Your Self Series is written specifically for middle school and high school aged students who are grappling with identity development, morality, the teen scene, tough choices, media exposure and…, well, life! Its experiential nature helps young teens to develop a solid sense of self, the foundation for life success.
Your Self Series Products
The 3 Book Series
Discounted bulk pricing available. Contact us for more details.
The Educator's 411
Overview
The Educator’s 411 provides educators and mental health professionals with the information needed to successfully implement the YSS program with fidelity. The first section of the 411 covers the theory, philosophy and research behind the YSS program while the second section covers the logistics of running the program including steps for classroom management, troubleshooting ideas, lesson enhancements and a chapter-by-chapter log. The Educator’s 411 manual covers all three books so only one book is needed per teacher running the program. (Please click here to learn more about the live PD available for program implementation and success.) A 20% discount is offered for each additional 411 purchased. Please contact us for orders of more than one 411.
Bottom line: One Educator’s 411 is needed for each teacher running the program – it truly serves as a lifeline to success.
Table of Contents
Preface
Your roadmap to Your Self Series success
Your Self Series – Three book table of contents
The story behind Your Self Series
Welcome note
Section 1: Theory
1. How is the educational system helping teens prepare for life?
2. Your Self Series – philosophy
3. Your Self Series and social emotional learning
4. The science and practical strategies behind Your Self Series
5. The benefits of developing self skills
6. Creating connections: the essential aspect to Your Self Series success
Section 2: Practice
7. How are the books and course structured?
8. How long do the books take to teach?
9. What to do ahead of time
10. Session one: introduction to the course
11. Session two: create group rules and sign up for student-led discussions
12. Session three: icebreakers
13. Session four: student-led discussions
14. Session five: teacher review and creative clarification
15. Additional learning opportunities
16. The website
17. Assessments
18. Troubleshooting
Appendices
Appendix A: Your mindset Q&A
Appendix B: Website integration chart
Appendix C: How to be a team player
Appendix D: Your Self Series – calendar templates
Appendix E: Student-led discussion chart
APPENDIX G: Chapter-by-chapter log
Appendix H: Group discussion strategies
Bibliography
Topics Covered
Classroom Technique
- Program length
- Setting up the classroom
- Setting the tone
- First – fourth class
- Teacher review
- Assessment
- Troubleshooting
Theory
- YSS goals
- Building the self puzzle
- Defining self education
- 21st Century Skills
- SEL
Appendices & Tools
- The website
- Assignment charts
- Chapter by chapter log
Assessments
Overview
The Assessments manual contains pre and post testing for each chapter in the three books (as such only one manual is needed for each school running the program). These are quick quiz-like assessments that work well in settings that need to assess but are more limited in time. The manual also contains full length tests for each chapter in every book. These assess the chapter material thoroughly and can be given in open book format if so desired.
Bottom line: The Assessments manual is only needed if you need to assess student work and only one manual is needed per school, as you have our permission to photocopy the individual assessments.
Table of Contents
Section I – Tests
- Book 1
- Book 2
- Book 3
Section II – Pre and Post Assessments
- Book 1
- Book 2
- Book 3
Section III – Final Essay/ Summation Essay
- Book 1
- Book 2
- Book 3
- Series
Section IV – Self Projects
Section V – Group Self Projects
Section VI – YSS Rubric
Reach Before You Teach
Facilitating students’ unique paths towards identity development is the key to teaching young teens.
Students face pressures that undermine the development of a solid sense of self, jeopardizing success in school and in life: Family issues, economic concerns, media influences, social pressures, physical changes, and more influence how students feel about themselves.
When these go unnoticed, even the best teaching methods fall short. Reach Before You Teach shows educators how to form the nurturing, individualized connections that make students feel worthy, fulfilled, and ready to flourish as learners.
The book details:
- Practical, empowering information about how a sense of self comes to be, and what threatens it.
- Interventions that soften the myriad defenses students develop to protect themselves.
- How to address the often-overlooked connections between physical, social, and emotional health and classroom performance.
Packed with real-life examples and results-delivering exercises, Reach Before You Teach supplies educators with the all-important skills to connect with students so academic and life success feels more attainable.
“In our present education system that seems to be caught up with numbers and standardization, this book is a welcomed read. Education will never improve if we don’t make the social-emotional skills of children our first priority.”
—Peter DeWitt, Principal
Poestenkill Elementary School, NY
“This book is a must-read for all who want to encourage self-awareness and self-reflection during classroom instruction and help students feel more connected, curious, and confident! Students no doubt will achieve emotionally and academically with help from the strategies in this book.”
—Dr. Ann Marie Dargon, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Westport Community Schools, MA
Your Stacs
Your StacS are packs of activity cards that prompt elementary aged students to think creatively and analytically about who they are, developing SEL and executive brain functions in as little as ten minutes a day. The cards foster collaboration as students interact with one another on topics such as health, manners and nutrition.Your StacS are fun, affordable and ideal anytime!
Your StacS provide ample opportunity for young students to reflect and share their opinions, developing their sense of self from an early age. We highly recommend that you set aside additional sharing time on the last day so that students can share with a peer an interesting question, response or interaction from the week – something that inspired them, changed their point of view, made them laugh or made them stop and think. You will be amazed at the conversations Your StacS can inspire!
Each pack of Your StacS has 28 color coded cards (to accommodate class sizes up to 28 students). Here’s how Your StacS works: You distribute the cards so that students sitting near each other have different colored cards. They will keep that card for as long as you run the activity. For each assignment (perhaps first thing in the morning, perhaps during snack time) have your students complete the question on their cards. On two days of the week students will be asked to connect with each other according to the topic on their cards, while on two other days, they will be asked to self-reflect on a topic. On the fifth day, students are asked to draw a picture of a silly or unusual scenario – linking the creative right side of the brain to the left.
“I just wanted to let you know what a brilliant idea Your StacS are. It is the easiest (and most fun and creative) way to enable social skills that do not often get taught (and are often overlooked) at school. I love the balance of interactive and introspective activities throughout the week, and the minimal time commitment required gives a teacher no excuse NOT to use them!” ~ Laura Handler, North Carolina Elementary School Teacher
Your Healthy Stacs
Healthy StacS is an activity that uses an investigational approach to learning in order to spur motivation and curiosity about four health issues: diabetes, obesity, heart disease and malnutrition. Your students are referred to as agents and their assignments are called missions. They will meet characters Owen, José, Penny and Dina who are each struggling with a health issue. Your agents’ mission is to gather intel, form units and collaborate to present other agents with the consequences of their character’s lifestyle.
Mission goals: Through a hands-on, interactive and personal approach to learning, students begin to own their learning by reflecting on how various health issues may affect them. This way, students also learn valuable skills in collaboration, communication, organizing, planning and team building.
Healthy Stacs™ is intended for students in grades 4-9. 28 color coded cards in a pack make Healthy StacS™ ideal for classes with up to 28 students. Detailed directions, disease information and additional activities included.
Healthy Stacs™ is easy to implement in a short period of time. Overall, Healthy Stacs™ can be completed in 5 hours of class time with a short follow up one week later.
What Would You Do? Cards
“What Would You Do?” Cards are individual six inch square cards that prompt teens and parents to discuss issues surrounding drugs, alcohol, safe driving, after parties and safe dating. They are sold to PTAs, prevention counselors, parents, and mental health professionals for use in school information packages, prevention events, parent workshops, teen discussion groups and at the family dinner table.
On the front of the cards, teens and adults are confronted with a scenario to contemplate and discuss. On the back, general information and questions are provided to further the conversation.
The five card categories and designs are shown below. You may choose to order a set consisting of one to five cards.
Pricing
The total price = graphic design & processing fee + per card fee.
Graphic design & processing fee
This fee is applied to each order placed and depends on how many different card designs you choose. The fee for one card design is $100. Each design after that is an additional $50. (i.e., five card designs = $300.)
Per card fee
This fee is applied according to the quantity of cards you order, regardless of how many different designs.
- 1-250 cards = $0.52 (52 cents) per card.
- 251-999 cards = $0.39 (39 cents) per card.
- 1000+ Cards = $0.31 (31 cents) per card.
Total Price Calculation
For example, if you order 1,500 “After Parties” cards, you would pay: $100 + (1,500 x .31) = $565.00
If you order 500 each of the five designs you would pay: $100 + ($50 x 4) + (2,500 x .39) = $1,075.00
To order a sample or to submit a full order email: Paula@YourSelfSeries.com
“I had no idea how many questions there were surrounding these topics! These cards helped us navigate some very tough scenarios, thank you.”
~ Stephanie, mother of two, Long Island
“I was afraid to have these kinds of conversations with my father, but the cards made it seem more natural, more real somehow. I’m glad we did it.”
~ Nick, 14, Indianapolis, IN