Why play Hockey in COMPASS/Social Bridges?

The development of our students’ social intelligence is an important part of their education at TCS. One way to do this is to give them purposeful time to practice the skills of good sportsmanship, working cooperatively, respecting personal space, and emotional regulation. When teachers give them competitive challenges in the confines of the classroom, they can discuss a skill then immediately practice it.  In Compass/Social Bridges, 4th grade students have been practicing by playing a game of table hockey where some students were referees, some were goalies, and some were moving players. Giving the students purposeful activities that can cause the bigger feelings of excitement, nervousness, and maybe even frustration allows them to practice bringing those bigger feelings back down to “just right.”