A turnkey intervention, directly to children
Tacky Box acknowledges that the overwhelming requirements placed on teachers mean there is little time in the school day to implement “another program.” One-more-thing fatigue is very real for committed and caring educators. Simultaneously, the need to address children’s mental health in schools is critical. Our solution is to support children with innovative content and hands-on tools to create kinder, more empathetic, more joyful learning environments.
The power of choice
This power of choice paired with a hands-on tool clears the classroom of negativity, tattle-tailing, and disrespect, allowing the teacher to create a safe learning environment. Tacky Box helps build empathy, positive mindsets, and a more respectful culture and aligns with the five CASEL core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.
Educator collaboration
Educators have played a key role in refining the implementation of Tacky Box in the classroom. This collaboration has been and continues to be so important to us that we closely partner with school counselors, teachers, and administrators to ensure that the Tacky Box program is the most effective individual intervention for elementary students.
We have learned from our first 100,000 Tacky Box kids that Tacky Box seems to reach every child. Because children are hard-wired to be prosocial, Tacky Box creates the conditions for them to lean into their natural goodness and develop strong positive habits.
Additionally, Tacky Box supports academic learning not only by reducing behavioral incidences but also by providing the child with a multi-sensory approach to learning through language arts, live-action and animated TV show, reading, music, and art.
Tacky Box is Sequenced, Active, Focused, and Explicit
Step One: Counselors distribute classroom books and provide the link to the animated read-aloud version of the book to teachers who read the story with students prior to the assembly.
Step Two: Tacky Box is brought to life in a fun, memorable way through a live-action and animated TV show, “Tacky Box Time.” The performance engages the child’s senses and helps them understand how unkind words and actions make others feel. They are taught how to use the Tacky Box and they make a personal choice to focus on kindness.
Step Three: Once students have made the “magnificent choice” to be kind, much to their excitement, they are presented with their very own Tacky Box! Students decorate their Tacky Box to instill a sense of ownership and pride.
Step Four: Daily Tacky Box Time is implemented during morning announcements. Students practice their choice by taking a few moments to reflect on their day and write down or journal about tacky words or actions they might have demonstrated or experienced from others. The act of locking these thoughts in the box symbolizes their choice to move toward kindness and connection.A logical step by step learning approach
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Audience participation during the assembly by asking students to make a personal choice.
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Reading in the classroom through classroom books.
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Daily reflection and self-monitoring of individual behavior and the behavior of others.
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Daily writing/journaling and locking up inappropriate behaviors identified during reflection.
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Discussion with counselors and teachers.
Learning new skills
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Tacky Box is an individual intervention laser-focused on teaching students how to interact with one another in positive ways. It has the macro impact of a more respectful school climate.
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Self-Awareness
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Self-Management
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Responsible decision making
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Relationship skills
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Social Awareness
Tacky Box explicitly aligns with CASEL’s five core competencies, resulting in a decrease in behavioral referrals and an increase in instructional time.
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