First watch & discuss, then practice…
A freeze frame says a thousand words….hmmm, might Roni (on the right) be feeling a bit frustrated? What do you think is in his thought bubble? (Maca and Roni: Dominos, by Kyungmin Woo)
Yes, the end of May approaching can only mean one thing – it’s almost summer! And whether you will still be working, or have the good fortune to be taking some time off, these last few weeks of school can seem, well, a bit stressful. For many students with whom I work, the end of the school year is filled with changes. Leaving a class and moving on to the next, those end-of-the-year parties (large group pool party anyone?), a flurry of camps, vacations with new beds to sleep in, or “just” a huge change in schedule. All these changes often bring on, you guessed it, FRUSTRATION. How about we find fun way to jumpstart discussions and practice around this oh-so-common feeling?
In my sessions, I often pair animated video watching and discussion with actual practice. If you have my Maca & Roni Super Social Learning Spreadsheet you know that many of those great videos by Kyungmin Woo are full of frustrations. Let’s focus on one of my favorites, Maca and Roni Dominos , because, yes, we all know how frustrating 😤 dominos can be! Here’s a sequence of activities to try during these last weeks of the school year:
It’s often good to start by getting baseline. Ask your students, what can make us frustrated? Here’s a list from a group of 6th graders:
Great start! Now, watch M&R Dominos straight through. You can preface by suggesting that students watch for examples of frustration. After viewing, you can add to your original list. OR Watch a second time, pausing when characters are frustrated, and encouraging students to make thought bubbles, feelings, contrasting perspectives, suggest supportive self-talk, etc. Like this:
Maca and Roni: Dominos, by Kyungmin Woo
Now, moving on to practicing how we can manage frustration, ask students what options are – write them all down, then discuss (some may be better choices at particular times than others):
Then, preview the activity. A current fave rave in my office is Gravitrax, but use whatever activity will elicit some degree of frustration. Remember, our students need to practice managing frustration in a supportive and safe environment!
Gravitrax by Ravensburger (notice Breathing Buddha at the ready!)
Preview what challenges might arise, help your students make a plan for when that happens 🗒️. Then, go for it! And remember to have a moment or two of retrospective review, as you go over what went well 😊 and what might go better next time. 🤔
See you in June!
