[Lesson Plan] How Big is My Problem? A Lesson Plan for Elementary Teachers

Reflecting on, and regulating emotions is a life-long learning process. Even as adults in the age of discussing the "Karens" - we all need to remember to take a moment to stop and think about how we're going to react to a problem, before our reaction becomes the problem.

In an elementary classroom with lots of different personalities and energy levels, students may be working on the lines between "tattle-tale", needing an adult to help, or critical thinking to calmly solve problems on their own. 

In this realm of social-emotional learning, we've once again partnered with Cathy Henry, educator and founder of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work, to create this How Big is My Problem? lesson plan for elementary teachers to help students look at problems and regulate how they would (or should) react. By encouraging thoughtful reflection and practicing scenarios, students can begin to see how things might upset themselves and others, and how they can find their own solutions to many everyday issues.

In this activity, you will use visual aid posters, discussion cards, and worksheets to allow students to share examples of problems that belong in various priority-levels ranging from "I might feel disappointed" to "I should get help from an adult right away." You'll use your class discussion time to get students thinking about their review process, then individual or group time to further break down an analysis of different scenarios that might upset a student personally, or affect the feelings of his/her peers.

Download this free lesson plan activity, How Big is My Problem?, designed for elementary students containing:

• Before You Tell the Teacher Anchor Chart
• Reaction Worksheets
• Discussion Cards
• Meeting Request Forms
• And more!

Want more lesson plan content for social-emotional learning? Check out this blog for more activities.

Do you wish you had time-saving tools and content to support social-emotional learning activities like this one?
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