Developing Resilient Youth: Classroom Activities for Social-emotional Competence

Using the most recent research findings on resilience, William Nicoll, PhD, provides educators with a much needed conceptual framework for creating transformative schools and effective classrooms. Developing Resilient Youth suggests that resilience is the missing fourth "R" in education. When combined with "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic," resilience can lead to improved academic and social adjustment in our youth. Developing Resilient Youth is the first book in a series designed to help teachers, counselors, and administrators to develop the skills and strategies necessary for creating truly transformative schools. Such schools strive to develop in students both the academic and the social-emotional skills necessary to succeed and make positive contributions to society. One key component in the overall process of developing transformative schools is the teaching of the five essential social-emotional competencies associated with resilient youth: understanding and respecting self and others; empathy; positive communication; cooperation; and responsible contribution. In Developing Resilient Youth, teachers will find fifty classroom learning activities designed to teach these competencies. Each activity is accompanied by suggestions for follow-up classroom learning activities that integrate the concepts with academic subject area instruction as well as parent homework activities so that parents and teachers can begin to collaborate in the process of developing resilient youth. Working together, teachers and parents will learn to effectively assist children and adolescents to become responsible, cooperative, caring, and contributing young adults, ready to succeed in our global society.