In FocusImproving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time

In Focus 1

Improving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time

How will In Focus help my students?In Focus will help your students develop their social and emotional intelligence. Students will use this critical

form of intelligence to successfully navigate the challenges, relationships, and experiences they will encounter throughout their school years and later in life. In Focus will help your students do the following:

improve their intellectual development and academic performance■■elevate their awareness, management, and expression of feelings■■develop focusing and attention skills■■improve the ability to calm and soothe themselves■■reduce bullying and impulsive behavior■■improve listening and communication skills■■learn how to deal with conflict and stress■■elevate self-esteem and confidence■■strengthen social skills■■increase sensitivity and empathy■■build self-reflection and self-awareness skills■■develop problem-solving skills■■improve teamwork and collaboration skills■■increase social and emotional intelligence■■

Frequently Asked Questions

What is social and emotional intelligence?

It is the ability . . . to identify, manage, and express emotions constructively.■■to control impulses.■■to express empathy.■■to persevere when things get difficult and challenging.■■to communicate and relate effectively with others.■■to work collaboratively in groups.■■to negotiate and resolve differences in a win/win manner.■■

What legislation is currently supporting social and emotional learning?

In July, the Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act of 2011 was introduced into the ■■House of Representatives. It supports evidence-based social and emotional learning in all schools.

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The states of Illinois, New York, Washington, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Kansas, and ■■Tennessee have developed statewide standards connected to social and emotional learning.In Focus ■■ correlates with the goals and benchmarks of the State of Illinois Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003, mandating that social and emotional skills be taught in schools beginning in kindergarten and progressing through high school.

What is current research saying about social and emotional intelligence?

Current research has found that . . . emotion plays a major role in every intellectual process and is a driving force in how children’s ■■brains organize themselves.fear and anxiety interfere with learning, and safety and security support and facilitate ■■learning.the brain has a particular hierarchy of needs that must be met in a particular order. (The ■■lessons in this book are presented sequentially in an order that matches the workings of the brain.)students in schools with social and emotional learning programs score higher on their ■■standardized achievement tests than students in schools without such programs by an average 11 percentile points. (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning—CASEL—conducted a four-year study of 207 school-based programs designed to foster children’s social and emotional intelligence.)students who are taught social and emotional learning are better behaved, more positive, and ■■less anxious than students who aren’t taught these skills.social and emotional intelligence is critical to success in schools, jobs, relationships, and ■■in navigating life challenges. Students who learn to identify, manage, and express feelings constructively are more likely to avoid anxiety issues, depression, and other mental-health disorders. (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence)67 percent of the skills that corporations look for in new employees are related to social and ■■emotional intelligence. It is no longer enough to just teach the traditional core subjects. (Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence)children who by the age of 10 years can delay gratification, control impulses, and modulate ■■emotional expression become healthier, wealthier, and more responsible adults. (Based on the research of Terrie Moffit of Duke University and a team of researchers who followed a group of 1,000 children for 32 years)

What makes In Focus unique?

The structure and sequence of the lessons are built on the findings of extensive brain research.■■The lessons are designed to meet the needs of all three levels of the brain: ■■(1) brain stem = safety; (2) limbic system = emotions and motivation; (3) cortex = thinking.Lessons are quick (10-15 minutes each) and easy to implement, and lessons build on each other ■■day after day.Background information is provided for each lesson, and a script gives the teacher precise ■■words to say; the script can also be paraphrased to suit the class or situation.Many of the lessons tie into the development of reading, writing, and 21st century skills.■■

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Teaching Social and Emotional IntelligenceWe live in exciting times in terms of what we know about the importance of social and emotional

intelligence to students’ academic success and to their overall preparedness for life and its inherent challenges. New technology is also giving us a profound opportunity to observe the inner workings of a maturing brain, especially in students from preschool through high school. We are learning about the powerful role that emotion plays in the functioning of the brain and its ability to learn. We are also learning that social and emotional intelligence is a critical form of intelligence that provides the framework and tools necessary to successfully navigate every endeavor, relationship, experience, and obstacle that children, preteens, and teenagers will encounter in their lives.

What is social and emotional intelligence?Social and emotional intelligence refers to a broad spectrum of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional skills

that endow individuals with the capacity to function effectively in a wide variety of settings. Individuals can identify and manage feelings, control impulses, develop empathy, persevere when things get tough, communicate and relate effectively with others, and work collaboratively in groups.

Emotion plays a major role in every intellectual process and is a driving force in how children’s brains organize themselves. Anxiety and fear interfere with learning, whereas safety and security support and facilitate learning. The brain has a particular hierarchy of needs that must be met in a particular order, and the lessons in this book are presented in an order that matches the workings of the brain.

What are the benefits of social and emotional learning?Social and emotional learning has a far-reaching impact on students’ intellectual development. Students

who are taught social and emotional skills are better behaved, more positive, and less anxious than students who aren’t taught these skills.

These benefits also carry over into students’ adult lives. Students who learn to identify, manage, and express feelings constructively and who form healthy, caring relationships are more likely to avoid violence, anxiety issues, depression, and other mental-health disorders. Clearly, it is no longer enough to just teach the traditional core subjects. In order to prepare our students to be successful in their future professional lives, all schools and teachers need to incorporate social and emotional learning into their daily schedules.

Powerful Lessons in Just Minutes a DayIn Focus provides an essential resource for teachers. It enables you to develop these core learning abilities

in your students by presenting powerful lessons that are simple and quick and build on each other. It is designed to build students’ social and emotional skills in just minutes a day. The program provides you with concise background knowledge for each lesson and with the exact words (in blue type) to say to your students for each activity. And since reading and writing exercises provide one of the best ways to teach social and emotional intelligence, numerous lessons in this handbook can be incorporated into language arts lessons.

Our Common GoalThe goal of our program is to provide teachers and students with the lessons they need to improve social

and emotional skills in the classroom. Needless to say, these same skills will serve students well beyond the classroom and into their adult lives as family members, workers, and citizens.

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An Overview of the Scope and Sequence of In FocusThe scope and sequence of the lessons in this resource are based on the findings of extensive brain

research. This research shows that the needs of the lower levels of children’s brains—which revolve around safety, security, and emotional regulation—must be met before the higher levels of their brains can be accessed fully for learning, reasoning, and cognitive functioning. Emotion plays a major role in every intellectual process and is a driving force in how children’s brains organize themselves. Clearly, anxiety and fear interfere with learning, while safety and security support and facilitate learning. A child’s brain is very complex, but in general terms it has three main areas: the brain stem, the limbic system, and the cortex.

Part 1: Creating Safety, Security, and Connection in the ClassroomThe early lessons in this resource focus on the needs of the brain stem, which is just above the neck.

These lessons aim to create safety, security, and connection in the classroom. The brain stem is responsible for the most essential functions of the body and makes sure that we survive physically. This part of the brain has to be convinced that an individual is safe before the higher parts of the brain can be engaged. The brain stem communicates to the body through physical sensations.

Part 2: Identifying, Controlling, and Expressing EmotionsThe next lessons focus on meeting the needs of the limbic system, which is located just above the

brain stem. These lessons teach students to identify and manage their emotions and to use these skills as a catalyst for effective learning. The role of the limbic system is connected to emotion and motivation. It generates our emotions, which provide us with vital information for making our decisions. These emotions can be focused, harnessed, and managed for the benefit of both students and teachers. The limbic system communicates through emotions and memories.

Part 3: Focusing, Managing, and Harnessing Emotions to Enhance LearningThe later lessons are geared to meet the needs of the cortex and to develop higher-level social and

emotional skills. The cortex is above the limbic system and is located around the top, back, and front of the brain. It gives us the ability to think, reason, analyze, and self-reflect. In order to have full access to the cortical areas of a student’s brain, a teacher must first meet the needs of the brain stem and limbic system. When children feel safe and secure and are able to identify and manage their emotions, they become calmer, more focused, and more productive. The cortex communicates through words.

In Focus provides lessons, goals, and objectives that will empower and inspire, making your teaching life easier. Doing the daily lessons will lower your stress, enable you to manage and improve classroom behavior, save time once spent on discipline issues, and bring more satisfaction to the job. We hope In Focus works well for you and that you have a healthy, productive school year—socially, emotionally, and academically.

Thomas McSheehy, MSW, LSW

BiographyThomas McSheehy is a licensed social worker who lives in Louisville, Colorado. Thomas taught

elementary school for 21 years and has been a social worker and family therapist for 16 years. Tom is the founder and director of Teaching Heart LLC, an organization dedicated to supporting parents and teachers in developing children’s and teenagers’ social and emotional intelligence. Visit teachingheart.com for more information.

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Introduction and Scope & Sequence

Part 1

Creating Safety, Security, and Connection in the Classroom

Week 1Creating Safety in the Classroom •Honoring the Need for Safety •Encouraging Risk Taking •Building a Sense of Belonging •

Week 2Learning About the Brain •Focusing the Brain •Balancing the Nervous System •Making Mistakes •

Week 3Discovering Students’ Strengths: Reading/Writing Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Math/Logic Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Visual Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Movement Intelligence •

Week 4Discovering Students’ Strengths: Music Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Interpersonal Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Intrapersonal Intelligence •Discovering Students’ Strengths: Nature Intelligence •

Week 5Exercising Both Sides of the Brain •Calming the Nervous System •Balancing the Nervous System •Breathing Deeply to Calm the Brain and Nervous System •

Week 6Putting Pressure on the Body to Calm the Brain and Nervous System •Reaching Out for Support •Generating Weekly Goals •Focusing on Random Acts of Kindness •

Table of Contents

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Week 7Discovering the Domino Effect of Positive Acts •Pinpointing the Qualities of Good Teammates •Rewarding Teamwork •Practicing Teamwork •

Part 2

Identifying, Controlling, and Expressing Emotions

Week 8Identifying and Controlling Your Emotions •Paying Attention to Emotion •Creating Tolerance for Feeling All Emotions •Harnessing Emotion Through Attention •

Week 9Increasing Awareness of Emotion •Reading the Emotions of Others •Identifying the Emotions of Characters •Identifying Emotions While Reading •

Week 10Increasing Students’ Awareness of Their Emotional Responses •Feeling Safe to Express Emotions •Focusing Attention on How Characters Express Emotions •Understanding Our Emotions While Reading •

Week 11Sharing Emotions •Expressing Emotions Responsibly •Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Sadness Responsibly •Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Fear Responsibly •

Week 12Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Anger Responsibly •Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Hurt Responsibly •Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Happiness Responsibly •Harnessing Emotion: Expressing Love Responsibly •

Week 13Reaching Out for Support •Generating Synonyms for the Six Emotions •Generating Antonyms for the Six Emotions •Being a Role Model •

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Part 3

Focusing, Managing, and Harnessing Emotions to Enhance Learning

Week 14Strengthening Impulse Control •Building Attention Skills •Using Healthy Peer Pressure to Improve Impulse Control •Increasing Patience Through Challenge •

Week 15Improving the Ability to Focus •Learning to Manage Emotion •Identifying the Emotions in Music •Recognizing the Emotions in Movement •

Week 16Expanding Awareness of Impulsive Behavior •Reading Faces to Identify Emotions •Reading Eyes to Identify Emotions •Reading Body Language to Identify Emotions •

Week 17Brainstorming Ways to Self-Soothe and Calm Intense Emotions •Accessing the Intelligence of the Heart •Focusing on the Heart to Calm the Emotional Brain •Being Aware of Others’ Feelings •

Week 18Standing in the Shoes of a Character •Expressing Emotions Through Writing •Self-Reflecting to Increase Awareness •Making the Best Decisions •

Week 19Improving Listening Skills: “Do You Mean?” (Part 1) •Improving Listening Skills: “Do You Mean?” (Part 2) •Dealing with Conflicts: The Art of Problem Solving and Negotiation •Raising Awareness of Conflicts •

Week 20Finding Conflicts in Novels •Bringing the Conflicts of Characters to Life •Sensing Anger in the Body •Noticing the Connection Between Anger and Hurt •

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Week 21Sensing Hurt in the Body •Reviewing Techniques for Calming the Body and Brain •Calming the Brain During a Conflict •Belly Breathing to Calm the Brain During a Conflict •

Week 22Using the Heart to Calm the Brain During a Conflict •Using Progressive Body Relaxation During a Conflict •Discussing Strategies to Deal with Conflict and Anger •Taking a Break During a Conflict •

Week 23Developing a Positive Attitude: I Think I Can (Part 1) •Developing a Positive Attitude: I Think I Can (Part 2) •Modeling Good Self-Care •Learning Positive Self-Talk •

Week 24Feeling Challenging Emotions and Being Positive •Dealing Effectively with Stress by Building Positive Attitudes •Building Resilience and Bouncing Back •Understanding Highly Sensitive Children •

Week 25Saying “Thanks” •Focusing on Strengths •Preparing for Tests •Using Language Arts to Develop Your Students’ Social and Emotional Intelligence •

Week 26Paying Attention to Emotions While Reading •Extending Empathy to Characters •Helping Characters to Express Their Emotions •Creating a Character Conflict Box •

Week 27Rewriting Story Passages that Contain Conflict and Emotion •Acting Out Story Passages •Writing with Emotion: Happiness •Writing with Emotion: Sadness •

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Week 28Writing with Emotion: Hurt •Writing with Emotion: Anger •Writing with Emotion: Fear •Writing with Emotion: Love •

Week 29Taking Meaningful Breaks to Improve Attention •Enhancing Teamwork by Focusing on Students’ Strengths •Supporting Teamwork •Building Friendships •

Week 30Discussing Service Projects •Picking a Service Project •Planning and Implementing a Service Project •Utilizing Challenges to Increase Teamwork •

Week 31Tapping into the Power of Plays •Writing Play Scripts/Reader’s Theater •Learning to Say Good-Bye •Reflecting on the School Year •

Week 32Increasing Intrinsic Motivation •Focusing on Intrinsic Motivation •Exploring Fairness and Discrimination (Part 1) •Exploring Fairness and Discrimination (Part 2) •

Week 33Experiencing Discrimination •Appreciating Diversity Within a School and Community •Creating Awareness and Strategies to Effectively Manage Negative Peer Pressure •Examining the Pain of Peer Pressure •

Week 34Speaking Genuine Praise •Writing and Acting Out Social and Emotional Learning •Talking About Bullying •Looking at the Connection Between Social Media and Bullying •

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Week 35Helping Students to Recognize Bullying as It Appears in the Media •Standing Up to Cyberbullying •Taking Action Against Bullying (Part 1) •Taking Action Against Bullying (Part 2) •

Week 36Reviewing the Year •Sharing Memories •Finding Value •Resting, Rejuvenating, and Creating Support •

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 1 Focus of the Day: Creating Safety in the ClassroomBackground Knowledge

Remember that the safety activities that you will do with your students each day will meet the needs of the area of the brain called the brain stem.

The job of the brain stem is to scan for danger and to keep us safe. If you feel scared, part of your energy will be stuck in the brain stem and will be focused on survival.

In order for your students to get to the higher levels of their brains (the cortex)—where they can think, analyze, reflect, and create—you must first meet the needs of the lower levels of their brains.

When your students feel safe and secure, their brains and nervous systems will calm down and become more balanced. Then they can focus their attention on listening and learning.

Activity for the Day 1. Today I want to focus on what makes you feel scared when you

are in this classroom, because it is important that you feel safe here. When you feel scared, it is really hard to pay attention and to learn.

2. (It is important for you to model for your students sharing vulnerable feelings and needs that you had as a student or that you have now as a teacher.) Like all of you, I have my own fears. I can remember when I was a student, I . Even now, I still have fears. For example, .

3. (Then share what you need to feel safe.) I feel safe and relaxed in the classroom when I .

4. (Then ask the students to think about their fears.) Now I want you to draw a picture about what scares you here at school. Maybe it is scary to talk in front of the class, or to be in a new grade. Maybe you are scared because you don’t know how kids will treat you.

5. Let’s talk together as a class now. Please stop drawing even if you aren’t finished. Hold up your drawings if you feel comfortable. Does anyone want to talk about what they drew? I will write down what scares you. Let’s see how many of you can share with the class. (Write the students’ fears on one side of a large piece of paper—or on the board or overhead—and what they need in order to feel safe on the other side of the paper. Post the lists in the classroom.)

6. Good job. We now know what scares you at school. During this school year, you will learn ways to help yourselves and your classmates feel safe and calm. Tomorrow we will talk about how you can comfort yourselves when you are scared, so you can use your brains for learning instead of for fighting fears.

Resources RequiredButcher paper, overhead •projector, smartboard, or a white or blackboard

Teacher Self-ReflectionHow does your classroom feel? Do you notice any students who seem anxious or scared? Are you giving off the strong, positive energy that tells your students you will protect them?

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 5 Focus of the Day: Calming the Nervous System Background Knowledge

Breathing brings oxygen to your lungs and then to the cells in your body. Your cells use oxygen to burn food and to create energy. If you don’t breathe deeply, you can get tired very quickly.

Teaching is an exhausting job, and you need to take very good care of yourself. When you take good care of yourself, you also take good care of your students. Your actions speak louder than your words. Every time you choose some quick self-care behavior in front of the class, you are showing your students how to take care of themselves.

Remember that there are two branches to your students’ autonomic nervous systems. There is the sympathetic nervous system that gives them energy to accomplish tasks, and there is the parasympathetic nervous system that slows them down.

Some students will be dominated by their sympathetic nervous systems and will be filled with adrenaline and energy. They may need help slowing down. Some will be dominated by their parasympathetic nervous systems and will feel tired or a little lazy. They may need help getting energized.

Teaching is truly a balancing act . . . balancing your personal needs and the needs of your students.

Activity for the Day 1. Today we are going to focus on how you can calm yourself down

when you feel like you have too much energy. You may have a lot of energy because you are scared or mad or really excited. There are many reasons.

2. Because sometimes you have too much energy, and other times you don’t have enough energy, you need to know how to calm down and balance yourself.

3. I am going to teach you a way to breathe that can really help you to slow down. Follow me.

4. Here’s how it works. Each of you put your hand out with your palm facing me. As you breathe in through your nose, count to five and turn a finger down for each number. (Model it.) Next, let out all of the air through your mouth as you count to five and slowly open each finger. Once your hand is all the way open, we will count again to five. (Do this cycle three times.)

5. Notice how you feel. Are you more relaxed and a little calmer? You can do this whenever you feel like you need to calm down a little bit. This breathing exercise can also help you focus so you can learn better.

Resources RequiredNone •

Teacher Self-ReflectionMake a personal commitment to continue to pay attention to your body throughout your teaching day. When you notice a place of tension somewhere in your body, take a deep breath (or two) and send the energy there. It may take a few tries before you feel the tension ease, but it’s worth the effort, both for you and your students.

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 8 Focus of the Day: Identifying and Controlling Your EmotionsBackground Knowledge

The majority of the daily lessons we’ve covered so far were focused on meeting the brain-stem needs of your students. Remember that the brain stem is at the base of the brain, and its job is to scan for danger and to make sure that your students are feeling safe.

Now it’s time to move from the brain stem up into the limbic area of the brain, which controls emotions. (See the appendix for a drawing of the brain.)

The limbic area is located above the brain stem and about in the center of the brain. It focuses primarily on emotions and motivation.

Activity for the Day(Post the six primary emotions where all the students can see them. You

can use the list in the appendix as a model.) 1. Today we are going to focus on learning about our emotions.

Emotions are the same thing as feelings. 2. Over the past couple of weeks, we have spent time getting to know

each other, feeling safe, finding out what we do well, and learning how to calm ourselves. We have worked hard to make sure that our classroom is a safe place, so that we can relax and learn.

3. It is important first to understand what we are feeling and second to learn how to control those feelings. It’s not always easy, but with practice, it can be done.

4. For the next week, we are going to practice figuring out what we are feeling each day. There are six main emotions that all people feel: happy, sad, angry, hurt, scared, and love. Love can mean the love of a game, a pet, food—anything.

5. Look at my face. I’m going to show you each emotion on my face. This is happy . . . this is sad . . . this is angry or mad . . . this is scared . . . this is hurt . . . and this is love.

6. Raise your hand if you ever feel angry or mad. Raise your hand if you ever feel sad. Raise your hand if you ever feel happy. Raise your hand if you ever feel scared. Raise your hand if you ever feel hurt. Raise your hand if you ever feel love. 7. Yes, we feel all these emotions at different times. And sometimes it

can be hard to know how we feel. 8. Do you ever feel more than one way at the same time, like scared

and angry, or angry and hurt? 9. All emotions are important; otherwise, we would not have them.

So we don’t try to get rid of an emotion, but we do try to learn about it. Emotions are our helpers—they give us information.

12. See if you can notice what you are feeling during the school day. With practice, you will begin to figure out what emotions you are feeling.

Resources RequiredLarge poster or piece of paper •listing the six primary emotions (happy, sad, angry, hurt, scared, and love)Drawing paper •

Teacher Self-ReflectionYou should do just what you’ve asked your students to do: Think about the emotions you’re feeling throughout the day and think about how you might better control or modify those emotions.

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 8 Focus of the Day: Creating Tolerance for Feeling All EmotionsBackground Knowledge

Many of the emotions that cause your students to react to other people or situations are unconscious, which means that students aren’t aware of them.

When your students pay closer attention to their emotions, they will become conscious of them. This is called “awareness,” and the more awareness students have of their emotions, the more control they have over them. Increasing awareness will also help students relate successfully to other people.

Everyone’s brain is wired to be emotional, and emotions affect actions and reactions. But we can choose whether to pay attention to our emotions. Either way, they will greatly influence our lives and actions.

Activity for the Day 1. Today we are going to focus on our emotions and how they can

make us act in certain ways. 2. Has anyone ever noticed that when you feel angry, you act a certain

way, and when you feel sad, you act a different way, and when you feel happy, you act another way?

3. We all feel emotions every day, but some emotions don’t feel very good. It is important to pay close attention to our emotions so we can figure out what to do with them.

4. If you shake up a can of soda pop and then open it up, what happens? (Pause for a response.) Yes, the soda pop explodes or sprays out of the can.

5. Emotions inside your body can act the same as the soda pop inside the can. But if you pay attention to your emotions, you can learn to control them so they don’t explode out of you.

6. Look at my face. I’m going to show you all six emotions. I will say the name of the emotion, point to it on the board, and then show it with my face.

7. When I show an emotion on my face, raise your hand if you felt that emotion today. (Show each emotion. Then look around the room to see how your students have been feeling.)

8. Now let’s talk for a few minutes about whether it’s okay to feel angry, sad, scared, or hurt in school.

Is it okay to enjoy school and laugh sometimes? Why? Is it okay to feel angry or mad in school? Why? Is it okay to feel scared or sad? Is it okay to feel hurt? 9. I want each of you to think of a time when you were in school and

you felt your emotions becoming really strong, like the soda pop in the can. Maybe you were very happy or very sad. Maybe you were angry or scared.

10. Try to pay attention to what you are feeling during the day. We will be learning ways to control those emotions.

Resources RequiredLarge poster or piece of paper •listing the six primary emotionsDrawing paper •

Teacher Self-ReflectionIt is important to examine your beliefs about feeling and expressing emotions.When you were a child, your beliefs about emotions were formed. Many of us grew up in homes and went to schools where expressing emotions was strongly discouraged. Becoming more aware of your own emotions (and how you feel about them) will help you to better understand and connect with your students’ experience of emotion.

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 10 Focus of the Day: Increasing Students’ Awareness of Their Emotional ResponsesBackground Knowledge

Emotions are connected to all learning. The right side of the brain is very important in processing, regulating, and expressing emotions. The left side helps us express our emotions in words.

Self-reflection is such an important social and emotional learning skill. The ability to self-reflect gives you and your students the power to pause and look inward to figure out how and why you are feeling a certain way.

This self-ref lection builds self-awareness and improves our ability to manage emotions and use them in a productive way.

Activity for the Day 1. Today we are going to focus on our emotions and try to figure out

why we are feeling them. 2. Here are two important questions: What emotion am I feeling? Why am I feeling that way? 3. First, let’s the play the “I Wonder” game. 4. I will call out an emotion, and I want you to think about why a girl or

boy might feel that way. Just use your imagination. There are many right answers. Here’s a clue: Think about when you have felt that emotion in your life and then remember what made you feel that way.

5. Here’s an example: I call out the emotion “sad,” you wonder for a little while, and then you say, “I wonder if he is sad because he lost his lunch.”

6. Let’s start the game. The first emotion is “happy.” Think about why a boy or girl might feel happy. Any ideas? (Allow a few students to answer.)

I wonder if she is happy because . The next emotion is “fear.” Think about why a girl or boy might feel

scared. Any ideas? (Allow a few students to answer.) I wonder if he is scared because . 7. Now I want you to listen to the story that I’m going to read out loud.

(A sample story is provided in the appendix. Use that story or one of your own.)

8. I will stop once in a while during the story and call out the six emotions. Please raise your hand when you hear the emotion that you are feeling. Then I will ask a few of you to tell why you are feeling that way. For example, you might say, “I feel sad because the dog is lost.” (Pause every few minutes to ask the class how they are feeling and why.)

9. Great work! When you read or listen to a story, always notice how you are feeling during different parts.

Resources RequiredLarge poster or piece of paper •listing the six primary emotionsA novel or story •

Teacher Self-ReflectionEvery time you look at the clock, identify your emotion and consider why you might be feeling that way. If you are unsure which emotion you are feeling, just guess. With practice, you will develop the ability to identify your emotions.

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 10 Focus of the Day: Feeling Safe to Express EmotionsBackground Knowledge

Our society has strong beliefs and attitudes about emotions. People often will apologize if they cry—even at a funeral—as if they did something wrong. Research shows that being able to feel all emotions and express them in healthy and responsible ways helps strengthen the immune system. When you deny what you are feeling and push the energy down, it can negatively impact your health and your body.

Learning how to feel deeply, manage emotions, and comfort oneself can be incredibly empowering. When your students can identify their emotions and practice feeling them, they will increase their ability to tolerate uncomfortable or difficult emotions without acting out in class. This is such an important skill.

Knowing how or what you are feeling and why you are feeling that way will help you communicate more effectively with your students.

Activity for the Day 1. Today we are going to talk about feeling safe enough to share our

emotions at school. When we know which emotions we are feeling, and we practice feeling them, we will begin to understand them better. Even though some emotions do not feel good, it is important for us to practice feeling them. This is a very important skill.

2. When we know how we feel, it is easier to talk about our emotions with other people.

a. How do you feel about sharing your emotions in school? b. Is it uncomfortable or sometimes a little scary for you? c. What could we do as a class to make it easier for all of us to

share our emotions? d. Does anyone have an idea? 3. (Write down the suggestions on the board or a large piece of paper. Even

a brief discussion can help your students understand the importance of feeling safe to express their emotions.)

4. Please think about these ideas for making all of us feel safe to share our emotions. Which ones do you like best? If you think of other ideas later, you can share them during recess or at a break time in class. Our goal is to make our classroom a safe place to share our emotions.

Resources RequiredLarge poster or piece of paper •listing the six primary emotions (happy, sad, angry, hurt, scared, and love)Butcher paper, overhead •projector, smartboard, or a white or black board

Teacher Self-ReflectionDo you share your emotions with other teachers? If so, what makes you feel safe enough to share? If you don’t, what keeps you from sharing?

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QuoTE oF THE DAY:

Week 35 Focus of the Day: Helping Students to Recognize Bullying as It Appears in the MediaBackground Knowledge

As you know, television, movies, video games, and the Internet can have a tremendous influence on the behavior, values, and attitudes of children.

The media are filled with characters and conversation that do not model or support the development of social and emotional intelligence in children. The characters routinely display bullying behaviors like teasing, hitting, gossiping, belittling, and putting others down. It’s important to discuss these characters and story lines in a way that will help students understand what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Activity for the Day 1. Today we are going to talk about bullying in video games, on

television, and on the Internet. 2. Let’s review what bullying is: one or more children hurting another

child through words or actions. Bullying may be name calling, teasing, leaving a child out, ignoring, hitting, punching, shoving, kicking, or doing other mean things.

3. Now let’s talk about the people you see in the movies, in video games, on television, and on the Internet.

4. First I want to ask some questions. a. How many of you watch TV, play video games, or use the

Internet for more than an hour a day? b. And how many of you have a favorite program you never

miss? c. Can anyone remember a time when someone on this program

teased another person? Please tell us about it. (Allow time for one or two answers.)

d. Can anyone remember someone hitting, punching, kicking, shoving, or shooting a gun at a person?

5. The next time you see the program or play the game, notice what the characters do with their emotions. One wrong thing to do, especially when they are angry or hurt, is to bully others. For example, the characters might tease other characters.

6. I want you to draw a few pictures at home of how the characters were bullying other characters and bring them to school. Here are the things to look for: name calling, teasing, leaving someone out, ignoring, hitting, punching, shoving, kicking, or doing other mean things.

7. Next week we will go over pictures and talk about what you saw. Any questions?

Resources RequiredNone •

Teacher Self-ReflectionView movies and TV shows through the lens of social and emotional intelligence and reflect on what you see.

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Quote of the Day:

Week 35 Focus of the Day: Taking Action Against Bullying (Part 1)Background Knowledge

If you teach social and emotional skills on a daily basis and value them as much as the other academic skills, your students will increase their awareness and knowledge in this area.

The activities in this resource can help your students understand and control intense emotions and tolerate them in others. They will learn how to comfort and calm themselves and how to control their impulses. They will also learn how to work well with others and resolve conflicts in a win/win manner.

There are no guarantees in life, but if your students develop a strong social and emotional intelligence, they will be better equipped to avoid engaging in bullying behavior, and to speak up and take action when others are being bullied.

Activity for the Day 1. Today I want to talk about what you can do if other students are

teasing you day after day. I’m very concerned about this kind of behavior, and I want you to know that I will take immediate action to make sure that you feel safe. Each and every one of us deserves to feel safe.

2. When someone is picking on you, you can speak in a loud tiger voice and say, “No! Stop! This is not okay!” And each of you also needs to speak up for other students who are being bullied. Together, students can be very strong and stop others from doing this hurtful behavior.

3. Speaking up and telling the teacher is a way of taking care of yourself—it is not tattling. Tattling is about small stuff that doesn’t involve a student being hurt. But bullying really hurts people, and it is important to take action. I need everyone’s help.

4. Sometimes, the smartest and safest thing to do is to ignore a bully. Other times, telling me is the best way to take care of yourself and protect others. Remember, you all deserve to feel safe.

5. Why do you think people sometimes are mean to each other? (Have a short discussion.)

6. Always pay attention when you are feeling angry or hurt. Be careful not to act out your anger by bullying other students.

7. There are some good things you can do when you are feeling angry or hurt. What are they? (Pause for responses.) Talking to your teacher or your parent about it is always a good idea. But if that isn’t possible, drawing a picture about your emotions can help. You can also use the breathing exercise we’ve talked about, or listen to your favorite music. Just be sure that you do something to help yourself feel better.

Resources RequiredNone •

Teacher Self-ReflectionReflect on the times when you felt scared and anxious to speak up in life. See if you can reconnect with that fear and anxiety. Power and strength lie behind the fear and anxiety. Have you ever spoken up in spite of the fear and anxiety? Did you feel the power and strength within you when you did? Share your thoughts with your students.