Positive Actions through the Second Step curriculum is a program about developing personal character both at school, home and in the community. Becky Lattin along with Natalie Bumgarner and more recently Kami Terry, teach fourth graders in Weiser, Payette and Fruitland lessons from this program.
Lattin shared a little about what they noticed when returning to the classroom after COVID restrictions left them unable to teach these lessons for two years, “Natalie and I witnessed a significant change with our students. Simple everyday interpersonal skills were lacking due to the inability to interact with one another. Additionally, we were seeing electronic devices playing a significant role in self-isolation. Interactive skills such as eye contact, holding a conversation, giving compliments, apologizing, as well as listening were diminishing,” stated Lattin. They continue to see these behaviors.
The ladies are working diligently to adapt the content of their lessons for each group of kids that they teach, “We cover the social gaps that we are seeing in our youth. We teach students practical tools to use in being responsible, making good choices, managing emotions, handling friend problems and we also teach them how to best show empathy, respect and compassion to themselves and others,” stated Lattin.
Recently Lattin shared a lesson with Weiser students on empathy and respect. During this lesson she handed out tokens with their school mantra “Wolverine Way” engraved on them. She challenged the students to look outside themselves and their friend group to do some act of secret/anonymous service to show compassion to someone they will see during their day. “This could be a little note to the custodian or maybe a person on the lunch staff who is particularly kind, or maybe even a simple smile to someone outside the school,” stated Lattin. If the service allows, the student is encouraged to share the token. Lattin shared that students were also encouraged to look out in their community to do their service, such as writing a letter to someone in a nursing or retirement home.
The program likes to incorporate partners from the community and Weiser High Senior Gavin Nagaska is one of Weiser’s partners. Lattin shared that Nagaka has greatly amplified their program stating, “Gavin is a great example of a leader in the community, and we tap into his creative skills to reinforce our message and encourage others to be a positive role model. We are so grateful for his impact to our program and his involvement as a student.”
A fun fact is that Nagaska went through these same lessons when he was a fourth grade student. He is also the one who is behind the tokens, dedicating hours and resources in creating the “Wolverine Way” tokens for the Park School students. In closing Lattin shared, “Hopefully these tokens will be a physical reminder to each student that we are trying to apply all of the skills and tools they have learned in the lessons as we make our community a more kind and connected place to live.”
