On subsequent days, we talked extensively about the feeling of anger. All of us feel angry sometimes, and occasionally it is difficult to know how to manage this powerful emotion. We read a book called, When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry. In the story, Sophie is ready to explode like a volcano. She wants to kick and scream, but instead, she makes a better choice and runs outside and climbs her favourite tree. In this quiet, peaceful place, Sophie finds comfort and begins to relax. Sophie returns home and is welcomed back and embraced by her family. Different people handle anger in different ways, and the students recognized that it is never ok to hurt people or damage property when we get mad. We brainstormed a very extensive and insightful list of things to do instead. These were some of the ideas of your amazing children:
- go outside
- play basketball
- play with cars
- draw
- read a book
- take deep breaths
- watch TV
- scream in my pillow
- lay in my bed
- walk away
- talk to parents or siblings
We began with the sentence starter, “Quand je me fâche, je ...” and the children printed their ideas in French and drew pictures of themselves using their strategies. Recognizing the feelings of others, identifying our own feelings, and managing powerful emotions are important skills that help us get along and build strong relationships.