Different feelings
You lose a game that you really wanted to win. How might you feel?
Mad, disappointed, frustrated, sad, embarrassed, etc.
You are playing a game and another student wins. What might the other student be thinking?
“I won!” “That was fun!” “I'm excited!” etc.
You lose a game. What might you think or feel?
Answers will vary.
Your friend doesn't want to play with you right now. What is one possible reason?
They want to do something else, need a break, want to play alone, are tired, etc.
“I lost the game, so the whole day is ruined.”
Flexible or stuck thinking?
Stuck. A more flexible thought could be: “I didn't win, but I can still have fun.”
Two students lose the same game. One student feels frustrated. The other student laughs and says, “That was fun!” How could they feel differently about the same situation?
People can experience the same situation differently. One might be disappointed while the other still enjoyed playing.
Your teacher asks you to stop talking while another student is working. What might your teacher be thinking?
“I want the other student to be able to concentrate.”
“I need everyone to have a chance to work.”
You have to follow a rule that you don't like. What might you think or feel?
Frustrated, annoyed, disappointed, confused, etc.
Someone corrects you. You think, “They're being mean.” Give another possible explanation for why they corrected you.
They are trying to help, explain a rule, keep someone safe, or help you learn.
“My teacher corrected me. That means I'm terrible at this.”
Flexible or stuck thinking?
Stuck. Another possibility: “My teacher is giving me feedback so I can improve.”
Your teacher tells you that you need to fix part of your work. Name two different feelings you might have.
Frustrated, embarrassed, confused, worried, okay, motivated, etc.
A student doesn't want to play the game you suggested. What might they be thinking?
“I don't want to play that game.”
“I want to do something else.”
“I don't like that game.”
A teacher gives you feedback about something you did. What might you think or feel? What might the teacher think or feel?
Answers will vary.
Someone doesn't laugh at your joke. Give two possible reasons why.
They didn't understand it, didn't hear it, aren't in the mood, have a different sense of humor, etc.
“I wanted to go first, but someone else did. That's disappointing, but I can have a turn later.”
Flexible or stuck thinking?
Flexible
A student gets picked last for a team. Name two different feelings they might have.
Sad, embarrassed, disappointed, angry, worried, or they might not care.
You ask a friend a question and they don't answer you right away. Give two possible reasons why they might not answer.
They didn't hear you, they're distracted, they don't know the answer, they're busy, they need time to think, etc.
You want to be first, but someone else gets chosen. What might you think? What might the other student think?
Answers will vary
A student walks past you without saying hi. You think, “They are ignoring me.” Give two other possible explanations.
They didn't see you, were distracted, were thinking about something else, didn't hear you, were in a hurry, etc.
“Someone didn't want to play with me, so they must hate me.”
Flexible or stuck thinking? Give one other possibility.
Stuck. Maybe they wanted to play something else, needed alone time, or weren't feeling like playing.
You don't get invited to something that your friends are doing. Give two possible ways someone might feel about this situation and explain why.
Answers will vary
Your teacher says, “We need to talk about what happened earlier.” Give two possible things the teacher might be thinking.
They want to understand what happened, they want to solve a problem, they're concerned, they want to help, etc.
Someone breaks a rule during a game. Before deciding they did it on purpose, name two other possible reasons it could have happened.
They didn't know the rule, forgot the rule, misunderstood, didn't notice, were distracted, etc.
Someone says, “Fine. Whatever.” Give two different ways they might be feeling or thinking, depending on the situation.
They might be frustrated, disappointed, joking, tired, annoyed, or trying to end an argument.
You don't agree with someone's decision. Give three different thoughts you could have about the situation.
Answers will vary. The goal is to demonstrate that more than one interpretation or response is possible.