Kids have so many choices to make each day; so many exciting things to do, so many friends to laugh with, so many battles to win as they grow and establish a healthy self-esteem and an optimistic view of their futures. It is my hope and constant prayer that the kids who come into my class will learn social skills and personal disciplines that will allow them to succeed not only in school, but in life. The academic curriculum for this class will be based on Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and will be interspersed with a research-based social skills curriculum that includes goals, objectives and activities for merging self-control instruction with academics. After years as a teacher and researcher, the author of this curriculum, Dr. Martin Henley, has noted that self-control consistes of 20 specific social skills. These skills are organized into 5 domains: Controlling Impulses, Managing Group Situations, Solving Social Problems, Following School Routines, and Managing Stress. Kids who have gone through this type of curriculum have learned social habits that help them gain more favor with their teachers and community leaders. But, ultimately, more important, they discover each choice they make plays a powerful role in shaping their lives. When kids begin to understand they DO have the power to choose the best, their self-respect soars, and they begin to happily take responsibility for their lives.