My Super Skills Toolkit: Executive Functioning Wrap-Up

Name: ____________________________ Date: ______________

1. Flexibility: Bending, Not Breaking!

• What I've learned about flexibility:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• One time I used flexibility (give an example!):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A challenge I still face with flexibility (and how I might try to overcome it):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

2. Organization: The Power of Order!

• What I've learned about organization:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• One time I used organization (give an example!):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A challenge I still face with organization (and how I might try to overcome it):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

3. Planning: Charting Your Course!

• What I've learned about planning:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• One time I used planning (give an example!):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A challenge I still face with planning (and how I might try to overcome it):
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

My Commitment:

• **One

Mission: EF Challenge!

Objective: Work as a team to solve a challenge, actively using your flexibility, organization, and planning skills.

Materials per group:

• One large sheet of paper or whiteboard
• Markers or pens
• A set of 5-7 random classroom objects (e.g., a stapler, a ruler, a book, a pencil, an eraser, a small toy)
• A timer

Instructions:

1. Form Teams (2 minutes): The teacher will divide you into small teams (2-3 students per team).
2. The Challenge (1 minute): Your team's mission is to create a story or a short skit using all the provided objects as main characters or key plot points. You will have 8 minutes to plan and create your story/skit.
3. Planning (3 minutes - demonstrating planning & organization!):
   • As a team, discuss your objects. What roles can they play? What kind of story do you want to tell?
   • Decide on a brief plot outline or sequence of events.
   • Assign roles if you are doing a skit.
   • Self-check: Are you organizing your thoughts? Are you planning your steps?
4. Creation (5 minutes - demonstrating flexibility & organization!):
   • Start developing your story or skit. You can draw, write, or practice acting it out.
   • Be Flexible! If an idea isn't working, or someone has a new, great idea, be open to changing your plan.
   • Self-check: Are you adapting to new ideas? Are you keeping track of all your objects/plot points?
5. Present (2 minutes per team): Each team will have 1-2 minutes to share their story or perform their skit for the group.
6. Reflection (after all presentations): After sharing, discuss as a group:
   • How did your team use planning to start your mission?
   • When did your team need to be flexible? What happened, and how did you adapt?
   • How did you stay organized with your objects and ideas?
   • What was the most challenging part, and how did you work through it as a team?"

Calm Connections Challenge

Objective: For individual students to gently explore and express their understanding of executive functioning skills in a low-pressure, creative way.

Materials:

• A small personal whiteboard or a sheet of paper
• Markers or colored pencils
• A few calming sensory objects (e.g., a stress ball, a smooth stone, a small fidget toy)
• Prompt cards (provided by teacher, e.g., "When I feel overwhelmed, I can be flexible by...", "One way I organize my thoughts is...")

Instructions (for the student):

1. Find Your Calm Space (1 minute): Sit in a comfortable, quiet spot. You can choose one of the sensory objects to hold if it helps you focus.
2. Choose a Prompt (1 minute): The teacher will give you a few prompt cards. Choose one that feels interesting or easy to think about right now.
3. Reflect and Illustrate/Write (5 minutes): On your paper or whiteboard, you can either:
   • Draw a picture that shows what the prompt means to you, or how you use that skill.
   • Write a few sentences or bullet points in response to the prompt.
   • There's no right or wrong answer! Just share what comes to mind.
4. Prepare to Share (1 minute): Take a moment to look at what you've created. Think about one thing you might want to share with your teacher in a quiet conversation.

Teacher Notes: This activity is designed to be completed individually, at the student's own pace, and in a non-judgmental environment. The focus is on self-expression and gentle reflection, not performance.

My Calm Corner Conversation: Individual Reflection Support

Purpose: To provide a low-stress, one-on-one opportunity for a student with anxiety to process their thoughts and insights from the Calm Connections Challenge, reinforcing their executive functioning skills.

Guidelines for Teacher:

• Create a Safe Space: Ensure a quiet, comfortable environment where the student feels secure and unobserved by peers. Maintain a calm and reassuring tone.
• Start Gently: Begin by acknowledging their effort and the work they did on the Calm Connections Challenge. Avoid direct

Guiding My Calm Corner Conversation (Tier 3 Support)

Teacher Script for Individual Student with Anxiety

Context: This script is designed to support a single student who may experience anxiety, providing a structured, gentle way to discuss their executive functioning skills. This is a Tier 3 (Individual Support) intervention, to be conducted separately from the main small group activity.

Materials Needed: Student's completed Calm Connections Challenge (drawing or writing), and a copy of the My Calm Corner Conversation discussion guidelines.

(Teacher approaches the student in a quiet, designated space)

"Hi [Student's Name]. Thanks for taking the time to work on your Calm Connections Challenge. I really appreciate your effort and how thoughtfully you engaged with the prompts. There's no pressure at all, but I'd love to just chat for a few minutes about what you worked on, if you're comfortable with that. We can just talk about your thoughts, no need for perfect answers."

(Pause for student response. If the student seems hesitant, offer an out, e.g., "We can just look at what you created, or we can talk about something else that comes to mind.")

If the student is willing to discuss their work on the Calm Connections Challenge:

"That's great. I noticed you chose to focus on [mention the skill/prompt they chose, e.g., 'flexibility when plans change']. Can you tell me a little bit about what you drew/wrote here? What was on your mind when you were working on this?"

(Listen actively. Validate their feelings and efforts. Rephrase their responses to show understanding.)

"It sounds like you really thought about [rephrase their point]. That's a fantastic insight. Many people find [mention the skill] challenging sometimes, and it's really helpful to think about how we can manage it."

If they focused on flexibility:

"You mentioned [specific example of flexibility]. What did it feel like in that moment when things changed? And how did you decide to adjust?"

"That takes a lot of strength to adjust like that. How do you think being flexible in situations like that helps you?"

If they focused on organization:

"I see you talked about [specific example of organization]. What made you decide to organize [item/task] that way? What was the benefit?"

"That's a really smart strategy! How do you think being organized helps you feel less stressed or more prepared?"

If they focused on planning:

"You explored [specific example of planning]. What steps did you think about when you were planning for that?"

"That's excellent thinking ahead. Why do you think planning out your steps is so helpful for reaching your goals?"

Concluding the conversation:

"Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me today, [Student's Name]. I can see how much you've grown in using these 'super skills.' Remember, it's okay to feel anxious sometimes, and these skills are here to help you navigate those feelings and situations.

"Is there one 'super skill' you'd like to try to practice just a little bit more this week, even a tiny bit? No pressure if you can't think of anything right now, but just keep it in mind."

"Awesome. Keep up the great work. And remember, I'm always here if you want to chat more about these things or anything else."

(Collect the student's work if appropriate, or allow them to keep it.)