Hey guys! Be prepared, this is a very SPED kind of post, but it would really work in any class with a student who struggles emotionally. This program has significantly reduced the number of "blowups" my kids have. My little guys often have humongous reactions to very tiny problems. This program has helped my little guys determine the "size of the problem" and what to do in order to calm down, instead of having a screaming tantrum or hitting. I'm in no way encouraged to write this, I just really like the way my kids are responding to the program.
The last month or two the speech teacher and I have been working on helping the kids determine what emotional "zone" they are in (happy, tired, angry, excited, etc.). Now we are teaching the kids the "tools" to get back into the "green zone" (the best zone, because you're happy, calm, and ready to learn).
So we made a little book of "tools" on colored construction paper. When I see a kid starting to "blow up" I stop them immediately and hand them the tool book. The kid picks a "tool" such as belly breathing, pushing a wall, or taking a walk. If the kid successfully uses the tool to calm down and get back to work, they get a special card. When the student earns all their tool cards (about 8 I think, I didn't count), they get a prize. The book includes tool award cards, but it's kind of a pain to lug the book to the copier every time we need more. So I made a digital copy in a jiffy today. So I figured you can have it as a surprise freebie. Have you noticed I've gone freebie crazy lately?! I didn't think you'd mind!
Cool! Thanks for sharing this. I'll have to check out the book and try it out with some of my kids that have behavior problems.
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