When taught social skills such as asking for help, working with others, and making decisions, children are better able to face lifes challenges. This guide offers theories behind and practices for consciously teaching social skills and applying them in the classroom setting to build a sense of community through shared experience and honorable action. The first section of the guide deals with the notion of a classroom community and offers suggestions for turning a group of students into a true community of learners. The second section spells out components of what the book refers to as a culture of caring. The next section provides the practitioner with a variety of group processes and team-building experiences designed to strengthen and maintain the classroom community. The final section focuses entirely on teaching empathy as a social skill in a unit format. Together these four sections emphasize how to name, teach, and transfer specific social skills while creating an emotionally safe and unified classroom environment. Appended are a list of 50 social skills to consider teaching; examples of a social-skills audit and a social-skills teaching template; and a list of training resources. (WFA)