Week 4: Navigating Emotions and Seeking Support
Preface
Teaching about emotions can feel a bit awkward at first, but it’s one of the most meaningful lessons you can offer your students. When I introduced this lesson to my own class, I saw a lightbulb moment—students realized they could acknowledge their feelings without judgment and take control of how they respond. It’s a powerful shift: understanding that having feelings is okay, but what they do with those feelings is what truly matters.
Objective: Students will explore how to identify and manage emotions, understand when it’s okay to experience certain feelings, and recognize when to seek help if challenging emotions persist.
Why It Matters
Emotions are a natural part of life, and learning to navigate them is an essential skill for personal growth and resilience. Understanding that it’s okay to feel negative emotions, but knowing when and how to seek support, helps students develop healthy coping strategies and fosters emotional well-being.
Main Activities
Class Discussion: Understanding Emotions
- Warm-up question: "What emotions do you think are the hardest to deal with, and why?"
- Introduce the concept that all emotions, even uncomfortable ones, serve a purpose:
Example: "Anger can signal that something feels unfair, and sadness can help us process a loss."Ask students to share examples of how different emotions have impacted their decisions or actions.
Emotion Management Strategies
- Present strategies for managing difficult emotions:
- Name It: Identify what you’re feeling and why.
- Breathe: Practice deep breathing to calm intense feelings.
- Choose an Outlet: Engage in healthy activities like journaling, talking to a friend, physical movement, or brain break corner**.
- Reframe: Challenge negative thoughts with positive or balanced perspectives.
- Activity: Role-play scenarios where students apply these strategies.
Example: "You feel nervous about presenting in front of the class. What could you do to manage that feeling?"
Recognizing When to Seek Help
- Discuss when feelings might require additional support:
"It’s okay to feel sad or frustrated, but if these feelings last a long time or stop you from doing things you enjoy, it’s important to talk to someone."
- Share examples of trusted resources:
- Teachers, school counselors, family members, or helplines.
- Activity: Create a class list of trusted resources and safe people students can turn to for help.
Mindset Mantra
"It’s okay to feel; it’s brave to seek help when you need it."
Teacher’s Note
- Emphasize that emotions are not “good” or “bad”—they’re all part of being human. The key is learning to manage them in healthy ways.
- Encourage students to use their journals to reflect on times when they managed emotions effectively or moments when they needed extra help.
- Consider linking to the journaling prompts page for additional support.
- You can find emotion/feeling/color charts online or create your own visual tool.
For example, use a stoplight system to represent emotions: green for positive emotions, yellow for cautious or alert feelings, and red for intense emotions that might require a break or extra support.
Optional Visual
Create an "Emotion Management Toolkit" poster with strategies listed above for classroom display or student reference.
**Brain Break Corner
- Introduce a Brain Break Corner to provide students with a designated space to reset when emotions feel overwhelming.
- Include activities like puzzles, coloring pages, or quiet reading materials.
- Provide a timer set for up to 5 minutes to encourage quick resets without disrupting learning.
- Emphasize that the Brain Break Corner is a tool for calming and refocusing, not a punishment or avoidance tactic.
- Optional: Discuss with students when and how to use the corner effectively during the day.
Acknowledgment:
This lesson plan was developed collaboratively with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, blending expert insights with creative tools to support educators in fostering growth mindset concepts in the classroom.