Weather Routine Teacher Guide Routine Starter Kit
Weather Routine Guide
Daily 5-Minute Warm-Ups, Prompts & Exit Tickets
The Inner Weather Metaphor
The "Inner Weather" curriculum helps students visualize and externalize internal feelings. Just like the weather, our emotions are natural, they change constantly, and we can't stop them—but we can choose how we prepare, react, and take shelter.
Morning Weather Reports
5-minute warm-ups to check in with the class
Prompt 1: Current Sky
"If you looked out your 'inside window' right now, what does your emotional sky look like? Clear blue, cloudy, or is a storm rolling in?"
Skill: Emotional Labeling
Prompt 2: Temp Check
"Check your physical body. Are your muscles feeling warm and relaxed, shivering and tense (cold wind), or boiling with high energy?"
Skill: Somatic Body Awareness
Prompt 3: Wind Direction
"Is your mind feeling very 'windy' today (thoughts blowing around quickly), or is it a calm, windless day where you can focus?"
Skill: Focus & Attention
Prompt 4: Rainmakers
"Crying is like rain: it clears the air. When was a time you had an 'inner rain shower' that actually helped you feel lighter and cleaner afterward?"
Skill: Emotional Release
Prompt 5: Lightning Rods
"What is one sudden trigger that can cause a flash of 'lightning' (sudden anger) in your day? How do you know when it is about to strike?"
Skill: Trigger Recognition
Prompt 6: Foggy Minds
"When you feel foggy and confused, what is one little thing you can do to clear up your vision (e.g., take a breath, ask for help, step away)?"
Skill: Problem Solving
Pacing a 5-Minute Morning Transition
Time Activity Teacher Action & Prompt Min 0-1 The Bell Ring Ding a soft chime. Students close eyes, take one big breath, and open their daily weather log. Min 1-3 Weather Mapping Students color or circle their morning "Weather Forecast" icon in their journals. Min 3-5 The Breeze Share Read one Warm-up Prompt. 2-3 student volunteers share or turn-and-talk with peers.
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum Page 1 of 2
Routine Starter Kit
Weather Routine Guide
Daily 5-Minute Warm-Ups, Prompts & Exit Tickets
Afternoon Weather Forecasts
Quick end-of-day exit ticket prompts to wrap up and reflect
Ticket 1: Forecast Change
"Did your inner weather change from this morning? What event or thought caused the cloud to pass or the sun to emerge?"
Reflective Competency: Self-Awareness
Ticket 2: Rainbow Moment
"What was the 'rainbow' (a beautiful, bright moment) of your school day? Who helped make that rainbow appear?"
Reflective Competency: Gratitude & Connection
Ticket 3: Umbrella Sharing
"Did you share your 'umbrella' with someone today? Did you help someone, show kindness, or listen to a friend in a storm?"
Reflective Competency: Relationship Skills
Ticket 4: Clearing Sky
"If you are going home with a cloudy or rainy sky, what is one small self-care step you will take tonight to help clear your sky?"
Reflective Competency: Self-Management
Storm Spotter Intervention Scripts
Teacher phrases for acute student distress or emotional outbursts
Scenario A: The Flash Storm (Sudden Anger / Meltdown)
Say: "I see a very big thunderstorm is here right now. Lightning and thunder are high energy. You are safe here. Let's just sit in our shelter and wait for the rain to slow down."
Goal: Avoid questioning during peak arousal; establish immediate safety.
Scenario B: The Foggy Chill (Withdrawal / Head on Desk)
Say: "It looks like a heavy fog has settled over your desk. Everything feels dark and hard to see. That's okay. I'm leaving a 'Breathing Ticket' here. Let's lift the fog whenever you're ready."
Goal: Validate the low-energy state and avoid pressing for immediate participation.
Scenario C: Windy Restlessness (High Anxiety / Fidgeting)
Say: "There is a lot of wind inside your hands and feet right now. They want to move fast! Let's do three quick balloon breaths together to slow the breeze down just a little bit."
Goal: Frame restlessness non-judgmentally as "wind" and offer immediate tactile grounding.
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum Page 2 of 2
Daily Weather Tracker Worksheet My Daily Weather Tracker
How is the weather inside your heart and mind today?
Name:
Week of:
Our Weather Key:
Sunny (Happy/Calm) Cloudy (Quiet/Tired) Rainy (Sad/Vulnerable) Stormy (Angry/Scared) Windy (Restless/Anxious)
Instructions: Check in with yourself twice a day. Circle your weather forecast in the morning and afternoon. In the notes column, write or draw a picture showing what made your weather change!
MON
Morning Forecast
Circle one
Afternoon Forecast
Circle one
Weather Notes
TUE
Morning Forecast
Circle one
Afternoon Forecast
Circle one
Weather Notes
WED
Morning Forecast
Circle one
Afternoon Forecast
Circle one
Weather Notes
THU
Morning Forecast
Circle one
Afternoon Forecast
Circle one
Weather Notes
FRI
Morning Forecast
Circle one
Afternoon Forecast
Circle one
Weather Notes
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum • Classroom Edition My Daily Journal Sheet
Weather Forecast Slides Unit 1: Emotional Literacy Lesson 1
My Inner Weather
Discovering how our feelings and physical sensations are just like the sky outside.
Inner Weather Curriculum Slide 1 of 4
Our Inner Weather Key
Lesson 1: Feelings
Sunny
Feeling happy, energetic, proud, and calm.
High/Positive
Cloudy
Feeling quiet, slow, tired, or dreamy.
Low Energy
Rainy
Feeling sad, hurt, lonely, or vulnerable.
Low/Negative
Stormy
Feeling angry, furious, frustrated, or scared.
High/Negative
Windy
Feeling restless, nervous, anxious, or silly.
High Energy
All weather is natural and okay! Slide 2 of 4
Your Body is a Weather Station
Lesson 1: Physical Signals
Before your face shows your feelings, your body already knows they are coming!
Emotional weather patterns send physical signals to different "stations" across your body. Listening to these signals helps us identify our emotions before they become overwhelming.
Key Weather Signals:
Stormy: Clenched fists, tight jaw, fast heart.
Rainy: Heavy chest, watery eyes, slouched shoulders.
Windy: Butterflies in tummy, jiggly legs, fast breathing.
Head (Busy / Windy)
Chest (Pounding / Heavy)
Stomach (Fluttery / Tense)
Where do you feel emotions in your body? Slide 3 of 4
Activity: Body Weather Map
Lesson 1: Practice
Open Your Handout!
We are going to color and label our personal Body Weather Maps!
How to Complete Your Map:
1
Pick your weather color: Yellow, Gray, Blue, Purple, or Green.
2
Color the spots: Draw where that feeling sits in your body.
3
Write the weather: List the specific physical signals you feel.
👉 Be prepared to share one body feeling with a partner!
Ready to make your maps? Let's go! Slide 4 of 4
Body Weather Map Worksheet My Body Weather Map
Color where you feel emotions inside your body!
Name:
Date:
Instructions
Use colored pencils or crayons to color the body outline on the right. Show where each "Inner Weather" feeling lives in your body!
Example: If anger makes your hands feel tight and hot, color the hands purple!
Color Key:
SUNNY (Yellow)
Happy, calm, relaxed
CLOUDY (Gray)
Tired, slow, quiet
RAINY (Blue)
Sad, lonely, hurt
STORMY (Purple)
Angry, frustrated, scared
WINDY (Green)
Restless, silly, worried
My Weather Report Reflection
1. When I am feeling Stormy, my body feels:
2. When I am feeling Sunny, my body feels:
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum • Lesson 1: Feeling the Breeze Body Mapping Worksheet
Breathe Out Clouds Slides Unit 2: Self-Regulation Lesson 2
Breathe Out Clouds
Using our breath as a gentle wind to clear away our heavy rain clouds and stormy skies.
Inner Weather Curriculum Slide 1 of 4
Our Breath is the Magic Wind
Lesson 2: Core Concept
We cannot control our weather, but we CAN control our wind!
Deep, slow breathing sends a message to our body's weather station. It signals that we are safe, allowing our storm clouds to pass and inviting the sun back out.
Just 3 slow breaths can completely change your nervous system's weather forecast!
Inhale Cool Air
Hold Safe Space
Exhale Blow Cloud
Inhale deeply through your nose like smelling a flower, then blow out slowly like cooling warm soup.
Let's try our first pattern! Slide 2 of 4
Balloon & Star Breathing
Lesson 2: Methods
The Balloon Breath
Put your hands on your tummy. As you breathe in, imagine blowing up a huge colorful balloon in your belly. Feel your belly expand!
Inhale: Expand 4s Exhale: Deflate 4s
The Star Breath
Using your finger, trace up a point of the star as you breathe in. Hold at the tip of the point. Trace down the other side as you exhale.
Trace Up: Breathe In Trace Down: Breathe Out
Try these with your teacher now! Slide 3 of 4
Let's Practice: Finger Tracing
Lesson 2: Practice
Get Your Tracing Sheet Ready!
We are going to use our worksheets to visually trace and calm our weather.
How to Practice:
1
Lay your paper flat on your desk.
2
Place your index pointer finger on the START dot.
3
Slowly move your finger along the path while breathing with the arrows.
👉 Repeat each drawing 3 times and see how you feel!
Close your eyes and breathe... Slide 4 of 4
Breathing Patterns Worksheet My Calming Wind Patterns
Practice using your breath to clear your inner skies!
Name:
Date:
Finger Tracing Guide: Use your pointer finger to trace along the paths below. Move your finger slowly as you breathe in, hold, and breathe out. Focus on the physical feeling of your finger sliding on the page and the cool air in your nose.
STAR BREATHING
Start at the dot. Trace up to breathe in, hold, and trace down to breathe out.
START
Inhale Up
Exhale Down
Hold at Tip
OCEAN WAVE BREATHING
Ride the waves! Breathe in going up, hold at the peak, and blow out going down.
START
Hold (Peak)
Inhale
Exhale
DEEP BALLOON BREATH SPIRAL
Place your finger at the center. Inhale slowly as you trace the spiral outwards to blow up your balloon. Hold for a moment, then exhale as you trace it back into the tiny center!
START
INHALE (Tracing Out)
EXHALE (Tracing In)
My Breathing Reflection
Which breathing pattern helped you feel the calmest?
Star Ocean Wave Balloon
Write one sentence about how your physical body feels now:
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum • Lesson 2: Breathe Out Clouds Finger Tracing & Breathing Worksheet
Storm Shelter Slides Unit 3: Coping Strategies Lesson 3
My Storm Shelter
Assembling our personal toolkit of calm-down strategies to feel safe during emotional storms.
Inner Weather Curriculum Slide 1 of 4
What is a Storm Shelter?
Lesson 3: Safe Spaces
A safe, quiet space for your mind to rest when feelings get too big.
When high-energy storms (like anger, panic, or heavy sadness) arrive, we can't always make them disappear instantly.
But we can crawl into our "Storm Shelter" —a toolbox of healthy, quiet actions that keep us safe and help us wait out the rain.
Your Coping Toolkit
A combination of things you can do, things you can say, and things you can hold.
What tools fit inside your shelter? Slide 2 of 4
Our Menu of Coping Tools
Lesson 3: Strategy Menu
Wind Down
Use Star Breathing or Balloon Breaths.
BREATHING
Doodle Sky
Draw or sketch your feelings out.
CREATIVE
Talk It Out
Ask an adult or a safe buddy for help.
SOCIAL
Quiet Space
Read a book or squeeze a squishy toy.
TACTILE
Which strategy sounds like your favorite? Slide 3 of 4
Activity: Design Your Shelter
Lesson 3: Practice
Design Your Calming Suitcase!
We are going to choose, color, and cut out the tools that help us feel safest.
How to Build Your Toolkit:
1
Choose your top 4 strategies: Select from the bottom cards or write your own.
2
Color and cut: Color your toolkit suitcase and your strategy cards.
3
Assemble: Place or glue your coping strategies inside your suitcase box!
👉 Keep these coping cards handy to use whenever a storm rolls in!
Time to build our Storm Shelters! Slide 4 of 4
Calm Down Toolkit Worksheet My Calming Storm Shelter
Select, color, and pack the tools that keep your heart safe!
Name:
Date:
How to Build: Color the Storm Shelter Suitcase below. Then, choose your favorite 4 coping strategy badges from the bottom of the page. Color them, cut them out on the dotted lines, and glue them inside your suitcase! You can also draw your own custom tools in the empty space.
My Shelter Suitcase
GLUE STRATEGY BADGES HERE OR DRAW YOUR OWN COPE TOOLS
Cut Out Badges (Pick 4 to glue above):
Star Breathing
Trace my fingers on a calming star.
Quiet Squeeze
Squeeze a soft ball or desk clay.
Draw It Out
Doodle my feelings on paper.
Cold Water
Take three slow sips of cold water.
Quiet Read
Flip through a friendly storybook.
My Own Tool:
Draw my own strategy!
Inner Weather SEL Curriculum • Lesson 3: Storm Shelter Coping Skills Suitcase Assembly Sheet
