Whole Child (cont.)

respected, and cared for and are motivated to learn….Our school teaches, models, and provides opportunities to practice social-emotional skills, including effective listening, conflict resolution, problem-solving, personal reflection and responsibility, and ethical decisionmaking” (2013, p. 4).

Another way we can be present is through family game playing. When traveling, some technology-free and fun games are to play “One Word Storytelling” or “Three Things.” In Teaching Social Skills through Sketch Comedy and Improv Games (Amador, 2017), One Word Storytelling is an activity that encourages idea acceptance, engagement with others, and flexibility. One Word Storytelling starts with the first person starting with one word, then the next person saying the second word, the third person saying the third word, and so on until a sentence is made. More sentences can be made until a story is created. In Group Activities for Social Emotional Learning using Sketch Comedy and Improv Games (Amador & Liossis, 2023), more details of the game Three Things is discussed. In short, Three Things is a category short-form improv game that can help stimulate conversation and think of details to add during the conversation. The game starts by chanting “Three Things. Three Things Three Things Three Things. Three Things.” The first player gives the next player a category for example, “Three movie characters.” The next person states three movie characters. However, if they do not know a movie character they can make up an answer, because in improv all ideas are accepted and mistakes can even be celebrated.

A dance party pass can be done in the car or it can be done while at home listening to music. While danceable music is playing, each person can dance and then point at someone to pass the dance to them, the next person dances then points at someone else to who they pass the dance, and so on.

Family pranks can also be fun and can help teach healthy humor and boundary setting with who, when, and where is appropriate for pranks. Parents know their children the best on what pranks could be fun and not scary. However, some ideas could include hiding and jumping out in a silly wig or headband, serving chocolate-covered brussel sprouts instead of cake pops and giving cake pops after the prank, and drawing a mustache on a piece of paper and taping it to their face when they are sleeping. Another could be putting mismatched clothes out for your child that are not theirs, acting as if the clothes are theirs. https://us.jkp.com/products/groupactivities-for-social-emotionallearning-using-sketch-comedy-andimprov-games https://pdo.ascd.org/LMSCourses/ PD13OC009M/media/WholeChild_ M3_Reading1.pdf

There are many ways to connect and be present with our families this summer. While we become refreshed through the presence of our deepening connections, we can carry the ways we have been able to deepen connections over the summer into helping to develop the Whole Child. Whether it is listening, being calm and present, playing a game or a prank we can take these summer presents, paying them forward in deepening classroom connections and increasing trust, thus balancing the neurology of our own, our students, and those around us.

ASCD. (2023). The whole child approach: [Module 3 Reading 1] Relating the five tenets to curriculum and instruction.

Porges, S. (2014). Social connectedness as a biological imperative. https:// isc.training/wp-content/ uploads/2022/07/Porges-Rome2014-Handouts.pdf

Amador, S. (2017). Teaching social skills through sketch comedy and improv games. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. https://us.jkp.com/products/ teaching-social-skills-throughsketch-comedy-and-improv-games

Amador, S. and Liossis, E. (2023). Group activities for social-emotional learning using sketch comedy and improv games. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Shawn Amador, LCSW, is a soon-to-be Registered Drama therapist in Illinois. Shawn founded Social Theatre which provides Social Emotional Learning for students through Tier One school assemblies and group therapy in a clinical setting at CORE Connection in Lisle, IL. She is a grant recipient, award winner, author of two books. Shawn is an adjunct instructor for mental health and counseling programs, and a medical social consultant at the University of Illinois at Chicago.