Leadership Inspirations

Website: https://leadershipinspirations.com/

My second item of interest that I would like to share is a website called Leadership Inspirations. The website includes a section titled “Activities.” This is a great place to look for activities/ideas to do with a small group. You can customize your search by choosing from statements that best describe your group and their needs. For example, you can select that “My group is new or going through a personnel change; My group is focused on individual needs rather than on group cohesion...” Then from the second list, you can select options that include, “Icebreakers, energizers, mixers; activities that improve communication between members to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.” Therefore, these different options allow you to really choose activities that are unique to your group. Once your list of activities is generated and you find an activity that interests you, you can click on it to find more details on how to conduct the activity. It tells you the duration, the team stage it can be used for, the type of activity, and the materials needed. It then explains the set-up of the activity and then provides detailed instructions. It even includes a section that provides different variations to the activity if needed. The best part of this resource is that it includes Sample Debriefing Questions to pose for your group after the activity. Broken into three sets of questions- What, So What and Now What?- it allows for members of the activity to reflect on the purpose of the activity and connect it to the broader group.

            This resource is great since many school social workers run groups. Whether you are looking to get the group comfortable with one another, or your group needs to come together and build community, build trust, resolve any conflicts etc. this is a great place to get ideas. The lessons are very easy to adapt to whatever age group you are working with, as well as the size of your group. This activities can be very impactful and meaningful if you want them to, or they can be fun and silly. They can open discussions amongst the group, as well as provide insight for the social worker.

Anger Management Groups

Anger Management Groups

This item of interest is based off of a CBT-based anger management curriculum called Healthy Choices. This is geared towards high school students, but can be easily adapted for younger students. The goal of this group is to work towards three social and emotional learning goals: 1A.4a: Analyze how thoughts and emotions affect decision making and responsible behavior. This is achieved through focusing on the A, B, C model of the relationship between events, thoughts and feelings. The second goal it focuses on is: 1A. 3b: Apply strategies to manage stress and motivate successful performance. The focus of this goal is to help teach relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, counting backwards and positive imagery. The last goal is: 2D.3a: Evaluate strategies for preventing and resolving conflicts. In this strategy you will help students be able to use assertiveness and positive decision making to stay out of conflicts.

The format is an 8-week session with small groups of students who either have been identified from your experience, the Dean’s office or a teacher referral. Below is an example of what the 8-week outline resembles.

Session Outline

 Session 1 – Introduction

 Overview of the purpose and goals of group

 Review group rules, expectations, and confidentiality

 Icebreaker Activity

 Pre-Test

 Anger Thermometer

 Introduce Hassle Logs

 Session 2 – Triggers and Cues

 Identifying Triggers (Anger Buttons worksheet from Strategies for Anger Management workbook)

 Identifying Physical Cues (body signs) (Physical Cues to Anger worksheet from SAM workbook)

 Session 3 – Anger Reduction Techniques

 Deep Breathing

 Counting Backwards

 Positive Imagery

 Session 4 – ABCDE Model

 ABCDE of Anger Control

 ABCDE Analysis of Student Examples

 Session 5 – Effective Communication

 Assertiveness Training

 Conflict Resolution

 Session 6 – Skill Building #1

 Dealing with an Accusation

 Keeping Out of Fights

 Session 7 – Skill Building #2

 Dealing with Someone Else’s Anger

 Understanding the Feelings of Others

 Session 8 – Review and Closure

 Review of Past Sessions

 Completion Ceremony

Reference:

http://www.schoolsocialwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Anger-managment-group.pdf

Popsicle Surprise Group Activity

Therapeutic Popsicle Surprise (School Edition)

Design:

This activity is designed to be utilized in a school setting. It is best used with small groups of 4-6 students. It can be used as an icebreaker to get to know the group/individual. This activity can be custom designed for any group you are having. It can be tailored for any child/adolescent/teen ages 5 – 19. Each set of popsicles has questions on the back of the popsicles. The questions can be tailored to the appropriate age of the clients and group type.  For example: if you are facilitating a group on anxiety, self-esteem, social skills, healthy dating, life skills, depression, LGBTQ etc you just pick the edition envelope with the questions you desire. There is also an icebreaker edition you can do at the first session of any group.

School Social Work Model:

This item of interest meets the School Social Work model under the practice feature of “Promoting a school climate conducive to student learning and teaching excellence.” This is done by school social workers promoting a psycho-social environment that fosters academic engagement and achievement. This practice is implemented by the school social worker building supportive relationships within and between students and facilitating engagement between students such as small groups. (sswaa.org)

Objective:

The objective of this group activity is to increase open discussion about specific topics and concerns students are having. The goal is to have the students gain trust, knowledge, support, and awareness surrounding the topic and start open dialogue.  

Rules:

Explain to the group that they are at a hypothetical “Ice cream Social” and everyone is there to get to know each other better. Walk around the group and have everyone pick an ice cream/popsicle from the Popsicle Surprise box. Instruct them to lay it on their lap or table and not to flip it over yet. Once everyone has their popsicle ask for volunteers first to flip it over and read their question out loud and answer it (if they wish). If no volunteers just start cold calling on them.

Below are some sample questions from the icebreaker edition:  

1.     What was the happiest memory from your childhood?

2.     What was the saddest memory from your childhood?

3.     Tell the group a joke.

4.     What is something your mother or dad does/did that makes you angry?

5.     Tell the group three things you’d like to change about yourself?

6.     Tell the group three things you like about yourself?

7.     When you feel sad what do you do to feel happy again?

8.     Tell the group three things you worry about?

9.     Make a silly face to the person on your right.

10.  Tell the group one thing you like and one thing you dislike about school and why?

Below is are sample pictures of the Popsicle Surprise box:

          

created by Evette Robinson - Dominican University GSSW

Facing Your Fears Activity Using Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach

Facing Your Fears Activity

Using Harry and the Terrible Whatzit

by Dick Gackenbach

Uses:  Discussions/illustrations of bravery, facing fears, empowerment

Ages: 4-12 (higher depending on developmental level and open-mindedness of the student)

Modalities: Group or individual

Activity:

For younger students.

Ask students to define bravery.  This can be as quick as simply writing their response on the board, or a short discussion.  In groups, students can work in pairs to decide on an answer together.  (Young children usually equate bravery with a lack of fear, you may want to briefly discuss if you can be scared and brave at the same time).

Read the book to the students, asking them to look for times when Harry was brave.  At the end of the story, ask them if they thought Harry was brave.  If it has not been addressed, also ask if Harry was scared.  Define bravery as action in the face of fear, not an absence of fear.

Invite the students to draw a picture of their own Whatzit (or something that they really fear).  As they are drawing, encourage them to add themselves to the drawing, fighting back/attacking their Whatzit.  If you know that the child has a specific fear, you could have them draw that from the beginning, or do a second drawing.  This can be repeated as many times as the child would like, each time identifying a specific fear and including the child “standing up” to the scary thing or situation.

For older students:

Ask the students to define bravery individually or in small groups.  If there is time, discuss examples of bravery from their own lives or in popular media.  Begin discussing the idea that bravery means acting in the face of fear, not the lack of fear.  Everyone feels afraid sometimes.

Read the book, or have a group member read the book.  Ask the students to identify if Harry was brave and when.  

Invite the students to draw a picture of them fighting their own Whatzit or another situation where they fought back against their fears.  These can be very realistic or entirely abstract.  

Have the students share their drawings, explaining the fearful situation and how they responded.  If any of the students get stuck, ask group members for suggestions as to how to face the fear or deal with the situation.  

With the oldest students, continue the discussion by making plans for real life situations.

Gackenbach, D. (1977). Harry and the terrible whatzit. New York: Seabury Press.

Story Sharing and Listening

This is an activity for a group to develop better social skills of sharing, listening, and taking turns doing so. It is effective in a small group of students, particularly groups with a variety of social needs. 

Some students may require more prompts to tell a story, and may not even come near the 3-minute time limit, and some may require fewer prompts, but would be capable of sharing story after story for well over 3 minutes if there were not a timer. I added the element of drawing the stories while listening so that the other students are actively engaged listeners as their fellow participants share. This activity relates to the evidence-based practice of Character Education in social and emotional learning. The Talk and Listen activity applies the Illinois State Social Emotion Learning Standard A.1A.1b. to "demonstrate control of impulsive behavior."

References:

Khalsa, S. S. (1996). Group exercises for enhancing social skills and self-esteem. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.