Teacher's Impulse Control Script

Welcome & Daily Feeling Check-in (5 minutes)

"Good morning, wonderful learners! Are you ready for an exciting adventure today? Today, we're going to talk about something super important called Impulse Control! It sounds like a big word, but it just means being the boss of our bodies and our brains!"

"First, let's do our Daily Feeling Check-in Warm Up. Look at our slide: How Are You Feeling Today?. How is everyone feeling right now? Thumbs up if you're feeling happy, wiggle your fingers if you're a little sleepy, or make a calm face if you're feeling peaceful. It's okay to feel all sorts of ways!"

Acknowledge student responses and briefly validate feelings.

What is Impulse Control? (3 minutes)

"Now, let's look at our slide: What is Impulse Control?. Impulse control is like having a superpower! It means when we have an idea or feel like doing something right away, we can PAUSE, THINK, and then CHOOSE what we do. It's like stopping at a red light before crossing the street! We stop, we look, we listen, and then we go. It helps us make smart choices and get along with our friends."

"Can anyone think of a time when they wanted to do something right away, but they waited instead? What happened?"

Simon Says Impulse Game (10 minutes)

"Alright, my impulse control heroes, it's time to play a game that helps us practice! We're going to play Simon Says Impulse Game! Look at our slide: Simon Says: Follow the Leader!. Remember the rules: you only do what I say if I start with 'Simon Says.' If I don't say 'Simon Says,' you freeze like a statue! If you do the action without 'Simon Says,' that's okay, you just get ready for the next round. It's all about practicing our pause and thinking!"

Lead several rounds of 'Simon Says'. Examples: "Simon Says touch your nose," "Touch your toes!" "Simon Says jump three times," "Clap your hands!"

"Wow, you are so good at waiting and listening! Give yourselves a pat on the back. That was excellent impulse control!"

Emotional Charades Activity (8 minutes)

"Great job with Simon Says! Now, let's play another game to help us understand our feelings, which also helps with impulse control. We're going to play Emotional Charades Activity! Look at our slide: Guess the Feeling! (Emotional Charades). I'm going to whisper an emotion to one of you, and you'll act it out with your body and face, but no talking! Everyone else will guess what feeling it is."

Whisper simple emotions like Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared to individual students. Encourage clear, exaggerated actions. After each guess, ask:

"Why is it important to know how we and others are feeling? How does knowing our feelings help us make good choices, or use our impulse control superpower?"

My Safe Place Grounding Cool Down (4 minutes)

"You all did such a fantastic job recognizing feelings and being the boss of your bodies! Let's end our adventure by finding our calm. Look at our slide: My Safe Place: A Calming Moment. Can everyone find a comfortable spot to sit? We're going to take some slow, deep breaths together."

"Close your eyes gently if you feel comfortable, or just look down at your lap. Let's take a big breath in through our noses, filling our bellies like balloons... and slowly let it out through our mouths. Good! Let's do that two more times."

"Now, I want you to imagine your most favorite safe place. It could be a cozy blanket, a sunny park, or even a magical cloud. What do you see there? What do you hear? How do you feel in your safe place? Just sit with that calm feeling for a moment."

Pause for 30-60 seconds.

"When you're ready, slowly open your eyes. You carry that calm, safe feeling inside you always. Remember, when you feel a strong impulse, you can always pause, think, and maybe even find your safe place in your mind."

Conclusion (Optional 1-2 minutes, embedded throughout)

"You all showed incredible impulse control and emotion understanding today. Keep practicing your superpower every day! You are amazing!"

Daily Feeling Check-in

Hello, amazing friends! Let's check in with our feelings today.

Circle how you feel right now or draw a picture of your feeling face!

1. Happy! 😊

2. Sad... 😢

3. Mad! 😠

4. Scared! 😟

5. Calm. 😌

6. Excited! 🤩

How do you know you feel this way? What does it feel like in your body?

Simon Says Impulse Game: Practice Your Pause!

Objective: To practice listening carefully and controlling the urge to act immediately, strengthening impulse control.

Materials: None needed! Just you and your amazing students.

How to Play:

1. Explain the Rules: Gather students in an open space. Explain that you (the teacher) will be "Simon." Simon will give commands.

   • "If I say, 'Simon Says,' you should do the action!"
   • "But if I don't say, 'Simon Says,' you should freeze like a statue and not do the action!"
   • "If you do the action when Simon didn't say, don't worry! You just get ready for the next command. It's all about practicing."

2. Start the Game: Begin giving commands. Mix up commands with and without "Simon Says."

   • Examples with "Simon Says":
     • "Simon Says touch your nose."
     • "Simon Says jump up and down three times."
     • "Simon Says put your hands on your head."
     • "Simon Says make a silly face."
   • Examples without "Simon Says":
     • "Stomp your feet!" (Students should freeze)
     • "Clap your hands!" (Students should freeze)
     • "Wiggle your fingers!" (Students should freeze)

3. Encourage and Observe: Praise students who successfully control their impulses. For those who accidentally move, gently remind them of the rule and encourage them to try again.

4. Reflect (Optional, during or after the game):

   • "That was tricky, wasn't it? What helped you remember to wait?"
   • "When you heard a command, how did you stop yourself from moving if Simon didn't say it?"
   • "How does practicing waiting in this game help us in other parts of our day, like when we want to blurt out an answer?"

Key Learning: This game helps us remember to PAUSE, LISTEN, and THINK before we do something right away. It's great practice for our impulse control superpower!

Emotional Charades: Guess the Feeling!

Objective: To help students recognize, express, and understand basic emotions through non-verbal cues, fostering emotional literacy.

Materials:

• Optional: Small slips of paper with one emotion written on each (e.g., Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Scared, Excited, Shy, Brave). A hat or bag to draw from.

How to Play:

1. Introduce the Game: "We're going to play a game where we use our bodies and faces to show feelings, and our friends will guess! It's called Emotional Charades!"

2. Explain the Rules:

   • "One person will get a secret feeling (either whispered by the teacher or drawn from a hat)."
   • "That person will act out the feeling without making any sounds or talking."
   • "Everyone else will try to guess what feeling they are showing."
   • "Remember to watch their face, their arms, and their whole body!"

3. Demonstrate (Optional but Recommended): Act out one or two simple emotions yourself (e.g., very happy, very sad) for students to guess, showing them how to exaggerate expressions and body language.

4. Facilitate Turns:

   • Invite one student at a time to be the actor. Whisper an emotion to them or have them pick from the hat.
   • Encourage the student to act it out while others guess.
   • Once guessed, affirm the correct answer and move to the next student.

5. Discussion Prompts (After a few rounds or at the end):

   • "Was it easy or hard to guess the feelings? Why?"
   • "How do we know how someone else is feeling just by looking at their face or body?"
   • "Why is it important to know what feelings look like?"
   • "How can knowing our own feelings help us make good choices and use our impulse control?" (e.g., "If I know I'm feeling angry, maybe I can take a deep breath before I yell.")

Key Learning: Understanding our own feelings and the feelings of others helps us make thoughtful decisions and manage our reactions, rather than just acting on impulse.

My Safe Place: A Calming Moment

Objective: To help students practice calming techniques, reduce stress, and reflect on a sense of safety and peace.

Materials: None needed. Just a quiet space.

Instructions for the Teacher:

1. Transition to Calm: "Alright, impulse control champions! We've played, we've guessed feelings, and now it's time to bring our amazing minds and bodies to a calm, peaceful place. Let's get ready for our My Safe Place: A Calming Moment cool-down."

2. Find a Comfortable Position: "Everyone find a comfortable spot to sit. You can sit tall like a mountain, or cozy up. If you like, you can gently close your eyes, or you can just look down at your lap or your hands."

3. Guide Deep Breathing: "Let's take three slow, deep breaths together. Breathe in through your nose, feeling your belly get big like a balloon... (pause) ...and breathe out slowly through your mouth, letting all the air out. (Pause) Let's do that two more times. In... and out. In... and out."

4. Visualize a Safe Place: "Now, I want you to imagine your most favorite, most safe, most happy place in the whole wide world. It could be your cozy bed, a sunny park, a quiet spot in your home, or even a magical place only you know about.

   • What do you see in your safe place? What colors are there?
   • What do you hear? Are there birds singing, soft music, or is it perfectly quiet?
   • What do you smell? Maybe fresh cookies, flowers, or clean air?
   • How does your body feel in this safe place? Warm? Relaxed? Happy?"

5. Hold the Feeling: "Just stay in your safe place for a few moments, feeling calm and peaceful. Remember this feeling; you can visit your safe place in your mind anytime you need to feel calm."

6. Gently Return: "When you're ready, slowly wiggle your fingers and toes, and gently open your eyes. Take one more deep breath, and bring that calm feeling with you back into our classroom."

Reflection:

• "How do you feel after visiting your safe place?"
• "When might be a good time to visit your safe place in your mind during the day?"
• "How can being calm help us use our impulse control superpower?"

Key Learning: Taking time to breathe and imagine a calm place helps us feel peaceful inside, which makes it easier to think before we act and control our impulses.