Emotional Awareness
Name one feeling you might have when a class activity is hard and explain why recognizing that feeling can help you learn better.
Feeling: frustrated / confused / overwhelmed / nervous
Why recognizing helps:
I know I need help
I can choose a strategy
I don’t shut down
helps me ask for help before I get more upset
Example: “I might feel frustrated. Recognizing it helps me ask for help instead of giving up.”
Identify one negative behavior that can make it hard for you to learn in class
Talking off topic
Talking while the teacher is talking
Calling out
Not paying attention
Playing with materials
Avoiding work
What is a simple replacement strategy you could use instead of calling out in class?
Raise hand
Write question down
Wait turn
Name one quick breathing exercise you can use when you feel nervous in class.
Box breathing
4-4 breathing
Belly breathing
Smell flower/blow candle
Why is it important to follow classroom rules for learning and safety? Give one short reason
Keeps everyone safe
Helps learning
Prevents chaos
Fairness
What are two physical signs your body might show when you feel stressed before a test?
Fast heartbeat
Sweaty hands
Stomachache
Shaky
Tight muscles
Trouble breathing
Why does interrupting the teacher or classmates hurt everyone’s learning? Give one consequence for the interrupter and one for classmates.
Why harmful: breaks focus and flow
Consequence interrupter: misses directions / correction
Consequence classmates: distraction / lost time
Name a polite way to ask for help when you’re stuck on an assignment instead of giving up.
“I’m stuck—could you help me?”
“Can you explain this part again?”
“I tried but don’t understand step 2.”
"Can you help me at a later time?"
What is one physical activity you can do between classes to reduce stress and refocus?
Stretching
Walking
Stairs
Wall push-ups
Shoulder rolls
When a class has a “quiet signal,” what should you do when you hear it and why?
Do: stop, look, listen, quiet
Why: teacher needs attention / directions / safety
Describe a simple way to check in with your emotions during the school day (one short strategy).
Pause and rate feeling 1–5
Ask “What am I feeling?”
Quick body scan
Name the emotion silently
List three negative behaviors that often distract others during group work.
Side conversations
Off-task joking
Phone use
Arguing
Not contributing
getting up/ leaving the classroom without permission
Suppose you feel like leaving the room when you’re upset. Suggest a replacement behavior that keeps you in class and helps you manage your feelings.
Ask for break card
Deep breathing at desk
Request quiet corner
Count to 10
Describe how using a personal calming routine (like counting or deep breaths) before a quiz can improve performance.
Improves:
Focus
Memory recall
Calm body
Confidence
Example: “Deep breaths calm nerves so I think clearly.”
Explain how showing responsibility for your materials and assignments supports your own learning and helps the class.
Prepared to learn
Less lost time
Group efficiency
Independence
Respect for class
Explain how labeling your emotion (for example, saying "I feel frustrated") can change what you do next
Helps choose a strategy
Labeling reduces overwhelm and makes it easier to choose a calm action
Stops impulsive reaction
Makes problem clearer
Example: “If I say ‘I feel frustrated,’ I might take a break instead of arguing.”
Explain how repeatedly missing homework can affect your learning and the classroom community
Effects:
Falling behind
Low or failing grades
Stress later
Slows group work
Teacher reteaching
Less responsibility in class
Provide a short step-by-step plan a student could use to replace texting friends during class with something productive.
Example plan:
Put phone in backpack
Write task list
Check off work
Reward with phone after
Explain two strategies a student could use to cope with feeling overwhelmed by multiple assignments due the same week.
Break tasks into parts
Make schedule
Prioritize due dates
Ask teacher help
Study plan
A student keeps arriving late to class and disrupting the start of lessons. Describe a respectful way a teacher or peer could address this, and a rule-based consequence that helps correct behavior.
Respectful address:
Private reminder
Check-in conversation
Offer support
Consequence:
Practice entry routine
Make up missed start work
Reflection
Give an example of a situation at school that could cause mixed emotions, and describe how you would decide which emotion to address first to stay focused on learning.
Example situation: excited + nervous before presentation
Decision: address nervous first → use calming strategy
Why: calming allows focus on task
Other examples: proud + worried, happy + stressed
Describe how blaming others for your mistakes can become a recurring negative behavior and explain one way it affects trust with classmates.
Blaming becomes habit → avoids responsibility, prevents learning from mistakes and reduces classmates trust
Effect on trust:
Others don’t rely on you
Partners feel unfairness
Conflict increases
Create a replacement strategy for a student who often argues with partners during group tasks; include how to practice it until it becomes a habit.
Strategy: respectful discussion routine
Step 1: listen fully
Step 2: use “I statements…”
Step 3: compromise
Practice: role-play + teacher cues + reflection
Goal: becomes automatic habit
Design a 3-step coping plan a student can follow when they feel angry with a classmate, so they calm down and solve the problem respectfully.
Example 3-step plan:
Pause + breathe
Use words calmly
Problem solve together
Goal: calm first → respectful solution
Propose a short classroom agreement (3 statements) that helps prevent negative behaviors and supports self-management during group activities.
Example classroom agreement:
We listen without interrupting
We share work fairly
We solve problems respectfully