Coping Toolbox – SEL Lesson + Activity

Product description

From the author

In this social emotional (SEL) activity and SEL coloring pages, you will get a lesson plan on teaching students how to cope with change, strong feelings, and other challenges that come their way. This is such an important skill for students to learn so they can weather the ups and downs of childhood. They will create a paper toolbox, learn 4 different categories of coping, and write/draw with a prompt on a separate handout. The coping skills they will learn about are; slow breathing, say what you see, hear, and feel, think of something to look forward to, and do what you enjoy. This is most suitable for kindergarten, first, second and third grades. There is some reading required but teachers and parents can help the students understand what each skill is. There are visuals on the coping skill sheets as well. There is a page of directions and a link to a video on belly breathing. If you like this product and would like more social emotional learning resources, please visit my store at https://teachsimple.com/contributor/jennifer-moyer-taylor

I am a full-time school counselor and create my own products for my students. I test each product on students when I go into the classes for classroom guidance lessons. If a resource does not resonate with the students, I change it to be more relevant and engaging. These are really kid tested, kid approved products! Teachers and school counselors can benefit from weaving in more social emotional learning lessons in the classroom-if students are not able to cope with a feeling, they have a very difficult time learning and paying attention. It is essential to teach these skills beginning at an early age and continue lessons that are developmentally appropriate as they grow up. You might enjoy some of my other coping skills activities and products here:

https://teachsimple.com/product/race-to-match-the-coping-skill-an-sel-game-played-like-spot-it

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Name four coping strategies and describe what each one asks them to do
Explain the lesson's central analogy — that tools fix things and coping strategies help fix how we feel
Assemble a personal coping toolbox by folding and stapling the template and placing the four cut-out tools inside it

Teaching tips

Open with the question in step 2 — ask whether students have ever used tools and what tools are for, take the answer "fixing things", then extend it to fixing our feelings
Print three sheets per student before you begin: the foldable toolbox, the coping cards sheet and the writing-and-drawing prompt
Have a stapler on hand for each group; the template carries four staple marks and one long fold line, and students write their own name on the finished box

Skills covered

Coping-strategy identification — students read four named tools, from slow breathing to doing what they enjoy, and cut each one out for their own box.
Breathing regulation — the lesson pauses at the breathing tool so students practise different types of breathing before the other strategies are covered.
Craft assembly — students fold the printed template along the marked line, staple it at four points and write their name on the finished toolbox.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

Which four coping tools do students end up with?

Practice Slow Breathing; Say What You See, Hear And Feel; Think of Something To Look Forward To; and Do What You Enjoy! Each appears as an illustrated card on one sheet, cut out and placed in the toolbox.

How is the toolbox itself put together?

The template prints with one long fold line and the word "Staple" marked at four points. Students fold it, staple it together, write their name on it, and then place their four cut-out tools inside.

What part does the belly-breathing video play in the lesson?

It is optional. Step 4 says you may choose to show a video about some of the tools while going over the handout, and gives a belly-breathing link; students then practise different types of breathing together.