Captain Control Teacher Guide Brain Captain Guide
DBT Skills for Mindfulness & Impulse Control
Teacher Resource
Learning Objectives
Identify the difference between "Fast Brain" (Impulse) and "Smart Brain" (Logic).
Understand and practice the Wise Mind (The Brain Captain).
Apply the STOP Skill to manage impulsive urges.
Use 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding to refocus during moments of inattention.
Discussion Prompts
The "Zoom" Feeling:
"What does it feel like in your body right before you do something without thinking? (e.g., butterflies, itchy feet, a 'zoom' in your chest?)"
The Foggy Brain:
"When you're trying to focus but your brain feels like it's drifting away like a balloon, where does it usually go? To a video game? A snack? A story?"
The Captain in Charge:
"If your brain was a ship, who is usually steering it? Is it the Fast Brain, or is the Captain (Wise Mind) at the wheel?"
Materials Needed
Control Center Slides
Pause Power Worksheet
Skill Switchboard Poster
Fidget tool (optional)
ADHD Tip!
Keep this lesson active. Allow the student to stand or use a fidget during the social story. Use high-contrast visuals and frequent "check-ins" to maintain focus.
Lesson Sequence
1
The Brain Hook (5 mins)
Introduce the "Fast Brain" and "Smart Brain." Use the slides to show how they overlap to create the "Wise Mind" (The Brain Captain). Explain that ADHD makes the Fast Brain very loud, but the Captain can learn to use "Brakes."
2
Social Story: Iggy the Inventor (10 mins)
Read the social story from the slides. Pause during the "Choice Points" to ask the student: "What is Iggy's Fast Brain telling him to do? What would his Wise Mind say?"
3
The STOP Skill Drill (10 mins)
Teach the STOP acronym: S top, T ake a breath, O bserve, P roceed. Have the student physically stand up and perform the actions as you call them out. Practice with a mock scenario (e.g., wanting to shout out an answer in class).
4
Scenario Practice (10 mins)
Use the Pause Power Worksheet . Guide the student through identifying the "Impulse Trigger" and choosing a skill from their "Switchboard" to solve it.
Brain Dashboard Slides BRAIN CAPTAIN
Mastering Your Personal Control Center
Mindfulness Impulse Control
Meet Your Two Brains
Fast Brain
🚀 Zooming with energy!
🗣️ Acts before thinking
🔥 Wants it NOW
🎨 Super creative!
Smart Brain
📚 Remembers the rules
🧐 Thinks about consequences
🧘 Stays calm
🧩 Good at solving puzzles
The Wise Mind Captain
Fast Brain
Smart Brain
WISE MIND
"The Brain Captain at the Wheel"
Story Time
Iggy the Impulsive Inventor
Iggy has a Fast Brain . It’s full of gears, sparks, and 1,000 ideas a minute!
Today in Math class, Iggy suddenly thought of a new way to build a flying hamster wheel.
The Impulse!
The "Zoom" feeling hit Iggy’s chest. He wanted to shout: "TEACHER! LOOK AT MY HAMSTER PLAN!" right in the middle of a multiplication lesson.
Wait! What should Iggy do?
The STOP Skill
S
Stop
Freeze! Don't move a muscle.
T
Take
A big belly breath. 1... 2... 3...
O
Observe
What is my body feeling? Why am I zooming?
P
Proceed
Now, make a Wise Mind choice.
The Refocus Radar
5-4-3-2-1 Skill
5
THINGS YOU SEE 👁️
4
THINGS YOU FEEL ✋
3
THINGS YOU HEAR 👂
2
THINGS YOU SMELL 👃
1
THING YOU TASTE 👅
When your brain drifts like a balloon,
use your senses
to pull it back to the ground!
Pause Power Practice Worksheet Pause Power Mission
Brain Captain Training Worksheet
Name:
Date:
🔴 THE STOP SKILL
Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed.
🟢 GROUNDING RADAR
Find 5 things you can see right now.
🟣 WISE MIND CHOICE
What would a Brain Captain do?
Scenario #1
The Shout-Out Struggle
You are in the middle of a test. Suddenly, you remember a hilarious joke! You want to tell your friend sitting right next to you IMMEDIATELY.
What is your FAST BRAIN telling you to do?
Choose a skill (STOP, Grounding, or Wise Mind) and tell how you'd use it:
Scenario #2
The Floating Balloon Brain
The teacher is reading a story out loud. You start looking at a bug on the windowsill, then you think about what’s for lunch, and then you forget where the story is!
How does your body feel when your brain "floats away"?
Use your GROUNDING RADAR. List 3 things you can SEE and 2 you can HEAR in your room right now:
Captain's Challenge!
Tomorrow, I will practice my STOP SKILL when I feel the urge to:
Signed by the Brain Captain
Skill Switchboard Poster BRAIN CONTROL
DASHBOARD
OFFICIAL SKILL SWITCHBOARD
S T O P THE SKILL
🛑 STOP! Freeze your body.
🫁 TAKE a big belly breath.
🧐 OBSERVE your feelings.
✅ PROCEED with a plan.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Radar
5
See
4
Feel
3
Hear
2
Smell
1
Taste
Wise Mind Captain
The space where your Fast Brain and Smart Brain meet.
"What is the most helpful thing
to do right now?"
System Status: Mindful