Introduction

High school can be a challenging environment for students, with numerous situations that can trigger feelings of stress, anxiety, or anger. It’s essential for students to learn how to stay calm and maintain self-control in these situations, not only for their own well-being but also for the well-being of their classmates and teachers. In this blog post, we will discuss strategies for staying calm in school and provide an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity for educators to use with their students.

No-Prep Activity

This simple, no-prep activity is designed to help students practice recognizing their emotions and implementing calming strategies when they feel overwhelmed or upset in school. The activity is called “Stop, Reflect, and Choose.”

1. Ask your students to sit comfortably and close their eyes.
2. Instruct them to think about a recent situation in school where they felt upset or uncomfortable.
3. Have them visualize the situation and identify the emotions they were experiencing.
4. Next, ask them to imagine themselves in the same situation, but this time, they will stop and reflect on their emotions before reacting.
5. Encourage them to think about different calming strategies they could use in this situation, such as taking a break, deep breathing, or talking to an adult.
6. Finally, have them choose one of these strategies and visualize themselves implementing it in the situation.

This activity helps students become more aware of their emotions and equips them with the tools to respond more effectively when they feel upset or overwhelmed in school.

Discussion Questions

After completing the “Stop, Reflect, and Choose” activity, consider discussing the following questions with your students to further explore the topic of staying calm in school:

• How did it feel to stop and reflect on your emotions during the activity? Was it helpful?
• What strategies have you used in the past when you felt upset or overwhelmed in school? Were they effective?
• How can staying calm in school benefit not only you but also your classmates and teachers?
• What challenges might you face when trying to stay calm in school? How can you overcome these challenges?
• How can you support your classmates when they are struggling to stay calm in school?

Related Skills

Staying calm in school is just one aspect of a broader set of social-emotional learning skills that are crucial for students’ success and well-being. Some related skills include:

• Emotion regulation: Managing and expressing emotions in appropriate ways.
• Stress management: Identifying and coping with stressors in a healthy manner.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Conflict resolution: Resolving disagreements and conflicts in a constructive way.
• Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and challenges.

Next Steps

If you’re interested in exploring more strategies for staying calm in school and other essential social-emotional learning skills, we encourage you to sign up for free sample materials at Everyday Speech. By incorporating these resources into your classroom, you can help your students develop the skills they need to navigate the challenges of high school and beyond.