Be a Problem Solver
American School Counselor Association National Standard (ASCA):
Personal/Social Development
A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitude and interpersonal skills to help them
understand and respect self and others.
Materials:
STAR problem solving steps handouts
Lesson Assessment:
Students are able to use STAR to solve common problems in the classroom.
Lesson Preparation
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to utilize and accept personal responsibility in
relationships?
Engagement (Hook):
Counselor writes a math problem on the board to begin discussion of problem-solving using the STAR steps
Instructor Procedures:
1. Counselor writes a math problem on the chalkboard or white board and asks the students what it is. What do you do with a math problem?
2. Counselor selects a student to come up and solve the math problem.
3. Counselor introduces the STAR steps for problem solving, giving each student a copy of the handout. Counselor talks about each of the items and elaborates.
• S = Stop, when you have a problem you don’t rush in with just any solution. You want to take time to look it over and figure out the right solution for the
problem.
• T = Think, take time to think about possibilities, and what could happen with each one.
• A = Act, take the action you think is best for the situation.
• R = Review, think about the choice you made, look it over and if you don’t like the way it turned out go back and think again.
4. Counselor demonstrates how to use the STAR problem-solving steps to solve the math problem on the board, and then tells students that these same steps can be used to solve other problems we face every day.
5. Counselor gives an example of a problem, such as not being able to find a pencil, and takes the class through the STAR process to solve the problem, asking students for input along the way.
6. Counselor names other common problems such as forgotten lunch money or homework, etc. and has students participate in discussing how STAR can help solve the problems.
7. Counselor names a common conflict such as someone cutting in line, and leads them through using the STAR process to solve the problem.
8. Counselor asks students to name other common conflicts, and then has students practice using STAR to solve the problems they have named.
Taken from: http://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/guidelsn/PS2-Gr2-Unit1-Lesson3.pdf
Personal/Social Development
A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitude and interpersonal skills to help them
understand and respect self and others.
Materials:
STAR problem solving steps handouts
Lesson Assessment:
Students are able to use STAR to solve common problems in the classroom.
Lesson Preparation
Essential Questions:
What does it mean to utilize and accept personal responsibility in
relationships?
Engagement (Hook):
Counselor writes a math problem on the board to begin discussion of problem-solving using the STAR steps
Instructor Procedures:
1. Counselor writes a math problem on the chalkboard or white board and asks the students what it is. What do you do with a math problem?
2. Counselor selects a student to come up and solve the math problem.
3. Counselor introduces the STAR steps for problem solving, giving each student a copy of the handout. Counselor talks about each of the items and elaborates.
• S = Stop, when you have a problem you don’t rush in with just any solution. You want to take time to look it over and figure out the right solution for the
problem.
• T = Think, take time to think about possibilities, and what could happen with each one.
• A = Act, take the action you think is best for the situation.
• R = Review, think about the choice you made, look it over and if you don’t like the way it turned out go back and think again.
4. Counselor demonstrates how to use the STAR problem-solving steps to solve the math problem on the board, and then tells students that these same steps can be used to solve other problems we face every day.
5. Counselor gives an example of a problem, such as not being able to find a pencil, and takes the class through the STAR process to solve the problem, asking students for input along the way.
6. Counselor names other common problems such as forgotten lunch money or homework, etc. and has students participate in discussing how STAR can help solve the problems.
7. Counselor names a common conflict such as someone cutting in line, and leads them through using the STAR process to solve the problem.
8. Counselor asks students to name other common conflicts, and then has students practice using STAR to solve the problems they have named.
Taken from: http://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/guidelsn/PS2-Gr2-Unit1-Lesson3.pdf