Lesson Plan
Your SEL Toolkit Lesson Plan
Students will identify and practice at least three independent problem-solving strategies for common social and emotional challenges, beyond simply asking for help.
To empower students with a personal toolkit of strategies to navigate social and emotional difficulties, building self-efficacy and resilience.
Audience
8th Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, guided brainstorming, scenario-based application, and personal reflection.
Prep
Review and Prepare
15 minutes
- Review Your SEL Toolkit Lesson Plan, Your SEL Toolkit Slide Deck, Warm-Up: My Go-To Move, Problem-Solving Scenarios Activity, Journal: My Strategy Blueprint, and Cool-Down: One New Tool.
- Ensure projector/display is ready for the slide deck.
- Print copies of the Problem-Solving Scenarios Activity (one per small group) and Journal: My Strategy Blueprint (one per student), if using physical copies.
Step 1
Warm-Up & Introduction
5 minutes
- Distribute the Warm-Up: My Go-To Move to each student.
- Allow students 2-3 minutes to write their responses.
- Ask a few students to share their initial thoughts with the class. Acknowledge that asking for help is important, but today we'll focus on personal strategies.
- Introduce the lesson: "Today, we're going to build your personal 'SEL Toolkit' – strategies you can use independently when facing social or emotional challenges."
Step 2
Exploring Strategies
15 minutes
- Use the Your SEL Toolkit Slide Deck to introduce and discuss various independent problem-solving strategies.
- Go through each strategy, providing brief explanations and encouraging students to think about how they might apply them.
- Self-Talk: Positive affirmations, challenging negative thoughts.
- Reframing Your Thoughts: Looking at a situation from a different perspective.
- Take a Break: Stepping away, engaging in a calming activity (e.g., mindfulness, deep breathing, listening to music).
- Set Boundaries: Clearly communicating limits or needs to others.
- Identify Your Triggers: Understanding what situations or emotions tend to lead to difficulties.
- Facilitate a brief class discussion after each strategy, asking students if they've used anything similar or if they can think of examples.
Step 3
Scenario Application Activity
15 minutes
- Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
- Distribute one copy of the Problem-Solving Scenarios Activity to each group.
- Explain the activity: "In your groups, choose one scenario from the worksheet. Discuss the scenario and brainstorm 2-3 independent problem-solving strategies we just learned that the person in the scenario could use before asking for external help."
- Circulate among groups, offering guidance and prompting deeper thinking.
Step 4
Group Share & Discussion
5 minutes
- Bring the class back together.
- Ask 2-3 groups to share their chosen scenario and the strategies they identified. Briefly explain why those strategies would be effective.
- Facilitate a short discussion: "Did any strategies surprise you? How might using these strategies change the outcome of a situation?"
Step 5
Journal Reflection
3 minutes
- Distribute the Journal: My Strategy Blueprint to each student.
- Instruct students to reflect silently on the prompts, thinking about which strategies they connect with most and how they might use them in their own lives.
Step 6
Cool-Down
2 minutes
- Distribute the Cool-Down: One New Tool as an exit ticket.
- Students should write down one new strategy they learned or want to try.
- Collect the cool-downs as students leave.
Slide Deck
Your SEL Toolkit
Beyond Just Asking For Help: Building Your Personal Strategies for Social & Emotional Challenges
What can you do when you're feeling stuck?
Welcome students and set a positive, safe tone. Briefly introduce the idea of building personal tools for challenges.
Why Independent Strategies?
Asking for help is incredibly important, but sometimes we can help ourselves first!
- Builds self-confidence
- Develops resilience
- Gives you control over your emotions
- Helps you understand yourself better
Explain why it's important to have independent strategies, even when support from others is available. Emphasize self-reliance.
Strategy 1: Positive Self-Talk
- What it is: The internal voice you use to talk to yourself.
- How it helps: Challenges negative thoughts, encourages you, reminds you of your strengths.
- Example: Instead of "I can't do this," try "This is tough, but I can take it one step at a time."
What are some positive things you can tell yourself?
Introduce positive self-talk. Ask students for examples of how negative self-talk can hurt and how positive self-talk can help.
Strategy 2: Reframe Your Thoughts
- What it is: Changing the way you look at a situation or problem.
- How it helps: Turns challenges into opportunities, reduces stress, shifts perspective.
- Example: Instead of "Everyone is judging me," try "Most people are focused on themselves; I'm doing my best."
How can you turn a negative thought into a neutral or positive one?
Discuss reframing thoughts. Give an example like getting a bad grade and reframing it as a learning opportunity.
Strategy 3: Take a Break
- What it is: Stepping away from a stressful situation to clear your head.
- How it helps: Prevents overwhelm, allows emotions to cool, helps you return with a fresh perspective.
- Examples: Deep breathing, mindful exercises, listening to music, a short walk, drawing, drinking water.
What's your favorite way to take a quick break?
Talk about the importance of breaks. Mention different ways to take a mental or emotional break.
Strategy 4: Set Boundaries
- What it is: Clearly communicating your limits and needs to others.
- How it helps: Protects your emotional energy, teaches others how to treat you, reduces conflict.
- Example: "I need some space right now," or "I'm not comfortable talking about that."
Why is it hard to set boundaries, and why is it important?
Explain boundaries in social and emotional contexts. Give examples like saying 'no' or asking for space.
Strategy 5: Identify Your Triggers
- What it is: Recognizing the specific situations, people, or feelings that cause you strong negative emotions.
- How it helps: Allows you to anticipate and prepare for challenging moments, or avoid them when possible.
- Example: "I get frustrated when I'm tired and have a lot of homework," or "Loud noises make me anxious."
What are some things that tend to 'trigger' strong emotions for you?
Discuss identifying triggers. Help students understand that recognizing what causes distress is the first step to managing it.
Time to Practice!
Working in small groups:
- Pick one scenario from your worksheet.
- Discuss the problem the person is facing.
- Brainstorm 2-3 independent problem-solving strategies (from our toolkit!) that they could use.
- Be ready to share your scenario and strategies with the class!
Transition to the activity. Explain group work and scenario selection.
Reflect and Grow
Now it's time to think about your toolkit.
- Which strategies resonated most with you?
- How could you use them in your own life?
- What's your personal "Strategy Blueprint"?
Introduce the journal reflection. Emphasize personal connection to the strategies.
You Have the Power!
Remember, you have many tools within you to navigate tough times.
Your SEL Toolkit is always with you.
Conclude the lesson by reinforcing student agency and the power of their new toolkit.
Warm Up
Warm-Up: My Go-To Move
When you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or struggling socially or emotionally, what's the first thing you usually do to try and make it better? (Try to think beyond just asking for help from an adult or friend, if you can!)
Why do you choose that particular approach?
Activity
Problem-Solving Scenarios
Instructions: In your small group, read through the scenarios below. Choose ONE scenario to focus on. Discuss the problem and then brainstorm 2-3 independent problem-solving strategies (from our SEL Toolkit!) that the person in the scenario could use before asking for external help. Be ready to share your scenario and strategies with the class!
Scenario 1: The Excluded Friend
You see a group of your friends planning something fun during lunch, and they don't invite you. You feel a pang of sadness and exclusion, and now you're worried they don't like you anymore. What independent strategies could you use to manage these feelings and decide on your next steps?
Scenario 2: Homework Overload
You have three big assignments due tomorrow, and you feel completely overwhelmed and anxious. You're starting to panic and can't focus. What independent strategies could you use to calm yourself down and start tackling your work?
Scenario 3: Annoying Classmate
During group work, one of your classmates keeps making distracting noises and jokes, making it impossible for you to concentrate. You're getting increasingly frustrated and feel your anger rising. What independent strategies could you use to handle your frustration and try to improve the situation?
Scenario 4: The Social Media Spiral
You're scrolling through social media and see posts from everyone having fun, making you feel like your life is boring and that you're missing out. You start comparing yourself to others and feel a wave of insecurity. What independent strategies could you use to pull yourself out of this negative spiral?
Journal
Journal: My Strategy Blueprint
Today, we explored several independent problem-solving strategies for social and emotional challenges. It's important to know which tools work best for you.
Think about the strategies we discussed (positive self-talk, reframing thoughts, taking a break, setting boundaries, identifying triggers). Choose 2-3 strategies that you think would be most helpful for you personally.
For each chosen strategy:
- Name the strategy.
- Describe a specific type of situation (social or emotional) where you could use it.
- Explain how you would use it in that situation.
- Describe how you think it would help you feel better or solve the problem.
Strategy 1:
Strategy 2:
Strategy 3:
Cool Down
Cool-Down: One New Tool
Name one new problem-solving strategy you learned today that you want to try next time you face a social or emotional challenge. Why did you choose this one?