Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 2, Session 3: Making Decisions | Page 39 of 127“Being right up at the focus of attention might make someone feel uncomfortable so there are
emotional reasons for choosing not to sit here. This other chair has a reserved sign on it. Why
wouldn’t people typically sit there?” (Possible response: It’s being saved for someone else.)“Yes, people tend to respect the social rules so this chair represents the social factors involved in
making choices. Lastly, there is a chair facing into a corner that no one chose (or if they did, they
probably turned it to face the right direction). Why didn’t any of you sit there?” (Possible response: I
wanted to see what was going on. I wanted to be a part of the class.)“If you are coming to a class, you probably want to see and participate so this would be a bad
choice. It’s an illustration of the way we make choices that are in line with our goals, our purpose,
and our hopes for the future.“So these are the starting points for many of our decisions. Some we make using logic, others with
our emotions, sometimes we base a decision on social rules, and other times our decision is made
because we want to achieve a goal or we have an expectation.” (Refer to Flip chart 1: Decisions as
you mention these here.)Note: If you are working with street youth or other displaced youth, use different examples about choices they might
make, such as where to go, what to do, whom to be with. For example, everyone made the decision to be present at
the session today.- Invite discussion of these concepts with these questions:
What are some of the things you make decisions about every day without giving it much
thought?
What are some examples of when you have relied upon logic, your emotions, social rules, or
your goals to make a decision?B. Summary
Summarize by saying:
“Sometimes it’s difficult to know what the best decision is in a situation. We can easily become
confused when there are many factors to consider. Today we are going to learn how to identify the
issues or concerns that influence our thinking. And we’ll practice making decisions so you can be
more confident about your own choices in the future.II. Information (35 minutes)
Materials:
Flip chart 1: Decisions
Flip chart 2: Stick Figure
Handout 1: Making Decisions
Handout 2: PAUSE for Better Decisions
Reference copy of Handout 1: Development during Adolescence for use in the Information section Part B,
PAUSE for Better Decisions.