Lesson Plan
Self-Regulation Session Plan
Students will identify and practice two self-regulation tools—color breathing and emotional reflection—and create a personal goal for managing emotions through guided activities.
Teaching self-regulation equips students with strategies to calm their minds, stay focused, and respond to stressors constructively, building resilience in and out of the classroom.
Audience
7th Grade Students
Time
35 minutes
Approach
Interactive modeling and hands-on practice
Prep
Setup Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Mindful Moments Slides to familiarize yourself with key talking points
- Print enough copies of the Emotion Thermometer Practice worksheet for each student
- Cut and prepare Goal-Setting Ticket-Out slips for the closing activity
- Test the projector or display to ensure slides and visuals appear clearly
Step 1
Warm-Up: Color Breathing
5 minutes
- Display the Color Breathing Exercise visual
- Instruct students to sit comfortably and close their eyes
- Guide them to inhale deeply imagining a calming color filling their lungs, then exhale imagining tension leaving in a different color
- Repeat for 5 breath cycles, inviting students to notice changes in tension or focus
Step 2
Introduction to Self-Regulation
5 minutes
- Show the first slides of the Mindful Moments Slides defining self-regulation
- Ask students to share quick examples of times they felt overwhelmed or calm
- Highlight why noticing emotions and using strategies helps maintain focus and well-being
Step 3
Activity 1: Emotion Thermometer
10 minutes
- Distribute the Emotion Thermometer Practice worksheet
- Ask students to mark their current emotional intensity on the thermometer scale
- Pair students to discuss what contributed to their level and brainstorm one tool (e.g., breathing, counting) to shift one notch down
- Invite a few volunteers to share insights with the class
Step 4
Activity 2: Goal-Setting Strategy
8 minutes
- Present slides on SMART goal elements from the Mindful Moments Slides
- Model setting a simple self-regulation goal (e.g., “When I feel anxious, I will take three deep breaths before speaking.”)
- Have students draft their own self-regulation goal on a blank sheet or notebook
Step 5
Cool-Down: Goal-Setting Ticket-Out
7 minutes
- Hand out the Goal-Setting Ticket-Out
- Instruct each student to write one self-regulation strategy they will use this week and one goal they’ll practice
- Collect tickets as they leave and review to inform follow-up support
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Slide Deck
Mindful Moments: Self-Regulation Strategies
Today’s Goals:
• Understand what self-regulation is
• Practice two calming tools
• Draft a personal self-regulation goal
Let’s get started on building skills to stay calm and focused!
Welcome students to today’s session on self-regulation. Point out that they’ll learn tools to manage emotions, stay calm, and build resilience. Mention that these slides will guide them through definitions, examples, and practice.
What Is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is our ability to notice and manage thoughts, feelings, and actions.
It helps us:
• Stay focused on tasks
• Handle stress or strong emotions
• Make thoughtful choices
Define self-regulation in your own words and invite a few students to share experiences when they felt calm or overwhelmed. Emphasize noticing emotions before choosing a response.
Why Self-Regulation Matters
• Improves concentration and learning
• Builds resilience to stress
• Strengthens relationships with peers and adults
• Helps us bounce back after challenges
Walk through each bullet and ask: Why might self-regulation matter in school or at home? Encourage brief student input.
Tool 1: Color Breathing
- Close your eyes and picture a calming color as you inhale deeply.
- Hold the breath for a moment.
- Exhale slowly, imagining a tension-releasing color.
- Repeat 5 times, noticing how your body feels.
Introduce color breathing as a simple, visual breathing exercise. Model one cycle slowly, then guide the class to follow along for 3–5 breaths.
Tool 2: Emotion Thermometer
• Draw a scale from 1 (calm) to 10 (overwhelmed).
• Rate your current emotion level.
• Think of one quick strategy (e.g., breathing, counting) to move down one notch.
Show a large printed or projected emotion thermometer. Explain that rating our feelings helps us pick the right tool to shift our state.
Setting SMART Goals
Make your self-regulation goal:
S—Specific: What exactly will you do?
M—Measurable: How will you know you did it?
A—Achievable: Is it realistic?
R—Relevant: Does it help you calm or focus?
T—Time-bound: When will you practice?
Explain each SMART element with a quick example. Ask students to think how each part makes a goal clearer and more achievable.
Example SMART Goal
“When I feel anxious before a test, I will take three deep breaths for 30 seconds, then begin my work.”
• Specific: before a test
• Measurable: three breaths
• Achievable: short breathing exercise
• Relevant: reduces anxiety
• Time-bound: right before starting
Walk through this example, pointing out each SMART element. Highlight how naming the situation, action, and timing makes it actionable.
Your Turn: Draft a Goal
Using the SMART framework, write your own self-regulation goal.
- Identify a common trigger (e.g., feeling upset, distracted).
- Choose a tool (e.g., breathing, counting).
- Specify when you will use it this week.
Prompt students to write quietly for 3–4 minutes. Circulate to support wording and remind them of each SMART component.
Warm Up
Color Breathing Exercise
Objective: Use visual imagery and counted breaths to help students notice tension and calm their minds in just a few moments.
Visual: Project or draw a large circle divided into two halves — one colored with a calming hue (e.g., soft blue or green) and the other in a contrasting “tension” shade (e.g., gray or red).
Steps:
- Invite students to sit comfortably with feet on the floor and hands resting in their lap.
- Ask them to soften their gaze on the circle (or close their eyes if they prefer).
- Inhale slowly for a count of 4, imagining the calming color filling their lungs and spreading warmth through their body.
- Hold the breath for 2 counts, noticing how the color feels in their chest and shoulders.
- Exhale gently for a count of 6, visualizing the tension color leaving with their breath. Invite them to let go of tightness or stress as they breathe out.
- Repeat steps 3–5 for a total of 5 full breaths, guiding students quietly through each count.
Teacher Tips:
- Encourage students to pick colors that feel most soothing or represent the tension they want to release.
- Lower your voice or play soft instrumental music to deepen the calm.
- After the final exhale, pause for a moment of stillness and invite students to notice any shift in how their body feels before moving on to the next activity.
Activity
Emotion Thermometer Practice
Objective: Identify and rate your current emotional intensity and select a self-regulation tool to shift your state.
Materials: Thermometer scale worksheet (1 = calm, 10 = overwhelmed), pencil.
Directions:
- On your worksheet, locate the scale from 1 (calm) to 10 (overwhelmed). Circle or color in the number that best matches how you feel right now.
- In the space below your rating, write a brief description of what contributed to this feeling (e.g., test anxiety, noisy hallway, exciting news).
- Think of one self-regulation tool you’ve learned (e.g., color breathing, counting, stretching). Write the name of that tool here:
- Describe when and how you will use this tool during the week (e.g., “If I feel level 7 before a quiz, I will take three deep breaths for six seconds each”).
Partner Discussion (5 minutes):
- Pair up and share your emotion rating and the strategy you chose.
- Listen to your partner’s idea and suggest one additional tool if you can.
Teacher Tip: Circulate to support students with idea generation, prompt specific examples, and invite a few volunteers to share creative strategies with the class.
Cool Down
Goal-Setting Ticket-Out
Name: _________________________ Date: ___________
- Self-regulation strategy I will use this week:
- My SMART self-regulation goal (include Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound):
Please hand in this ticket as you leave. Thank you for sharing your plan!