What Pushes Your Buttons?

Gina Guerrero

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

What Pushes Your Buttons?

Guide students to identify personal emotional triggers and develop effective coping strategies for managing stress and disruptive behavior.

Enhancing self-awareness and stress management skills promotes a positive classroom environment and empowers students to handle emotions constructively.

Audience

Elementary to High School Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, activities, and reflective exercises

Materials

What Pushes Your Buttons? Lesson Plan, and Coping Strategies Handout

Prep

Lesson Preparation

15 minutes

Review all linked materials and ensure understanding of each section.
Prepare copies or digital versions of the Coping Strategies Handout.
Arrange classroom seating for both group discussions and reflective individual work.
Set up any necessary technology for presentations.

Step 1

Introduction & Icebreaker

10 minutes

Introduce the lesson theme and objectives.
Conduct a brief discussion or activity where students share common stressors in daily life.
Emphasize that all emotions are valid.

Step 2

Identifying Triggers

15 minutes

Ask students to list situations that upset them or cause stress.
Facilitate a group discussion to explore why these situations trigger strong emotional responses.
Encourage respectful listening and sharing.

Step 3

Developing Coping Strategies

15 minutes

Introduce various coping strategies using the Coping Strategies Handout.
Brainstorm additional ways to de-escalate stress and manage emotions.
Pair students for role-playing exercises to practice these strategies.

Step 4

Reflection & Conclusion

10 minutes

Guide students through a reflection activity, encouraging them to write down one personal strategy they plan to try.
Share reflections in small groups and provide positive reinforcement.
Summarize key points and answer any student questions.

Slide Deck

What Pushes Your Buttons?

Discover your triggers and learn healthy ways to handle stress.

Welcome the students to the lesson and introduce the theme. Briefly mention that today they'll explore emotional triggers and coping strategies to manage stress.

Lesson Objectives

• Identify personal emotional triggers
• Understand the impact of these triggers on behavior
• Develop effective coping strategies

Introduce the lesson objectives and why understanding our emotional responses is important to create a positive environment. Emphasize that everyone’s feelings are valid.

Introduction & Icebreaker

Let's share: What are common stressors in our daily lives?

Conduct an icebreaker discussion. Invite students to share common stressors in their everyday life and remind them of the importance of respectful listening.

Identifying Emotional Triggers

• List stressful situations
• Discuss why these situations trigger emotions
• Share thoughts with the group

This slide guides the discussion on what happens when we encounter triggers. Encourage student participation to list situations and discuss why they might cause stress.

Developing Coping Strategies

• Review coping strategies from the handout
• Brainstorm new ideas together
• Prepare for role-playing exercises

Explain various coping strategies using the handout as a guide. Ask students to brainstorm additional methods and prepare for a short role-play exercise.

Reflection & Conclusion

• Reflect on today's lesson
• Write down one new personal coping strategy
• Share in small groups

Guide students through the reflection activity. Ask them to write down one strategy they plan to practice and later share in small groups.

Closing & Q&A

Any questions or final thoughts?

Conclude by thanking students for their participation and open the floor for any questions or additional thoughts.

Worksheet

Coping Strategies Handout

This handout is designed to offer you a variety of coping strategies for managing stress and challenging emotions. Review the list below, and think about which strategies might work best for you in different situations. As you go through the lesson, feel free to add your own ideas or modify these strategies to suit your needs.

List of Coping Strategies

Deep breathing exercises
Counting slowly to ten
Taking a short walk or a break
Talking to a trusted friend, teacher, or adult
Writing down your feelings in a journal
Listening to calming music
Using positive self-talk (e.g., "I can handle this")
Engaging in a creative activity (drawing, painting, etc.)

Your Personal Strategies

Think about a time when you felt stressed or upset. What strategy did you use to feel better? Write your thoughts below:

Feel free to add any new ideas on coping with stress that you come up with during today's lesson!

Keep this handout as a reminder of the effective ways you can manage your emotions.