Introduction

Anger is a natural emotion that everyone experiences, but it is essential to teach students how to manage their anger and stay calm. In this blog post, we will discuss an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity that educators can use to help students learn to stay calm when they’re angry. We will also provide discussion questions to facilitate further conversation and mention related skills that students can benefit from learning.

No-Prep Activity

One effective way to teach students to stay calm when they’re angry is through a simple role-play activity. This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be done in a classroom or other group settings. Follow these steps to conduct the role-play activity:

1. Divide the students into pairs.
2. Assign one student in each pair to be the “angry” person and the other to be the “calm” person.
3. Ask the “angry” person to think of a situation that would make them feel angry, such as someone taking their favorite toy without asking.
4. Have the “calm” person practice one of the calming strategies mentioned in the prompt, such as taking deep breaths, counting to ten, or asking for a break.
5. After a few minutes, switch roles and repeat the activity.
6. Once both students have had a chance to practice both roles, bring the class back together and discuss the experience.

Discussion Questions

After completing the role-play activity, use these discussion questions to stimulate further conversation about staying calm when angry:

1. Which calming strategy did you find most effective? Why do you think it worked well for you?
2. How did it feel to be the “calm” person in the role-play? Were you able to help the “angry” person feel better?
3. How did it feel to be the “angry” person? Were you able to stay calm using the strategies you practiced?
4. Why is it important to stay calm when we’re angry? How can it affect our relationships with others?
5. Can you think of a time when you stayed calm during a situation that made you angry? How did it change the outcome?

Related Skills

Teaching students to stay calm when they’re angry is a crucial aspect of social-emotional learning. In addition to this skill, students can benefit from learning the following related skills:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Conflict resolution: Resolving disagreements in a peaceful and constructive manner.
• Assertive communication: Expressing oneself in a clear, respectful, and confident way.
• Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one’s emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Self-regulation: Controlling impulses and managing emotions in a healthy way.

Next Steps

If you found this guide helpful and would like to explore more resources for teaching social-emotional learning skills, we encourage you to sign up for free samples from Everyday Speech. These sample materials cover a range of skills, including staying calm when angry, and can be easily integrated into your classroom or group activities.