It always takes a village:
resources for families & educators
We all learn best through practice and the 3C skills are no different than learning how to play basketball or knit a scarf. If we can create a wrap-around support system for a teenager beginning high school, we can help them develop a positive growth mindset and navigate the leap to high school more successfully.
Topic: Goal-Setting
The website "Big Life Journal" is an excellent resource that offers effective visuals and step- by-step guides for families about how to support their teen in the goal-setting process. The authors consider the teenage need for self-autonomy and suggest ideas that respect that need, but that also allow parents to act as guides and confidantes in their teen's journey.
Teachers can also find value in adopting these tips into the feedback they give their students.
Topic: Communication
Whole Hearted School Counseling provides many downloadable tools and templates to help guide students in goal setting. The site is grounded in supporting social emotional learning (SEL) in adolescents as a way to help them succeed in high school. The personal satisfaction that comes from attaining our goals can go a long way in bolstering our self-esteem and perception of our abilities.
Topic: Confidence and Self Reflection
Topic: Inquiry Learning
The book "The power of questioning : opening up the world of student inquiry" by Starr Sackstein gives an in-depth dive into the role of questions in the inquiry process. Sackstein's first chapter highlights an often overlooked truth: "True, deep learning requires an atmosphere of trust and respect" (2). Sackstein's book can help educators uncover the roles that relationship building and questioning play in Inquiry Based Learning.
TOPIC: Non-Verbal Communication Skills
Nonverbal communication is a large part of how human beings send messages to each other about how we feel and what we are thinking. It is a skill to be able to pay attention to the messages that others are sending through their non-verbal cues.
This blog post from "Everyday Speech" gives an overview of key nonverbal cues to cover with teens. In the classroom, role-playing and media analysis are two effective ways for students to deepen their understanding of the messages sent by nonverbal cues.
Much of our C2 discussion around communication was grounded in creating opportunities for oral communication; it is also valuable for students to be able to decode the physical cues that accompany the words we speak.
TOPIC: Life Skills
It is important to consider the high number of students in our regular classrooms who have IEP’s or specialized learning programs. Creating an inclusive and cohesive class environment requires considering each student’s personal background and academic capacity. The opening page of the site asserts that “understanding oneself is the first step toward making meaningful life choices” and this understanding “helps high school transition students identify their strengths, challenges, and goals, which supports career planning, self-advocacy, social skills, and decision-making” (Transition Abilities, 2025). The transition process may have some general common elements for all students, but it is important to remember that it is also a very individuated process.
TOPIC: Transition Activities for
The suggested strategies and lesson ideas on this website are diverse and identified as being for teachers, families, and even teens themselves. The activities suggested “are designed to assist schools to plan and implement early intervention and prevention strategies to promote belonging and wellbeing in all students as they reach this stage of potential vulnerability” (Reach Out Schools, 2025).
Some activities are more grounded in critical thinking and collaborative learning opportunities; others are more focused on relationship building and establishing community. The latter type of activities emphasize the importance of teachers devoting time at the start of the year to collaborative activities that help students find their voices and build relationships.
TOpic: ROUTINES
This video from Edutopia is a quick overview of the importance of establishing clear classroom routines, allowing practice time for students to try out the routines, and pausing to assess the effectiveness of the routine after some time has passed. Although the video is geared towards teachers, the same lessons can apply to one's home. Maybe the morning routine that worked in elementary school is not going as well in Grade 8. Perhaps the routines or habits a grade 8 has started to develop (i.e. favouring a walk with friends at lunch over eating a meal) are having an adverse effect (i.e. afternoon energy slump due to low blood sugar and hunger).
Talking with your teen about what routines or habits are or are not working in their lives is a great way to support them in their development of organizational skills and their attainment of personal goals.