Calm Choices Session Script

Introduction to Emotions (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Hi [Student’s Name]! Today we are going to practice something super important: spotting when we feel like we really want someone’s attention and learning how to stay calm. Does that sound good?"

Teacher: "First, let’s look at our Emotion Identification Cards. I’m going to show you a card, and I want you to tell me what emotion you see. Ready?"

(Show each card one by one.)

Teacher: "Great job! You named that feeling so clearly. Now, can you think of a time when you really wanted someone’s attention in class? Maybe you felt like you needed help right away or you just wanted me to notice you. How did your body feel then?"

Possible Student Response: "My heart was beating fast."
Teacher: "That’s exactly right! A fast heartbeat can mean we’re feeling really excited or impatient. Thank you for sharing."

If student struggles to answer:
Teacher: "No problem! Think about your body. Did your hands feel wiggly? Did your stomach feel funny?"

Teaching Self-Control Strategies (8 minutes)

Teacher: "Now that we know how our body talks to us when we feel an impulse for attention, let’s learn some ways to calm down. Here are our Self-Control Strategy Cards."

(Spread the cards on the table.)

Teacher: "This one is deep breathing. Watch me: breathe in slowly for 3 seconds… hold… and breathe out for 3 seconds. Let’s try it together."

(Practice deep breaths twice.)

Teacher: "Awesome! Next is counting to five in your head. I’ll count out loud first: 1…2…3…4…5, and then you try quietly."

(Student counts quietly.)

Teacher: "Perfect. Last one is squeezing your fists for a few seconds and then letting go. Ready?"

(Role-play squeezing and releasing.)

Teacher: "Which of these three do you think you’d like to use when you feel that fast heartbeat or wiggly hands?"

(Allow student to choose.)

Teacher: "I love that choice! Let’s pretend you want to call out in class but you remember your deep breathing strategy. Show me what you would do."

(Role-play scenario.)

Teacher: "You did fantastic staying calm! That deep breath really helped."

If the student forgets a strategy:
Teacher: "That’s OK. Let’s look at the cards again and pick one together."

Calm Choices Game (10 minutes)

Teacher: "It’s game time! Here’s our Calm Choices Game Board and our pile of scenario cards. When we draw a card, it will describe a moment when someone might want attention quickly. We’ll pick a strategy and earn a token on the Token Reward Chart when we make a calm choice. Ready to play?"

Teacher: "I’ll go first."

(Draw scenario card.)

Teacher: "My card says: ‘You really want to raise your hand to answer a question but you feel super excited.’ I’m going to use counting to five. 1…2…3…4…5. Then I wait patiently."

(Teacher places token.)
Teacher: "I earned one token! Your turn."

(Student draws card.)

Teacher: "Great! Which strategy will you pick?"

(Allow student to respond and demonstrate.)

Teacher: "You did it! Here’s your token."

Teacher: "Let’s use the timer now. We’ll practice waiting quietly for 20 seconds before drawing the next card."

(Start timer.)
Teacher: "Nice waiting!"

If the student interrupts:
Teacher: "Oops! Looks like you forgot to use your strategy. Let’s take a deep breath first, then try again. Ready?"

Reflection Activity & Wrap-Up (7 minutes)

Teacher: "You played so well and used your strategies! Now, grab your Impulse-Control Activity Sheet."

(Hand over sheet and pencil or crayons.)

Teacher: "On the top, draw or write about a time you felt you needed attention. On the bottom, show which strategy you would use next time. Take your time."

(Student works.)

Teacher: "That looks great! Can you tell me about your picture?"

(Student explains.)
Teacher: "I love how you chose deep breathing to stay calm. You’re getting really good at this!"

Teacher: "For next time, our goal is to remember to use a strategy whenever we feel that fast heartbeat. I know you can do it. You earned [number of tokens] tokens today—amazing work!"

Teacher: "High five for all your hard work on making calm choices!"

End of Session

Calm Choices Game Board

Use this simple board to guide practice of self-control strategies during the Calm Choices Game.

Board Layout

Draw a winding path of 10 circles on a large sheet of paper or poster board. Label the first circle Start and the last circle Calm Zone. Place two special Timer Spaces in circles 4 and 7.

☐ Start → ☐ 1 → ☐ 2 → ☐ Timer Space (4) → ☐ 5 → ☐ 6 → ☐ Timer Space (7) → ☐ 8 → ☐ 9 → ☐ Calm Zone

• Place the student’s game piece on Start.

Scenario Cards

Prepare a stack of cards describing attention-seeking moments. Example cards:

• “You really want to call out the answer because you’re excited.”
• “You feel like tapping your pencil to get attention.”
• “You need help but don’t want to wait.”
• “You feel left out and start calling out loud.”

How to Play

1. Draw a Scenario Card. Read it together.
2. Choose & Demonstrate a self-control strategy using the Self-Control Strategy Cards.
3. Earn a Token on the Token Reward Chart and move your piece forward 1 circle.
4. Timer Space Rule: If you land on a Timer Space, set the timer for 20 seconds and wait quietly. If you succeed, move forward an extra circle.
5. Missed Strategy: If you interrupt or forget to use your strategy, stay on your current circle, take a deep breath, then resume on your next turn.

Winning the Game

The first to reach the Calm Zone finishes the game. Celebrate with praise, review your favorite strategy, and set your next self-regulation goal!

Have fun making calm choices!

Impulse-Control Activity Sheet

Use this sheet to reflect on an attention-seeking moment and plan a calm response.

1. Draw the Moment

Think of a time you really wanted someone’s attention and felt an impulse to call out or act quickly. Draw a picture of what happened in the box below.

2. Plan Your Calm Strategy

Below, show or write which self-control strategy you would choose next time (deep breathing, counting to five, squeezing your fists, etc.).

Great work! Keep this sheet somewhere you can see it when you need to remember your calm choice strategies.