Counselora · Classroom lesson
Pausing before choosing what to do
Grades K–2 · Ready-made original
Learning goal
Choose a safe pause and one thing to try next.
Materials
The student page below and a pencil.
Opening question · 3 minutes
“What could they do before trying again?”
A school situation · 5 minutes
A puppet builds a tower. The tower falls. The puppet wants to push the blocks away. Other puppets are building nearby.
One possible response · 4 minutes
Rest hands, ask for help, and choose one block to start again.
Practice · 10 minutes
What could they do before trying again?
1. A picture tears while Sam is coloring. Sam feels upset and wants to crumple it.
2. A puzzle piece will not fit. Lee keeps pushing it into the same space.
Possible answers
1. Rest the paper on the table and ask for tape or another sheet.
2. Put the piece down for a moment and ask, “Can you help me find its place?”
Student page · 5 minutes
Use the ready-to-print student page at the end of this lesson. Students may write, draw, or give an answer aloud.
Exit question · 3 minutes
“Choose one of the stories. What could the student say or do first?”
Student page to print
Pausing before choosing what to do
Read aloud. Point, draw, tell, or pass.
An example
A puppet builds a tower. The tower falls. The puppet wants to push the blocks away. Other puppets are building nearby.
What could they do before trying again?
One possible response: Rest hands, ask for help, and choose one block to start again.
1. A picture tears while Sam is coloring. Sam feels upset and wants to crumple it.
What could they do before trying again?
2. A puzzle piece will not fit. Lee keeps pushing it into the same space.
What could they do before trying again?
One sentence to keep
What could you say or do?