The Shadow
What are ‘what if’ thoughts?”
✔️ Worry thoughts / imagining something going wrong
“You feel nervous before raising your hand. What could you do?”
✔️ Breathe / try anyway / remind yourself you’re okay
“What is one thing you can do to calm your body when you feel nervous?”
✔️ Taking Deep Breaths
“Farah felt nervous and scared, even though she was brave. What does that teach us about being brave?”
“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you keep going even though you are.”
“Being brave means you are never scared. True or False?”
“False. Being brave means you can feel scared but you still try. Feeling scared is normal and bravery is about what you do next.”
What happens when we keep listening to scary thoughts?”
✔️ They feel bigger / stronger and believe them more.
You have been asked to complete a task at the front of the classroom. You feel like everyone is watching you. You don't want to mess up and have everyone laugh at you. What’s something that can help?”
✔️ “Take a deep breath and focus on the task, not the people. You don’t have to be perfect—just try your best.”
“When your brain is telling you something scary, what is one helpful thought you could tell yourself instead?”
“You can remind yourself something more helpful, like ‘I can handle this’ or ‘I’ll do my best.’ Changing what you say to yourself can help you feel a little calmer and more confident.
Question:
“Farah’s anxiety comes back when she gets lost in the forest. What does that teach us about anxiety?”
“Anxiety can come back, and that’s okay. In the story, when Farah got lost, she had to be brave again and use her coping skills to face her fear—even though it was hard.”
“When your thoughts start getting loud and telling you ‘what if’ what can you remember in that moment?”
“Remember that just because I think something, doesn’t mean it’s true. I can notice the thought without letting it control me.”
“True or False: Having anxious thoughts means something is wrong with you.”
✔️ False- The truth is anxious thoughts don’t mean something is wrong with you. They mean your brain is just trying to protect you, even if it gets a little too overprotective sometimes.”
“You try something and mess up. What would a ‘brave’ choice be?”
✔️ Try again / don’t give up / learn from it
Name one thing that makes you feel calm or safe.”
✔️
“Fidget gets scared too, but he stays with Farah. What does that teach us?”
“You can feel scared and still be there for someone. In the story, even when Fidget was nervous, he stayed by Farah’s side and supported her.”
“What is something important to remember about yourself when things feel really hard or scary?”
“That it might feel really hard—and that’s okay. Just because something feels difficult doesn’t mean you can’t get through it. You’ve handled hard things before, and you can work through this too.”
“Why do you think Farah and Fidget make a good team?”
Because they support each other. Even when things feel scary, they stay together and help each other through it, which makes hard moments a little easier.”
“I need a brave volunteer—someone who’s willing to come up and answer a question, even if it feels a little scary. Who’s up for it?”
In the book Fidget the Ferret puts his paws up to protect Farah. Winnie and the Baldwin Bears put their What up?
CLAWS UP!