My Feelings First Aid Kit

Book excerpt: "My Feelings First Aid Kit" is a program that equips students with a variety of coping skills and strategies to help them in real life situations. Each item in the kit represents different approaches to help them solve problems and be mentally health and strong. This program can be used as a preventive measure, and also as crisis intervention for students. Students are given tools and skills to help them self-asses and to find a coping strategy that works best for them. Pre-literate versions of student activity pages are provided.Coping skills and other techniques include: self-regulation, self-calming strategies, self-assessment, confidence building, examining healthy habits, relationship skills, setting healthy boundaries and expectations, grounding, positive self-talk, affirmations, breathing techniques, visualization, relaxation techniques, self-care, goal setting, and asking for help.Many resources are available so this program can be tailored for individuals, groups, classes, and even assemblies. Teachers, counselors, and therapists can use the tools to reinforce skills after whole group lessons have been taught. Students can have ownership and practice self-regulation with pocket versions, engaging home assignments, coloring pages, and ongoing reinforcement of skills.Facilitators of the program can teach the lessons in any order, depending on the needs of the students. For example, for a summer program four or five skills can be focused on, depending on the needs of the students and time constraints. The Pre Test can be used to identify areas of need.Resources for the Facilitator: the Program Overview, Lesson Plans, PowerPoint Presentation, and Large Cut Outs that can be laminatedResources for Students: the Overview Page, Pre and Post Tests, Student Activity Pages (regular and Pre-Literate versions), Coloring Pages, and Pocket Version.Suggested Uses: the Overview Page, Student Activity Pages, and Coloring Pages can be arranged into a packet, stapled or put into a folder so students can keep of their "Kit" together. Coloring Pages on the front and Activity Pages on the back, in order the facilitator would like to cover the lessons. The Pocket Version can be cut out and kept with the students to help them self-regulate. A laminated set of the Pocket Version can be kept in a cool-down corner, or with the classroom teacher or counselor to use as a non-verbal cue for the student to self-assess or to try a different strategy.Lesson Plans: Detailed lesson plans cover each item in the kit in an explicit, step by step format. Standards are based on the American School Counselor Association National Standards for Students. Lessons can be tailored to fit any time frame, depending on the depth of discussion and amount of practice with skills. Suggested use is 12 lessons, 30-60 minutes each.Pre TestIntroduction to "My Feelings First Aid Kit"Ten Lessons for the items in the kit: Band aid = heal your feelingsSunscreen = protect yourselfVitamins = make yourself strongerGloves = setting boundariesAce Bandage = keep it togetherThermometer = check your anger/emotional levelIce Pack = strategies to cool downMirror = knowing your strengths and weaknessesNotepad = setting goals, writing notesPhone = call for help when you can't handle it, know your resourcesPost TestNOTE: The font used for student activity pages is a dyslexia-friendly font called Open Dyslexic. You can download it and use it for free from https: //opendyslexic.org/All images are original, commissioned artwork owned by Danielle Butts.