My class talks about emotions a lot. There are a couple of hair-trigger kids who flip out at the drop of a hat. I give them the message constantly that it’s ok to be mad/sad/frustrated/annoyed/etc., but it’s what we do with those emotions that’s important. We can’t hurt others or bother them – they need to learn to mutter under their breath like I do. Wait, no – that’s not it……. Take deep breaths and take a break. That’s it. Yep.
We have books and other resources, but I like to have a Brad-inspired activity. Brad was the one who taught me that stick figure people could have bent arms and legs and look like they were climbing all over stuff in books. Brilliant, Brad. I saw that and realized that simple people could be cool. In my case? Eyebrows on a face. They make all the difference. I gave the kids a page pre-programmed with faces that had only eyes and a nose. By adding different shapes of mouths and eyebrows? The world’s your angry/surprised oyster!