Trigger Talk Guide

Purpose:

This discussion guide supports all four Behavior Busters sessions by providing clear prompts, norms, and follow-up questions. Use it to foster a safe, respectful space where students share, listen, and learn from one another.

Group Discussion Norms

• Listen Actively: Look at the speaker and don’t interrupt.
• Speak Honestly: Use “I” statements (e.g., “I feel…”).
• Respect Privacy: What’s shared in the circle stays in the circle.
• No Judgment: All feelings are valid; responses are supportive.

Session 1: Identifying Triggers

1. Opening Question: What is one thing that often makes you feel upset or frustrated?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Follow-Up Prompts:
   • When that happens, what do you notice first in your body?
   • Have you tried to avoid or solve this situation before? What happened?
   • How might recognizing this trigger help you next time?

Session 2: Mapping Emotions

1. Opening Question: Looking at your Trigger Map, which body response surprised you the most?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Follow-Up Prompts:
   • Why do you think you feel it in that part of your body?
   • How does the intensity change when you think about that trigger?
   • What patterns do you notice across classmates’ maps?

Session 3: Practicing Strategies

1. Opening Question: Which self-regulation strategy from your pledge helped you the most so far?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Follow-Up Prompts:
   • When you tried that strategy, what changed in your body or mind?
   • Which new technique from today do you want to practice first? Why?
   • How could you remind yourself to use this strategy when a trigger happens?

Session 4: Reflection and Next Steps

1. Opening Question: Looking back over our four sessions, what is your biggest takeaway?
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Follow-Up Prompts:
   • What strategy or insight will you share with a friend or family member?
   • How will you and your accountability partner check in on your action pledge?
   • What’s one way I (the teacher) can support you as you practice these skills?

By following these prompts and norms, students will engage in meaningful dialogue, deepen self-awareness, and build a supportive community around emotional self-regulation.

Emotion Charades Instructions

Objective:

Practice recognizing and portraying emotions to deepen emotional awareness and reinforce self-regulation strategies.

Materials:

• A set of emotion cards (e.g., anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety, excitement)
• A timer or stopwatch
• Open space for acting
  
  Time: 10–15 minutes
  
  Setup:

1. Shuffle the emotion cards and place them face-down in a pile.
2. Arrange chairs or floor mats in a semicircle so everyone can see the acting area.
   
   Instructions:
3. Divide students into teams of 3–4.
4. Team A selects a student to draw a card and silently act out the emotion for 30 seconds.
5. The rest of Team A tries to guess the emotion within the time limit.
   • If they guess correctly, the team earns 1 point.
6. After a correct guess (or time expires), the team discusses: “Which self-regulation strategy would help calm this emotion?” and one member shares aloud.
7. Rotate to Team B and repeat until all teams have had turns or cards run out.
   
   Debrief (5 minutes):

• Which emotion was the most challenging to act out or guess? Why?
• How did acting out the emotion help you notice body cues?
• Which self-regulation strategies came up most often? How might you use them next time?
  
  Use this game in Session 3 of Trigger Tracker Plan following the slides on self-regulation techniques to reinforce students’ learning in a fun, active way.

My Trigger Map Worksheet

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________

Part 1: Identify Your Triggers

List three situations or events that often make you feel strong emotions (anger, frustration, anxiety, etc.).

1. Trigger #1: ________________________________________________
   
   
   
2. Trigger #2: ________________________________________________
   
   
   
3. Trigger #3: ________________________________________________
   
   
   

Part 2: Map Your Body’s Response

For each trigger you listed above, think about how your body reacts. You can write words, use colors, or draw on this space to show where and how intensely you feel each emotion.


Trigger #1:

• Where in your body do you notice this emotion? _______________________
  
• What does it feel like? (e.g., tight, hot, fluttery) ___________________
  
  

Trigger #2:

• Where in your body do you notice this emotion? _______________________
  
• What does it feel like? (e.g., tight, hot, fluttery) ___________________
  
  

Trigger #3:

• Where in your body do you notice this emotion? _______________________
  
• What does it feel like? (e.g., tight, hot, fluttery) ___________________
  
  

Part 3: Plan Your Strategies

Using your Positive Action Pledge, choose one self-regulation strategy for each trigger. Describe how and when you will use it.

1. Trigger #1 Strategy: ___________________________________________
   
   
   
2. Trigger #2 Strategy: ___________________________________________
   
   
   
3. Trigger #3 Strategy: ___________________________________________
   
   
   

Reflection and Next Steps

• Which strategy are you most excited to try? ___________________________
  
  
  
• How will you check in with your accountability partner or teacher to see how you’re doing?
  
  _______________________________________________________________
  
  
  

Good work! Keep this map handy and refer to it whenever you notice your triggers starting. You’ve got this!

Positive Action Pledge

Name: _____________________________ Date: ________________ Session #: ________________

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1. Trigger to Focus On:





2. How I Usually Feel (physical & emotional):





3. Self-Regulation Strategy I Will Use:





4. When and Where I Will Practice This Strategy:





5. My Accountability Partner: ___________________________

6. How We Will Check In:





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My Pledge:
I, __________________________________, commit to using the strategy above to manage my trigger and help myself stay calm and focused. I will remind myself of this pledge whenever I notice my trigger.

Student Signature: _____________________________ Date: ________________