"The Hardy Personality in Theory, Research, and Practice,"
	Meeting Success: Social Support, Resolving Problems, and Effective Communication Skills - Cindyann Wood, Santa Ana High School
	What is a wonder to me is the apparent calm that prevails in the students I teach, at Santa Ana High School. They have grown up in neighborhoods where gang activity is current, drug abuse abounds, and other criminal activity surrounds the inner city school they attend. Such an environment limits life choices. Accessing education offers autonomy. These children are intelligent, responsible, and seem to value above all else love, honor, and respect towards their parents and each other. Yet, attaining educational standards successfully seems to be obscure to many even attending high school. Inner city school students have difficulty achieving, or maintaining a level of success at school that accomplishes passing required courses, learning skills to further their education, and maintaining a level of confidence that would encourage them to continue. Certainly these children have developed skills to endure such an environment. What is worthy to consider is how these skills may be recognized and applied to further their success in all areas of their life. A course I teach at SAHS called, "Communications and Community," attempts to do this. The HardiTraining course with Dr. Deborah M. Khoshaba, Psy. D. and Dr. Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D. through the UCI-Santa Ana Teachers Institute offers substantial resources for accomplishing such goals. These resources include training in: Hardy Coping, Hardy Social Support, Conflict Management Techniques, Hardy Encouragement and Assistance Skills, and Hardy Messenger and Assistance Skills. There are several factors that work as obstacles for these students that keep them from achieving success in school. Students say they have trouble managing their time, balancing priorities between friends and television. They express having trouble staying motivated, or feeling positive about anything. When students do get motivated, they say it is difficult for them to create a quiet place to study. As their teacher I have observed their difficulty attending class regularly, making efficient use of class time, and completing class or homework assignments. Resources from the HardiTraining program offer excellent remedies. In this curriculum unit, cooperative learning groups and problem solving skills will integrate and embrace several strategies for success. This will enable students to overcome problems that keep them from accessing an education that would best serve them and their community. The major themes of this curriculum unit will include strategies on how to get and give social support, how to resolve problems using the conflict resolution process, and effective communication skills. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the same group of students on a regular basis. Initially their meetings will involve activities to build rapport and group bonding. Strategies for success will also include goal setting and action planning for reaching academic and personal victories. It is my hope that as a result of students learning these skills, and how to interact with each other in productive ways, students may arrive at a new place of success they may utilize the rest of their life.