One Teenager at a Time : Developing Self-Awareness and Critical Thinking in Adolescents

This book offers educators and youth advocates a comprehensive set of discussions and activities to help develop critical thinking, compassion, self-awareness, and resilience in adolescents. It is designed to complement the unique social and developmental attributes of students this age.

This book is a social-emotional education manual for middle and high school educators. The curriculum contained in this book is innovative, creative, and draws on the most current research in education, mindfulness, and adolescent brain development. It will add a vital piece to the growth and development of middle and high school students as it offers them “soft skills” they will need as they navigate higher education and the workforce. It offers no Right/Wrong solutions and instead helps adolescents explore their own values and beliefs in a shared space that allows for an honest exchange of ideas. Content areas include Compassion, Mindfulness, Self-Worth, Positive Mindset, and Dealing with Stress, Anxiety, and Fear. Each lesson addresses more than one of the CASEL guidelines for social-emotional health, with an appendix mapping the specific skills to each lesson. Educators will find the lessons flexible in that there is no specific progression or required format. They can be delivered in one sitting or across several smaller time periods such as homeroom or advisory periods.