Why it’s crucial to teach students about the psychology of decision making

By SchoolStatus • 2 min

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It’s about teaching life lessons that prepare our children for the future.

We all make thousands of decisions a day. So shouldn’t we begin teaching the psychology of decision-making to our students?

Our guest on Episode 213 of Class Dismissed is a former high school English teacher and the Senior Educational Content Designer for the Alliance for Decision Education. Jillian Hardgrove says that the Alliance for Decision Education is focused on helping students develop skillful processes that are involved in making a decision.

There are a few different decision-making processes for students to learn.

In the moment decisions – For example, if somebody cuts you off in traffic, how might you react to that?
Habits – Exercise, eating healthy, regular mindful practices
Deliberative decision making – going to college, buying a car, selecting a company to work for.

“We have the attitude that it’s better to learn these things when you’re young, and you have the opportunities to practice them, rather than to wait for something negative to happen,” says Hardgrove.

Other Alliance for Decision Education Tools

Hardgrove and her colleagues at the Alliance for Decision Education offer a few different programs and resources to educators.

HabitWise

When students dream about their careers and life goals, they must understand how habits can turn their dreams into reality or get in the way. HabitWise helps middle and high school students achieve their goals by teaching them how to create and track beneficial habits and crush problematic patterns.

Mindful Choices

Mindful Choices is a Social and Emotional Learning program that helps students manage stress and anxiety, increase self-control, and sustain attention.

Listen to Episode 213 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app to learn more about Decision Education.

SchoolStatus

SchoolStatus connects educators and families around the topics that matter most. The company partners with K–12 districts to improve attendance, engage families, and build trust so students can succeed. A recognized leader in data-driven attendance and family engagement solutions, SchoolStatus enables districts and educators to engage families with relevant, timely communications and proactive support on important topics including absenteeism, literacy progress, and overall student readiness. Today, SchoolStatus supports districts in all 50 states and serves more than 22 million students nationwide as a trusted partner in driving better student outcomes.