Choice Challenge Activity: Breathe & Calm
Updated: Nov 5
Choice Challenge Activity: Breathe & Calm #11
Now that you have read My Teacher Is Not an Octopus, reviewed the Choice Challenge blogs, and tried the activities from the book - here is more practice.
Three activities per choice for the specific behavior. No timer. No one size fits all. Parents know their child(ren). Teachers know their students. Give each a try. Practice builds choice fitness.
When a child understands how to use the six choices, this leads to more fun. The choice becomes their own. The result is happier children, families, and classrooms.
These activities engage PILES. Physical, Intellectual, Language, Emotional, Social. They build teamwork. And they give a child the words to say, "I can do this."
The goal is not a timer. The goal is the choice becoming part of a child's internal dialogue. The words a child says to themselves when no one is watching.
The student will perform a desired better choice without being redirected or reminded.
Here are three ways to practice.
Activity 1: Bunny Breath Practice
Goal: Make deep breathing simple and visual.
How to:
Teach "bunny breaths":
"Breathe in as the bunny hops up. Breathe out as the bunny rests."
Practice together:
Three slow breaths in and out at circle time or bedtime.
Add imagery:
"Close your eyes and imagine fluffy bunnies slow hopping in a meadow. Each hop is a breath."
Activity 2: Breathe and Calm or Rethink Corner Setup
Goal: Create a safe place to breathe and rethink.
How to:
Ask the child(ren) to pick a place or space to be their rethink zone. Each child has the opportunity to practice in their chosen spot and practice the steps. The group asks questions if this is in a class before practicing throughout the day with teacher engagement for each child.
At home, ensure the steps are understood through a Q & A session or as needed before practice time similar to the classroom management strategy.
Explain:
"This is your chosen space. This is a place to breathe and calm. Or, you can rethink here. Think about what is your poor choice. What is your better choice. If you need help figuring this out, let me know. We can work together after you do your best to rethink the two steps. When you are sure you know the answer to the two questions I want to hear them. Let me know when you are finished rethinking.”
Six choices in action depending on the circumstance:
The results are the child follows directions. Uses their words if an apology is required to work through an issue that happened with another person, child or adult. If this involves wait and take turns the new choice will reflect this. Own behavior. Breathe and calm are employed.
At home, the child(ren) will have practice sessions.
At school, assign each child a number. When one student is finished practicing, call the next number. Spend extra time with the students who struggle with rethinking to help encourage confidence with as much practice as they want and need. This is their decision to Own Behavior and Follow Directions.
Be ready for a real-life moment of need.
Activity 3: "Breathe, Calm, Talk" Chant
Goal: Give children a simple sequence to remember.
How to:
Teach the chant:
"First we breathe. And, we calm. Then we talk."
Say it together with hand motions:
Hand on chest (breathe). Hands on lap (calm). Hands open (talk).
Use it before hard conversations:
"Let us do our 'Breathe, Calm, Talk' first before we use another choice."
How the choices work together in this activity
Breathe and Calm is the foundation. These two actions are a bedrock for social and emotional preparedness throughout life. Without this core ability, the other five choices are locked out.
A child who is still in fight-or-flight cannot use words, own a behavior, wait a turn, follow a direction, or rethink - and struggles with patience to work the process. Similar to adults who are not calm. The Breathe and Calm in action makes all choices available again.
Consider one moment: Joey's block tower falls and he is upset.
Breathe and Calm (#5):
Joey sits as best he can. Takes three bunny breaths. Breathe in as the bunny hops up. Breathe out as the bunny rests.
Use Words (#2):
After the breath, Joey says: "Theodore, I don't like when you push my tower. It hurts my feelings."
Use Words (#2) and Own Behavior (#3):
Theodore says: "Joey, I apologize for knocking over the tower. It was an accident. I bumped it when I looked at Miss Patience hanging my picture.”
Joey asks, “Can you help me rebuild the tower?”
Theodore replies, “Yes, I would like to help. Thanks for asking, Joey.”
One moment. Three choices working together. Breathe and Calm is used first to help Joey, who struggled with impulse control in My Teacher is Not an Octopus to make a new choice.
Review:
What is the Choice Challenge? Blog and challenge blogs one through six for extended definitions from My Teacher Is Not an Octopus page 29.
All six choices are a collaborative learning experience. They partner with each other on most occasions.
A simple takeaway
"First we breathe. And, we calm. Then we talk."
This is one Choice Challenge strategy to fill the holes of PILES – social emotional learning.
Children need consistent practice with this strategy before the skill becomes automatic.
Each child experiences social-emotional development at different speeds and levels. As a group, the skill development can advance together with the greatest amount of daily practice.
When each child is using the choices consistently in interaction with the others, adjustments can be made as the child matures. The foundation is built through patience and practice to build behavior muscles.
Every time a child breathes, calms, and talks without being prompted, the skill is building. Filling gaps or holes, as explained in the blog What is the Choice Challenge? and the Choice Challenge Guide, is practice. Practice builds choice fitness.
Choice Challenge Guide will be released in eBook and paperback. You will have the option to download for free by signing up or buy online.
The choice is yours :)
About the author
Patience Filippo is a children's author, artist, educator, and veteran with decades of classroom experience. She created the Choice Challenge: Poor to Better Decisions for Everyday Behavior to help children and grown-ups be better humans, one better choice at a time. The Choice Challenge is the framework behind My Teacher Is Not an Octopus, a self-regulating behavior management book for early learners. Begin at birth. Grow into lifelong learning.
Empowering happiness through literacy.
Find Patience online https://linktr.ee/askmisspatience
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