ANGERMANAGEMENT

JULIE HOUGH

and

MARY HARTLEY

Illustrated by

CRAIG DIXON

ISBN 1 86025 346 6

1

The Pack

StudentSuitability

Using The Pack

The People Involved

Photocopy Laws

How To Contact Us

Anger Management provides a comprehensive, integrated course of activities thatdevelop understanding of the issues involved with anger. It enskills students toaddress and modify their own attitudes and responses. The course focuses onlearning to understand and control angry responses. The pack is divided into threesections and an appendix. The first 11 worksheets focus on a variety of angerissues. The next nine worksheets present a four-stage plan for anger management.The final eight worksheets enable students to consolidate their understanding andexperiences. Alternative activities are included in the Appendix.

The pack is suitable for Key Stage 3 students in mixed ability groups. The pack isbest used in PSE lessons or with an identified group of angry young people.

The sheets are designed to be taught in sequence, though the needs of a particulargroup may require a different sequence. The Teachers’ Notes opposite each pageindicate which groups of pages are best taught together. Many of the issuessurrounding anger management are sensitive and need careful handling. Please besure to read the General Guidelines on pages 4 and 5 before you begin to teachthe pack, as they contain useful background information.

The writer for this pack was Mary Hartley, a freelance writer; the consultant authorwas Julie Hough, currently a Behaviour Support Teacher in Sheffield’s BehaviourSupport Team; the illustrator was Craig Dixon; the editorial co-ordinator was SotirisSoteriades, a maths teacher and head of year at Waltheof School in Sheffield; andthe editor was Helen Alley. The series design is by Sylvia Tilaks and the cover designby Michael Lopategui. The Chalkface format was created by Susan Quilliam.

The text and pictures in this pack belong to The Chalkface Project Ltd. However,you may photocopy the sheets, provided you do so only for use within your owninstitution. If you wish to photocopy for any other use, you must write to us forpermission, for which we may charge a fee.

Address: The Chalkface Project, PO Box 111, Milton Keynes, MK11 1XNTel: 0800 781 8858 Fax: 0845 458 5344E-mail: sales@chalkface.comWebsite: www.chalkface.com

Anger Management © The Chalkface Project Ltd 2000

ISBN 1 86025 346 6

Last updated 1/3/00

INTRODUCTION

2

7 IT’S OK TO BE ANGRY Students explore the positive aspects of anger.They devise a list of their anger rights and createcontrasting scenes to demonstrate negative andpositive anger.

9 FEELING ANGRY This page enables students to identify how theirbodies change when they become angry. Theyinterpret a diagram and write an explanation.

11 FEELING CALM Students describe and imitate an illustration tolearn how their bodies feel when they are relaxed.

13 TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS Students increase their ability to describe theirfeelings through an activity based on vocabularyand mime.

15 SIGNPOSTS OF ANGER Students identify facial expressions of anger andwrite diary entries to explore the feelings behindthese expressions.

17 TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR This page focuses on aggressive, passive andassertive behaviour. Students matchcharacteristics and behaviour types.

19 I’M OK! Students focus on a positive self-image throughdevising affirmative statements about themselvesand others.

21 AM I ASSERTIVE? Students complete a list of statements to findtheir level of assertiveness and describe situationsin which they would like to behave differently.

23 ‘I‘ MESSAGES Students practise assertive techniques throughmaking statements about their feelings.

25 ANGER TRIGGERS Students identify people and situations thattrigger an angry response.

27 TURN ON YOUR TAP Students learn how to avoid trigger situationsthrough applying the Trigger Avoidance Plan.

29 PLAN TO STAY COOL This page introduces students to a four-stageplan for anger management. They makesuggestions for each stage of the process.

31 STAY COOL 1 Students learn how to re-frame their thoughtsabout their anger triggers by creating alternativesets of thoughts for such situations.

33 STAY COOL 2 Students learn how to reduce the likelihood ofbecoming angry by planning alternativestrategies.

35 WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF… This page enables students to consider theconsequences of losing control when they feelangry. They respond to illustrated examples andapply what they learn to their own situation.

37 THINK AGAIN Students learn how to re-frame their responses totheir anger triggers by creating defusingscenarios.

39 I’M REALLY ANGRY WITH YOU! Students learn how to talk to someone who hasmade them angry. They learn two key points andapply them to different situations.

41 TALKING ABOUT IT Students learn how to talk about feelings ofanger through a phone-in activity.

43 POSITIVE FEELINGS Students identify strategies which help them torecover in situations in which they have felt angry.

45 FEELING GOOD Students develop a personal plan of activities toenable them to feel good about themselves andothers. They approach the plan through a sortingactivity.

47 MY ANGER DIARY Students focus on recording their experienceswith anger management. They design a diarypage and draw up a format for a whole journal.

CONTENTS

3

CONTENTS

49 CHILL OUT A relaxation exercise enabling students to developpersonal relaxation techniques and anunderstanding of how relaxation can work tohelp them.

51 CALM VISIONS Students practise visualisation as a way of stayingcalm and thinking positively.

53 DON’T KICK THE CAT! Students respond to a case study about theconsequences of taking anger out on the wrongperson.

55 WHY ARE YOU ANGRY WITH ME? Students discuss strategies for responding toothers’ anger and apply them to their ownsituations.

57 DEALING WITH CRITICISM Students develop strategies for dealing withcriticism through a roleplay exercise.

59 PUTTING IT RIGHT A problem-page activity in which students identifyways of repairing relationships damaged throughanger.

61 MOVING ON Students consolidate their learning about angermanagement and complete anger profiles for apartner and for themselves.

62 APPENDIX 1:Feelings Words cards for use with Talking AboutFeelings and My Anger Diary

63 APPENDIX 2:Types of behaviour for use with Types OfBehaviour

64 APPENDIX 3: Feel Good cards for use with Feeling Good

65 APPENDIX 4: Alternative activities

Lesson-specific Teachers’ Notes are to be found onthe page facing each worksheet.

The Teachers’ Notes opposite each page support the use of each specific page as required. These GeneralGuidelines give advice on using the whole pack. They offer suggestions on preparation, running the lesson andfollow-up work, and could form the basis of in-service training prior to using the pack. Please remember tophotocopy both the relevant Teachers’ Notes and these General Guidelines if you are copying worksheets for asupply teacher to use.

Preparing for the lesson• Specific preparation requirements are indicated in the Preparation section of the Teachers’ Notes. You should

always have available copies of the worksheet, pens, pencils, and a chalkboard or equivalent. • Allow approximately an hour’s lesson for each page.• You can link pages to make a double lesson; linkable pages are indicated under the heading Links.• Possible classroom management challenges which may be created by the page and any issues of a sensitive

nature are brought to your attention in the Teachers’ Notes under the heading Preparation. You will probablywant to check whether these are relevant to your class.

The lessonPages are worded so that you can choose how to manage each in the classroom. However, as a general guideline,we suggest that you move from ‘introductory chat’ to individual work, through to paired or small groupdiscussion, then to pooling ideas as a class. Where a specific approach is required that differs from this, it isindicated in the Teachers’ Notes.Each sheet contains a number of activities. These fall into several basic formats:

• Thought starters • Reading• Oral work • Brainstorming• Research • Working in role or ‘imagine’ exercises• Written work

Where relevant, you may choose to allow students with poor writing skills to work on the sheet and mark,underline or colour to show understanding.

Following up on the lessonThe Teachers’ Notes include suggestions for extension activities. These are usually designed to carry the topic into adouble lesson, or to provide an opportunity for out-of-classroom work.

POINTS TO BE AWARE OFSensitivityIt is essential when undertaking sensitive work such as anger management with a group of children that theatmosphere in the classroom is both positive and supportive. This type of work may involve our students andperhaps ourselves in exposing our feelings. We must all feel safe to express our viewpoint without fear of beingridiculed or put down.You will find a number of extra activities in Appendix 4 (page 65). You may want to use these as alternativeactivities if you think that something in the pack is not appropriate for your students, or you can use them assupplementary activities.

Creating A Positive Classroom ClimateA useful approach in developing positive classrooms, where students take responsibility for themselves, for theirown behaviour and for each other, is the primary school model of Circle Time. This approach is becoming usedincreasingly at Key Stage 3, especially with hard-to-manage classes or pupils with social / emotional difficulties.The Circle Time model involves students using a circular seating arrangement for the discussion and feedbackelements of a session, and operates with certain rules and guidelines in place. Everyone has an opportunity tospeak or to ‘pass’. The rules of the circle are to be followed at all times. Rules might include: Everyone in the circleis equal. Everyone is listened to. We positively support each other in our efforts. It is all right to ‘pass’ in the circleand make no comment.It would be useful to hold a Circle Time session to introduce students to the concept of the circle and to establishthe ground rules before beginning the work on anger management.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

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5

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Situation Prompts – Things That Might Make You AngryFor students who have difficulty in choosing their own situations, you could suggest some of the following ideas.You might like to write the situations on cards for students to select.• You have been called names by other students• A teacher criticises you in front of your friends• Someone spoils your work• You have been told off for something you didn’t do• Everyone is doing it – but only you get told off• Someone borrows your things without asking• Your best friend lets you down• Your friends go off without you• You see someone being bullied• People make jokes about you• Someone pushes in front of you in the dinner queue• You get squashed in the corridor on your way to a lesson.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENTDeveloping A Positive Classroom ClimateIt is the teacher as the leader in the classroom who is key to promoting the positive, calm and supportiveatmosphere needed to tackle emotional issues related to anger management. Students need to receive positive recognition when they behave well, and to be clear about the consequences ofchoosing to behave badly. A class or individual reward system may be helpful in encouraging students to moderatetheir poor behaviour. You may wish to award a certificate to the members of the group who have participated inthe sessions. The anger management course will be most effective if you model calmness, control and respect inyour management of, and interactions with, the class.

Some Points To Consider Before You Start• Individual students may need personal support• Confidential issues may be disclosed during the sessions• It is important to finish each session on a positive note• Some students may not experience anger. They could imagine the emotion and empathise with someone who

does• You may wish to run all or some of the sessions with your school’s ESWS officer• You may wish to involve your local Youth Worker.

ABOUT ANGERHow We Make Ourselves AngryStep 1 I want somethingStep 2 It is terrible not to get what I wantStep 3 You are bad for stopping me getting my own wayStep 4 I will punish you for being bad

The Dangers Of AngerAnger increases our frustrationGetting angry prevents us from solving problemsAnger can make us physically ill

The Difference Between Anger And FirmnessAnger causes us to want to force someone to behave as we want. It involves being prepared to hurt the other

person physically or emotionally.Firmness is getting people to behave in a certain way without having the desire to hurt them.

Students explore the positive aspects of anger.

You may wish to be ready to give examples of people who have used angerconstructively – Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, for instance, orindividuals working for environmental or animal issues. Some students maywish to have personal time to discuss incidents in which they feel their angerrights have been abused.

This session could easily become a session on general rights, but studentsneed to focus on anger rights here. The teacher may wish to take a separatesession on rights in general. They could then concentrate on anger rights duringthis session.

This activity could be done in pairs followed by group or class sharing. You maywish to focus on the idea that anger can provide individuals with a boost ofphysical or emotional energy to tackle the situation. Anger is also a naturalresponse to help us cope with violence, threat, loss.

Feedback from this activity will enable you to focus on situations such asstanding up to bullies which students could build on for Activity 3.

The scenes may be scripted, roleplays, or narrative descriptions.

Over an agreed period of time, students record examples of their rights beingupheld or abused.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

IT’S OK TO BE ANGRY

6

IT’S OK

TO B

E AN

GR

Y

7

It’s OK To Be Angry AIM: TO LEARN THAT THERE CAN BE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF ANGER

1 Anger can be positive. Sometimes it isbetter to express anger than to bottle itup. Brainstorm all the situations inwhich anger can be a good thing. Why can it be good to feel anger inthese situations?

2 Fill in your chart of anger rights. Onehas been completed for you. Compareyour ideas with those of a friend.

3 Make up two scenes, one giving anexample of destructive anger, and onegiving an example of positive anger.Show your scenes to another group orwrite a script.

4 Can you think of a time when youshowed positive anger? Can you thinkof a time when you would have likedto show positive anger? Share yourideas with a friend or write a diaryentry about it.

I have the right to feel angry when…

• my feelings are ignored

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Students learn what happens to their bodies when they feel angry.

You may wish to have a class discussion about the diagram before Activity 1.Some words may need to be explained to the students.

This activity could be pair discussion followed by whole-class feedback. Youcould list common symptoms on the board. You may wish to encouragestudents to identify changes such as tense muscles, clenched fists, stomachchurning, heart racing.

There is scope here for choosing a specific audience for the booklet, if youwish. The page could be aimed at a younger age group, or at their own peergroup. Students could word-process their work, and use graphics or otherillustrations.

Students could consider how school life and/or events at home trigger the ‘fightor flight’ reaction. This could be a written activity, for example, in the form of astory, anecdote or discussion.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

FEELING ANGRY

8

FEELING

AN

GR

Y

9

1 Think of a time when youfelt angry or worked upabout something. What didyour body feel like? Whatchanges did you notice?

2 In a stressful situation, yourbody gets ready to meet thechallenge. The illustrationshows you some of thereasons for the physicalchanges in your body. Writea page for a booklet ordesign a poster called Howanger affects your body.

3 Think of a television dramathat you watch. How do theactors show anger?

Feeling AngryAIM: TO LEARN WHAT HAPPENS TO A PERSON’S BODY WHEN S/HE FEELS ANGRY

The body is prepared for fight or flight– geared up for action

Adrenalin is a chemical that preparesyour body for instant action.

Feelings such as anger trigger the release of adrenalin.

The adrenal glands sit ontop of the kidneys.

Adrenalin raisesblood pressure.

Adrenalin increasesheart rate.

When adrenalin isreleased, moreblood is carried tothe muscles.Energy suppliesare boosted.

The digestivesystem shutsdown becauseblood is divertedfrom the stomachto the muscles.

The muscles overheatfrom the energy rush.Sweat is produced tocool down the muscles.

Students explore how their bodies feel and look when they are relaxed.

Students may need to be shown how to ‘sculpt’. This involves physicallymanipulating a partner’s body into different positions.

Some students may like to draw self-portraits of themselves relaxing. There isscope for students to write a short poem about themselves in their favouriterelaxed position. Encourage them to concentrate on the physical aspects ofrelaxing.

Another option would be for students to work in pairs and physically ‘sculpt’each other into relaxed positions. If you like, they could begin by ‘sculpting’angry, tense positions, then making the positions relaxed. Two students coulddemonstrate this technique to the class.

You could begin this activity by exploring the ways in which colours can suggestemotions. A class list of relaxing colours might be helpful. Students couldsuggest their own calm colours.

Students could design the room introduced in Activity 4. They could draw theroom or make a montage from magazine illustrations.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

FEELING CALM

10

FEELING

CA

LM

11

1 When do you feel mostrelaxed? Make a picture inyour mind of yourself in arelaxed state. Where areyou? What are you doing?Describe it to a friend.

2 The illustration shows Lukeand Kerry in relaxedsituations. Describe theposture and facialexpressions that you see ineach illustration and theirfeelings.

3 Put yourself in a relaxedposition. Ask a partner todescribe your body postureand facial expression.

4 Imagine that you aredecorating a room forpeople to relax in. Whatcolours would you use?What would you put in theroom?

Feeling CalmAIM: TO BECOME AWARE OF HOW BODIESFEEL AND LOOK WHEN THEY ARE RELAXED

Students increase their ability to describe their feelings.

You will need a set of the ‘Feelings Words’ (Appendix 1, page 62) for eachgroup. The words need to be cut into separate ‘cards’.

This may be an individual, pair or group activity. It would be a good idea to takeclass feedback and generate a list of words on the board. You might wish toencourage students to start a vocabulary page to do with words that expressfeelings.

You could establish some rules of mime before this activity. The rules mightinclude no talking, no touching, guesses to be offered by raising hands with thestudent miming giving the invitation to speak. You may want the students to sitin a circle with the cards in the middle.

Before Activity 3 you may wish to stick the cards on to the board or wall asprompts. Students could choose as many words as they wish and copy out thesentence as many times as is appropriate. The lesson could be rounded offback in the circle with students reading out their statements.

Students could note the words that characters in books or in television dramause to express feelings, and report back to the class.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS

12

TALK

ING

AB

OU

T FEELING

S

13

1 Sometimes it is hard to findthe right words to expressfeelings. What feelings doyou associate with each ofthe illustrations? Do catshave feelings? How do youthink Dolly feels?

2 Take turns to pick a cardfrom the pile of ‘FeelingsWords’ and mime thefeeling that is written on thecard. Try to guess the feelingeach person is miming.When you reach the end ofthe pile, write each ‘feelingword’ and the actions thatwent with it.

3 Choose some of the wordsfrom the cards. Think of atime when you had thatfeeling. Complete thissentence for each of yourchosen cards:

I felt ..................................

when .................................

..........................................

Talking AboutFeelingsAIM: TO INCREASE YOUR ABILITY TODESCRIBE FEELINGS

Students identify facial expressions of anger and explore the feelings behindthese expressions.

Some students may have low levels of awareness and may needencouragement to notice the signals in others’ facial expressions.

You could extend this activity with students miming expressions for others toidentify, or filling in blank face outlines with expressions for others to guess.Answers may vary but we would expect them to be:1 shocked 2 happy 3 disappointed4 growling 5 angry 6 livid (very angry)

Students could read out their diary entries in pairs or small groups. If you wish,there is scope for some groups to develop the diary entries into dramaticscenes. Some students may like to write poems as well as, or instead of, diaryentries.

Students could make a montage of angry facial expressions from magazines ornewspapers.

You could ask students to use mirrors to draw their own faces and angryexpressions.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 5

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

SIGNPOSTS OF ANGER

14

SIGN

POSTS O

F AN

GER

15

Signposts Of AngerAIM: TO LEARN HOW TO ‘READ’ FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND INTERPRET THE FEELINGS BEHIND THEM

1 How can you recognise feelings frompeople’s facial expressions? What iseach person in the illustration feeling?Which are feelings of anger?

2 How angry is each person in theillustration? Give each one a score outof ten, with ten being the strongestfeeling. Write a descriptive word aboveeach face.

3 What might have caused each person’sangry feelings? For each one, describewhat might have happened to theperson.

4 Why is it important to notice people’sfacial expressions? Make a list of thefeelings that can be expressed bypeople’s faces.

Students explore the differences between aggressive, passive and assertivebehaviour.

You will need the sheet Types Of Behaviour (Appendix 2, page 63). It may behelpful to have copies for each student. Alternatively, you could enlarge thesheet to A3 size and display it in the classroom. You will probably wish toexplain these three types of behaviour to the class before beginning theactivities.

This sheet leads on to I’m OK!, Am I Assertive? and ‘I’ Messages.

It would be a good idea to take feedback and discuss the different ways ofbehaving. You may wish to model actions and postures, or ask students toprepare similar illustrations or text.AnswersAggressive: challenging eye contact; looking bored; pounding fist; pointing

finger; hands on hips; sarcastic tone; loud voice; deathly soft voice;invades other person’s space; body closed off.

Passive: looking away; smiling inappropriately; playing with hair or fiddling withjewellery; wringing hands; slumped position; voice difficult to hear.

Assertive: steady eye contact; open body; body still and relaxed; uprightposture; shoulders straight; appropriate voice; appropriate distance fromother person; hand gestures emphasise words.

Depending on the ability of the class, you may wish to discuss or explain someof the words and statements in the box.

This activity would work best as a pair roleplay. You could round off the lessonwith a show of assertive responses.

Students could record their use of assertive responses over the period of aweek, and report back to the class.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR

16

TYPES OF B

EHA

VIO

UR

17

Types Of BehaviourAIM: TO LEARN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AGGRESSIVE,PASSIVE AND ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOUR

1 Think of a time when you felt annoyedor angry about something. What otherfeelings did you have? Does everyonereact as you did? Do you always reactthis way? Make a list of the differentways you could have behaved in thissituation.

2 Look at the different responses in theillustration. What do you think abouteach type of response?

3 Match each of the words or phrasesfrom the bottom of the page with thetype of response you think it shows.What are the pros and cons of eachresponse? Is one better than another?

4 Choose one of the situations fromActivity 1. Act out or write about anaggressive response, a passive responseand finally, an assertive response to thesituation. Which would be the bestresponse – and why?

Touch that and you’re

dead! I’d better not say

anything.

That’s mine.I don’t wantyou to use it.

aggressive passive assertive

looking away

steady eye contact

challenging eye contact

sarcastic tone

loud voice

appropriate voice

voice difficult to hear

playing with hair or fiddling with jewellery

pointing finger wringing hands

hand gestures emphasise words

appropriate distance from other person

invades space shoulders straight slumped position pounding fist

smiling inappropriatelylooking bored hands on hips body still and relaxed

deathly soft voice open body body closed off upright posture

Students focus on a positive self-image.

Some students may find it difficult to see their positive points. You may need togive particular help and encouragement to those who feel negative aboutthemselves. You will need sheets of paper for Activity 3. If you wish to followthe suggestion for Activity 5, you may need to prepare affirming statements inadvance.

This sheet follows on from Types Of Behaviour, and should be followed by Am IAssertive? and ‘I’ Messages.

Feedback after this activity will give you an opportunity to explore how self-image is linked to positive behaviour.

You could encourage students to draw out their partners by listening and askingappropriate questions.

You could end the lesson on a positive note with an affirming statement fromeach student being read out one at a time.

You could ask students to make an illustrated poster of their affirmativestatements.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 5

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

I’M OK!

18

I’M O

K!

19

I’m OK!AIM: TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL POSITIVE

1 Feeling positive about ourselves canhelp us to stay calm. What might bethe feelings of each person in theillustration? Do they all lead to positivefeelings? If you were in the samesituations, how might you behave as aresult of your friends’ comments?

2 Discuss with a partner three goodthings about yourself. Get into a circleand introduce your partner to the restof the group by describing these threegood things.

3 Write your name at the bottom of asheet of paper. Pass it to the nextperson who writes something positiveabout you at the top, then folds thepaper to cover what has been written.

They then write their name at thebottom of the sheet and pass the paperon. Repeat this process until positivecomments have been written abouteveryone in the group.

4 Read out these positive comments.How do you feel? How does the groupfeel? Which things are you proud of?What do you like about yourself?

5 Write some positive statements aboutyourself. Remember to start eachsentence with the word ‘I’.

Wow, I really likeyour haircut!

You’re a good friend. I can trust you.

You cheer me up andmake me laugh.

You helped me with my maths

assignment.

What on earthhave you done to

your hair?

Students become more aware of their level of assertiveness.

Students will need to work in pairs or small groups in which they feelcomfortable.

This sheet follows on from Types Of Behaviour and I’m OK, and should befollowed by ‘I’ Messages.

This activity could be a written description leading to a demonstration orroleplay. Some students may like to link Activity 3 and 4 by drawing ‘before’ and‘after’ self-portraits.

This could be a written or oral activity. Some students may prefer not to sharetheir responses.

Feedback from this activity will enable you to focus on the need for confidenceand practice in techniques for changing behaviour, which will lead into the nextlesson.

Students could take another list of statements home, and discuss how theirbehaviour is seen by family members.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 4

ACTIVITY 5

ACTIVITY 6

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

AM I ASSERTIVE?

20

AM

I ASSER

TIVE?

21

Am I Assertive?AIM: TO FIND OUT HOW ASSERTIVE YOU ARE

1 Do you behave assertively? Find out byanswering the statements below.Discuss your answers with a friend. Arethere any statements for which youwish you gave a different answer?

2 Which response to each statement isthe assertive one?

3 Think of a situation in which you didnot behave assertively. Describe whatyou felt, what you said and how youbehaved.

4 Now imagine how you would like tobehave in the same situation. Describehow you would like to feel, what youwould like to say and how you wouldlike to behave.

5 With which particular people wouldyou like to behave more assertively? Foreach person, describe how thingswould be different if you were moreassertive.

6 What would help you to behavedifferently? Compare your ideas withthose of a friend.

A S NAlways? Sometimes? Never?

1 When a friend asks me to do somethingI don’t want to, I can say ‘no’.

2 I am able to avoid being pushed aroundby other people.

3 I can respond with humour when someone puts me down.

4 When someone compliments me, I don’t get embarrassed.

5 I can share my feelings.

6 I join in discussions in class.

7 When someone is unfair, I tell them.

8 I can admit to my mistakes.

9 I can make decisions and accept the consequences.

10 I am confident talking to adults.

11 When I receive a criticism that is fair, I listen without being defensive.

12 I ask for help when I need it.

13 I talk about my successes.

14 I admit when I feel nervous or afraid.

15 I tell someone if they are doing something that bothers me.

Students practise assertive techniques. Students become enskilled in using the‘I’ Guide to assertive responses.

This sheet should follow Types Of Behaviour, I’m OK! and Am I Assertive?

You may find it helpful to discuss the ‘I’ Guide with the class, and refer to theassertiveness lesson. The following points might be helpful:Explanation: Try to be as fair as possible. Keep to the present situation and

don’t drag up old arguments. Be brief. Describe what is happening, notwhy you think it’s happening.

Feelings: Acknowledge your feelings and take responsibility for them. Don’tblame or accuse the other person of making you feel anything.

Needs: Explain clearly what you need to happen so that the situation can beresolved.

Consequence: Make clear what will be the benefits if the other person does asyou ask.

Students could make a chart showing each heading and enter their responses.They could roleplay their replies.

You could round off the lesson with a demonstration from a confident pair ofstudents.

Students could prepare a demonstration of how to use the ‘I’ Guide to expressanger assertively. They could show an aggressive, passive and assertiveresponse to a situation.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

‘I’ MESSAGES

22

‘I’ MESSA

GES

23

‘I’ MessagesAIM: TO LEARN HOW TO USE ASSERTIVE TECHNIQUES

1 Sometimes it can be difficult to say inan effective way what we feel. Look atthe situations in the illustrations. In eachcase, how would you feel? What wouldyou do?

2 Follow this ‘I’ Guide for making assertivestatements in difficult situations:• Explain the situation as you see it:

for example, I’m trying to watchtelevision…

• Explain how you feel: for example,I’m getting angry and frustratedbecause…

• Explain what you want: for example, I want you to…

• Explain what will happen if the otherperson does what you want.

• Explain what will happen if the otherperson does not do what you want.

3 Apply the ‘I’ Guide to the situations inthe illustration. Write down and practisea response in each case.

4 Think of a real situation where you feltangry and wanted to express yourfeelings assertively. Use the ‘I’ Guide to write down your responses.

I want to watch this programme. I’m

getting really annoyed.

Some money has been stolen so I’m keeping you all

in at lunch time.

I’ve got football practice and they’re picking the team! It’s not fair!

She borrowed it without asking and now it’s damaged!

Students identify people and situations that trigger an angry response.

You may wish to negotiate some ground rules about how to handle identifiableindividuals and situations – it is possible that members of the school staff maybe triggers for some students. Students should work in pairs or small groups inwhich they feel secure and comfortable. You may need to provide paper forActivity 5.

You could take feedback and make a class list of examples in each category. Answers: a) is illustration 3; b) is illustration 1; c) is illustration 2.

This could be a written or oral activity, or a combination of the two. Studentscould write in narrative, diary or poetry form. It might be useful to make a classlist of the most common category of perceived threat.

You may want to provide paper for students if they are likely to write at length.

Students could use the questions from Activity 3 as a basis for interviewing afamily member.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 5

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

ANGER TRIGGERS

24

Anger TriggersAIM: TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE AND SITUATIONSTHAT TRIGGER AN ANGRY RESPONSE IN YOU

1 To become better at managingour anger we must identify thetriggers for angry reactions. Atrigger is an event that we seeas a threat. Match eachillustration to one of thesekinds of threat: a) a threat to our person or

propertyb) a threat to our self-esteemc) a threat to getting our

needs met.

2 Think of as many situations asyou can for each of these kindsof threat. Make a group list.

3 Choose four situations inwhich you felt angry. In eachcase, what kind of threat didyou feel? Describe whathappened and how you felt.

4 Ask a partner about a timewhen they were angry, usingthese questions: • What started it? • How did you react? • What happened afterwards?• How did it end? • What do you feel about it

now?• What do you think

triggered your angryresponse?

5 What are your main angertriggers? Choose fourtriggers and put them inorder of how angrily yourespond. Describe thesesituations in the box on the left.

AN

GER

TRIG

GER

S

My anger triggers

1.

2.

3.

4.

25

Students learn how to avoid trigger situations.

You could encourage students to complete the questionnaire quickly, withouttoo much deliberation.

You may wish to discuss avoidance strategies before students draw up theirplans. You could use this example as a starting point:Trigger: Getting told off for being late to Mrs B’s class. Avoidance Plan: I willpack up quickly after maths. I will walk quickly to class. I will not stop to chat. Iwill arrive with the group. She will praise me!It may be helpful to draw attention to the idea of making positive, realisticplans. You could encourage students to follow the pattern of ‘I will’ rather than‘I will not’. You could focus on the positive consequences of following the plan.

You could take class feedback after this activity, and finish the lesson with a listof the best ideas for avoiding angry responses.

A tap was chosen because it stands for Trigger Avoidance Plan. Students couldrecord what happens when they put the plan into action and report back in asubsequent session.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

TURN ON YOUR TAP

26

TUR

N O

N YO

UR

TAP

27

1 It is a good idea to avoidsituations and people thattrigger your anger. Completethe questionnaire. It willhelp you to get a fullerpicture of your triggerresponses. There is room foryou to add some of yourown.

2 Put a cross beside your sixmost powerful triggers anddiscuss your answers with afriend.

3 Choose three of thesituations that you havemarked. For each one,decide what you will do toavoid becoming angry. Makea chart of your TriggerAvoidance Plan using theheadings in the illustration.

4 Compare your plan withthose of others in yourgroup. Choose the threebest strategies.

5 The illustration shows a tapat full flow. Why was a tapchosen? Design your ownillustration to go at the topof your Trigger AvoidancePlan.

Turn On YourTAPAIM: TO LEARN HOW TO AVOID TRIGGER SITUATIONS

These are some things that make people angry. Tick the ones that are true for you.

Add some of your own.

Yes No Sometimes

When people talk about me ..... ..... .....

When people call me names ..... ..... .....

When people call my family names ..... ..... .....

When I’m told off ..... ..... .....

When I’m unfairly treated ..... ..... .....

When I see someone being bullied ..... ..... .....

When I’m shouted at ..... ..... .....

When someone spoils my work ..... ..... .....

When I lose a game ..... ..... .....

When I get my work wrong ..... ..... .....

When someone steals my things ..... ..... .....

When people don’t listen to me ..... ..... .....

When people hurt me ..... ..... .....

When my football team lose ..... ..... .....

When I hurt myself ..... ..... .....

When people are angry with me ..... ..... .....

When I can’t get on with my work ..... ..... .....

When I’m criticised in front of others ..... ..... .....

When someone tells on me ..... ..... .....

When someone calls me a liar ..... ..... .....

When my things get broken ..... ..... .....

When I can’t do what I want ..... ..... .....

When I’m left out ..... ..... .....

When I do something good and no-one notices ..... ..... .....

When others get more attention than me ..... ..... .....

• ................................................ ..... ..... .....

• ................................................ ..... ..... .....

• ................................................ ..... ..... .....

• ................................................ ..... ..... .....

Trigger Avoidance Plan

Students start learning the Four-Step Plan for anger management. They practiseusing it and make suggestions for each of the stages.

This sheet is the introduction to the Four-Step Plan: Stay Cool 1 and Stay Cool 2 (Step One); What Would Happen If and Think Again (Step Two); I’m Really Angry With You and Talking About It (Step Three); Positive Feelings and Feeling Good (Step Four).

You could take class feedback from this activity and highlight key words andsuggestions on the board. This could act as a prompt for the following activity.

You may wish to discuss each stage of the plan in turn, before students fill intheir ideas. Discussion could focus on the following ideas: 1 Stay cool: actions and words to calm body and mind 2 Think: i) about the consequences of losing your temper, possible

positive actions, punishment. Is there an acceptable explanationfor what happened? ii) think about your anger triggers in a different way

3 Talk: i) to the person who has triggered your anger about what hasmade you angry and what you want to happen ii) to someone you trust

4 Feel positive: ways to get over your anger: eg, exercise, favourite music, call a friend.

This activity would be best done in pairs, with some feedback to round off thelesson if you think it is appropriate.

Each group could illustrate one part of the Four-Step Plan for a class display.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

PLAN TO STAY COOL

28

PLAN

TO STA

Y CO

OL

29

1 What advice would you giveabout how to control anger?Make a group list.

2 The illustration shows the Four-Step Plan for stayingcool. For each step, think ofwhat you could do or say.Write your ideas on eachrung of the ladder.

3 Think of a time when youwere angry. How could theplan have helped you?

4 Decide how you might usethe plan in the future. Thinkof a situation that couldarise and describe how youwould act.

Plan To StayCoolAIM: TO LEARN THE FOUR-STEP PLAN FORANGER MANAGEMENT

1

2

3

4Feel positive

Talk

Think

Staycool

This page enskills students to use calming thoughts as Step One of the Four-Step Plan.

It is important that you model calm strategies in your general management ofthe class. You may wish to share your own thoughts and calming strategieswith the group.

This page should be followed by Stay Cool 2 to complete Step One of the Four-Step Plan.

This activity is best done in pairs or small groups. You could ask some groups toshow their scene to the class, if you think it is appropriate. As an alternative (oraddition) to acting out the scenes, students could write descriptions or stories,or draw the situations.

This activity could take the form of a Circle Time. You will find guidance for thisin Creating A Positive Classroom Climate (General Guidelines, pages 4 and 5).

Students could record their use of calming phrases over a set period of timeand report back. They could also look for instances in television or film dramawhere the use of such a phrase might have helped a character to control his orher anger.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

STAY COOL 1

30

STAY C

OO

L 1

31

Stay Cool 1AIM: TO LEARN HOW TO USE CALMING THOUGHTS

1 Calming words can help us to calmdown. Imagine that one of your friendsis getting angry about something.What words might you use to helpyour friend to stay cool?

2 The illustration shows some phrasesyou could say to yourself to help youcontrol your anger. Choose threephrases each. Think of situations inwhich you might use them. In smallgroups, act out the situations, usingthe calming phrases.

3 Complete the sentence: When I’m angry I could say to myself…

It’s notworth it.

It’s no big deal.I can see the

funny side.

I’m not going to get into

trouble.

Stay cool.

I’m okay.

People don’t haveto do what I want.

It’s okay – everyoneis different.

I’m in control.

I’m not goingto fight.

It doesn’t matterthat much.

I will be nice to them.

I’m not a little kid.

I can handle this.

I’ll keep mymouth shut.

Students focus on recognising signs of anger and identifying strategies to helpthem to stay calm.

This page continues Step One of the Four-Step Plan.

Try to elicit a wide range of possibilities: walking away, creating an imaginaryshell or shield, counting to ten, pretending to be somebody else/somewhereelse, exercising, listening to music, breathing deeply, etc.

This activity could be individual, followed by pair or group exchange ofdescriptions. There is scope for the descriptions to be oral, written or acombination of the two. If you think it is appropriate, there is scope for roleplay.

You could refer students to Activity 1 for completion of the first part of thesentence. Students could repeat the sentence with different examples, if youwish. This activity could take the form of a Circle Time. You will find guidance forthis in Creating A Positive Classroom Climate (General Guidelines, pages 4 and5).

Students could design a poster for their favourite stay-cool strategy.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 5

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

STAY COOL 2

32

STAY C

OO

L 2

33

Stay Cool 2AIM: TO LEARN HOW TO RECOGNISE SIGNS OF ANGER AND IDENTIFY STRATEGIES TO HELP STAY CALM

1 What happens to you when you beginto get angry? Look at the statements inthe illustration, and tick the ones thatapply to you. Add other things that youhave noticed about yourself.

2 What could you do to calm yourselfdown? The illustration shows someideas. Tick any of the strategies thatyou have used in the past. In smallgroups, make a list of calming activitiesthat you have tried successfully.

3 Choose the three most successfulcalming activities. Write down how youwill use them in the future – and why.

4 Describe your ideas and how you willuse them to the rest of the class.

5 Complete this sentence:

When I start to get angry and feel

......................................, I could

...................................................

I want to cry I feel panickyI feel strange

I feel tense

My hands make fists

My heart thumpsI breathe quickly I want to shout

My hands sweat My teeth clenchI fidget

My mouth is dry

I feel hot

Students consider the consequences of losing control when they feel angry.This is part of Step Two (Think) in the Four-Step Plan.

You should be aware that the consequences for some students could involveviolence. It is possible that some individuals may wish to discuss this privately.You may wish to enlarge the page to A3 size – see Activity 2 below.

This is the first page of Step Two (Think) in the Four-Step Plan. It should befollowed by Think Again.

You may wish to start this activity with a discussion about what each illustrationshows. It may not be obvious to all students that we see a woman shouting at(maybe about to hit) a boy; two (friends?) fighting; and an exasperated teacher.You may also wish to discuss possible outcomes, focusing on the desirability ofa positive solution which includes the angry person staying in control.Some students may find that the spaces provided in the illustrations are not bigenough, especially if they wish to write long descriptions. You may wish toprovide paper on which to work. Alternatively, you may wish to enlarge thepage to A3 size.

Some students could draw their response, using the illustration as a model.

Students could find examples from newspapers, magazines and televisionprogrammes of people losing their temper and the consequences of theiractions.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF?

34

WH

AT W

OU

LD H

APPEN

IF?

35

What Would Happen If?AIM: TO BECOME AWARE OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING CONTROL WHEN ANGRY

1 Have you ever done something withoutthinking about what might happen as aresult? Tell a partner about it.

2 What might the people in theillustration feel like doing? Fill in thethought bubbles. Compare your ideaswith those of a partner. What mighthappen as a result of those feelings?Write your ideas in the spaces in theillustration.

3 What advice would you give to eachperson in the picture? Write about theadvice you will give.

4 Think about the worst thing that hashappened to you as a consequence oflosing your temper. Draw or write itdown. Describe to the group how youcould help yourself to behavedifferently next time.

What might happen?

What can I do instead?

What might happen?

What can I do instead?

What might happen?

What can I do instead?

Students practise how to respond to their anger triggers by creating defusingscenarios.

This page continues Step Two of the Four-Step Plan and should follow WhatWould Happen If?

This activity could be oral or written, followed by class discussion. The studentsmay need encouragement to focus on the benefits of a positive approach.Students could consider advantages such as gaining thinking time and achievingself-control.

There is scope for students to give an oral or dramatic presentation of each setof thoughts. Some individuals or groups could develop their thoughts to showthe positive consequences of the re-framed thoughts.

This could be an individual, pair or group activity, followed by whole-classfeedback to round off the lesson.

Students could record how they apply this technique over a given period oftime. Another idea would be to take situations from books, film and televisionand re-frame characters’ thoughts to produce a calming effect.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

THINK AGAIN

36

THIN

K A

GA

IN

37

Think AgainAIM: TO LEARN TO RESPOND TO ANGER TRIGGERS BYCREATING DEFUSING SCENARIOS

1 It is not always possible to manage ouranger by avoiding triggers. Can youthink of a trigger situation that youwould like to avoid, but can’t? Describethe situation or situations to a friend.

2 The illustration shows one of Lee’strigger situations. Look at his two setsof thoughts. Which thoughts are likelyto make him more angry? Whichthoughts are likely to calm his anger?Describe how Lee might react as aresult of each way of thinking aboutthe situation.

3 Write two sets of thoughts for each ofthe situations you described in Activity1, one set that will make you feel moreangry, and another set that will makeyou feel calmer.

4 What are the advantages anddisadvantages of each set of thoughts?

She’s always gettingat me. She’s really

winding me up.

She’s having a bad day.She’s probably got aheadache. She was

nice yesterday.

Students practise how to talk to someone who has made them angry. Theylearn two key points and apply them to different situations.

You will need slips of paper and a container to put them in. You may wish toenlarge the page to A3 – see Activity 2 below.

This page introduces Step Three (Talk) of the Four-Step Plan. It should befollowed by Talking About It.

You could stress that this is a private activity, and that students do not divulgethe name of the person. The words written on the slips of paper areanonymous. To preserve anonymity, you could collect all the slips and distributethem for Activity 3.

Some students may find that the spaces provided in the illustrations are not bigenough, especially if they wish to write at length. You may wish to providepaper on which to work. Alternatively, you may wish to enlarge the page to A3size.

This could be a group activity followed by whole-class discussion. You couldfocus on the calm, assertive responses generated by the model in theillustration.

If appropriate, students could demonstrate their prepared responses.

Students could observe the different ways people express their anger withothers, and report back to the class.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

I’M REALLY ANGRY WITH YOU!

38

I’M R

EALLY A

NG

RY W

ITH YO

U!

39

I’m Really Angry With You!AIM: TO LEARN HOW TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE YOU ANGRY

1 Think of someone who has made youangry. What would you like to say tothis person? Write down on a slip ofpaper what you would say. Fold thepaper and put it in the container.

2 The illustration shows you an effectiveway of telling someone that you areangry. Decide what Jody might beangry about in each of the pictures. Fillin the empty speech bubbles. Read outyour conversations.

3 Take a slip of paper out of thecontainer and read out the comments.Compare the comments on the slip ofpaper with your completed speechbubbles.

4 Think of what you wrote in Activity 1.Write another statement that includeswhat you are angry about and whatyou would like to happen. Practisesaying the words out loud.

I’m angry because youbroke my tape. I wantyou to replace it.

Point 1: Say what you are angry about

Point 2: Say what you would like to happen

Students practise talking about feelings of anger.

If you want to record Activity 2 you will need to have the appropriateequipment.

This page continues Step Three (Talk) of the Four-Step Plan, and should betaught after I’m Really Angry with You!

Activity 1 could be a class brainstorm.

Students could prepare for the phone-in by making lists of questions andtopics. You could allocate individuals to be observers and report on theeffectiveness of the responses. Observers may need to be briefed on whatthey need to look out for. It would be useful to round off the activity with classdiscussion about the importance of listening.

Students could prepare advertisements to present themselves as trustedlisteners.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

TALKING ABOUT IT

40

TALK

ING

AB

OU

T IT

41

1 If you wanted to discussyour angry feelings withsomeone, what kind ofperson would you choose?Brainstorm the qualities theperson should have.

2 Your school radio station isproducing a phone-in onFeeling Angry. Take it inturns to be the caller andthe person answering thecalls.

3 What makes a goodlistener? Make a list of thequalities that a good listenerwill have.

4 Design an advice list or aposter on How to be a GoodListener. The illustration mayhelp you.

Talking About ItAIM: TO BECOME BETTER AT TALKINGABOUT YOUR FEELINGS OF ANGER

I’m so angry withmy sister.

Sorry, what were yousaying? I was thinkingabout something else.

I hate feeling like this.

So do I! I’ll tell youabout what happened to

me yesterday…

He had such a go at me and it wasn’t

even my fault!

Students explore activities that calm them down and make them feel goodabout themselves.

Students may have very different degrees of access to social activities,individual freedom and access to pocket money.

This page is the first part of Step Four (Feel Positive) of the Four-Step Plan, andshould be followed by Feeling Good.

You could generate a class list from this activity.

There is scope for students to develop their posters or articles into a brochure,for example, and to make use of text as well as pictures to promote theirchosen activities. They could produce a dramatic presentation, with dialogueand explanation, perhaps voice-over, or they could design an advertisement.

Students could list the activities that do not help them to recover from angerand feel good about themselves. They could make a list of Do’s and Don’ts forfeeling positive.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

POSITIVE FEELINGS

42

POSITIV

E FEELING

S

43

Positive FeelingsAIM: TO LEARN WHAT CALMS PEOPLE DOWN AND WHATCAN MAKE THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES

1 It is hard to feel angry when you aredoing something you enjoy! Whatactivities can you see in theillustrations? What activities help tocalm you down? What activities makeyou feel good about yourself? Make a list and give each activity a mark out of ten.

2 Choose some ideas from the list. Writean article or design a poster topromote Ways To Feel Good AboutYourself. What questions would youinclude?

3 You have no money, no equipment andhalf an hour – what can you do to feelgood about yourself? Write a sentence,and compare your idea with a friend’s.

Students develop a personal plan of activities that make them feel good aboutthemselves and others.

You will need a set of the ‘Feel Good’ cards (Appendix 3, page 64) for eachgroup. The words need to be cut into separate ‘cards’.

This page continues Step Four (Feel Positive) of the Four-Step Plan, and shouldbe taught after Positive Feelings.

Each group should have a set of ‘Feel Good’ cards to sort into categories.Feedback after the activity may reveal some blurring of categories. It isimportant that students become aware of differences between each type ofactivity.

AnswersEach category addresses a different element of ‘feeling good’.

Students could report back on how successfully they kept to their PersonalPlan.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

FEELING GOOD

44

FEELING

GO

OD

45

1 It is a good idea to get abalance of activities thatmake you feel good. Sunilenjoys reading and listeningto music. What other kindsof activity would you advisehim to take up? Do theillustrations help you?

2 In groups, copy down theseheadings – Social;Recreational; Creative;Relaxing – each on aseparate sheet of A4 paper.Your teacher will give you aset of Feel Good cards. Puteach of the Feel Good cardsunder one of the headings.Compare your results withthose of the other groups.

3 Write your Personal Planbased on the one shownbelow. Why should you tryto include activities fromeach category?

Feeling GoodAIM: TO DEVELOP A PERSONAL PLAN OFACTIVITIES TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF

Feeling Good Personal Plan

Personal Plan Record Sheet

Day Relaxing Creative Recreational SocialMon 1

2Tue 1

2Wed 1

2Thur 1

2Fri 1

2Sat 1

2Sun 1

2

Relaxing Recreational

Social Creative

Students focus on recording their experiences with anger management. Theydesign a diary page and draw up a format or a whole journal.

It may be useful to have copies of ‘Feelings Words’ (Appendix 1, page 62).

You could take feedback after this activity, and focus on ideas such as howdiaries can help us to reflect on the past, to notice changes, to plan for thefuture, etc.

This activity could be preceded by class discussion focusing on the areas thathave been covered so far. Some students may need more direction, forinstance using headings such as: • Some triggers I can avoid • Situations where I could use a different way of thinking• Ways I can keep calm• Some consequences of losing my temper.

A page could be headed: Date; Trigger; My Actions; Outcome. The final designs could be displayed for class comment and discussion.

Students could design a front cover for the Anger Diary.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

MY ANGER DIARY

46

MY A

NG

ER D

IAR

Y

47

My Anger DiaryAIM: TO RECORD EXPERIENCES OF USING ANGER MANAGEMENT

1 Do you keep a diary? Why do peoplewrite diaries? Brainstorm all the reasonsyou can think of.

2 Look at the blank diary page in theillustration. What headings would beuseful? How should the diary bedivided up? Which pieces ofinformation should be included? Comeup with a page design, and a wholediary design.

3 Make a list of reasons for keeping thediary. How often should entries bemade? Where should the diary bekept?

We should have aspace to list ouranger triggers.

I’d like to fill in usefulwords and phrases.

What about recording incidentsand how we feel?

We could include the Four-Step Plan.

Students practise three relaxation exercises to help them to develop personalrelaxation techniques.

You will need a large empty space for this exercise – a hall or gym would bebest. Some students may be embarrassed by the activity, and you may need tooffer encouragement through positive recognition. Your own calm, seriouspresentation will set the tone.

This page is linked with the next page, Calm Visions.

Exercise 1: Panic controlStudents should be sitting with their backs supported, or lying down. Breathein slowly through your nose while I count to five. Breathe out through yourmouth. Push the air out slowly for as long as possible. Think about blowingout your tension.

Exercise 2: Body/muscle relaxationStudents should be lying down or sitting with their backs supported. We aregoing to work from the top of your body until your whole body is relaxed.Head. Relax your eyelids, let them close. Think of your forehead, let the linesdisappear. Let your jaw and your mouth relax – drop your bottom jaw. Slowlyreturn to a comfortable position. Breathe deeply and slowly in through yournose and out through your mouth.Neck and shoulders. Pull your chin in gently and slowly push back your headand neck. Relax. Drop your head to the left. Return it to the centre. Drop yourhead to the right. Return it to the centre. Drop your shoulders and feel yourshoulder area become loose. Stomach area. Put your hands on your stomach muscles and tighten them.Breathe in as I count to five. Slowly breathe out and feel the muscles relax.(Repeat three times).Right arm. Spread your fingers and tense them. Relax them into a gentlecurve. Clench your fist and hold it for ten seconds. Relax your fist into agentle curve. Feel the slow movement flow from your shoulder, downthrough your elbow and wrist, and out through your fingertips. (Repeat forleft arm). Right leg. Stretch your toes to the floor and tighten your whole leg. Hold itfor ten seconds. Relax and let your foot flop. Contract your foot from theankle and tighten your whole leg. Hold it for ten seconds. Relax and let yourfoot flop. (Repeat for left leg).Listen to your breathing for two minutes. Gently stretch your legs, then yourarms. Return your head to upright. Slowly open your eyes. Slowly sit up.Slowly kneel. Slowly stand up.

Exercise 3: Alert relaxationStudents should sit in a circle, with their eyes fully open. Tense all yourmuscles while I count ten. Take two or three deep breaths. Breathe in slowly.Breathe out the tension. Choose one muscle group to concentrate on. Relaxthis area. Breathe out. Think the words ‘calm’ and ‘relaxed’ as you breatheout.

Students could set aside time each day to try the exercises and record theireffect.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

CHILL OUT

48

CH

ILL OU

T

49

Chill OutAIM: TO DEVELOP PERSONAL RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

1 When we are relaxed we are less likelyto become angry. What do youassociate with the word ‘relaxation’?Brainstorm your ideas.

2 You will now try three relaxationexercises. Listen to the instructions andfollow them closely.

3 How did the exercises make you feel?Describe how you felt to a friend. Didyour friend feel the same?

4 If you were the shouting student in theillustration, which of the threerelaxation exercises would you chooseto help you relax? Would this dependon where you were?

Students practise visualisation as a way of staying calm and feeling good.

For this lesson you will need a quiet room, free from interruptions.Some students may find it very hard to express themselves. They could beencouraged to give their reply in terms of colours.

This sheet is linked with Chill Out.

Students should relax and close their eyes as you take them through thisvisualisation.Close your eyes and relax… feel your arms become heavy… let your hands gofloppy… let your legs flop to the side… breathe slowly and deeply… in… out…you’re in your form room… it’s first thing in the morning, before registration…it’s noisy… people are talking… moving round the room… you’re trying to getsome homework finished… people keep talking to you… you find it difficult toconcentrate on your work… you can feel yourself getting stressed… yourbreathing gets quicker and shallower… your heart starts to beat faster… youcan feel a knot in your stomach… someone pushes your arm just as you finishthe work and spoils what you’ve done… you jump up ready to shout at them…you remember your plan… you practise breathing deeply and slowly… in 1-2-3 -out 4-5… you do this two or three times… your heartbeat begins to slowdown… you’re feeling calmer… you unclench your hands… you turn slowly…calmly, you tell the person who has knocked you what has happened… theyapologise and offer to help you finish the work… you sit down… you feel calmand in control.

Imagine that you are on holiday… you’re on the beach… the sand is soft, andgolden… you lie down… there is a gentle breeze… you can hear the waveslapping gently against the shore… the sun feels pleasantly warm on your skin…you can hear the seagulls high above you… you look round… you can see palmtrees against a blue sky… they are waving to and fro in the breeze… you cansee children playing on the edge of the shore… their voices drift faintly towardsyou…they are laughing, having fun… your eyes close, and you feel yourselfdrifting off to sleep… you feel calm and relaxed… your breathing gets deeperand slower… your arms begin to feel heavier… your legs feel heavy… yourhands are limp by your sides… you feel happy… there is a small smile on yourface… your eyelids feel very heavy… you feel at peace… breathe slowly… youare relaxed and happy… slowly, you begin to wake up… the noises around youget louder… you become more aware of your surroundings… slowly you wakeup… open your eyes when you are ready.

Students could develop their own visualisation script, and specify when theywould use it. The script could be written or drawn as a cartoon.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

CALM VISIONS

50

CA

LM V

ISION

S

51

Calm VisionsAIM: TO LEARN AND PRACTISE VISUALISATION AS A WAYOF STAYING CALM AND FEELING GOOD

1 Seeing pictures in your mind is a goodway to stay calm and positive. Think ofa place where you felt calm andpeaceful. Close your eyes and picturethat place in your mind. Describe it toa friend.

2 Close your eyes and listen to thedescription of a classroom. In the spacein the illustration, write or draw howyou felt as you listened.

3 Close your eyes and listen to thedescription of a beach. In the space inthe illustration, write or draw how youfelt as you listened.

4 When would it be useful to usevisualisation? Think of three situations.Write them down. Discuss them with afriend.

Students consider the consequences of taking their anger out on the wrongperson.

Some students in the group may be genuinely afraid of the person who makesthem angry.

Another sheet which focuses on talking to the person who causes angryfeelings is Why Are You Angry With Me?

Often reasons given are embarrassment, ‘shyness’, power differential, etc. Thisactivity could take the form of a Circle Time with group discussion.

The descriptions of the characters’ feelings could be approached as a writtenexercise, such as diary entries for each one, or it could be an oral activity.Students could develop roleplays in which each character talks to a friend aboutwhat has happened.

Feedback from this activity should highlight the issue of talking to the personwith whom one is angry, and will lead into the next sheet, Why Are You AngryWith Me?

Students could describe in writing or dramatic form what might have happenedto make Annie angry at work.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

DON’T KICK THE CAT!

52

DO

N’T K

ICK

THE C

AT!

53

1 Have you ever taken outyour anger on someone whowas not involved? Describewhat happened. Why doyou think people do this? Isit fair?

2 Look at the situation in theillustration. How does eachperson feel? Describe orwrite down their thoughtsand emotions.

3 What could Annie have doneto avoid the situations? Howwould the illustrations havebeen different then? Drawthem or describe them.

Don’t Kick The Cat!AIM: TO BECOME AWARE OF POSSIBLECONSEQUENCES OF TAKING ANGER OUTON THE WRONG PERSON

I’m so angry with my boss!

Students devise strategies for dealing with other people’s anger.

You may wish to offer strategies and ideas from your own experience.

This sheet follows Don’t Kick The Cat.

Feedback from this activity should enable you to highlight the importance ofconsidering the consequences of each type of response, and to focus on thedesirability of talking to the person who is angry.

This could be a written response followed by roleplay to enable students topractise saying their replies.

Students could discuss how different approaches might suit different situations.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

WHY ARE YOU ANGRY WITH ME?

54

WH

Y AR

E YOU

AN

GR

Y WITH

ME?

55

1 How do you respond whensomeone is angry with you?Make a list. Compare yourlist with that of a friend.How helpful is eachresponse? Give eachexample a mark out of fiveto show how effective youthink it is.

2 Look at the situations in theillustration. For each one,think of a positive responsethat Anna could have given.Write your answers in thespeech bubbles. Show youranswers to a friend, andexplain why you think theyare effective.

3 Recall a situation in whichsomeone was angry withyou. Describe the situationand what you did. Whatwould you do differentlynow if this happened again?

Why Are YouAngry With Me?AIM: TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITHOTHER PEOPLE’S ANGER

Go to your roomstraight away!

I don’t want you to sit next to me.

I’ve had enough of your behaviour!

Students develop strategies for dealing with criticism.

This sheet has useful links with Anger Triggers and ‘I’ Messages.

You could prompt students to think about being criticised fora) things they have done, eg, poor work, showing off, shouting, breaking rules,

playing music too loudly, things they said, using the computer, staying outlate, being late home, the way they dressed

b) things they have not done, eg. not working hard enough in a lesson, nothaving the right equipment, not telling good jokes, not sitting still, notlistening, not speaking quietly

c) the way they said things, eg. answering back, manner of speaking,interrupting.

Students could roleplay each example in pairs, followed by a demonstration ofthe most effective responses.

Students could write a short reply to the question: When is it unfair to criticisesomebody? They could also record their responses to criticism over a givenperiod of time.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

DEALING WITH CRITICISM

56

DEA

LING

WITH

CR

ITICISM

57

Dealing With CriticismAIM: TO HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF HOW TO DEAL WITH CRITICISM

1 What things have you been criticisedfor in the past a) at homeb) at school c) with your friends?

Make a list of examples. How doescriticism make you feel?

2 The illustration shows some responsesto criticism. Tick the responses thatdescribe the way you have reacted tobeing criticised. Draw a circle aroundthe most helpful responses you used.

3 Work out replies to the examples ofcriticism in the illustration. With apartner, practise speaking your answers.

4 Copy and complete these sentences:

When I am criticised next time for

................................, I will try to

...................................................

When I am criticised next time for

.........................., I will try not to

...................................................

give up

say thanks

stay calm

try harder

shout

discuss

argue

listen

apologise

You’re just nottrying!

Don’t talk to melike that!

You’ve been on thatcomputer all evening!

You never listen towhat I say.

Students identify ways of repairing relationships broken down due to angryresponses.

Other sheets which deal with similar issues are Don’t Kick The Cat and Why AreYou Angry With Me?

You could approach this activity through a brainstorm of possibilities. As well asthe suggestions in the illustration, you could consider: repair the damage make a promiseask for help think about your mistakedon’t repeat the anger talk about the problemsay sorry explain why you were upset.

Students could report on how anger between characters is resolved in books,films or television programmes.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

LINKS

ACTIVITY 1

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

PUTTING IT RIGHT

58

PUTTIN

G IT R

IGH

T

59

Putting It RightAIM: TO BECOME BETTER AT REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS

1 When you have been involved in anangry outburst, you feel angry ofcourse. How else do you feel? Draw acircle around any words in theillustration that describe the way youcould also feel. Add any of your own.

2 Look at the letter in the illustration.Discuss what Sonia could do. Write areply to Sonia. Compare your letterwith that of a friend or another group.Together, draw up your reply to Sonia.

3 Think about what you will do next timeyou are involved in an angry situation.What will you do differently? Choose aword or words from the illustration tofinish this sentence:

If I ....................................................,

I will feel ............................................

She could send acard or a present.

She should say howshe feels – maybe

in a letter.

regretful

proud

guilty

embarrassed

maturestupid

sad

ridiculous

cool

angry

upset

hurt

strong

afraid

in control

vulnerable

let down

surprised

Students consolidate their learning about anger management.

You will need to make two copies of the Anger Profile for each student. Youmay wish to arrange pairs in advance for Activity 3. You may wish to enlarge thepage to A3 size – see Activity 3 below.

This would work best as a whole-class Circle Time activity.

Some students may prefer to draw or illustrate their responses, or to ask apartner to scribe for them.

Some students may find that the spaces provided in the profile are not bigenough, especially if they wish to write at length. You may wish to providepaper on which to work. Alternatively, you may wish to enlarge the page to A3size.

This would need to be a whole-class circle activity to round off the lesson andthe course.

Students could, in turn, read out to the group parts of their Anger Profile.Students could monitor changes in their behaviour and in the behaviour ofothers towards them over a given period of time.

TEACHERS’ NOTES

AIMS

PREPARATION

ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY 2

ACTIVITY 3

ACTIVITY 4

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

& HOMEWORK

MOVING ON

60

MO

VIN

G O

N

61

1 Think of one thing that youhave learned from youranger management work.Take it in turns to tell theother members of the groupabout it.

2 Fill in your Anger Profile.

3 Fill in an Anger Profile foranother member of thegroup. Compare and discussyour own Anger Profile andthe one your friend hascompleted for you. Makeany appropriate changes toyour Anger Profile.

4 Tell the group of one thingthat this course has helpedyou with.

Moving OnAIM: TO REMIND YOU WHAT YOU HAVELEARNED ABOUT ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger ProfileMy thoughts about the work on anger management

Thinking about anger management has enabled me to discover some things about myself which will help me to plan to stay in control

My anger is mostly triggered by:

people (say who) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

feelings (say what) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

situations (describe one) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My signposts are usually:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Consequences for losing my temper could be:. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I can stay in control by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

People can help me by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I have learned to: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I can feel good by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

afraid

unfairly treated

angry

unloved

annoyed

accepted

bad

appreciated

bored

brave

confused

capable

defeated

comfortable

disappointed

confident

discouraged

determined

disgusted

encouraged

embarrassed

excited

frustrated

glad

guilty

grateful

hurt

important

indifferent

loved

insignificant

pleased

irritated

proud

put down

relaxed

rejected

relieved

sad

satisfied

shocked

sure of yourself

uncertain

trusted

uncomfortable

wonderful

62

APPENDIX 1

Feelings Words cards (for use with pages 13 and 47)

63

Typ

es o

f b

ehav

iou

r

Ass

erti

ve b

ehav

iou

r is

sta

ndin

g up

for

you

r ow

n rig

hts

insu

ch a

way

tha

t yo

u do

not

abu

se t

he r

ight

s of

oth

ers.

It m

eans

exp

ress

ing

your

nee

ds, w

ants

, fee

lings

and

bel

iefs

hone

stly

and

cle

arly

but

with

res

pect

for

the

oth

er p

erso

n.

Pass

ive

beh

avio

ur

is f

eelin

g so

rry

for

your

self

and

apol

ogis

ing

for

thin

gs y

ou d

o. Y

ou b

ehav

e as

if y

ou a

re h

elpl

ess.

You

feel

tha

t ot

her

peop

le’s

nee

ds a

nd w

ants

are

mor

e im

port

ant

than

you

r ow

n.

Ag

gre

ssiv

e b

ehav

iou

r is

phy

sica

lly o

r ve

rbal

ly t

hrea

teni

ngto

oth

er p

eopl

e. It

is b

ehav

iour

tha

t pu

ts p

eopl

e do

wn

and

trie

s to

mak

e th

em f

eel i

nfer

ior.

You

insi

st t

hat

you

are

alw

ays

right

and

you

do n

ot li

ke o

ther

peo

ple

havi

ng a

diff

eren

t po

int

of v

iew

.

APPENDIX 2

Types of behaviour (for use with page 17)

Recreational

read

listen to music

watch TV

play on computer

go for a walk

watch sport

take part in sport

play with pets

play board games

Creative

keep a diary

write a story or poem

cook a meal

draw or paint

sew or knit

modelmaking

form a group

take photographs

plant a garden

Social

have a meal out

walk with a friend

shop with a friend

write a letter

send an e-mail

visit somebody

do a kind act

go to a party

join a club or group

Relaxing

special time for yourself

buy a treat

try aromatherapy

wear favourite clothes

plan a favourite activity

try yoga or meditation

eat special food

sit in the garden

lie in the bath

64

APPENDIX 3

Feel Good cards (for use with page 45)

65

1 Silent voting (1 session)The class sit in Circle Time formation. The teacher calls out statements from the list below. Students standup and swap places if they agree. Ideally, the teacher takes part as well.• I like school.• I sometimes lose my temper.• I can behave better if I try.• I can control my temper if I really want to.• I have some good friends.• I sometimes fall out with my friends.

2 Colour and mood activity (1 session)You will need coloured card, pens and pencils. Students are given a selection of colours.

(i) In small groups or pairs, students write on each card an emotion or a feeling that ‘goes’ with thecolour of the card.

(ii) In Circle Time formation, students discuss their findings.

3 Photograph activity (1 session)You will need a collection of photos from newspapers or magazines. Students copy (or are given) aselection of the Feelings Words cards (Appendix 1, page 62).

(i) In small groups, students categorise the photographs.(ii) In Circle Time formation, they discuss their findings.

4 Mask-making (2–3 sessions)You may wish to enlist the help of a colleague from the Art department. Students are given a selection ofrelevant material.

(i) Students design face masks depicting feelings or their choice of expressions.(ii) Students make the masks.(iii) Students paint the masks.(iv) In Circle Time formation, students discuss the feeling or expression conveyed by each mask.

5 Advertising poster (1 session)Students design a poster on a given anger-related theme. eg: Anger – who needs it?

Self-control – everyone needs it.

6 Advertising booklet or poem (1 session) As activity 5 above, but students work on producing a booklet or a poem.

APPENDIX 4

Alternative activities