How to be a STAR Problem Solver

Participation in the Youth Group focusing on anger management and self-esteem issues is providing Boy with valuable interpersonal resources. Despite this being my professional field (I am a child therapist), I am first and foremost a mother. There is no way Boy would accept training from me if he thinks it has anything to do with my work.

Emotional Intelligence is happening big time across the key learning area of Health and Physical Education. Boy spoke volumes last night on the STAR Problem Solving model. The model has come from Boy's Talk: A program for young men about masculinity, non-violence and relationships.

1. Stop and Recognise
   Do I have a problem?
   What is the problem?
   How is my body affected?
   What feelings am I showing?
   What feelings am I keeping to myself?
   
   
2. Think and Communicate
   What do I want to happen?
   What do others want to happen?
   What are the facts of the situation?
   What are my beliefs and opinions about the situation?
   Have I observed, gathered and remembered all the facts?
   Have I clearly expressed my feelings and thoughts?
   What are some different solutions and their consequences?
   Are the consequences safe for and respectful to others?
   Have I consulted others affected about the range of solutions?
   What is the best solution?
   


3. Act.
   Choose the best solution.
   Take action.
   Choose to go back to 'stop and recognise' again if there is no best solution.
   


4. Review
   Observe the consequences.
   If there are no satisfactory consequences go back to step 1.

Happy that he now has a plan to attach his problem solving thinking to, Boy was keen to blu tack the STAR poster to the wall. Yip Yah!!!!!!!!!!! Between that and the rules of Fair Fighting hopefully the Asperger's meltdowns will be easier to manage and leave us all less traumatised.

If ever I have doubts about home schooling Boy, I just need to remind myself of the massive leaps we have already made in emotional intelligence and calm learning. These two things alone are worthy of massive celebration in Boy's journey of home education. I LOVE home schooling. It works perfectly for Boy.

English and Maths: Today we are having the Kinetic Education software installed. As of tomorrow Boy will begin at least three Math sessions a week based on the Kinetic curricula. I intend to fully check their English program and design my own lesson plans to assist Boy to reach an entry level standard for the computer based program from Kinetic. Maths he does with little difficulty. English, well, that's just another potential meltdown waiting to happen.

Movie Review for English: Boy still owes a review from last week. I took him to see Norbit and he loved it. Boy told me he would rate it ten out of ten. While I was away over the weekend, Step Dad took Boy to see it again. Apparently the two of them never stopped laughing. Today Boy is keen to see either Wild Hogs or Hot Fuzz. Oh he's going to scream when I insist he writes up both reviews. Perhaps as a compromise I will suggest that he write only one review and clean his bedroom. The cleaning will be less acceptable than writing a movie review so I'm fairly confident that we'll get two written pieces of work.

Does anybody try making their own movies or short films for home school learning? I'd love to hear about it.