My Calming Toolkit
Students learn to name calming strategies from the class toolkit, choose one that matches both the size of their feeling and the setting they are in, use it without being prompted by a teacher, recover, and re-engage with the task. They also name one high-trigger situation and plan which tool they will use there.
Lesson Overview
What students will be able to do after this lesson: Students will be able to name at least three calming strategies from the class toolkit, choose one that fits both the size of their feeling and the setting they are in, use it without being prompted, recover and re-engage with their task, and name one high-trigger situation where they will plan to use a specific tool.
Skill segments at a glance:
| Segment | Segment name | Primary standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knowing My Tools — and Choosing the Right One | SM-REG-2-1 · SM-REG-2-2 · SM-REG-2-3 |
| 2 | Using a Tool and Coming Back | SM-REG-2-4 · SM-REG-2-5 |
| 3 | Planning Ahead for My Hard Moments | SM-REG-2-6 |
Supporting standards reinforced:
| Code | Why it connects |
|---|---|
| SA-EMO-2-1 | Naming the feeling is the first step before choosing a calming tool — regulation builds on emotion literacy |
| SA-EMO-2-2 | Intensity rating (1–5) is what tells you how big a tool you need — the scale is the matching guide for choosing the right strategy |
| SM-FOC-2-3 | Using a self-control move before acting on an impulse is one form of in-the-moment regulation |
Key Vocabulary
- Calming strategy — Something you do on purpose to help a big feeling get smaller — a tool that works from the inside out
- Toolkit — A collection of calming strategies you have available and know how to use; your personal set of options
- Setting — Where you are and what is happening around you — some settings call for quiet tools, others allow bigger ones
- Intensity — How big or strong your feeling is on the 1–5 scale; small feelings call for small tools, big feelings need bigger ones
- Re-engage — Come back and return your attention to the task or activity after a calming break
Materials
- Whiteboard space or chart paper + marker for I Do modeling
- Before the week begins: Post your unit anchor chart and I Can Statement where students can see them — you’ll reference both throughout the week.
- The 1–5 intensity scale (keep it posted throughout the week)
- Any physical calming tools your classroom uses (squeeze ball, calm-down corner, sensory item) — have them visible during Segment 1
How this lesson is structured: Each skill segment below has an I Do (teacher models the skill with a realistic scenario) and a We Do (class practices together with your guidance). Independent practice — the You Do — lives in the practice resources that go alongside this lesson.
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Note on Variant A: This is a process and strategy lesson. There is a Steps Poster for this lesson (see Practice Resources). Post it before Segment 1 so students can reference the steps during We Do practice.
What Students Need Before This Lesson
- What’s inside
- What students should already be able to do
- Helpful to have in place
- 4 quick set-ups before the I DoCalming strategies are tools — not punishments and not magic · Different tools for different sizes — intensity is the guide · Different tools for different settings — where you are matters · A trigger is a type of situation — not a single event
- Rescue planIf students are significantly behind
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Introducing the Skill
- What’s inside
- Opening hook
- What we’re learning
- Why it matters
- The 4-step process
- Core sentence frameThe frame students use all week
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Knowing My Tools — and Choosing the Right One
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsTextbook example: naming three tools, then choosing the right one for the size and setting · Wrong version → fix: choosing a tool that doesn’t fit the setting · Wrong version → fix: choosing a tool that doesn’t fit the intensity · Naming the full toolkit: three tools, all three known and usable
- We do: 5 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Using a Tool and Coming Back
- What’s inside
- I do: 3 teacher modelsTextbook example: noticing a rising feeling, starting the tool independently, re-engaging · Wrong version → fix: waiting to be told vs. starting on your own · Coming back: what re-engaging actually looks like
- We do: 5 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Planning Ahead for My Hard Moments
- What’s inside
- I do: 3 teacher modelsTextbook example: naming a real high-trigger situation and planning a specific tool · The plan needs to be specific — not vague · Planning a comfortable-trigger too: big positive feelings need tools too
- We do: 5 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Closing the Week
- What’s inside
- 3 partner-share roundsOne for each segment, with the frame students say together
- Closing prompt
- Land the key idea
- Connect to daily life
- Optional — Quick check-in
This section opens when Grade 2 launches.
Practice for every skill segment
Each lesson comes with independent practice — the “you do” — for each of its 3 skill segments, in print and digital.
Printable practice
Ready-to-copy practice pages for each segment.
- View and print in your browser
- Answer keys for quick checking
Digital activities
Share one link — students open it on any device, and you see their answers.
- Works on Chromebooks, tablets and phones
- Students just type their name to start
While you wait: from the SEL Resource Library
Self-Management resources for Grade 2, ready to use today.
