Starting conversation
What is one simple question you could ask someone you just met?
“What grade are you in?” / “What do you like to do?”
What is emotional regulation?
The ability to monitor, manage and respond to an emotional experience in a healthy way.
Name two examples of body language.
Facial expressions, posture, eye contact, gestures, personal space, etc.
What is a boundary?
A limit we set to help communicate what we are comfortable or uncomfortable with.
Name one body-language signal that can communicate confidence.
Standing tall, making appropriate eye contact, having an open posture, or speaking clearly.
True or False: A good way to start a conversation is by asking someone an open-ended question.
True
True or False: Being in the Yellow or Red Zone means you are “bad.”
False! All Zones are okay. The goal is to recognize our emotions and use strategies to regulate ourselves.
True or False: You can communicate something without saying a single word.
True.
You tell your friend, “You are not allowed to have any other friends.” Is this a healthy boundary?
No. That's trying to control someone else's choices.
What is the difference between confidence and “fake confidence”?
Confidence comes from believing in yourself, while fake confidence may involve pretending to be better, tougher, or more important than you really feel.
You sit next to someone new in class. Name two things you could say to start a conversation.
“Have you had this teacher before?” “What do you think of this class?”
What does the “O” in STOP stand for?
Observe what is happening—notice your thoughts, feelings, body, and surroundings.
Someone is wearing headphones and looking at their phone. What might this body language communicate?
They may want some space or may not be ready to talk.
Your friend says, “You're so annoying!” during an argument. What would be a better response than yelling back?
Stay calm and say something like, “I don't like being spoken to that way. Can we talk about what happened?”
Instead of thinking, “They're better than me,” you could say:
A. “I'm never going to be good at anything.”
B. “Everyone has different strengths. What can I learn from them?”
C. “I need to beat them.”
B. “Everyone has different strengths. What can I learn from them?”
Someone says, “I love this song!” What could you say to keep the conversation going?
“Me too! What other music do you like?”
Name three physical signs that can tell you that your emotions are getting stronger.
Fast heartbeat, sweating, tense muscles, clenched fists, shaky hands, stomachache, rapid breathing, feeling hot, etc.
Someone rolls their eyes after you say something. What might that expression communicate?
Annoyance, disagreement, frustration, or disbelief.
Put these parts of an apology in the best order:
Say you're sorry → Take responsibility → Explain how you'll do better.
Someone in your class is amazing at basketball, while you're really good at art. You start feeling bad because you aren't as athletic. What could you remind yourself?
Everyone has different strengths. Someone else's talent doesn't take away from your own abilities.
You walk into an after-school activity where you don't know anyone. Give three different ways you could start a conversation.
Answers may vary
You are sitting in class and notice your heart is beating fast, your thoughts are racing, and you feel nervous about giving a presentation. Which Zone might you be in? Name one strategy you could use.
Yellow Zone; deep breathing, grounding, positive self-talk, taking a brief break, etc.
Why shouldn't you automatically assume you know exactly how someone feels based only on their facial expression?
Body language can be misunderstood, and people express emotions differently.
Your friend tells you that something you said hurt their feelings. You don't remember saying it that way. What could you say?
“I'm sorry that what I said hurt you. I didn't mean for it to come across that way, but I understand why you're upset.”
A student constantly brags about being the smartest person in the class and puts other students down to make themselves feel better. Is this healthy confidence? Why or why not?
No. Healthy confidence doesn't require putting other people down or proving that you're better than everyone else.