Description

Skill 16: Manage Stress Effectively

Manage Stress Effectively focuses on understanding how stress works in the body, the differences between good and bad stress, and strategies for managing stress. The lesson begins with a self-evaluation of how well students feel they manage stress and how stressed they feel. It then moves into definitions and videos and activities on good versus bad stress, and the problems with chronic stress. Then the lesson moves into stressors, with students identifying common stressors for teens as well as stressors in their own lives– with a focus on stressors being individualized with what is a positive stressor for you being something that can be a negative for someone else. The next section is on physical signs of stress, with students asked to identify some of their own personal signs of stress. Then the lesson pivots to stress management. The students watch short videos and review slides on different stress management techniques before doing a four corners activity on techniques that work for them. The students are then asked to identify stressors, signs of stress, problem solving strategies, and stress management strategies for scenarios of stressed out teens. The lesson ends with an extension where students identify their personal stressors, signs of stress, and management techniques.

The slideshow and digital activity for the lesson is available free on the Skill #16: Manage Stress Effectively page.

Welcome to the Student Success Curriculum!

This 20 lesson, full year curriculum helps you teach students the skills they need to excel at school, from showing up for classes to self-advocating to studying smarter for tests. Stop just writing goals for executive functioning and start teaching it. 

Each multi-day lesson includes a slideshow, answer key, and guided notes packet for students with reflection and extension activities. Each lesson stands on its own while fitting into bigger, thematic units. The four units cover healthy habits, emotional regulation, study skills, and problem solving skills. Have questions about the curriculum? All slideshows for the entire curriculum, from course introduction to course conclusion, are available for free online.

The curriculum was developed for middle and high school students and iterated on in real classrooms over years to be effective and engaging. Have more questions? Download the course teaching guide or the Understanding by Design curriculum map. All lessons were designed to be used with the daily Student Success Journal, which is included in the full curriculum purchase.

Fine Print

Your free purchase includes the student guided notes and answer key. You can download them immediately upon purchase. You can also come back to the website and download the materials again at any point by logging in, going to store purchases, and clicking on my orders.

20 Essential Skills for School Success: An Overview of the Curriculum

School Success Skills Introduction: This introductory lesson provides students with an overview of the curriculum and allows them to assess their own baselines on each of the 20 skills covered in the program. Slideshow   Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Unit 1: Develop healthy habits

Skill #1: Go to class. Go to Class focuses on the importance of class attendance, attendance challenges across the United States, and innovative solutions to chronic absenteeism.  Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #2: Limit screen time. Limit Screen Time focuses on how students use their phones and social media, the problems associated with each, and how students, school, and communities are trying to address the problems. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #3: Take care of yourself: Get exercise and sleep enough. Take Care of Yourself focuses on the importance of sleep and exercise for school success with an extension activity at the end that has students reflect on other components of self-care. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #4: Get organized. Get Organized focuses on digital and physical organization from learning how to delete emails to organizing a backpack. Slideshow  Guided notes, digital activity, written activities, and answer key

Skill #5: Set goals. Set Goals focuses on the importance of goal setting and helping students think about what they want in five and ten years. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Unit 1 Conclusion. This Jeopardy style game reviews and reinforces Skills 1-5. Game

Unit 2: Own your story

Skill #6: Know yourself. Know Yourself focuses on self-awareness, from what it is to what students see as their own strengths and who they want to be. Slideshow                     Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #7: Build a self-regulation toolkit. Build a Self-Regulation Toolkit focuses on building students’ self-awareness of their own emotional state, triggers, physical responses, and self-regulation strategies. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #8: Show empathy and compassion. Show Empathy & Compassion focuses on activities and videos that encourage students to understand and engage in acts of kindness, empathy, and compassion. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #9: Be mindful and breathe. Be Mindful & Breathe focuses on the benefits and practice of mindfulness and of conscious breathing for emotional regulation and school success. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #10: Have a growth mindset. Have a Growth Mindset focuses on understanding growth mindsets, their importance, and how to cultivate them. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Unit 2 Conclusion. This Jeopardy style game reviews and reinforces Skills 6-10. Game

Unit 3: Sharpen your study skills

Skill #11: Be an active learner. Be an Active Learner focuses on helping students understand and enact active learning strategies, from finding a reason to care to listening with your brain and body. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #12: Take notes. Take Notes focuses on the why and how of note taking in class. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #13: Find ways to focus. In response to years of students stating that they want to focus better, this lesson focuses on strategies that can help students focus in class. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #14: Get meta about assignments. Get Meta About Assignments focuses on metacognitive strategies for breaking down and managing longer assignments and for understanding complex reading passages. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #15: Study smart for tests. Study Smart for Tests focuses on study strategies from attending class and participating to how to use flashcards to study.  Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Unit 3 Conclusion. This Jeopardy style game reviews and reinforces Skills 11-15. Game

Unit 4: Speak up and step up

Skill #16: Manage stress effectively. Manage Stress Effectively focuses on understanding how stress works in the body, the differences between good and bad stress, and strategies for managing stress. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #17: Manage time. Manage Your Time focuses on prioritization, to-do lists, and other tools to help students make the most of the time that they have in and out of school. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #18: Persevere and stay gritty. Persevere & Stay Gritty focuses on the importance of persevering even in the fact of obstacles and times in students’ lives when they have shown grit. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #19: Advocate for yourself. Advocate for Yourself focuses on the importance of standing up for yourself and how to do it in a way that helps, and not hurts, you. Slideshow Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Skill #20: Hold yourself accountable. Hold Yourself Accountable focuses on personal responsibility, problem solving, and taking agency in your own life. Slideshow  Guided notes, activities, and answer key

Unit 4 Conclusion. This Jeopardy style game reviews and reinforces Skills 16-20. Game

Course conclusion: Guided notes