Mindful breathing and body scan meditation techniques integrated with daily self-care routines. Develops strategies for balancing life demands and advocating for personal wellness needs.
Students present their Joy Menus to small groups, allowing peers to borrow ideas to add to their own lists. The lesson concludes with a commitment to try one menu item over the weekend.
Using their investigations, students create a visual 'menu' or choice board of their top 5 reliable mood-boosting activities. They illustrate these options to serve as a reference tool.
Students rotate through stations testing different types of positive engagement: creative (drawing), active (jumping jacks), and relaxing (deep breathing). They record how each station changes their energy level.
Students engage in an activity sorting game where they categorize various pastimes into 'Love it,' 'It's okay,' and 'Not for me.' This helps them realize that positive experiences are unique to each individual.
Students define joy and identify what happiness feels like in their bodies. They brainstorm activities that elicit positive emotions and distinguish between short-term fun and long-term happiness.
Students create a personal storyboard or checklist that combines a visual icon with a verbal prompt for task initiation.
Students learn to identify the first three words of a task to lower the barrier to entry and engage the brain's language center.
Students learn to estimate time and use verbal reassurance to reduce overwhelm.
Students talk backward through the steps of a completed sample to make the first step obvious and approachable.
Students practice closing their eyes and creating a detailed mental image of what 'finished' looks like before describing it aloud.
Students design their ideal workspace and create a personalized Focus Plan for future complex tasks.
Learning to catch the mind when it wanders and practicing non-judgmental redirection of attention.
Practicing a visualization technique to block out surroundings and maintain sustained attention during a complex task.
Differentiating between purposeful brain breaks that recharge working memory and distractions that drain it, while learning desk-based reset strategies.
Students categorize classroom inputs into 'Focus Helpers' and 'Focus Stealers' and create a map of their workspace to identify potential distractions.
Students participate in a 'Toolbox Challenge' game where they match specific coping strategies to various change-based scenarios.
Students physically assemble their Coping Toolbox, organizing their breathing cards, self-talk scripts, and sensory tools into a personal kit.
Students shift from rigid to flexible thinking by practicing positive self-talk scripts and creating visual cue cards for difficult moments.
Students learn and practice specific breathing and grounding techniques (5-finger breathing, pizza breath) to lower their physiological arousal during transitions.
Students explore interoception by identifying how their bodies feel when frustrated or surprised. They create a 'Stress Map' to visualize physical signals like heart racing or tight fists.
A foundational lesson for Transitional Kindergarten students focused on identifying basic emotions and the physical sensation of being 'wiggly' (stressed) vs. 'still' (calm). Introduces 'Turtle Breathing' as a primary regulation tool.
Celebrating progress and reviewing all strategies learned over the 8 weeks.
Learning how to apologize and reset after an accidental blurt occurs.
Using detective skills to analyze complex scenarios and determine the best 'Thought Tamer' move.
Applying the filter to specific classroom routines like raising hands and group discussions.
Learning the '5-Second Braking' technique to pause before a thought leaves the mouth.
Exploring how blurting affects friends and teachers, focusing on the social consequences of the 'Outside' thought.
Active practice sorting various thoughts into 'stay inside' and 'can come out' categories through interactive games.
Introduction to the concept of Inside vs. Outside thoughts and the 'Thought Filter' mechanism.
A lesson designed to help students distinguish between Small and Big Problems and choose safe regulation strategies instead of physical reactions. It includes a social story, practice worksheet, and strategy reference guide.
A collection of resources to help students learn and practice mindfulness breathing techniques for self-regulation and focus.
Final reflection, celebration of growth, and planning for the journey ahead.
Reviewing various coping skills and creating a personalized 'Survival Kit' for future use.
Focusing on the power of breath and mindfulness as internal tools for regulation.
Identifying cognitive distortions or 'tricky trails' and learning to reframe thoughts using a 'Thought Compass'.
Understanding the physical 'alarm system' of the body and learning grounding techniques to stay present during 'storms'.
Introduction to the group, establishing norms, and identifying individual stress triggers using the 'Stress Landscape' metaphor.
A hands-on lesson where students build a personal 'calming toolbox' filled with evidence-based strategies for breathing, grounding, and movement. Students learn to identify when they need a tool and how to use it effectively to manage their emotions.
A comprehensive social-emotional learning lesson focused on helping students match the size of their reaction to the size of the problem, specifically addressing impulsive verbal aggression during dysregulation.
A collection of activities and resources to wrap up Term 1, focusing on positive mindset, resilience, and self-care strategies for primary school students.
A foundational social-emotional learning lesson for 2nd graders to understand and practice whole-body listening. Students will identify key body parts involved in listening and apply these skills through a craft and interactive game.
Sixth grade students prepare for the transition to middle school by developing high-level resilience habits and long-term stress management plans.
Fifth graders explore academic and social pressure, focusing on the power of positive self-talk and perspective-shifting.
Fourth grade students investigate the science of the 'fight, flight, or freeze' response and develop logic-based strategies to respond.
Third graders learn to map out their day to identify 'stress spots' and practice proactive planning to minimize overwhelm.
A specialized lesson for mixed-grade classrooms focusing on identifying shared stressors (schoolwork, friendship) and practicing group regulation.
Second grade students explore how to build a personalized 'toolbox' of calm-down strategies to use when they feel overwhelmed.
A focused lesson for 1st graders on identifying where stress lives in the body and learning the difference between 'helpful' and 'unhelpful' ways to react.
A gentle introduction for TK and Kindergarten students to understand feelings of 'tightness' or 'worry' (stress) and simple breathing techniques to feel calm.
Teacher-facing resources for implementing the Skill Squad program, including facilitation guides and sequence overviews.
Teaches a concrete framework for resolving conflicts and the components of a sincere, effective apology.
Explores what makes a good friend and provides practice for initiating and maintaining positive social connections.
Focuses on the mechanics of active listening and the social dance of turn-taking in conversation.
Students will learn to identify physiological signs of big emotions and develop a 'toolbelt' of strategies for managing them effectively.
A social-emotional learning lesson focused on identifying and expressing core emotions through interactive task cards and group discussion. Students learn to recognize physiological and situational cues for different feelings.
A collection of mindfulness practices designed to help students develop self-regulation, focus, and emotional awareness through guided breathing, grounding, and sensory exploration.
A session focused on managing anger by identifying triggers and using "cooling" strategies to prevent an emotional "flare-up."
A session teaching practical steps to resolve disagreements peacefully and find 'win-win' solutions for everyone involved.
A session dedicated to understanding others' perspectives and practicing intentional acts of kindness to strengthen the community.
