Name The Feeling
You're playing a game at recess, and your team loses. You feel like yelling at your teammates. What emotion are you probably experiencing?
Frustration, disappointment, or anger.
Someone accidentally bumps into you in the hallway. You want to yell, 'Watch where you're going!' What could you do instead?
Pause before reacting and recognize that it may have been an accident. You could say, 'Please be careful.'
You want to play basketball, but your friend wants to play soccer at recess. What is one fair way to solve the disagreement?
Take turns choosing games, compromise, or find an activity you both enjoy.
You wave to a classmate in the hallway, but they don't wave back. Does that automatically mean they're ignoring you? Give another explanation.
No. They may not have seen you, could be distracted, or might be thinking about something else.
A classmate accidentally knocks your pencil off your desk. Instead of saying, 'What's your problem?!' what could you say?
Hey, you knocked my pencil down. Can you please pick it up?'
Your friend chooses someone else to be their partner. You say, 'Whatever, I didn't want to work with you anyway.' What feelings might you actually be experiencing?
Hurt, jealousy, disappointment, embarrassment, or feeling left out.
A classmate interrupts you while you're talking. You feel annoyed and want to tell them to shut up. What could you say instead?
'Can I finish what I was saying first?' or 'I wasn't finished talking yet.'
Your friend keeps making a joke that you don't think is funny. How could you let them know without being rude?
'I know you're joking, but I don't really like it. Can you please stop?'
Your friend chooses someone else as their partner for an activity. You think they're mad at you. What is another possible reason they made that choice?
They may want to work with someone new, have already made plans, or simply want a different experience.
Your friend keeps interrupting you. Instead of saying, 'You're so annoying!' what could you say to express how you're feeling?
I feel frustrated when I get interrupted. Can I finish what I was saying?'
A classmate corrects your answer in front of the group. You immediately get annoyed and tell them to mind their own business. What feelings might have caused your reaction?
Embarrassment, frustration
Your friend tells you that you're playing a game incorrectly. You feel defensive and want to argue. What could you do before assuming they're trying to be bossy?
Pause, listen to their explanation, and ask, 'Can you explain what you mean?'
You're playing a game with friends, and one person keeps changing the rules. You think it's unfair and start getting annoyed. What could you say or suggest to solve the problem?
'Can we agree on the rules before we keep playing?'
A classmate says, 'That's not how you're supposed to do it!' You think they're being rude and bossy. How might the classmate view the situation differently?
They might believe they're helping you follow the directions or explaining the rules.
During a group project, someone disagrees with your idea. Instead of saying, 'Your idea is stupid!' demonstrate a respectful way to disagree.
'I see what you're saying, but I have a different idea. Can we compare them?'
Your friends start playing a game without inviting you. You get angry and tell them you don't want to be friends anymore. What feelings might be underneath your anger?
You may feel excluded, rejected, mad, or hurt
A classmate says, 'You always ruin the game!' You feel embarrassed and angry. Explain why yelling back might make things worse, and give an appropriate response.
Yelling may turn the disagreement into an argument. You could say, 'I don't think that's fair. We can talk about what happened without blaming each other.'
You find out that a friend shared something embarrassing about you with another classmate. You want to tell everyone one of their secrets to get back at them. Why might this make the problem worse, and what would be a better solution?
It could damage trust, hurt others, and create more conflict. Speak privately with the friend, explain how their actions affected you.
You walk toward two friends at recess. They look at you, whisper something, and start laughing. You assume they're making fun of you. Give two other possible explanations and describe how you could respond without making the situation worse.
They may be sharing a joke or talking about something unrelated. You could calmly ask what's going on, avoid accusing them, or continue your activity.
A classmate says, 'Nobody wants you on our team!' You feel hurt and want to insult them. Demonstrate a response that stands up for yourself without starting an argument.
'That was a hurtful thing to say. You can tell me the team is full without being mean
A friend makes a joke about you in front of others. You laugh along, but later you become angry when that friend makes a small mistake. Explain why you might react so strongly.
You may have felt embarrassed, hurt, or disrespected by the earlier joke but didn't express it.
You're already having a frustrating day. During group work, a classmate tells you to redo your part. Identify your feelings.
You and a friend have been arguing all week because both of you want to make the decisions during recess. Today, your friend says, 'You always have to be in charge!' Explain how both of you might be feeling and come up with a plan that could prevent this argument from happening again.
Both may feel frustrated, ignored, or disrespected. You could agree to alternate leadership, establish rules together, listen to each other's ideas, or take turns deciding activities.
During a group project, a classmate tells you, 'You never listen to anyone else's ideas!' You feel insulted because you think you've been doing a great job leading the group. Explain how both people could have different perspectives.
You might think you're being a helpful leader, while the classmate may feel excluded or unheard.
You're playing a competitive game at recess. Your team loses, and a classmate says, 'We would've won if you didn't mess up!' You feel embarrassed and angry. Identify two feelings, explain why insulting them back might make things worse, and how you would respond.
You may feel embarrassed, frustrated, hurt, or angry. Insulting them could escalate the conflict. You could say, 'I know you're frustrated, but blaming me isn't fair. We all played as a team.'