C59: ATL Social Skills for Elementary (1-6)

In this episode, we are trying to examine the social skills that learners need in order to operate in the elementary classroom.

As you enter the elementary age, there seems to be a trend that I have noticed in nearly two decades of education. The older the learner, the quieter they become in a traditional learning environment.  This should not be the case in a PYP classroom, since learners should be posing wonderings, collaborating ideas with others, researching, testing out ideas, and forming conclusions.  So, how is it that we are still seeing quiet students in the upper grades?

Our learners quickly understand that to be considered a “bright” and “good” student, they know when to speak and when to remain silent.  This is part of developing social skills.  In some cases, learners are afraid to speak their minds to avoid ramifications from the teacher.  So, how do we fix this situation, so all learners are actively engaged in refining their social skill development while demonstrating agency?

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