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Note to teachers: This will be the final SEL mini-lesson of the 2020-2021 school year. We have created and delivered just over 180 lessons per grade band this year. I hope that your students have reflected, connected, and developed their social and emotional skills. I want to thank you for the time and dedication that you've put into having these discussions with your students. We will close with a lesson that will be shared across all grade bands. Thank you, be well, and have a great summer:)

Intro: We've mentioned the word "contagious" many times this year. In the year of COVID-19 how could you not? From face masks to hand washing to social distancing we've taken many steps to avoid being contagious to the people around us. Who's ready to switch gears and move on from a year that has been full of challenges? I know I am. Let's talk about a different kind of contagion, one that I hope you spread far and wide this summer. What is this contagion? It's a smile:) And we happen to have a Tik Tok hero who's showing us all that smiles are contagious. Take a look at the following video and let's see if you "come down" with a smile as you watch:)

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. What did you learn about your social and emotional self in the past year?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

We've spent a lot of time talking about the Five Competencies of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness this. Can you share one thing that you've learned about your social and emotional self in the past year?

Closing: Smiles beget smiles. Kindness begets kindness. Care begets care. Put good things into the world and we get good things back. I hope your summer is filled with joy, happiness, and smiles:)

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Intro: We have a story today that will hopefully show you the impact that kindness and care can have on an individual (or in this case a fish:)) Our video today tells the story of "Monstro" a ten year-old fish who was abandoned at a local pet store. Unwanted and without a caring owner, Monstro was looking pretty rough. Then a women came into the store, saw Monstro, felt bad for him, and eventually adopted him. Take a look at the impact the kindness and care showed by his new owner had on Monstro. I think you'll be pretty shocked by his transformation.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

How do you show the people around you that you care? How does this care impact them?

How do you show care to yourself? How does your self-care practice impact you?

Closing: Care for the people around you. Care for yourself. Give yourself an others an opportunity to shine like Monstro:)

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Woman Adopts A 10-Year-Old Goldfish And Completely Transforms Him | The Dodo Faith = Restored

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Responsible Decision Making: Problem Solving

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Responsible Decision Making: Problem Solving

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Intro: We have a simple and quick lesson for you today. One that will focus on problem solving. How are your problem solving skills? They might be a bit better than you think. Problem solving is a part of human nature. We wouldn't be here today as a species if it wasn't. And it's not just humans, all living things find ways to solve problems and overcome obstacles. Let's watch a video of a bird working through a problem related to finding a drink. This bird sees a bottle filled with rain water but is unable to get its beak deep enough to get a sip. How will our bird get a drink? Take a look at the video to find out. Following the video we'll come back to acknowledge and share our problem solving abilities as a class.

Model: What problems have you solved in the last year? What problem solving strategies or skills did you use in the process?

Questions for students:

What problems have you solved in the last year? What problem solving strategies or skills did you use in the process?

Any current problems that you are in the midst of solving? What's the plan, strategy or skill that you'll use to solve this problem? How does your history of effectively solving problems impact your confidence in relation to your current problem?

Closing: Problems are a part of life, we're going to face them. Solving problems are also a part of life and I'd be willing to bet that your history as a problem solver is a pretty successful one. Find confidence in that:)

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Self-Management: Happiness Chemicals and How To Get Them

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Self-Management: Happiness Chemicals and How To Get Them

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Note to teachers: Print out the linked handout and give to students prior to discussion.

Intro: We're going to spend some time today talking about a group of hormones that we all have in our body that have come to be known as the "Happiness Chemicals". The happiness chemicals are as follows: dopamine, oxytocin, endorphin, and serotonin. These happiness chemicals act as mood boosters and have the ability to relieve stress and anxiety while enhancing...you guessed it, Happiness:) The cool thing is that we can take some control over our body's ability to produce these hormones by diving into some easy and enjoyable activities on a daily basis. Take a look at the Happiness Chemical Chart and let's think through some ways in which we can activate our happiness over the summer.

Questions for students:

Dopamine (The Reward Chemical) What are some things that you can do this summer to kick up your dopamine production? What's your favorite summer food? What goal do you look forward to achieving this summer?

Oxytocin (The Love Chemical) What are some things you can do this summer to kick up that oxytocin production? Who are you looking forward to socializing with? Who will you help? How will you help them?

Endorphin (The Pain Killer) What are some things you can do this summer to kick up your endorphins? What's your favorite summer physical activity? Who will you laugh with this summer? What song will be your "song of the summer"?

Serotonin (The Mood Stabilizer) How will you get that serotonin this summer? What is your favorite outdoor summer activity?

Closing: Knowing about the happiness chemicals and how to get them can be a big help to our self-management practice. Now we can be proactive in our approach to creating positive and happy emotions. That's pretty cool:)

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Intro: Generosity and kindness go a long way in making an impact in our community. Today's video tells the story of a man named Woody Davis. A man who was loved by all who knew him because of his kindness and generosity. This is both a sad and heart warming story. One that I hope motivates you to lead with kindness in your interactions with the people around you. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on Woody's story. What are some ways in which you could follow his lead in caring for the people in your community?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on Woody's story.

What are some ways in which you could follow his lead in caring for the people in your community?

Closing: There is power in treating the people around you with kindness and care. The power to spread happiness and joy. The power to leave a legacy of loving kindness just like Woody did. If you ask me, that's pretty cool:)

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On the Road: Saying goodbye to a local legend

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Relationship Skills: Small Talk - Siblings

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Relationship Skills: Small Talk - Siblings

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Intro: We're going to watch a video today where some young kids talk about their siblings. Do you have siblings? We'll talk more about that later as well as ways in which we can keep our relationships with our siblings healthy. For now though, let's watch the video.

Model: Do you have siblings? tell us about them? If you don't have siblings tell us about a close friend who might as well be a sibling.

Questions for students:

Do you have a sibling? Can you tell me about them? If you don't have a sibling tell me about a friend or a maybe cousin who you treat like a sibling?

Do you ever have disagreements with your siblings? Can you share your story along with how you solved your disagreement.

What are some ways in which you let your sibling know that you care about them?

Do you have any tips to share on "how to get along with a sibling"?

Closing: Celebrate, strengthen, and cherish the relationship that you have with your sibling (or loved one who's as close as a sibling)

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Responsible Decision Making: Respect (and learn from) Your Elders

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Responsible Decision Making: Respect (and learn from) Your Elders

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Intro: Think of the people in your life that are older than you. People who may be in their 60's, 70's, or 80's. Do you take the time to talk to and learn from these people? Well you should, because with age often comes experience, wisdom, and lessons that you can use in life. We have a video today that showcases an 85 year-old boxing instructor. You may think that an 85 year-old is way past his prime in any kind of boxing activity. take a look at the video and you'll see that time has only sharpened this mans boxing skills.

Model: Who's someone that's a lot older than you that you learn from? What lessons do you learn from this person?

Questions for students:

First off, what did you think of this guys skills on the speed bag?

Who's someone that's a lot older than you learn from? What lessons do you learn from this person?

Closing: Listen to and learn from your elders. They have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge on a variety of topics.

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Self-Management: Using The Encouragement of Others To Try New Things

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Self-Management: Using The Encouragement of Others To Try New Things

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Intro: Sometimes it can be a little scary to try new things. When we find ourselves a bit fearful prior to taking on a new challenge it can often be of benefit to receive some encouragement from the people around us. I bet you have a lot of people who cheer you on, give you pep talks, and maybe even take the time to show you how to do something. Listening to these people and accepting their advice and encouragement is a component of a strong self-management practice. Let's take a look at a cute video that show's a 95 year old man give some encouragement along with a little demonstration to a young boy who's learning to jump off a diving board.

Model: Who gives you encouragement? how does this encouragement help you to manage a challenge?

Questions for students:

First off, what did you think about the video?

Have you ever received encouragement as you tried to take on a new challenge? How did that encouragement help you to manage that undertaking?

Who is someone that is a source of encouragement for you? How does it make you feel to know that this person has your back?

Have you ever been the one to give someone encouragement? Who did you encourage? What did you say?

How does it feel to encourage and support the people around you?

Closing: We all can use the help, support, and encouragement that the people around us provide. Lean into that support because it can really be helpful to us in managing a challenge:)

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Veteran gives young diver a lesson in courage

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Note to teachers: We have a bit of a different activity for today's lesson, one that all students (PK-8th grade) will participate in. We're going to do a self-awareness self portrait inspired by artist Nate Williams. The goal is for students to create a profile that contains words or even drawings of the things that are either on their mind or are important to them. A detailed lesson plan is linked below. Have fun, be creative, help your students express their self-awareness through this creative exercise.

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Below you'll find an easy step-by-step tutorial video for a self portrait art lesson for elementary students. It mixes simple profile drawings with creative writing, and was inspired by an amazing artist and illustrator, Nate Williams.

Nate Williams Tutorial Video

This self portrait art lesson for elementary students was inspired by the artist Nate Williams. It asks students to draw a simple profile of themselves and fill it with simple descriptive words. Variations of the hair and clothes are encouraged, but the basic idea is to You can check out more of Nate's work on his website literally fill their head with things that are important to them.

Nate Williams is an artist and designer who creates illustrations and hand lettering for magazines, books, packaging and advertising. His clients have included some pretty famous names, like the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Target, New York Times and Coca Cola. Nate's whimsical style of drawing is perfect for young artists to imitate because it is so simple, yet so creative. HERE.

The one tip I would emphasize is that the portraits look best when the letters are as big and varied as they possibly can be. Students can use initial caps, all caps, cursive, any style at all. This is one time when they can break away from all the writing "rules" they usually follow, and try something new.

As a teacher, I would go so far as to give students extra credit for every different lettering style that shows up in their drawing. A lack of emphasis about this will tend to have them go on auto pilot when writing, and fill in each area the same way, as if writing on ruled paper. This is one time to encourage them to literally get creative with their writing.

Join "The Daily Draw" below to get this free download!

Reader Inspiration

Nate Williams Boy Coloring Page

Nate Williams Girl Coloring Page

Materials for a Nate Williams Portrait

Drawing Paper. This is the good stuff you can buy in bulk for a good price.

Pencils. I like how this brand always makes nice dark lines.

Black Marker. A permanent marker will give you a dark black color.

Crayons. The larger packs are nice for more color choices.

Note: All of the above are Amazon affiliate links.

Directions for a Nate Williams Portrait

Time needed: 35 minutes

How to Draw a Nate Williams Self Style Portrait

1. Trace the lines with a permanent black marker.
Fill the spaces with words, planned in pencil first.

2. Trace the words with crayons 2 times to make them dark.
Paint all the sections with watercolor paint.

More Self Portrait Art Lesson for Elementary Students

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Self Portrait Art Lesson for Elementary Students: Draw like Nate Williams Tutorial Video

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Inside you'll find easy self portrait art lessons for elementary students. Stop by and download yours for free.

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Intro: When we practice social-awareness we work to develop an awareness and understanding of people and cultures outside of our own. A great way to learn about other cultures is through the music that comes out of those cultures. Let's introduce you to the music of a guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. Rodrigo y Gabriela are an act that's based in Mexico City. They play a style of music that reflects their Mexican and Spanish roots. Take a look at the video and we'll come back and talk about how music influences your awareness and understanding of other cultures.

Model: Share your thoughts on Rodrigo y Gabriela. How has music increased your awareness and understanding of other cultures?

Questions for students:

First off, what did you think of Rodrigo y Gabriela?

What music is representative of your culture?

Are there any musical performers who have helped you learn about other cultures? Who are the musicians and what culture did you learn about?

Every culture creates and enjoys music. What does this tell us about the similarities and connections we have as humans?

Closing: An easy and enjoyable way to increase your social awareness is to seek out and connect with music from different cultures. So hop on YouTube and do some learning through listening:)

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Intro: A component of a solid relationship skills practice as defined by CASEL includes "offering support and help when needed." We have a video today that captures this component of relationship skills in action. The video shows a man named Maurice Cheeks offering support and help when it was greatly needed. Maurice is a former NBA player who made the All Star Team, and won a championship in his Hall of fame career. Since his playing days he's been the head coach of three different NBA teams. He currently is an assistant coach for the Bulls. The video you'll see today took place in the midst of a hotly contested playoff series when he was the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. Take a look as Maurice  saves a young girl from a really tough/embarrassing situation.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video and Maurice's actions.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video and Maurice's actions.

Maurice has had an incredible career in the NBA both as a player and as a coach. Do you think the relationship skills that he showcased in this video have played a part in his success? How so?

Has someone ever offered you support and help when you really needed it? Can you share your story?

How can we use Maurice's example to impact our relationship skills practice?

Closing: Even with his playing and coaching success this moment is what most fans think about when they think of Maurice. That's pretty cool. So follow Maurice's lead and offer help and support to others when they need it. Doing so is a part of a strong relationship skills practice.

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Remembering Maurice Cheeks' incredible anthem gesture, before issue was so polarized | OTL | ESPN

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Responsible Decision Making: Managing Frustration With Tact

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Responsible Decision Making: Managing Frustration With Tact

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Intro: Do you ever lose your cool, flip your lid, or blow a gasket? It happens from time to time as we all get frustrated. Here's the thing though, flipping out is rarely, if ever, a good look. Having a plan to manage your frustrations in a healthy and constructive way is an example of making a responsible decision. Let's take a look at a video of some tennis players who did not have a frustration management plan. Take a look to see how that worked out for them.

Model: What impression were you left with from watching these tennis players lose their cool? What steps do you take to avoid losing your cool?

Questions for students:

What impression are you left with of these players after watching them lose their cool?

Have you ever lost your cool and acted out in a way that wasn't very constructive? What did that feel like? How did you feel after the dust settled and you had some time to reflect on your actions?

What is your process to managing frustration? How does this process help you to avoid an embarrassing "freak out."

Closing: Keep cool, stay calm, manage your frustrations.

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The epic smashes and tantrums of day 8 | Australian Open 2019

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Intro: Let's talk about fear. Fear is a tough emotion and like many of our tough emotions, it can be a difficult one to manage. One way to manage fear is to reflect on the things in our past that scared us that we were able to overcome. I bet we all have fears from our past that we look back on and think "I can't believe I was afraid of that.":) Well guess what? There's a good chance that we'll look back on some of our current fears in the same way. Let's take a look at a video that shows a pretty common fear that we've all (hopefully) conquered by now.

Model: What is something that you look back on and think "I can't believe I was afraid of that."

Questions for students:

Let's get this out of the way first. We've all conquered our fear of our own shadow right?

What is something that you look back on and think "I can't believe I was afraid of that."

How can our experience of overcoming the fears of our past help us to manage the fears of our present?

Closing: You have an extensive history of managing emotions, challenges, and even fears. Have some faith in your ability to work through the things you're dealing with today:)

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Intro: We're going to take a bit of a step back today to watch a read aloud of a book that is targeted for a younger audience. This is a read aloud of the book "The Reflection in Me" which tells a story of self-compassion. When we were younger many of the books that we read focused on developing a caring relationship with ourselves. That caring intrapersonal relationship is important to our emotional health. As we get older we might might not get exposed to this theme as often and may loose track of the importance of treating ourselves with kindness and care. So let's take a step back and watch the read aloud to get reconnected with this very important lesson.

Model: What do you like about you? What do you do to strengthen and nurture a caring relationship with yourself?

Questions for students:

First off, how'd it feel to watch a read aloud of a children's book? Even though you are not of the targeted age group could you still connect with the theme of the book?

What do you like about you?

What do you do to strengthen and nurture a caring relationship with yourself?

Closing: Sometimes it can be a good idea to take a step back to focus on the basics in our self-awareness practice. Be aware of how you talk to yourself. Just like the character in this read aloud take the time to appreciate who you are along with the attributes that make you, you:)

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Intro: There is a city, who's entire population comes to a standstill for one-minute on one day each year, to commemorate the sacrifice of their ancestors in the battle against Nazi Germany. That city is Warsaw, Poland. The people of Warsaw give us a great example of a social-awareness practice when they come together to honor their history. Let's take a look at a people and city united in reverence.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. What impression are you left with?

Let's talk about our city. Can you imagine the people of Chicago doing something like this? Why or why not?

If the people of Chicago came together to commemorate it's history or a cause what would you suggest that we honor?

Closing: Unity, togetherness, connection. All components of a strong social awareness practice. We can learn a lot about these components from the people of Warsaw. I'm hopeful that in time we can become more unified and connected as a city. And you know what? If we all strengthen our social awareness practice, I'm confident that we can get there.

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Hat tip to Sally Santellano from St John de la Salle for sharing this video.

Intro: When we think about relationships we often think about people who are a constant in our lives like friends, family members, teachers, and classmates. Occasionally though we have chance encounters with people we don't even know. Sometimes these chance encounters develop into a bigger relationship, and sometimes they turn into a relationship that only lasts for a couple minutes. How do you practice your relationship skills in these chance encounters? Let's hear a story of one of these chance encounters as we learn of a woman who unexpectedly helps a young girl through a difficult time. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. How do you practice your relationship skills with the strangers that you run into and interact with.

Questions for students:

Let's talk about the video. What thoughts, feelings, emotions did you experience as you watched?

What relationship skills did Emily practice when meeting Raelynn? Did Raelynn recognize and appreciate these skills?

How do you interact with the strangers that you run into on a daily basis? What relationship skills do you practice in these encounters?

Closing: You have the power to make a difference in a person's live on a daily basis. Practicing kindness with the people you encounter is one sure fire way to unlock that power. Be kind, always:)

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Jogger with dog offers comfort to grieving child during father's funeral

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Responsible Decision Making: We're Going To Chicago

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Responsible Decision Making: We're Going To Chicago

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Intro: I want to introduce you to Khalil Herbet. Khalil is a running back from Virginia Tech University who was just drafted by your very own Chicago Bears. We have a video today that shows the draft day reactions from Khalil and his family as they learn that he is headed to Chicago. The focus of this video is Khalil's mom reading a letter that he wrote to himself as a high school student. Khalil wrote this letter to himself five years ago. The letter was for an assignment that asked "where do you want to be in five years?" Khalil's "five year plan" listed goals related to what he wanted to do and who he wanted to be. Having a five year plan containing a detailed description of goals and dreams is an example of responsible decision making. Let's take a look at the video.

Student activity: Write yourself a letter. Where do you want to be and who do you want to be five years from now. Include goals and dreams that you would like to reach and fulfill in the next five years.

Note to teachers: Once letters are complete you can choose to have students read out loud and share their letters with classmates.

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"We're Going To Chicago!" Khalil Herbert Draft Day Story

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Intro: It's ok to not be ok. Have you heard this statement before? Often times we associate it with the fact that it's ok to be feeling emotionally down from time to time. I think we can extend that definition a bit though. I think we can extend it to our abilities in different areas of our lives. How often do you stress about not being good at something? Be it an academic subject, a musical talent, or our abilities on the playing field, we all probably spend some time worrying about not being good enough. It takes awhile to get really good at something and there is a lot of value in the journey on the road to mastering a skill. A value that you may miss if you avoid all the things that may be difficult for you. We have a video today that shows two young skiers making their way down a mountain. The first skier is skilled, the second skier, not so much. I think this second skier will show us that it's ok to not be ok...in fact, it can be pretty darn funny to not be ok:) Take a look.

Model: Have you ever learned a lesson, had a great experience, or even a good laugh while doing something that you weren't vey good at? Share your story.

Questions for students:

Let's talk about the video. The first skier, good at skiing. The second skier, not so much. Which skier was more entertaining to watch?

We got a little laugh from that second skier. Do you feel like you're laughing at, or laughing with that skier? Why?

It's ok to not be ok. Have you ever learned a lesson, had a great experience, or even a good laugh while doing something that you weren't vey good at? Share your story.

Closing: When we embrace imperfection and accept that learning is a process, we are more likely to embrace who we are and where we are. Doing this can really lower our stress, and is a great example of practicing self-management.

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Hat tip to Jared Criss from Academy of St Benedict the African for sharing this video.

Intro: When we practice self-awareness we work acknowledge and identify emotions. Sometimes these emotions can be tough emotions. Sometimes those tough emotions can make us cry. And you know what, that is ok. Feeling a tough emotion, and expressing that emotions through tears is normal, healthy, and human. Let's watch a video where a renowned Karate instructor teaches a young student a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. What's your impression of the lesson taught by the instructor?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. What's your impression of the lesson taught by the instructor?

Did any words or statements shared by the instructor make an impact on you? What was said? Why did it have an impact?

When we cry we're able to process emotions more effectively than if we were to hold those emotions in. Have you ever experienced this? If comfortable share an example of a time when shedding a few tears helped you to acknowledge and manage a tough emotion.

Is it ok to cry? Explain your answer.

Closing: When we practice self-awareness we explore our emotions, all of our emotions, even the tough ones. If you feel that it is ok to learn, that it's ok to grow, then I hope you feel that it's ok to cry.

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It's Okay to Cry: Detroit martial arts teacher Jason Wilson gives life lesson to 9-year-old student

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Intro: Social-awareness: the abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. We have a video today that lives up to this definition. A diverse group of young kids, recognizing and empathizing with the struggle of a teammate, come together to help him out. These kids took a difficult situation and turned it into a memorable and inspiring moment. They were amazing teammates and ultimately thats what social awareness is, being a good teammate to the people in your community. Take a look at the video.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

What emotions did you experience watching the video?

What emotions do you think the kids in the video experienced?

What can we learn from the kids in this video about our own social-awareness practice?

Closing: We'll keep this closing short, sweet, and simple. Be a good teammate:)

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Children in Karate Class Cheer Kid on While Kicking Board - 1042142

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Relationship Skills: Hard Working Son Buys His Dad a New Truck

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Relationship Skills: Hard Working Son Buys His Dad a New Truck

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Intro: How do you let people know that you care? A key relationship skill is being able to show care for the people that you're close to. We can do this in a lot of different ways and we'll talk about how you show that you care in a bit. But first, we're going to take a look at a video where a hard working son buys his hard working Dad a new truck. It's a pretty cool video and I think it gives us a great example of how to let a loved one know that they're cared for. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. How do you think the dad felt? How do you think the son felt? How did it make you feel to watch it?

Who's someone in your life that you care for? If you could give this person a life changing gift what would that gift be?

We're not in the position to be buying trucks for anyone but we still can show that we care. How do show your loved ones that you care for them?

Closing: Show some love. Maybe one day you can buy a loved one a car (and I bet you can if you put your mind to it) but in the mean time you can show love and care in many different ways...so do it:)

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Hard working son bought his dad a new car, his reaction is priceless, Happy Freakout

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Responsible Decision Making: Compounding A Mistake

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Responsible Decision Making: Compounding A Mistake

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Intro: We strive to have a strong responsible decision making practice. We want to make good choices 100% of the time. With that said, we know that we can't be perfect, and poor decisions and mistakes will be made. So what do we do when we make a mistake? Do we double down on that initial poor decision, compounding our mistake? Or do we take a step back, analyze our choices to determine where we went wrong, and redirect our actions in a more responsible way. Hopefully you choose the latter. When we compound our mistake or poor choice, we often make a bad situation worse. We have an example of a compounding mistake in today's video. Watch as an initial bad decision is compounded, turning a bad situation into something much, much, worse.

Model: Share your thoughts on the decision making practices of this UHAUL driver.

Questions for students:

A lot going on in this video. Share your thoughts.

Let's try to break down the decision making process of this driver. How did this situation go from bad to worse? What was this driver thinking?

Let's take it from the initial mistake, driving a truck that was too tall into a garage with a low clearance. What could have been done after that initial mistake to avoid the "carnage" that followed?

Let's talk about you. Have you ever had a compounding mistake? A string of poor decisions that made a situation go from bad to worse? What happened? What did you learn from that situation? How can you avoid something like that in the future.

Closing: How do you avoid a compounding mistake? Usually the best way is to acknowledge or admit that you were wrong and redirect your actions in a more responsible way. When we do this, we avoid things like we just witnessed with this UHAUL driver.

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Self-Management: Frustrated? Cool Down and Get Peace of Mind With This Quick Meditation

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Self-Management: Frustrated? Cool Down and Get Peace of Mind With This Quick Meditation

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Intro: Did you know that meditation is one of the most widely used forms of self-management? Well it is, and many people rave about the power and effectiveness of this practice. Will you be one of those people who rave about the power and effectiveness of meditation? I guess there's only one way to find out. We're going to do a guided meditation today. A meditation designed to ease frustration. This will be the easiest assignment you'll ever have. Sit comfortably, put your head down on your desk, and follow along with the voice you'll hear in this meditation.

Note to teachers: This is a ten-minute meditation so we'll cut out the discussion portion for today. Simply jump to the closing.

Closing: Maybe you found some peace and relief in that meditation and maybe you didn't. If you didn't no big deal. Self-management is a personal practice and you can find some other strategies and resources that can help you to manage emotions, stress, or frustration. If you did enjoy the meditation, great! There are thousands of quick meditations available on YouTube. Do some digging and find a few that work for you:)

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Frustrated? Cool Down and Get Peace of Mind with this Quick Meditation

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Intro: When we practice self-awareness we develop the ability to acknowledge and identify our emotions. Occasionally those emotions that we acknowledge and identify are difficult emotions. Emotions like sadness, anxiousness, even feelings of depression. At times in the past, there was a stigma associated with acknowledging, identifying, and being open about experiencing tough emotions. Some people even saw it as a sign of weakness. Things are thankfully changing now. We're starting to see difficult emotions for what they are, a part of life that we all experience. When we share these feelings we put ourselves in a better position to address and manage these emotions. Leading the charge to being open and honest about tough emotions is NBA superstar DeMar DeRozan. He used to fight feelings of anxiety and depression in silence. He now acknowledges and shares his struggles in an open and honest way, and he's helping both himself and others by sharing his story. Let's hear from DeMar.

Model: Share your thoughts on DeMar's commitment to mental health awareness. Why is this an important undertaking?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on DeMar's commitment to mental health awareness. Why is this an important undertaking?

DeMar mentioned that he had a hard time opening up and sharing his struggles with difficult emotions. Why do you think DeMar, and people in general have a hard time talking about mental health?

Should people feel embarrassed or ashamed if they find themselves in a struggle with difficult emotions? Why or why not?

What are some things that we can do to help ourselves if we find ourselves feeling down, anxious, or struggling with a personal issue?

Closing: It's ok, and normal, to find ourselves feeling not ok from time to time. If you find yourself in a tough spot emotionally, follow DeMar's lead and talk about it. Connect with a counselor, a trusted adult, or a dear friend of family member. When we acknowledge what we're feeling we put ourselves in a position to manage those feelings...a pretty great example of a strong self-awareness practice.

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DeMar DeRozan opens up about mental health: 'It's all about helping others' | ESPN

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Intro: We have a big word that we are going to talk about today and that word is called "perspective". When using the word "perspective" in talks related to social awareness it means "how we see things". I might see something different that you see something. You might see something different than I see something...and that's ok. We have a read aloud today that is going to test our perspective. It's called "Duck! Rabbit!". Take a look and let's see which animal you see:)

Exercise for the day: In lieu of a discussion let's try to get students to explain their perspective while appreciating the perspective of their classmates. Split the class up into Team Duck (students who see a duck in the drawing) and Team Rabbit (students who see a rabbit in the drawing). Have Team Duck students explain why the drawing is a duck. Have Team Rabbit Students explain why the drawing is a rabbit. After arguments are made try to get students to appreciate (even if they don't agree with) the perspective of students on the opposite team.

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Duck! Rabbit! | Read Aloud Storybook for Kids

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Relationship Skills: Being A Great Teammate

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Relationship Skills: Being A Great Teammate

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Intro: Are you a good teammate? The skills necessary to be a good teammate are the same skills that we use to have strong relationships with the people around us. Let's hear from two-time Olympic softball player Natasha Watley as she describes what makes a good teammate. We'll come back to hear your thoughts about what she had to say.

Model: In your opinion what are some attributes needed in a good teammate?

Questions for students:

Let's run through Natasha's thoughts on being a good teammate. Up first, making one another better. Do you agree or disagree with Natasha? How has a classmate helped you to be better in this past school year?

Up next, holding your teammate accountable. How has a classmate held you accountable this year? How can we hold people accountable in a way that doesn't create conflict?

Lastly, leading by example. have you led by example this school year? How so? Or, have you followed someone's lead? What made you follow the lead of this classmate?

Let's hear from you. What are some attributes that make for a good teammate?

Closing: Be a good teammate. make one another better, hold yourself and the people around you accountable (with tact), and lead by example. You do this, and you'll be practicing solid relationship skills.

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Responsible Decision Making: Finish The Race

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Responsible Decision Making: Finish The Race

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Intro: I'm sure that we've all heard the phrase "it's not how you start it's how you finish." We know that it's important to have a strong finish to whatever it is that we're doing but for some reasons humans have a tendency to let off the gas and coast to the finish line. As we get to the close of the school year I want to remind you to finish strong. Doing so is an example of making a responsible decision. Let's take a look at a video of man who does not choose to have a strong finish to his race. See how that works out for him.

Model: Have you ever let up early, and coasted to the end of a project, a school year, a foot race? How did that work out for you?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. Literally an example of pride coming before the fall. What can we learn from it?

Have you ever let up early, and coasted to the end of a project, a school year, a foot race? How did that work out for you?

How can stay focused on our goals and finish strong in the final weeks of this school year?

Closing: Make the responsible decision to finish what you start and help decrease the chances of falling flat on your face:)

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Fan falls during race against the Freeze

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Intro: How do you react to change? Do you welcome it, fight it, avoid it? How we react to change can have a big impact on our self-management practice. Let's take a look at a Headspace video that focuses on change. We'll come back and talk about your relationship with change to follow.

Model: What's the biggest change that you've had to manage in the past year? What was the key component in your ability to mange that change?

Questions for students:

What's the biggest change that you've had to manage in the past year? What was the key component in your ability to mange that change?

"If we can get comfortable with this idea of change, of nothing staying the same, then the mind can be at is." What does this quote from the video mean to you? Is it something that you can use in your self-management practice?

What are some ways in which you can increase your level of comfort with change?

Closing: Change can be a bit scary and unsettling but it is something that makes life interesting. So shake hands with change, get to know it, understand it, and feel comfort with it and experience that true freedom of mind.

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Headspace | Meditation | This Too Will Pass

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Intro: We're going to take a bit of a trip back in time today. Think of your life as a kindergartener. Was that a simpler time for you? Less homework. Less responsibility. Less stress. More fun. For our self-awareness practice today we're going to watch a read aloud of a children's book titled "My Heart". It's a relaxing video that will help us get down to the basics of our self-awareness practice. Take a look and we'll come back and talk about what's in your heart.

Model: My heart is a _________. What is one word that you would use to describe your heart? Why did you choose that word?

Questions for students:

My heart is a _________. What is one word that you would use to describe your heart? Why did you choose that word?

Have you ever had a day where your heart felt tiny? What caused that feeling? What was it like to feel that way?

We learned in the book that even though our hearts can feel tiny, they still have the potential to grow. What are some things that make your heart grow?

Closing: "My heart is a shadow, a light, and a guide. Closed or open, I get to decide." A beautiful sentence that serves as a good reminder that our heart will feel a lot of different emotions and that's ok. We have the power to choose what we open our heart to. I hope you open your heart to all of the people, the places, and the things that make you feel happy:)

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My Heart | A story about understanding what makes us special

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Social Awareness: Can You Come Up With a Quote or a Saying That Promote's Social Awareness?

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Social Awareness: Can You Come Up With a Quote or a Saying That Promote's Social Awareness?

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Note to teachers: A bit of a different approach for today. We have a sign that contains a quote related to social awareness. Show students the picture of this sign then have a discussion as to it's meaning and how the thoughts expressed can influence their social awareness practice. From there (if you have time) see if students can come up with their own quote (as a class, in small groups, or individually). Please share with me via email (klziemke@gmail.com) if you get some good quotes from your students.

Intro: When we practice social awareness we strive to demonstrate empathy, compassion, and concern for the people around us. I saw a sign outside a restaurant the other day that had a quote that speaks to the kind of empathy, compassion and concern that we look to embrace as a part of our social awareness practice. Let's take a look at the sign.

Model: Share your thoughts on the meaning behind this quote. How can this quote impact your social awareness practice?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the meaning behind this quote. How can this quote impact your social awareness practice?

Activity: What message related to social awareness would you want to spread to your community? Be it as an individual, a distanced small group, or as a whole class, come up with a statement that you would put on a sign that expresses  empathy, compassion, and concern for others.

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Intro: Let's take some time today to talk about friendship. I want to hear all about your thoughts on friendship in a minute but let's get warmed up by watching a video where some young kids share their thoughts on friendship. Take a look:)

Model: Take a moment to talk about your friends. What are their names? What do you enjoy about their friendship?

Questions for students:

What does the word friend mean to you?

What do you look for in a friend?

What are some ways in which your friends let you know that they care for you?

What are some ways in which you let your friends know that you care for them?

How can you be a friend to all of your classmates?

Closing: Friendships are important. Let's make sure that we try to be a friend to all:)

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Responsible Decision Making: Turning a Phone Into a Porsche 

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Responsible Decision Making: Turning a Phone Into a Porsche 

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Intro: A component of responsible decision making is "having the ability to recognize how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school." We have a fun video today that showcases the "outside of school" critical thinking skills of a young man named Steven Ortiz.
Pre-discussion: Before we watch the video I want to have a quick group think aloud. Here's the scenario. You're in high school. You want to have your own car but you don't have any money to buy a car. How do you put yourself in a position to get that car? Play the video after you're done with the think aloud.

Model: Share your thoughts Steven's critical thinking skills/resourcefulness.

Questions for students:

Steven turned a free cell phone into a Porsche. Share your thoughts Steven's critical thinking skills/resourcefulness.

Let's talk about your use of critical thinking skills outside of school. Have you ever made a responsible decision or a series of responsible decisions that put you in a better position, kept you safe, or resulted in a positive experience outside of school? Can you share your story?

Closing: We can experience many benefits when we make responsible decisions. So sharpen those responsible decision making skills. You may even find yourself behind the wheel of a Porsche:)

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Self-Management: Practicing Self-Management in an Extremely Stressful Situation

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Self-Management: Practicing Self-Management in an Extremely Stressful Situation

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Intro: We practice self-management because it puts us in the position to mange emotions and stressors that can cloud judgement, impact behavior, and hinder performance. Sometimes the emotions and stressors that we manage are mild. In other situations, those emotions and stressors can be pretty extreme. We have a video today that shows a women who finds herself in a situation full of extreme stressors and I would venture to say that she is experiencing equally extreme emotions because of those stressors. Let's take a look at the video to see if she was able to manage these stressors and emotions.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. Have you ever been in a situation that produced stressors or emotions that were difficult to manage? What was the situation? How did you manage the stressors and emotions that the situation produced?

Questions for students:

Let's talk about the video. Let's try to identify the stressors that were present in this situation?

What emotions did this woman experience or what emotions would you have experienced if you were in her shoes?

When we manage difficult emotions we make better decisions. What split second decisions were made by the woman in this video?

Have you ever been in a situation that required a high level of self-management skills? What was your experience? How did you manage your emotions at that time? Do yo have any tips to share?

Closing: We face stressors and uncomfortable emotions pretty regularly. When we work to manage those stressors and emotions on a daily basis we develop valuable skills that will be there for us when we really need it.

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DARING RESCUE: Tennessee woman recounts saving beloved dog from icy waters

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Intro: When we practice self-awareness we reflect on our thoughts emotions and feelings. Today we're going to talk about the feeling of pride. What are you proud of? We'll give you a chance to answer that question in a minute but first let's watch a Soul Pancake video and hear about what makes a diverse group of individuals proud. Take a look.

Model: Which response given in the video did you connect with? Why did you connect with this response? What are you proud of? Why?

Questions for students:

Which response in the video did you connect with? Why?

What are you proud of? Why does this accomplishment, person, or experience make you feel pride?

Closing: It's ok to be proud and to feel pride. When you do well, learn something new, or help some one out, celebrate it and be proud of who you are:)

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Intro: One way to practice social awareness is through advocacy. Advocacy is defined as the support of a particular cause or policy. You may think that you're too young to be an advocate but we have a video today that might change your thinking on that front. Take a look and we'll come back and talk a bit more about advocacy to follow.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. Have you ever been an advocate? If so, share your story.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

Vivian was an advocate for female representation in children's toys. If you were to advocate for a cause what would it be?

Vivian advocated for her cause through contacting toy companies via a written letter. What would be the route you choose to communicate your advocacy? Who would you communicate too?

Why is it important to advocate for ourselves and the causes and policies that we believe in?

Closing: See a problem, communicate why it is a problem along with some solutions as to how to fix it, and you're an advocate:) You're never too young to stand up for what you believe in:)

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How a 7-year-old won the battle to make female toy soldiers

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Relationship Skills: A Lesson On Forgiveness

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Relationship Skills: A Lesson On Forgiveness

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Intro: One of the most important relationship skills is the ability to forgive. Forgiveness is a two-way street in that it helps both the person who is forgiven as well as the person who forgives. With that said, it's not always easy to forgive, in fact it can be quite difficult at times. I always feel that it helps to watch someone do something difficult as a way to develop and enhance skill in that area. So let's do that. Take a look at today's video and observe a young boy demonstrate some excellent skills in the area of forgiveness. We'll come back and talk about your forgiveness skills to follow.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. Why is forgiveness an important relationship skill for you?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. What do you think about the young boys ability to forgive his mother?

Has someone ever forgiven you? How did it feel to receive forgiveness?

Have you ever forgiven someone? How did it feel to give forgiveness?

Why is it healthier for us to forgive as opposed to holding a grudge or anger towards someone?

What are some ways in which you can practice forgiveness with the people in your life?

Closing: Forgiveness isn't always easy but it's almost always the best choice...and it's one heck of a relationship skill to practice today and everyday:)

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3-year-old's priceless response after mom "ate all his candy"

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Responsible Decision Making: Emotional Surprise For My Nan's Birthday

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Responsible Decision Making: Emotional Surprise For My Nan's Birthday

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Intro: Do you ever go out of your way to make someone's day? It may take a little work but more often than not it is worth the effort. We have a video to share with you today that showcases the effort a grandson put into making his grandma (or nan) feel some joy on her birthday. He didn't just say happy birthday, or get her a card. He put some work into it and he got a pretty amazing result. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. When was the last time you put some real effort into making someone feel special. What was the result of that effort?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video?

When was the last time you put some real effort into making someone feel special. What was the result of that effort?

Closing: We can sit around and wait for joy to find us and the people around us...or we can put a little work into creating that joy. Choosing to make the people around us happy is an example of responsible decision making. I hope it's a decision that you choose to make on the regular:)

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Emotional SURPRISE for my nan's birthday

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Intro: A component of self-management is having the ability to demonstrate discipline and motivation. We're going to watch an interview today that features the late, great Kobe Bryant. Kobe is famous for having what was known as the "Mamba Mentality". In this interview Kobe talks about the origins of the "Mamba Mentality" and how that mentality was built on a foundation of discipline and motivation that fueled an intense work ethic. Take a look at the clip and we'll come back to talk about what drives your work ethic.

Model: Describe your work ethic. What drives you or motivates you on a daily basis? How does discipline play a role in your ability to reach goals and achieve dreams?

Questions for students:

What did you think of Kobe's interview? Did you connect with anything that he shared?

What motivates you to work hard on a daily basis?

What does discipline mean to you? How does discipline aid in your ability to reach the goals that you've set?

Closing: Kobe defined the Mamba Mentality as "a relentless pursuit to be the best version of one's self." I think that we can learn a lot from that. Set goals. Find ways to motivate yourself in pursuit of those goals. Be disciplined in the work you put into reaching your goals. Become the best version of yourself.

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Outwork everybody else - Wisdom from Kobe Bryant

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Intro: We're going to take a few minutes today to talk about worry. A little dose of worry can be helpful. It can keep us out of dangerous situations, help us to plan for the future, and can even be an indicator of the care that we have for ourselves and the people around us. With that said, we want to be mindful (or self-aware) of the frequency and intensity of our worries. Worrying too much can take a toll on our mental health, so we want to have the ability to recognize and redirect thoughts that could contribute to "over" worrying. So let's talk about worry today. To get us warmed up we're going to watch a quick interview with legendary singer songwriter Willie Nelson. Willie may not be someone you've heard of but he does seem to be a happy guy and he's been pretty successful over the years in selling over 40 million albums. Aside from that, it's usually a pretty good idea to listen and learn from our elders. Take a look and pay attention to Willie's thoughts on worry and negative thinking.

Model: What worries you? How do those worries impact you physically and emotionally? How do you keep from getting overwhelmed by worry?

Questions for students:

In general, and not necessarily related to his thoughts on worry, what are your thoughts on Willie and what he shared in the video?

When asked how he stays positive Willie shares that "I can't do anything about what happened yesterday, or what's going to happen tomorrow, but I feel like I'm in full control of what's going on now." How does this quote relate to the practice of mindfulness? Do you agree with these thoughts? Why or why not?

Willie's thoughts on worry are as follows: "I think worry will make you sick. I've never seen it accomplish anything. I've never seen worrying about anything change it. So I decided not to do it." Do you agree with these thoughts? Why or why not?

Let's talk about your worries. What is something that causes you to feel worry? What physical and/or emotional impact accompanies that worry?

What are some things that you do to redirect and not get overwhelmed by worry?

Closing: Worry is a part of life but we want to try to keep it that way...as a part of our life and not the overwhelming focus of our existence. Learn from your past, plan for your future, live in the moment, and take that worry in small doses.

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Willie Nelson On Eggs, Martial Arts & Living A Life Without Worry | Southern Living

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Off Script! Responsible Decision Making: Soul Pancake - What Have You Recently Done for the First Time?

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Off Script! Responsible Decision Making: Soul Pancake - What Have You Recently Done for the First Time?

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Intro: It's easy to get stuck in a routine, doing the same thing day in and day out. Trying something new can be invigorating, even if it might be a bit scary. Doing new things can be a catalyst to learning and growing. You can also say that choosing to take on a new challenge is an example of making a responsible decision:) Let's take a look at a video where a group of people share some new challenges that they're taking on. Following the video we'll come back and hear from you.

Model: What's a new challenge that you're taking on? What do you hope to learn or accomplish with this endeavor?

Questions for students:

Did you connect with any of the new things shared by the participants in the video? What did you connect with and why?

What is something new that you have done recently? How did it feel to take on this new challenge? What did you learn?

What is something that you have never done that you would really like to do?

Closing: Get out there and try something new! Challenge yourself, broaden your horizons, you might be surprised by what you learn.

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What Have You Recently Done for the First Time? | 0-100

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Off Script! Self-Awareness: Will Smith's Thoughts On Failure

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Off Script! Self-Awareness: Will Smith's Thoughts On Failure

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Intro: What is your relationship with failure? Do you avoid it or do you embrace it? When we practice self-awareness we strive to develop a growth mindset which helps us to have the capacity to learn and grow as individuals. It is hard to know the areas in which we need to learn and grow without experiencing failure. Let's take a moment to watch a video where Will Smith shares his thoughts on failure. After the video we'll come back to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Model: Share your thoughts on Will's thoughts. Describe a time when failing was a key contributor to your personal growth.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on Will's thoughts.

Describe a time when failing was a key contributor to your personal growth.

"Fail early, fail often, fail forward." What does this quote mean to you? How can you use it as a part of your self-awareness practice?

Closing: Failure is a part of life, and if used in the right way it can have a positive impact on your growth and development. So don't run from failure, embrace it, learn from it, grow from it.

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This is Why Will Smith Wants You to Fail Before You Succeed | Goalcast

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Note to teachers: I think we can either let this video sit with students or you can have an off the cuff discussion to follow. Intro and closing below. Teacher discretion on discussion.

Intro: We can practice social awareness in many different ways: activism, advocating for social justice, fighting for equity in our systems and policies. All noble pursuits. The foundation, and heart of social-awareness lies in the impact we make in our immediate sphere of influence. Do we act with compassion when we see suffering with our own eyes? Do we take the perspective of. and empathize with the people around us? Do we stop to lend a helping hand when it is needed? We have a video today that shows action within that immediate sphere in a heartwarming and inspiring way. Take a look.

Model/Discussion: Teacher discretion.

Closing: A community in China. A member of that community is suffering. That suffering is recognized, and actions are taken to alleviate that suffering in a small but meaningful way. A great example of social-awareness and one that I challenge you to emulate as you go about your day.

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Heartwarming: Hundreds of apples scattered onto ground, what comes next?

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Relationship Skills: What Are You Struggling With?

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Relationship Skills: What Are You Struggling With?

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Intro: Have you ever heard of a comedian and actor named Robin Williams? He said the following quote which is pretty poignant, and can be used as a foundation for your relationship skills practice: "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. ALWAYS." Let's get a little pre-discussion going right now. What does this quote mean to you? We'll move on now to a SoulPancake video where a group of people from all walks of life share their struggle. Take a look.

Model: Share your struggle. Without getting overly deep, what is something that you are struggling with at the moment?

Questions for students:

What was a struggle shared in the video that you connected with? Why?

If you have a struggle that is really getting you down, you can make an appointment to talk to the counselor. That's a healthy and effective self-management strategy. For now, let's stay a little closer to the surface. Without getting overly deep what is something that you're struggling with at the moment?

How can understanding the universality of human struggle impact your relationship skills practice in a positive way?

Closing: When we understand human struggle, and the fact that we are all working through our own challenges at any given moment, we can be inspired to both minimize and not add to the struggle of others. Help the people around you. Don't add to already difficult situations they might be experiencing. Do this, and you'll be a relationship skills pro;)

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Ages 0-100 Answer: What Are You Struggling With?

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Responsible Decision Making: Headspace - The Hole In The Road

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Responsible Decision Making: Headspace - The Hole In The Road

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Intro: We have a quick lesson today that gives us a nice little metaphor that can help us to pay attention to our everyday actions and habits of mind. Do you pay attention to your everyday actions and habits of mind? Doing so is an example of making a responsible decision. Let's watch today's short video. Hopefully, it will inspire you to take on this practice.

Model: What is your "hole in the road"? Maybe it's procrastination, not being a good listener, or a lack of empathy for others. How can you bring your awareness to this "hole" so you can avoid continuously stepping into it?

Questions for students:

What is your "hole in the road"? Maybe it's procrastination, not being a good listener, or a lack of empathy for others. How can you bring your awareness to this hole so you can avoid continuously stepping into it?

Closing: Nobody wants to fall into a "hole" day after day. Tune into your everyday actions and habits of mind. Identify those that seem to continuously trip you up and then work hard to make a change in your practice. When we do this, we're practicing mindfulness, and we're making a responsible decision.

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The Hole in the Road | Headspace | Meditation

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Intro: We talked about confidence yesterday and today we're going to talk about working through doubt on the road to achieving your dreams. We all experience doubt, even Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglass experiences doubt. Let's hear her story. Focus in on how she managed that doubt and we'll talk about what you learned following the video.

Model: Share your thoughts on Gabby's story.

Questions for students:

We know that social support is a key component to managing any emotion. How did social support help Gabby on her road to Olympic Gold? Who provided that social support for Gabby? Who do you lean into for social support?

Gabby shares a story of falling seven times in a competition? How did Gabby manage this setback? Have you ever experienced a setback like this? What happened? How did you manage the disappointment that came with it?

From Gabby: "I have a talent and I'm going to use it." What's your talent? How will you use it?

Closing: Doubts and setbacks. Two things that we will all experience. How we manage those doubts and setbacks is what defines our story. Lean in to support from the people around you when you feel doubt. Pick yourself up, work hard, and try again when you experience a setback.

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Gabby Douglas On Inspiring A Generation And Persevering Through Doubt | TIME

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Intro: Confidence, we hear that word a lot. When you have confidence you possess the feeling or belief that you can rely on yourself. So how do we build or develop confidence? Let's watch a quick video to find out. Take a look and we'll come back to talk more about confidence.

Model: What are some ways in which you "train your brain" to develop confidence?

Questions for students:

Have you ever been caught up comparing yourself with others? Was this a good or a bad thing for you to do? Why?

"Instead of focusing on other people, why not figure out what you can do?" Let's do that. What is something that you are really good at?

Have you ever improved at something through hard work and practice? Can you share your story?

What are some ways in which you "train your brain" to develop confidence?

Closing: Train your brain. Limit comparison. Focus on what you can do. Be willing to stick with a difficult task. Drown out negative self-talk. Practice these tips and I'll bet that you'll find yourself developing more confidence.

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Wellbeing For Children: Confidence And Self-Esteem

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Social-Awareness: A Boy Who Saved 17 Lives Gets a Big Surprise

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Social-Awareness: A Boy Who Saved 17 Lives Gets a Big Surprise

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Intro: We know that the foundation to a solid social awareness practice is caring for your community and the people in your community. We have a short lesson today and the goal of this lesson is to give you a glimpse of what social-awareness and community care looks like in action. We'll meet a boy name Virgil. Virgil practiced social awareness by being caring, selfless, and heroic in the midst of a crisis. Virgil's community practiced social awareness by celebrating him and his actions and making sure that Virgil knows that he is appreciated. Take a look at the video.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

What do we think about Virgil and his heroic story?

Who are the hero's in your community? What makes them a hero?

How do you celebrate the people in your community who go out of their way to help others?

You may not be able to save 17 lives in the midst of the hurricane but what are some ways that you can give back and show your community that you care?

Closing: Be like Virgil. Care about the people around you. Help the people around you. Practice social-awareness and recognize and celebrate others when they excel in that practice.

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A Boy Who Saved 17 Lives Gets a Big Surprise

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Relationship Skills: These Best Friends Will Give You All The Feels

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Relationship Skills: These Best Friends Will Give You All The Feels

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Intro: Let's take a moment today to talk about one of our most important relationships, friendship. We're going to watch a video today where people of all ages from around the world are asked the following question: 'What makes a great friendship?" Let's take a look at what these people have to say. Pay close attention to their answers because I want to know which one stands out to you.

Model: Answer the question posed in the video. What makes a great friendship?

Questions for students:

Which answer from the video struck a chord with you? Why?

Let's hear your thoughts. What makes a great friendship?

Closing: Friendships are important. A good friend supports, encourages, makes us laugh, and helps us to feel joy. Be a good friend to all:)

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These Best Friends Will Give You All the Feels - Presented by SoulPancake + My Little Pony

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Responsible Decision Making:The Most Important Lesson You've Learned

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Responsible Decision Making:The Most Important Lesson You've Learned

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Note to teachers: The following statement is shared by a young man in today's video. "You can't just be like F-U (he says the letters not the words) you have to be like bless you and move on." If you are uncomfortable with that abbreviation, mute or skip the video from the 1:08 to 1:15.

Intro: Responsible decisions are often the result of lessons that we have learned throughout the course of our life. I didn't study for a test and I failed. Now I make sure to be responsible and study for all of my tests. What's the most important lesson that you've learned in your life? Let's take a moment to watch a video where a group of people are asked that question.

Model: Which lesson shared in the video stood out to you? Why? What is the most important lesson that life has taught you?

Questions for students:

Which lesson shared in the video stood out to you? Why?

What is the most important lesson that life has taught you? Why is this lesson so important?

Closing: We experience so many different things and we learn so many different lessons from those experiences. Apply those lessons on a daily basis. Doing so is an example of responsible decision making.

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The Most Important Lesson You've Learned | 0-100

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Self-Management: BBC Bitesize - Managing Your Emotions

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Self-Management: BBC Bitesize - Managing Your Emotions

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Intro: As great as it would be, we can't expect smooth sailing day in and day out over the course of our lives. We're going to experience challenges and setbacks along with the emotions that accompany those experiences. We can't avoid every challenge and setback, but if we learn how to effectively manage our emotions we can go a long way in making them more tolerable. Let's take a look at a quick video on managing emotions then we'll come back and have a quick discussion on the topic.

Model: A quote from the video: "Life always has a way of surprising us". Share a time when life threw you a curveball. How did you manage your emotions at that time?

Questions for students:

"Life always finds a way of surprising us." Has life ever thrown you for a loop? What happened? What emotions were created by that event? How did/do you manage those emotions?

In the video we were told that when life comes down hard on us "That's the time when it is important to believe in who you are." So tell me who you are. What are your strengths, attributes, and endearing qualities?

How can having a solid belief in who we are as people help us to manage the emotions that come with difficult experiences?

Let's take a step back. Today's video was created for middle school students in England. Students around the world are taking the time to reflect on and develop their self-management skills. What are your thoughts on that? What does this worldwide pursuit of knowledge and skill development in this space tell you about the importance of self-management?

Closing: I have good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad. Life can and will be difficult. But here's the good news. Those difficulties and the emotional response they generate can be managed. When we work through our difficulties and manage our tough emotions, we put ourselves in the position to experience the joy that life can bring us. Manage the tough stuff, celebrate and enjoy the good stuff. A recipe for a life well lived:)

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Managing your emotions – BBC Bitesize Key Stage 3 Learning for Life and Work

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Self-Awareness: Ages 0-100 Reveal Their Greatest Passion

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Self-Awareness: Ages 0-100 Reveal Their Greatest Passion

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Intro: A component of a well rounded self-awareness practice is having the ability to develop interests and a sense of purpose. The things that we're passionate about often give us those interests and that sense of purpose. So let's talk about that. What is your greatest passion? To get us warmed up take a look at a video where a group of people share their greatest passion,

Model: Share your greatest passion with you students.

Questions for students:

Let's start with a reflection on the video. Did you connect with any of the passions shared?

Tell me about your passion. Why does this activity, individual, or project interest you? how does this passion impact your sense of purpose?

Closing: Identify your greatest passion. Take interest in it, derive a sense of purpose from it. Doing this is an example of practicing self-awareness.

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Ages 0-100 Reveal Their Greatest Passion

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Intro: 1 for 63. Is that a good ratio or average? What if I was in the NBA and I made 1 out of every 63 free throws? If I was a baseball player and I got a hit in 1 out of every 63 at bats? What if I decided to do 1 out of every 63 homework assignments? I think that we can all agree that 1 for 63 is not a great average in almost any scenario. Let's take a look at a video that shows a 1 for 63 performance in action. We'll come back and hear your thoughts on this performance to follow.

Model: Let's jump straight to student questions. Try to work your thoughts into the conversation you have with your students.

Questions for students:

How was 1 for 63 represented in the video?

5 degrees Fahrenheit and 62 people, from all walks of life, stroll right past a young boy who's alone and underdressed. What do you think about this?

Let's try to put ourselves in the shoes of the 62 people who walked on by. What do you think they were thinking? Why didn't they stop?

Let's talk about that 63rd person. The woman who stoped and cared. What are your thoughts and feelings about her?

We know that there is a lot of injustice, inequity, and suffering in our world. Is 1 out of 63 people caring enough to do something about it a sufficient percentage?

What can we do to make sure that we are not part of the group that walks on by when we see someone who is in need or care and/or support?

Closing: It can be easy to stay in our own world and ignore the needs of others but that doesn't make it right. Practicing empathy, compassion, and care for the people around you will take some effort, and it will take some time, but I bet that you'll find that it's worth it.

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Would You Help A Freezing Child Left In The Cold?

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Relationship Skills: How Miscommunication Happens (And How To Avoid It)

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Relationship Skills: How Miscommunication Happens (And How To Avoid It)

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Intro: Solid relationships are often built on a foundation of good communication. Communication skills and relationship skills go hand in hand. Let's take a look at a video that will help us learn more about miscommunication and how to avoid it.

Model: What is something that you view as a key to communication. How do you practice this when interacting with others?

Questions for students:

As we learned in the video, communication is complicated! Because of that complexity miscommunications can often occur. Have you ever experienced a miscommunication? Can you share your story?

What is something that you view as a key to communication. How do you practice this when interacting with others?

We learned of some simple practices to avoid miscommunication in the video. Let's talk about those practices. Active listening, really tuning in to what someone is saying and feeling when they communicate with us is key. How do you practice active listening?

Listen with your eyes, ears, and gut. What does this mean to you? How can you incorporate this tip into your communication skills?

Communication is a two-way street. We don't communicate unless we share information. How do you insure that information flows in two directions when you communicate with others.

Closing: Effective and efficient communication is something that we need to practice. So listen actively, connect with the feelings of the person that you are communicating with, and make sure that you are both receiving and giving information when communicating with others.

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How miscommunication happens (and how to avoid it) - Katherine Hampsten

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Note to teachers: Download and print out the choice map linked below. Give a copy to each of your students to keep (email to distance learners). Keep a copy of the second page for yourself as you'll use that in your discussion.

Intro: Are you a learner or a judger? The honest answer is probably a little of both. Let's take a moment to reflect on our interactions with others. What would be more beneficial to you? Option A: the majority of your interactions with others are opportunities to learn and grow? Option B: the majority of your interactions with others are opportunities to judge and blame? I hope that you chose Option A because that is a much healthier path for us to choose from a social and emotional standpoint. Lets's take a look at the "Choice Map" that you have in front of you and we'll dive a bit deeper into the differences between being a "Learner" and being a "Judger".

Teachers: Come up with a scenario that your students are regularly exposed to when interacting with their peers (i.e. a disagreement when working on a group project, a struggle in mastering a group dance routine, a lack of connection and communication as a team on the basketball court). Walk them through this scenario by first taking the "Judger Path". How does the scenario play out with a group of "Judgers"? Next walk through the scenario taking the "Learner Path". How does the scenario play out with a group of "Learners"? Share the "Judger" and "Learner" questions and results included on page two of the handout as you lead this discussion.

Closing: When we judge we blame. Blame is disempowering. There's not much room to learn and grow in the moment when our moment is defined by "This is all your fault." Choose to communicate. Choose to connect. Choose to be a "Learner". I'm pretty confident that you will find that path much easier to travel.

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Intro: Resilience. We have talked about that word before but I want to give you a reminder as to what it means. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover from difficulties. We are told to be resilient, we're told to develop resilience, but how often are you told that you are resilient? The fact of the matter is that you are resilient. In fact, all humans are resilient and the science and research on this topic backs it up. Let's hear from a man named Dan Gilbert as he talks about human resilience. Dan is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and much of his research is focused on resilience. Take a look at the video.

Model: We are one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. How have you demonstrated resilience in this past year?

Questions for students:

We are one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. How have you demonstrated resilience in this past year?

"When things go wrong we think that we will be crushed but in fact when things go wrong, human beings are remarkably good at picking themselves up by their bootstraps and marching forward." What does this quote mean to you? How have you marched forward through the challenges presented in the past year?

You are resilient. How can knowing, and believing this help your self-management practice as you take on new challenges?

Closing: "Human beings are much more resilient, much less fragile than they themselves realize." You are strong. Recognize it. Embrace it. Find strength in that knowledge as you take on challenges and overcome obstacles.

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Surprise, surprise: you’re stronger than you think

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Note to teachers: We have an activity today (described in the intro below) that should take up the majority of the lesson. If you find that you have time, there is a video related to the lesson that you can play, but feel free to move on once you've completed the activity.

Intro: When we practice self-awareness we work to develop the ability to recognize our thoughts, emotions, and even our actions and behaviors. Today we are going to do a little self-awareness exercise as a group. Instead of focusing on our ability to identify thoughts and emotions we are going to focus on our ability to communicate. This self-awareness exercise is called the "Like, Umm, So, & You Know" Challenge. How often do you use these words when you communicate? We're going to find out today. "Like, Umm, So, & You Know" exercise below.

Describe what you did over the weekend. You have thirty seconds to tell us what you did and you need to use that full thirty seconds.

Here's the kicker. If you say "Like, Umm, So, or You Know" at any point within that thirty second description you are ELIMINATED :/ (teachers: feel free to add in a game show style "buzzer" if/when students say one of the forbidden words)

If you can make it through the full thirty seconds without saying one of the forbidden words you win and have proven that you are a master of this self-awareness challenge!

Closing: How aware were you of your tendency to use "Like, Umm, So, or You Know" when speaking? Probably not super aware. You have to really focus in on what you're saying to heighten your awareness. The same can be said with our thoughts and emotions. We may believe that we're highly aware of what we think and feel but the truth is that we probably could benefit from an increased focus in that area. So do that. Take the time each day to focus in on what you're thinking and feeling. Nurture the thoughts that are of benefit, manage the feelings that are difficult, celebrate the actions and behaviors that are positive.
Note to teachers: If you want to dive a bit deeper into why we use these umms, and likes in our speech play the video below.

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Why do we, like, hesitate when we, um, speak? - Lorenzo García-Amaya

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Intro: A short and sweet lesson to end the week. Social awareness centers around having the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others. Today's video focuses on a young student and one of his teachers, Mr. Jensen. The student had a bit of an issue that you might be able to relate to. While other teachers viewed the issue as a problem, Mr. Jensen saw it as potential. Let's take a look at the video. There is one quote that stands out. Our discussion will revolve around that quote. See if you can pick it out.

Model: Ask students if they can identify the quote from the video that will be the focus of our discussion. "From that moment I learned that there was a difference between being the best in the world, and being the best for the world."

Questions for students:

"From that moment I learned that there was a difference between being the best in the world, and being the best for the world." What does this quote mean to you?

What are some things that we can do to work to be the best for our world?

Closing: Be a Mr. Jensen. See the potential in others and support them in cultivating that potential. Do this, and you'll be well on your way to mastering your social awareness practice.

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Inspirational Video- Be a Mr. Jensen- MUST WATCH!!

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Relationship Skills: Kids and Parents Talk About How Bullying Hurts

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Relationship Skills: Kids and Parents Talk About How Bullying Hurts

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Intro: Let's talk bullying. To start, here is the dictionary definition of bullying: "seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone who is perceived as vulnerable." Bullying can take many forms, it can be face to face or online. It can occur as an attempt to harm someone physically, mentally, or emotionally. We work to develop our social and emotional skills because we want to reach our potential and become the best versions of ourselves. If we bully, we practice poor relationship skills, and we undoubtably fall short of our potential. Outside of just ourselves bullying actions introduce harm into our community. So we're not just negatively impacting ourselves, we're negatively impacting the people around us. Let's take a look at a video where some kids and their grown ups talk about bullying. Keep an eye, and ear out for a young girl named Camilla. She may be young, but she shows an extremely high level of emotional intelligence. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Let's get your overall thoughts on the video. What statements or opinions stood out to you? Why?

Let's go back to the bullying definition: "Seeking to harm, intimidate or coerce." Think about our society today. Politics, pop culture, etc. Do you observe bullying in those spaces? What do you see? How does it make you feel to see it?

Let's talk Camilla:) How did she put her emotional intelligence on display? What did you learn from her?

From Camilla: "Everyone has hate and love in their heart and they can pick which one." What can you do to choose love?

Closing: My hope is that you want to develop into the best person that you can be. Your best self and bullying actions do not align. Be the best you, leave bullying behind, create a positive impact for both yourself and others.

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Kids And Parents Talk About How Bullying Hurts | TODAY

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Responsible Decision Making: Making Judgements

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Responsible Decision Making: Making Judgements

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Note to teachers: We have a lesson today that will fall outside of our usual format. Follow the script below as you deliver the lesson to students.

Making judgements lesson: We have a fun an interactive video that we will play for you today and our focus will be on the judgements that we make or the opinions we form of others.

Play the video and pause at the :40 mark.

Questions for students:

What do we think of the actions of the girl in the video? What judgements do we make or opinions do we form based off of her actions?

Play the video and watch through to the end.

Questions for students:

Now that we have observed the whole story, how have our judgements or opinions changed?

Closing: When we rush to judgment, or are quick to form an opinion of another we usually are not practicing responsible decision making. So take the time to gather information, see both sides of a story, and fight the desire to make a snap judgement.

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A Clever Lesson About Not Judging Others

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Self-Management: Let's Take Some Self-Management Inspiration From This Brave Little Boy

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Self-Management: Let's Take Some Self-Management Inspiration From This Brave Little Boy

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Intro: We have a quick, hopefully inspirational lesson for you today. A lesson that shows you some key self-management strategies practiced by a very brave little boy. We'll see the little boy utilize social support and positive self-talk as he manages his emotions in attempting a new task. Take a look at the video.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. How does this little boy inspire your self-management practice?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. How does this little boy inspire your self-management practice?

Our young friend leaned into the social support given to him by his grown ups. Who do you go to for social support? How does that social support influence your self-management practices.

How did our young friend practice positive self-talk? What did he say to himself? What do you say to yourself when you're in need of a little pep talk? How does that positive self-talk help you to manage emotions or a difficult challenge?

Closing: We face challenges in life that we have to work through. Our young friend in the video faces challenges that we can't even imagine. Let's use his approach as an inspiration. Seek support from others. Give support to yourself. Conquer your challenge:)

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Blind Kid Experiences his first Curb while his parents encouraged him 🥺

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Intro: When we practice self-awareness we work to tune in with and develop an understanding of our emotions. Let's tune into the emotion of joy. As we know, joy is defined as a feeling of great happiness. What brings you joy? We'll talk more about that later but for now let's take a look at some people who are experiencing great joy. Pay close attention to the video as I'm going to ask you to share which joyful moment in the video struck a chord with you.

Model: Which moment from the video struck a chord with you and why? What moment in your life gave you the most joy? What made that moment so special?

Questions for students:

Which moment from the video struck a chord with you and why?

What moment in your life gave you the most joy? What made that moment so special?

These athletes and their families experienced great joy after reaching a goal that was years, if not decades in the making. That's usually where we find joy, after a long struggle or journey where we finally reach the mountain top. I have two questions for you: First, what is your mountain top? Second, what is it going to feel like to get there?

Closing: We all want to feel joy but more often than not we are going to have to work pretty hard for that feeling. Define your mountain top. Put a plan in place as to how you're going to reach that mountain top. Feel the joy, and celebrate your success when you get there.

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Ecstatic Olympic parents 'lose it' in Rio | Olympic Games Week | NBC Sports

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Social-Awareness: The Golden State Warriors Right a Wrong

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Social-Awareness: The Golden State Warriors Right a Wrong

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Intro: A component of a strong social awareness practice is working to promote fairness and equity within our communities. Have you ever been treated unfairly? How did it feel? Probably not too good. We want everyone to be treated fairly and if they have not been treated fairly we want to do what we can to help to right that wrong. In today's video we'll learn about a young mother and her son who were scammed into buying fake basketball tickets in an attempt to see the Golden State Warriors play in person. The Golden State Warriors heard about how this woman had been treated unfairly and they made an attempt to right that wrong. Take a look at the video and we'll see if they accomplished their goal.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

First off, let's get your thoughts on the video. Did The Golden State Warriors right the wrong experienced by this young family?

Someone sold this family fake tickets. They ran a scam and people were victimized by that scam. How is doing something like this the exact opposite of practicing social awareness?

Let's talk about fairness. Is fairness important to you? Why or why not?

Have you ever been treated unfairly? How did that make you feel?

How do your actions and behaviors align with the desire to treat others fairly?

Closing: We all desire fair treatment so let's promote that in our school community. Let's be honest, inclusive, and committed to the success of the group over the individual. If we do this, we're being fair and we're practicing social awareness:)

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Relationship Skills: A Superstar On And Off The Court

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Relationship Skills: A Superstar On And Off The Court

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Intro: We all know who Steph Curry is. Three-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA MVP. As elite as Steph is on the court he is just as elite as a person off of the court. He tirelessly gives back to the people in his community and he always leads with kindness, compassion and care (three pivotal relationship skills). It can be beneficial to look at a person like Steph as a role model.  Let's do that today. Take a look at Steph as he takes the time to care about a young fan who looks to Steph for inspiration on a daily basis.

Model: Share your thoughts on the kindness and care that Steph displayed

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the kindness and care that Steph displayed.

Do you think that there is a link between Steph's success on the court and the way that he treats people off of the court. Why or why not?

Steph gave us a good example of someone who cares for the people around him. What can you do in our school community to demonstrate this kind of care to the people around you?

Closing: Take the time to be kind, to give back, to care about the people around you. It doesn't take a lot of effort and it can have a really positive impact on others.

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STEPH CURRY MAKES A KID'S DREAM COME TRUE

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Responsible Decision Making: Proof That The Simplest Things Can Make The Biggest Impact

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Responsible Decision Making: Proof That The Simplest Things Can Make The Biggest Impact

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Intro: We all have busy lives with many demands on our time. Because of that we might lose sight of the impact that we can have on people in our everyday interactions. Today we are going to take a look at a note that was sent to a local hairdresser. In the midst of a busy day, this hairdresser took the time to care for a client that was struggling with dementia. The care shown made the sick woman feel beautiful and loved in a time when she (and her husband) really needed to experience those emotions. Taking the time to care for the people around you on a daily basis is an example of a responsible decision. Let's read through this note.

Note to teachers: Read the note to students and maybe even print the note and post in your classroom as a reminder to students to show care in their interactions. We'll skip the discussion for today and jump straight to the closing.

Closing: Your everyday interactions have the power to make a positive, occasionally life-changing impact on the people around you. go out of your way to share a smile, a kind word, any action that shows that you care. If you do this you're not just making a responsible decision, you're making a difference:)

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Self-Management: If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again

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Self-Management: If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try Again

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Intro: We have a short and sweet lesson today but one that demonstrates some fine self-management skills. CASEL's description of self-management includes the following points:

Setting personal and collective goals

Using planning and organizational skills

Showing the courage to take initiative

All three of these points are showcased in the actions of the star of today's video. Let's take a look and see if you can spot them.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. If applicable share an example of a time when you showed courage in taking initiative.

Questions for students:

This one is pretty obvious but what was the personal goal set by the young lady in this video?

This one is a bit trickier. What planning did our young skater put into accomplishing her goal? (answer: this video was recorded in warm temps. The little girl put on a puffy winter coat and winter gloves because she knew she was going to need some cushioning for the falls)

Lastly as we can obviously see, this three year-old showed a lot of courage in attempting this feat. Can you share a time when you showed courage in taking initiative?

Closing: Let's keep this video in mind when we tackle a challenge in our lives. Set goals. Make a game-plan as to how to meet those goals.  Be courageous in your attempt to achieve your goals.

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Self-Awareness: Growth Mindset In a Tweet

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Self-Awareness: Growth Mindset In a Tweet

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Note to teachers: Today we have a bit of an extension to the normal conversation format. We will share a tweet that relates to self-awareness, we'll chat quickly about the sentiment shared in the tweet, then we'll ask students to create a "tweet" of their own. Student "tweets" should reflect a thought related to self-awareness but if you want to extend out to all five competencies that works as well. A tweet template is linked below this post. Students can use that template to write out their tweet.  When finished have students share their tweet with classmates and/or post the tweets on your classroom wall.

Intro: When we practice self-awareness a primary focus is on developing and maintaining a growth mindset. As a reminder, a growth mindset is reflected in the understanding that we can develop our abilities through hard work and dedication. We are going to take a look at a tweet that shares a sentiment that is reflective of a growth mindset. Take a look and we'll talk about ways in which you've incorporated a growth mindset into your self-awareness practice.

Model: Share your thoughts on the tweet. Have you ever been a "foolish beginner" prior to becoming a "graceful master"? Share your story.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the tweet.

How does the thought shared in this tweet connect with the idea of a growth mindset?

Have you ever gone from a "foolish beginner" to a "graceful master"? Can you share your story?

Extension Activity: We want to hear from you. Share your knowledge by writing a tweet. Thoughts shared in the tweet should connect with your social and emotional practice and one of the Five Core Competencies that we practice each morning. We'll post your tweet in the classroom so we can all learn from each other.

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Intro: Our final quote comes from Dr. Martin Luther King.

Bio: Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King is best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the son of early civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Sr.

Share the quote.

Model: Share your thoughts on Martin Luther King's quote.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on this quote.

Is this something that you would use in your social awareness practice? Why or why not?

Closing: When given a choice between choosing hate vs love choose love...every time. Doing so is healthier for our community and ourselves.

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Intro: Our responsible decision making quote comes from American poet Maya Angelou.

Bio: Maya Angelou born Marguerite Annie Johnson; (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.

Share the quote.

Model: Share your thoughts on Maya Angelou's quote.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on this quote.

Is this something that you would use in your social-awareness practice? Why or why not?

Closing: Maya reminds us of what's important. We will say and do many things in life but the real impact comes from how we make people feel. Let's do everything we can to make sure those feelings are positive.

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Intro: Our responsible decision making quote comes to us from Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.

Bio: Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American business magnate, industrial designer, investor, and media proprietor. He was the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Apple Inc., the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar, a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following its acquisition of Pixar, and the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT. Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Jobs was born in San Francisco, California, and put up for adoption. He was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Reed College in 1972 before dropping out that same year. Four years later he founded Apple.

Share the quote.

Model: Share your thoughts on Steve Job's quote.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on this quote.

Is this something that you would use in your responsible decision making practice? Why or why not?

Closing: The things we decide not to do can have a profound impact on our lives. Choose to do the things that will help you learn, grow and succeed - choose to not do the things that will hinder your ability to learn, grow and succeed.

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Intro: We have a quote that relates to self-management today from a man named Nelson Mandela. Do you know who Nelson Mandela was? Let's take a minute to learn more about him.

Bio: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalized racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.

Share the quote.

Model: Share your thoughts on Nelson Mandela's quote.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on this quote.

Is this something that you would use in your self-management practice? Why or why not?

Closing: We all face fear and we all have the ability to manage that fear. Find what works for you and get busy conquering those fears.

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Note to teachers: This week we will focus on famous quotes from historical figures in areas of the arts, social justice, and business. Each quote aligns with the days competency. We want students to think about these quotes, their meaning, and how the sentiments shared can apply to their personal social and emotional practice. Each lesson will start with a short bio on the historical figure prior to jumping into sharing the quote and having a discussion with students. We'll let this discussion flow this week without a lot of structure. Let students dissect the quote, share what it means to them, and see how or if they can fit it into their social and emotional practice. Feel free to print up the attached image to place in your room or distribute to students.

Intro: This week we are taking the time to reflect on statements or quotes from historical figures. Each of these statements are related to the days social and emotional competency. Learning from the wisdom of others is a great way to develop or enhance your social and emotional practice. Today we will reflect on a quote from a man named Bruce Lee. Prior to taking a look at Mr. Lee's quote let's give you some insight into who Bruce Lee was.

Bio:  Lee Jun-fan (Chinese: 李振藩; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973), commonly known as Bruce Lee, was a Chinese-American martial artist, actor, director, martial arts instructor and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often credited with paving the way for modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is considered by commentators, critics, media, and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He is credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films.

Share the quote.

Model: Share your thoughts on Bruce Lee's quote.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on this quote.

Is this something that you would use in your self-awareness practice? Why or why not?

Closing: People who break barriers and "become" who they want to be often practice their social and emotional skills at a very high level. Bruce Lee aligned his thinking with his goals en route to achieving his dreams. He also gave us a great example of how to practice self-awareness.

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Social-Awareness: Meet Robert Peters And The Community That Loves Him

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Social-Awareness: Meet Robert Peters And The Community That Loves Him

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Intro: Today we are going to meet Robert Peters. Robert is a pizza delivery driver from a small town in Indiana. Robert demonstrates a high level of aptitude in social and emotional skill. He cares for his customers and he makes sure that he shows that care with each pizza he delivers. His community recognized the care and kindness shown by Robert, and they wanted to let him know that they appreciate who he is and the job that he does. They wanted to show Robert that they care too. Take a look at the video to find out what they did.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. Is there anyone in your community who reminds you of Robert?

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

Does Robert make any statements that show you that he is plugged into practicing kindness, empathy or compassion?

Is there someone in your community who reminds you of Robert? A person who goes out of their way to brighten the day of others?

We may not be able to buy them a car but how can we show caring and kind members of our community that we appreciate them?

Closing: We can learn a lot from Robert. When we help others with care and kindness in our heart we can make a really positive impact...and you never know, maybe you'll end up with a new car:)

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Pizza deliveryman's devotion to job earns him massive tip

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Relationship Skills: An Unlikely Friendship

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Relationship Skills: An Unlikely Friendship

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Intro: How do friendships begin? Friendships begin in a lot of ways but I'd argue that most start from an action of kindness or care. That action can spark a connection which can lead to a friendship. That's pretty cool to know that a simple gesture can lead to a rewarding relationship. We have a story today that showcases a kind gesture that leads to an unlikely friendship between an Olympic Gold Medalist and a young girl. Take a look.

Model: First share your thoughts on the video. Second, if you have an example of a time when a friendship sprouted from an act of kindness share that story with your class.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video and Chloe and Joe's friendship.

Chloe found and returned Joe's medal, this action led to young Chloe and her father being friends with an Olympic Gold Medalist. Have you ever had a friendship that started from an act of kindness or care? Can you share your story?

Closing: Will every act of kindness and care generate a lasting friendship? Probably not. But, the more we put ourselves in a position to make a connection the more likely we'll be to make a strong and lasting friendship. Being kind, and going out of your way to show care to the people around you is a great way to make those connections. So be kind and show that you care...solid and lasting friendships are likely to follow.

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Lost gold medal sparks unlikely friendship

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Responsible Decision Making: Mind Your Tweets

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Responsible Decision Making: Mind Your Tweets

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Intro: With each year our use of technology as a means to communicate grows. Be it on Zoom, Google Classroom, or social media platforms like Instagram or Tik Tok we've all had some experience communicating through technology. My question for you is do you make responsible decisions when communicating on these platforms? You should, because your online presence is out there. It's documented, archived, and available for all to see. Make responsible decisions when online as you never know if a statement from the past will come back to bite you as the "stars" of todays video found out the hard way.

Model: Share your decision making process relating to your online interactions.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. How do you think the participants felt when they were challenged to back up their boasts?

The people in this video were forced to eat a little humble pie as a result of their boastful tweets. The consequence of their actions was feeling a little embarrassment. What are some other consequences that can come from an irresponsible online presence?

How do you practice responsible decision making when communicating or interacting online? Why is it important for you to stick to these practices?

Do you have any words of advice to share about being responsible online?

Closing: The choices we make online can have consequences both in the moment and in the future. Make responsible choices in what you say and what you share when online. Doing so can save you some embarrassment in the future.

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Fans who bragged about their 40 times run actual 40-yard dashes | Always Late with Katie Nolan

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Self-Management: An Example of Poor Self-Management

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Self-Management: An Example of Poor Self-Management

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Intro: We practice self-management for a lot of different reasons. Self-management can help us keep calm, focused, and happy. Self-management also helps us in our responsible decision making practice. If we can manage feelings of anger, frustration, and even competitiveness we can put ourselves in a position to make better choices. We have a video today that shows the end result of poor self-management leading to the making of an irresponsible decision. In this video you'll see the driver of a Dodge Challenger screwing up big time. The driver of this car was passed by a faster car. In that moment, he or she might have felt anger, jealousy, or competitiveness. Whatever the feeling was, the driver didn't do a good job of managing it, and it led to an extremely poor decision. Take a look. (of note: serious injury was (somehow) avoided in this accident)

Model: Share your thoughts on the video and maybe an example of how you practice self-management while driving.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

What emotion do you think the driver of the challenger failed to manage? Why do you think that?

Anger, jealousy, extreme competitiveness. These are tough emotions to mange. How do you manage these emotions?

How does managing these tough emotions help you to avoid choices that can have difficult or even dangerous consequences?

Closing: Self-management and responsible decision making are closely related. Work to find ways to manage those tough emotions. Doing so can help you avoid choices that can have a negative impact on both yourself and others.

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WOW! ENDS VERY BADLY when Challenger Tries To Race Tesla Model 3 - Hope People They Hit Are OK.

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Intro: Demonstrating honesty and integrity is a component of our self-awareness practice. How do you demonstrate honesty and integrity? Why do you demonstrate honesty and integrity? We'll answer those questions later but first I want to show you a video that tells the story of a young man who demonstrated honesty and integrity. His actions showcase a high level of self-awareness. His actions also caught the attention of the nation and he was recognized and rewarded in a big way. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. Share why honesty and integrity are important components of your self-awareness practice.

Questions for students:

What was Nasim's motivation in returning the wallet?

How did his actions demonstrate honesty and integrity?

What do you think about the reward Nasim received because of his honesty?

What motivates you to live in a way that demonstrates honesty and integrity?

What actions represent or showcase your honesty and integrity?

What rewards do you receive for these actions? (Talk to students about the intrinsic rewards associated with honesty and integrity)

What can we do as a class to make sure that honesty and integrity are values that we represent?

Closing: Honesty and integrity are values that we want to work to demonstrate on a daily basis. Our actions that represent these values may not get recognized by Ellen, but they will get recognized by the people that we care about. That's a big reward in and of itself:)

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Social-Awareness: The World Falls In Love With a 150 Year Old Song

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Social-Awareness: The World Falls In Love With a 150 Year Old Song

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Intro: We have a quick and easy lesson to end the week. One that I hope puts a little bounce in your step and a little bit of joy in your heart. There is a song that is going viral on Tik Tok right now. It is a catchy, old, sailing song and it is currently number #3 on the I-tunes charts in England. What's so cool about this story? Well, it's really bringing a lot of people together. People from all different cultures and backgrounds are uniting to put their own spin on this 150 year old tune. It's a great reminder that even amongst the craziness of this past year, we have the power to come together to create something beautiful. Take a look, and a listen to "The Wellerman."

Note to teachers: You can have a discussion on this but you also can just jump straight to the closing.

Closing: How would that song sound if only one person was performing it? Not bad, but not as good as it turned out with multiple contributors. The diversity of influence brought new tones, new instruments, and even a hot remix. Don't forget, we work better when we work together and share our unique talents. Let's keep that in mind in our actions and interactions as a class today.

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The Wellerman - TikTok Sea Shanty mashup 2021

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Relationship Skills: Soul Pancake - What Makes You feel Loved (0-100)

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Relationship Skills: Soul Pancake - What Makes You feel Loved (0-100)

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Intro: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The golden rule, a cornerstone of a solid relationship skills practice. Another core component of a solid relationship is love. What makes you feel loved? There's a good chance that we all have a pretty similar answer to that question. That will be our focus for today. What actions makes us feel loved and how can we demonstrate those same actions to the people in our lives. Once again, we'll relay on our Soul Pancake friends to get this conversation started. Take a look as they answer the question "what makes you feel loved?" Pay close attention as we'll want to here what answer from the video made a connection with you.

Model: What answer from the video did you connect with? What makes you feel loved? How do you show love to the people around you?

Questions for students:

What answer form the video did you connect with?

What makes you feel loved?

How do you show love to the people around you?

Can you show love to someone you don't know really well? How could you do this?

Closing: Love isn't an emotion that has to be reserved for Valentines Day:) Think about what makes you feel love and share those actions with the people around you.

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Responsible Decision Making: Soul Pancake - Best Advice You've Received (0-100)

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Responsible Decision Making: Soul Pancake - Best Advice You've Received (0-100)

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Intro: Continuing on with our Soul Pancake series today. Do you ever think about the amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom that you're surrounded by? How often do you tap into that knowledge, experience and wisdom? I hope your answer is a lot. We tap into the wisdom of others through taking advice. That's what our friends at Soul Pancake will share today. the best advice they've ever received. Let's hear what they have to say, and as always, pay attention to the piece of advice that hits home to you.

Model: What answer from the video did you connect with? What is the best piece of advice that you've ever received? What's the best piece of advice that you've ever given?

Questions for students:

What answer from the video did you connect with? Why did this answer hit home?

What is the best piece of advice that you've ever received and who gave you that advice?

What is the best piece of advice that you've ever given and who did you give it to?

Closing: It is a responsible decision to learn from the wisdom and experience of others. So do it. Identify trusted experienced individuals in your community and if they have some solid advice, don't be afraid to take it:)

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Self-Management: Soul Pancake - What Is One Thing You Thought You'd Have Accomplished By Now (0-100)

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Self-Management: Soul Pancake - What Is One Thing You Thought You'd Have Accomplished By Now (0-100)

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Intro: Jumping back into a video with our friends at Soul Pancake today. In this video they we'll share something that they thought they would have accomplished by now. What does this have to do with self-management? Well, it's good to know that the feeling of coming up short on something is pretty universal. No one's life goes exactly as planned. We all have to manage disappointment, reassess goals, and acclimate to paths that we may not have expected to find ourselves on. Let's take a look at the video. As  was the case yesterday, pay attention to an answer that hits home to you, we want to talk about that later.

Model: What answer from the video did you connect with? What is one thing that you thought you'd have done by now? How do you manage the feelings that come with not having done this thing as of yet?

Questions for students:

What answer from the video did you connect with? Why did this answer hit home?

What is something that you thought you'd have accomplished by now?

How do you manage the feelings that come with not having done this thing as of yet?

We all experience disappointment from time to time. How do you manage the feeling of disappointment?

How about reassessing goals. Have you ever had to reassess goals? Why is this action an important component of a self-management practice?

Closing: Life doesn't always go exactly as planned. If you need proof of that just take a look at what we've experienced over the past year:/ The good news is we are all inherently adaptable. We have the ability to process disappointment and pivot to a new often rewarding direction. Acknowledge that ability, and you'll be well on your way to practicing self-management.

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Tell Us One Thing You Thought You'd Have Accomplished By Now | 0-100

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Self-Awareness: Soul Pancake What Is Your Purpose In Life - (0-100)

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Self-Awareness: Soul Pancake What Is Your Purpose In Life - (0-100)

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Intro: We are going to dive into a video series this week where we'll hear from a diverse group of people of all ages. These people will share their thoughts on different topics related to their experience as humans. We'll hear and reflect on what they have to say and then we want to hear and reflect on what you have to say. We're talking about self-awareness today and a component of a good self-awareness practice is developing a sense of purpose. Let's watch the video where our group is asked "what is your purpose in life?" Pay close attention as you watch because we want to know which of the answers given struck a chord with you.

Model: What answer from the video did you connect with? What would you define as your sense of purpose?

Questions for students:

What answer from the video did you connect with? Why did this answer hit home?

What would you define as your sense of purpose in life?

What do you gain from having this purpose?

How do you anticipate your purpose evolving as you grow?

Closing: Having a purpose can help us in many ways. It can provide us with motivation, direction, satisfaction and even happiness. Take some time to reflect on the purpose and the passions that exist in your life. Doing so is a great example of practicing self-awareness.

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Intro: When we practice social awareness we take the perspectives of others, we recognize the strength in others, and we demonstrate empathy and compassion in our interactions with others. We're going to show you a video today of the poem recited by Amanda Gorman at last weeks inauguration. She had the tough job of trying to reach out and connect with all people in a nation that has been pretty divided in the last few years. Her performance was a great example of social awareness in action as she most definitely took the perspectives of others, recognizing their strengths while showing compassion and empathy. Take a look at her performance.

Model: Share a line or thought from Amanda's poem that struck a chord with you.

Questions for students:

Share a line or thought from Amanda's poem that struck a chord with you.

Let's break down a few lines from the poem. Please share your thoughts on the following line: "So we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but to what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first we must put our differences aside."

What can you do to live the message in the following line? "We seek harm to none and harmony for all."

What does the following line tell you about self-management? Even as we grieved we grew. Even as we hurt we hoped."

Conflict is exhausting. What does the following line tell us about choosing communication and cooperation over conflict? "Victory won't lie in the blade but in all the bridges we've made."

Last one: "For there is always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it." What can you do to both see, and be the light?

Closing: Social awareness ultimately comes down to our ability to lift up the people around us through respect, appreciation, empathy and compassion. Amanda Gorman provided a great model for us. Let's try to take her words to heart in our actions and interactions with the people in our community.

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Poet Amanda Gorman reads 'The Hill We Climb'

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Intro: Whether you call it teamwork, collaboration, or working well with others, humans have a rich history in performing better when united for a common cause. There is such a thing as strength in numbers and it is my hope that in the future we spend more time working with as opposed to against each other. Let's take a look at a video where we'll see a group of people who work together, as a team to do the seemingly impossible. This video comes to us from a remote village in India. The village has no access to heavy machinery or equipment. When a truck crashed into a ravine there was only one way to get it out. The villagers had to come together as a team to solve their problem. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the teamwork displayed in the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the teamwork displayed in the video.

Have you ever achieved something when working as a team that you couldn't have as an individual? Can you share your experience?

What are some traits of a good teammate?

What do you bring to the table as a teammate?

How can our classroom benefit from working together?

Is being a good teammate a relationship skill? Why or why not?

Closing:
Together
Everyone
Achieves
More
It's an old adage but it rings true. When we work together we put ourselves in the position to accomplish great things.

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AMAZING,NAGA Villagers pulled out a Truck, that fell off the  road with ropes | Spirit of Unity.

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Responsible Decision Making: The Importance of Small Steps

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Responsible Decision Making: The Importance of Small Steps

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Note to teachers: We're going to let you and your students freestyle on this one. The image below is titled "The Importance of Small Steps." It is a great visual to remind students of the importance of making the decision to take it slow and steady. Click on the image to enlarge for your students or even download the image to display in your classroom or hand out to students.

Have a conversation with students about what the image means to them. Touch on the importance of patience, pacing, setting manageable goals, and focusing on the journey over the destination. Have fun with it. Enjoy your conversation!

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Intro: The term "perspective" can be defined as the way you see something. The perspectives that we take towards our feelings, our actions, and our experiences have a huge impact on our self-management practice. For example, let's look at two perspectives in which a student might view homework. Perspective 1: Homework is a a tedious and seemingly unending task. Perspective 2: Homework, while not always the most enjoyable of activities, is a necessary component of my development as a student. Which of these perspectives would be most helpful in managing thoughts and emotions related to your studies? We have a video today that looks into the perspective or interpretation that individuals take on feeling nervous. Take a look.

Model: When was the last time you felt nervous about a performance? How did you manage those nerves?

Questions for students:

Hearts racing, palms are sweaty, maybe even a few butterflies in the stomach. As stated in the video these are physiological responses that we feel when both nervous and excited. Can you share the last time you felt these responses?

Think of a time when you were about to perform. Maybe it was prior to a test, a musical performance, or a big game. You start to feel "nervous". How would changing your perspective from "I feel nervous" to "I feel excited" benefit you from a self-management standpoint?

Are there any other areas outside of nervousness/excitement in which changing our perspective on what we feel could be of benefit?

Closing: Examining our perspectives and interpretations of feelings, thoughts, and actions can be a really powerful self-management tool. You have the power to think through all kinds of challenges. So use that power:) Doing so tends to make life a bit more manageable:)

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Simon Sinek on Training Your Mind to Perform Under Pressure

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Intro: When we practice self-awareness we strive to build our capacity to understand our emotions, thoughts and values and how they influence our behavior. We can experience strong emotions that often times come with a strong behavioral reaction. Part of practicing self-awareness is reflecting on both our emotions and our reactions. Have you ever experienced a strong emotion that came with a reaction that could be considered an overreaction? Everyone's answer to that question should be yes because we all overreact at times. Let's take a look at a fun video. In the video we'll see a dog who experiences a disappointment. The dog has a strong reaction to this disappointment. Take a look and form an opinion on this dogs reaction. Is it an appropriate reaction or an overreaction?

Model: Share your thoughts on the dogs reaction. Appropriate or overreaction?

Questions for students:

Kind of a funny video. The dog obviously just went through a "devastating" experience. What are your thoughts on the video?

Have you ever been in the same position as this dog? A time when a minor inconvenience felt like an insurmountable issue and your reaction reflected that feeling? Can you share your experience?

Do you see overreaction as beneficial or detrimental to your overall well-being? Explain your thinking.

What can we do to align our reactions to our experience? In other words, what can we do to avoid overreactions?

Closing: In many instances, life circumstances and the emotions those circumstances produce warrant a strong emotional reaction. But, if we have a strong emotional reaction to every disappointment or inconvenience, no matter how small, we'll probably end up exhausting ourselves (and the people around us). So take some time to not only reflect on your emotions, but your reactions to those emotions. Doing so is a great example of practicing self-awareness.

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Social-Awareness: Respecting (And Caring For) Your Elders

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Social-Awareness: Respecting (And Caring For) Your Elders

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Intro: When we practice social awareness we strive to take the perspectives of others while showing empathy and compassion. Perspective taking can be described as putting yourself in someone else's shoes. Let's practice that for a moment. Let's put ourselves in the shoe's of the elders in our community. People in the 70+ age range. How would these people feel if given a little compassion and empathy from the the young people in their community? How would it feel if the young people in their community took the time to show some care? I think we can get the answer to these questions in todays video. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the care given to Gene by the young people in his community.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the care given to Gene by the young people in his community.

How does taking the time to care about and connect with elders in our community beneficial to all involved?

Do you have an example of a time when you connected with an elder in your community? Who was it? What did you learn from the experience? What benefit did you provide? What benefit did you receive?

Closing: The elders in our community deserve our compassion, our empathy, and our attention. So reach out to them. A quick hello or conversation can go a long way in spreading some joy in your community.

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Man with dementia forms special bond with kids

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Intro: It might be hard for you to believe but guess what? You are a role model. Be it at school, at home, or out in your community there are young kids who are looking up to you and learning from what you do. The role model relationship is a really important one for both parties, the person looking up, and the person being looked toward. We'll talk more about the role model relationship in a moment but first I want to show you a cute video. This video comes to us from Brazil. In Brazil, it is tradition for a person who's celebrating their birthday to give the first piece of cake to someone who is really important to them. It is a very big honor to the person who receives this first piece of birthday cake. The video shows a younger brother receive this honor from his older brother/role model. Take a look at this little boys reaction to realizing that he's very important to the older brother that he looks up to.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the little boys reaction to receiving this honor from his older brother/role model.

Who is your role model? What have you learned from this person?

What are some ways in which you can be a good role model to the young people in your life?

How about at school. What can you do to be a good role model to the younger students in our school community?

Closing: We learn from others and we help others learn. The role model relationship is a two way street. Sometimes we're the ones being modeled and other times we're the ones doing the modeling. Make sure your roles models are providing a good example to follow and make sure you are doing the same for the young people who look up to you.

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In Brazil, to receive the first piece of birthday cake is an honor 🤗

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Responsible Decision Making: An Assist To Remember

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Responsible Decision Making: An Assist To Remember

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Intro: Sometimes we have hours, days, or even weeks to make a responsible decision. With these kinds of decisions we have plenty of time to reflect, analyze, and think through the choices we have to make. Other times we need to make a responsible decision in the moment. We don't have the luxury of weighing options over a long period of time. With these types of decisions we need to rely on our values, our instincts, and hopefully our desire to do what's right. We have an example of one of these in the moment decisions in todays video. We'll learn about a decision made by a young man named Jonathan Montanez. It was a decision that had a profound impact on young man named Mitchell and his family. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video and Jonathan's decision making.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video.

How did Jonathan's decision making impact Mitchell?

How did Jonathan's decision impact Mitchell's family?

How about Jonathan himself? What impact did making this decision have on Jonathan?

How did Jonathan's upbringing and values play a role in his ability to make the decision to care for Mitchell in the moment?

What about you? How does your upbringing and your values impact your decision making?

Closing: When aiming to make responsible decisions keep your values front of mind and strive to make decisions that lift up others. If you do that, you're almost guaranteed to make make a responsible decision.

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On the Road With Steve Hartman - Basketball Manager Gets His Shot

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Self-Management: What You Feed Will Grow

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Self-Management: What You Feed Will Grow

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Intro: There is no doubt that this has been a tough year. A lot of the stories that we see on TV and social media tell tales of disease, division, anger and distrust. While we are definitely dealing with some tough issues there are good things happening all around us. Stories of hope. Stories of help. Stories of people loving each other, caring for each other, and practicing compassion. We have the opportunity today to practice self-management by making a decision as to where we put our focus. We don't want to ignore the tough stories but if 100% percent of our focus is on the negative, our thoughts and emotions are likely to trend in that direction. So let's take some time to focus on the positive. Let's look at a story that is about connection, compassion, and hope. Doing so can give us a little emotional boost while reminding us that while the past year has been tough, it's hasn't been all bad. That reminder, done on a regular basis, is a great self-management tool. Take a look at the video.

Model: Share your thoughts on Caitlyn and Monique's story.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on Caitlyn and Monique's story.

What emotions did you feel when listening and learning about Caitlyn and Monique's story?

How can seeking out and taking in stories like this be beneficial to your self-management practice?

We know things are not ideal right now but we also know that good things are happening as well. Can you share some good things that are happening in your world?

Closing: What you feed will grow. So feed the good things. Care for the people around you. Practice and celebrate compassion. Practice and celebrate kindness. You might be surprised at the impact this approach can have on your self-management practice.

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ICU nurse and COVID-19 patient have message for divided country

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Intro: Have you ever heard of Mr. Rodgers? You might be a bit young but if you haven't heard of him your teacher should be able to fill you in. Mr Rodgers has a famous quote. A quote that I took for the title of this lesson "Look For The Helpers". The full quote is as follows: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers, you'll always find people who are helping." There is no doubt that we have seen a lot of scary and disturbing things on the news of late. So let's "look for the helpers" today. I want you to watch a story about a young man who risked his life to help people in his community. He is a shining example of someone who practiced social awareness in the most trying of settings. We see a lot of poor examples of social awareness in the news. Let's take a moment to put a little glow on a young man who's deserving of the spotlight. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on this heroic example of social awareness.

Questions for students:

What do we think about Justin's actions?

What do we think about the thoughts Justin shared in his interview?

Do you think stories like this get enough attention? What can we do to acknowledge and promote these types of actions?

Look for a helper. Justin is most definitely a helper. What can you do to be a helper in your community?

Closing: Even in trying times there are good stories out there. Look for them. Share them. Maybe even create one of your own.

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Connecticut teen saves mother, three children from burning car

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Intro: What does respect mean to you? The dictionary definition of respect is as follows: "due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights or traditions of others." A more simple definition of respect is to simply show others that you care for them and feel that they are important. We have a great video today that shows some athletes giving respect to the people around them. Respect is shown in this video through a variety of actions with one commonality, care. Take a look and we'll talk more about respect to follow.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video. What respectful gesture stood out to you?

Questions for students:

What respectful gesture from the video stood out to you? How was respect shown in that moment?

How does it feel when you're treated with respect? Do you have an example of a time when someone treated you with respect?

How does it feel when you treat someone with respect? Can you share an example of when you treated someone with respect?

Does someone have to show you respect in order for you to give respect? Why or why not? (Note to teachers: from a social and emotional standpoint the answer to this question in most circumstances is no. The reason being is that it is disempowering. It puts the determining factor of how I act/respond/behave into the hands of another. If I make the decision to to be a respectful person then I am going to act in a respectful way even if that respect doesn't always come back to me. Kind of a two wrongs don't make a right type of scenario. Could be a good opportunity to have a discussion about this with students.

Closing: It isn't always easy, but treating people with respect is almost always the best path to take in our interactions with others. It is also a foundational piece of a solid relationship skills practice.

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20 BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS OF RESPECT IN SPORTS  !! 2019

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Responsible Decision Making: Learning The Hard Way

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Responsible Decision Making: Learning The Hard Way

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Intro: Sometimes we think we have all the answers. Even when a trusted grown up gives us solid advice, we don't listen. We go ahead and do it our way. Often times, when we follow this practice of decision making, we end up learning a lesson the hard way. Let's watch a video where a young boy gets some great advice from a grown up. Unfortunately, he doesn't take it. As is often the case, he ends up learning a lesson the hard way. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video and maybe a quick story of a time when you had to learn a lesson the hard way.

Questions for students:

What did this young boy want to do so badly in the video?

Why was it a good idea to avoid taking a taste of the cocoa powder?

Do you think his grown up gave him good advice? Why didn't he take that advice?

What was the end result of not taking his grown ups advice?

Have you ever had an experience like this? A grown up gave you good advice that you refused to take. What was the result of that decision?

Closing: Having the ability to admit that we don't always have all of the answers is a responsible decision in and of itself. Taking the advice of trusted, experienced grown ups is also an example of making a responsible decision. Let's try to make sure that we do both of those things as often as possible. It might save you from experiencing a not so tasty treat:)

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Self Management: Social Support-Seek It, Give It

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Self Management: Social Support-Seek It, Give It

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Intro: We practice self-management because we know that life will force us to face fears, overcome challenges, and bear struggles. We've talked about it before but I just want to state it again. When it comes to managing emotions, challenges, and struggles, there is no substitute for social support. What does that mean? It means you seek out advice, encouragement, and comfort from others when you're going through something. We want to be open to seeking that support but we also want to make sure that we offer that support to the people around us as well. We have a great video that shows both sides of social support, a father giving it, and a daughter receiving it. Let's take a look then we'll talk more about social support to follow.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video.

Questions for students:

Share your thoughts on the video. How'd it make you feel to watch this dad support his daughter?

Shots/needles can definitely cause some emotions that need to be managed. What causes your anxiety to ramp up? Shots? Math Tests? Public speaking?

Have you ever used social support to help you manage some of those experiences that cause you to feel anxiety?

Let's talk about giving social support. How do you give social support to help the people around you mange challenges, emotions, and struggles?

Why is it important for us to both seek and give social support? What can we do as a class to make sure that we are there to support each other?

Closing: Supporting others, and leaning into the support others give is crucial to the health and well-being of our community. So practice self-management through social support. Seek it. Give It.

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Dad Receives Shots To Show Nervous Daughter It's Okay

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Self-Awareness: Kids Share Their Cultural Traditions

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Self-Awareness: Kids Share Their Cultural Traditions

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Intro: A component of practicing self-awareness is having the ability to identify your personal, cultural, and linguistic assets. Culture is defined as "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. How often do you think about your culture? We can think about our culture through investigating our ancestry, learning about our family's country of origin, and reflecting on the cultural traditions that we still practice. Let's take a look at a video where some young kids share the cultural traditions that they practice in their family.

Model: Share a tradition that you practice that is representative of your cultural identity?

Questions for students:

Do you have any cultural traditions that you practice? If so, can you share them?

How does reflecting on your culture help you to develop self-awareness?

Why is it important for us to learn about the cultures and traditions of others.

Closing: When we reflect on where we come from, where we are, and where we're going we're practicing self-awareness. So take some time to reflect on your cultural identity today:)

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Kids Share Their Cultural Tradition | Show & Tell | Hiho Kids

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Social Awareness: An Example Of Seeking and Creating Joy

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Social Awareness: An Example Of Seeking and Creating Joy

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Intro: I found this video under a post titled "We need more of this kind of energy in 2021." You'll get an idea about what "this kind of energy" means in a moment but I'll lay a little ground work for you. This video is an example of three strangers, all of different ages and cultural backgrounds, coming together to share a beautiful moment together. That moment definitely brightened the day of some lucky people who happened to be walking by at the time. But, because this moment was captured on video, it has gone on to brighten the day of 41 million more people... and counting:) I hope it brightens your day too, and I hope it serves as a reminder that the world can be a wonderful place.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video with students.

Questions for students:

How did this video make you feel?

How do you think the three stars of the video felt in this moment? How do you think they felt about each other?

In what ways were these three practicing social awareness?

These three men were seeking and creating joy in the moment. You may not be able to make beautiful music but how can you seek and create joy with the people around you today?

Closing: My challenge to you for 2021. See what you can do to bring about "more of this kind of energy" in the new year:)

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Amazing jam session - Three random guys sing together

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Relationship Skills: It Is Never OK To Bully

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Relationship Skills: It Is Never OK To Bully

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Intro: You have an impact on the people around you. What kind of impact do you want to make? If you treat others with kindness and compassion, you'll have a positive impact. If you bully someone, your impact will be the exact opposite. Bullying consists of seeking to physically or mentally harm someone through intimidation, mocking or name calling. We have a video today that gives us a glimpse of bullying that took place at a high school basketball game in the form of mocking. I think this video will give you a good look at the negative impact that bullying can have on people. Take a look.

Model: Share your thoughts on the video with students.

Questions for students:

What are your thoughts on the actions of the bully?

Some people might say that the bully was just trying to be funny. Why were his actions not funny?

What impact did the bullies actions have on James Jr and his mother?

Mocking and or making fun of others is a form of bullying. What can you do to make sure that these actions are not a part of our classroom environment and school community?

Closing: I think we can all agree that the actions of the bully in this video are not representative of a solid relationship skills practice. Mocking and making fun of others is not ok. It is hurtful to others and to the community as a whole. Lead with kindness and compassion. Spread joy instead of pain. Let's work together to make bullying, in all forms, a thing of the past.

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Cathedral High School basketball player taunted during game

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Responsible Decision Making: What Do You Want To Do When You Grow Up?

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Responsible Decision Making: What Do You Want To Do When You Grow Up?

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Intro: We make responsible decisions every day. Something that helps us make responsible decisions is thinking about our hopes and dreams for the future. When we think about what we want our future to look like we can align our decision making with our hopes and dreams. For example, if we dream of being a doctor, we can decide to work really hard in school and maybe even decide to learn more about the world of medicine through reading and researching outside of school. Let's watch a quick video where we'll see some kids your age share their hopes and dreams related to what they want to do when they grow up. When finished we'll talk about what you want todo when you grow up.

Model: Share a hope and/or dream that you have for your future. What responsible decisions do you make to make that dream come true?

Questions for students:

What do you want to do when you grow up?

What are some things that you'll have to do to make that dream a reality?

What is a responsible decision that you can make today that will help you to accomplish the goals that you have for "tomorrow"?

Closing: Connect with your goals and dreams. Committing to yourself and your hopes for the future can really be helpful in insuring that you make responsible decisions today.

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Kids Tell Us What They Want To Be When They Grow Up