Lesson 12 Organization Intermediate social communication

Social Emotional Learning Standards*: Identify strategies to make use of resources and overcome obstacles to achieve goals. Apply strategies to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Set priorities in building on strengths and identifying areas for improvement. Evaluate personal abilities to gather information, generate alternatives, and anticipate the consequences of decisions. *(Social Emotional Learning Standards taken from the State of Illinois, as California has no SEL standards at the time that this lesson is being written). Materials Needed: The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens by Sharon A. Hansen FLIPP The Switch: Strengthen Executive Functioning Skills by Sheri Wilkins and Carol Burmeister. Access to internet, cameras (including phone cameras ), projector to display photos.

Task 1: Have students fill out the self assessment form. (Attachment 1) Ask them to be as honest as possible. Have students score the assessment themselves if they are able, or collect and score them yourself to get an idea of which areas they seem to be most lacking. Whole group discussion: Read the story from “The Executive Functioning Workbook for Teens p Allow students to comment. Show some pictures of disorganized spaces. (See Attachments 2-7.) Ask students to comment on these.

Task 2: Small Group Activity: (Set this up with different teachers and school staff prior to this class.) Split the class into small groups and assign each group a specific setting at school. Possible areas to investigate: Cabinets in a classroom, bookshelves in a classroom, bookshelves in a library, a trunk of a car of an employee willing to show it, lockers, desks of teachers, desk of the principal, office worker, or counselor, a nurse’s closet, janitor’s closet; supply room, file cabinets. Students should take pictures of the area and write about how the area is organized (or not organized.) The person (or one of the people) who uses the space or materials can answer the following: What do you do to keep this space organized? How much time do you spend cleaning or ordering this space in the average month? How much time does your organization system save you each month, or how much time does your (lack of) organization cost you each month? Do you have any advice for others about organization in this area? Can you give an illustration of a time when being disorganized or messy resulted in less than desirable outcomes?

Task 3: Small Group Discussion: Discuss your own home and possessions. Tell about areas in your home that are more organized and less organized. What are the benefits of organized areas and items? What are the consequences of areas and things left disorganized? Each member of the group must pick something to organize. It may be a bedroom, a backpack, a dresser, a closet, or any other area at home or school. Plan the process of organizing. If you do not know how to do this, get advice from others or look on line for tips on “How to organize a closet” or whatever area you have chosen.

Organize: You will need to take a picture before you begin. You will need a “before” and “after” picture for your presentation. If you don’t have a camera that you can use, choose something at school to organize. It can be a backpack or purse or even a desk or an area that “belongs” to a teacher who has agreed to allow you to organize it. Organizing is more than just “tidying.” You might need to put systems in place, such as finding or utilizing bins or using labels. Prepare to Report: Prepare a PowerPoint or other report for the class. Summarize your findings from your investigation at school. What did you find? What did people think about their areas? What did different people believe about organization or disorganization? Then, report on the personal organization project of each member of your group. Include visuals (Before and after pictures). Include why you chose the area, the process you used, and the results of your efforts. How easy or difficult will it be to maintain organization?

Task 4: Reports given to the class Task 5: Council. Discuss how this unit went and how you feel about it as a whole group. Task 6: Games Jenga Pictionary