Personal Transition Action Worksheet

Use this worksheet to reflect on a life transition you’re facing (or have faced) and plan how to use key vocabulary strategies to navigate it successfully.

1. Describe Your Transition

What change are you experiencing or have you experienced?

2. Feelings

List at least three feelings you might experience during this transition:

1. ______________________
   
   
2. ______________________
   
   
3. ______________________
   
   

3. Vocabulary Strategies

Choose two vocabulary words from Transition Vocabulary Cards. For each word, write how you will use it to help you through this transition.

Word 1: ______________________
How I’ll apply it:

Word 2: ______________________
How I’ll apply it:

4. Personal Goal

Set one specific, achievable goal to manage this transition effectively.
My goal:

5. Reflection

How will you know you’re making progress? Describe signs, actions, or milestones that will show your strategies are working.
Answer:

Transition Exit Ticket

Why is it important to plan and practice for a transition and to understand yourself for the best chance of success? Write your response in 2–3 sentences.

Finding the Calm in Change Teacher Script

Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something that's a huge part of life, especially as you get closer to graduation: big life transitions. These are those significant changes that can feel exciting, scary, or a mix of both.

I'm going to write 'Big Life Transitions' on the board. Can you all shout out some examples of big changes or transitions that are relevant to 11th graders? Think about what's coming up in your lives, or what you might have recently experienced."

(Give students a moment to brainstorm and share examples like college applications, starting a new job/internship, getting a driver's license, preparing for leadership roles, new social circles, or even adapting to new school policies. Write a few key examples on the board.)

Teacher: "Excellent examples! You can see how these transitions, whether they're about academics, social life, or personal growth, can bring a lot of different feelings. Some might feel challenging, while others are really exciting.

Our goal today is to build a sort of 'transition toolkit' – a set of words and strategies that can help us navigate these changes more confidently and with greater calm. We'll be focusing on four key vocabulary words that are essential for understanding and managing transitions."

Vocabulary Presentation (10 minutes)

Teacher: "To help us build this toolkit, let's learn some important vocabulary. I'm going to show you some Transition Vocabulary Cards. For each word, I'll share its definition and an example, and then I'd like you to think about how it connects to your own experiences.

(Display the 'Resilient' slide from the Transition Vocabulary Cards.)

Teacher: "Our first word is Resilient. Can everyone say 'resilient'?

(Pause for students to repeat.)

Teacher: "Being resilient means you're able to recover quickly from difficulties or setbacks. Think of it like a rubber band – it can stretch and then snap back into shape. The example here is about Maya moving to a new school, facing social challenges, but bouncing back by joining clubs.

Can anyone think of a time, maybe after a tough test or a challenging situation, where you felt you bounced back or recovered quickly? What did that feel like?"

(Allow 1-2 students to share briefly.)

(Display the 'Adaptation' slide.)

Teacher: "Our next word is Adaptation. This is the process of adjusting to new conditions or environments. When things change, we often need to adapt, meaning we make changes ourselves to fit the new situation. John, in our example, adapted to online learning by creating a schedule.

What are some small habits or routines you've had to change or adapt recently? Maybe for a new class, a sports schedule, or something at home?"

(Allow 1-2 students to share briefly.)

(Display the 'Uncertainty' slide.)

Teacher: "Now for Uncertainty. This is a state of not knowing what will happen; a lack of predictability. It’s that feeling when you're not sure what's next. Our example is about feeling uncertain during the first week at a new school.

Uncertainty is a very normal part of any transition. Can you describe a time when you felt uncertain about something important, and how that felt? You don't have to share what it was about, just the feeling."

(Allow 1-2 students to share briefly.)

(Display the 'Coping' slide.)

Teacher: "Finally, we have Coping. This refers to the techniques or methods used to manage stress, emotions, or challenges. It's about what we do to deal with those difficult feelings or situations. Alex in the example used journaling to cope with anxiety.

(Display the 'Practical Coping Strategies' slide.)

Teacher: "This slide shows a list of practical coping strategies. Take a moment to read through these. Which ones do you already use? Are there any new ones that sound interesting to you? We'll talk more about these soon."

(Give students a brief moment to read.)

Teacher: "These four words—resilient, adaptation, uncertainty, and coping—are powerful tools for understanding and navigating any transition."

Group Discussion (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Now, let's put these words into practice. I'm going to divide you into pairs or small groups. Each group will focus on one of these vocabulary words and discuss how you've experienced it in the context of a big transition relevant to 11th graders—like college visits, starting an internship, or taking on a leadership position.

(Divide students into groups, assigning each group one of the vocabulary words if possible, or letting them choose one they connect with most.)

Teacher: "Here are some prompt questions to guide your discussion:

• What feelings did you experience at the beginning of this transition?
• Which vocabulary word best describes a strategy you used, and why?
• How did uncertainty influence your experience or choices?
• What adaptation did you make to overcome specific challenges?
• Which coping method did you try, and how did it support you?

"You have about 7-8 minutes for your discussion. I'll be circulating to listen in and offer support. Afterwards, each group will share one key insight with the class."

(Circulate among groups, providing guidance and encouraging participation.)

Teacher: "Alright everyone, let's bring it back together. Can each group share one key insight or interesting point that came up in your discussion?"

(Call on groups to share, encouraging brief responses and highlighting connections between their experiences and the vocabulary.)

Teacher: "Great insights, everyone! It's clear that these words really do help us understand and talk about our experiences with change."

Worksheet Activity (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now it's time to make this personal. I'm going to hand out the Personal Transition Action Worksheet. On this worksheet, I want you to think about an upcoming transition you're facing, or even a recent one you've gone through. This could be anything from preparing for college applications, a new family situation, or a challenge with a friend group.

Your task is to:

• Describe your transition in the first section.
• List at least three feelings you might experience during this transition.
• Choose two of our vocabulary words (resilient, adaptation, uncertainty, coping) and describe specifically how you will apply those strategies to help you through your chosen transition.
• Finally, set one personal, achievable goal to manage this transition effectively, and reflect on how you'll know you're making progress.

"Take your time with this. This is for your own benefit, so be honest with yourselves. I'll be walking around if you have any questions or want to brainstorm ideas."

(Distribute worksheets and circulate, offering individual support and prompting deeper reflection where needed.)

Wrap-Up & Reflection (5 minutes)

Teacher: "We're almost out of time. To wrap up, would anyone like to volunteer to share one action they'll take or one strategy from their worksheet that they found most meaningful? You don't have to share your specific transition, just a takeaway strategy."

(Call on 2-3 volunteers.)

Teacher: "Thank you for sharing, those are powerful reflections. Remember, transitions are a constant part of life, and having a toolkit of words and strategies like 'resilient,' 'adaptation,' 'uncertainty,' and 'coping' can make a huge difference in how you navigate them. Your ability to plan and understand yourself for the best chance of success is key to finding the calm in change.

I'm going to hand out a quick Transition Exit Ticket for you to complete before you leave today. Please take a few minutes to write your response.

(Distribute the Transition Exit Ticket.)

Teacher: "Keep your worksheets handy – you can always refer back to them as new transitions arise."

*(Collect the Transition Exit Ticket as students leave.)"