visit and talked about a problem Snail was having. He forgot his lunchbox on the bus, and he knew he couldn't go all day without eating. Puppy encouraged Snail to tell the teacher, but Snail was afraid that the teacher would think he wasn't listening. In the end, Puppy convinced Snail that the teacher is here to help, and Snail should tell her. We talked about the problem and how Snail didn't know how to fix it.
We spent the remainder of our lesson talking about a girl named Tiffany, who was stuck and couldn't finish her writing assignment. Students brainstormed what to do and shared with their partners using Think, Turn, Tell. Next, we shared our ideas as a group. Students continued to share until we came up with the following options.
- Try again one more time
- Ask a friend
- Ask the teacher
We talked about the importance of problem-solving in this order. Because teachers are often busy helping other students, we should try again and see if we can figure it out, then ask a friend, and finally ask the teacher. Next, Snail showed us three ways to ask for help.
- Passive: I'm stuck. I can't do this! (whiny)
- Aggressive: Grrrr. Help me with this! (bossy, demanding)
- Assertive: Excuse me, I'm stuck. Can you help me with this writing assignment? (respectful)
We spent the remainder of the lesson asking for help assertively with different scenarios. We talked about three important things we must do to ask for help assertively.
- Say excuse me.
- Say the problem.
- Ask for help.
