Education / Behavioral Management

Quotes

"The series is highly recommended and will prove invaluable to school professionals with structured lesson plans and supplementary materials to help all students succeed." —Lori Ernsperger, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Executive Director of Behavioral Training Resource Center
"My colleagues and I have conducted several studies on the curricula in the Strong Kids series and have been impressed with how easily public school educators have been able to implement these with fidelity. We have also documented improvements in students’ internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression) following implementation of Strong Kids." —Paul Caldarella, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Brigham Young University

Strong Teens Curriculum

Each social-emotional competence—the foundation of school and social success—with the NEW edition of the Strong Teens—Grades 9–12 curriculum!
Strong Teens is the fun and easy way to help your students develop the social-emotional skills they need to manage their challenges and succeed in school and life. Developed by a team of educational and mental health experts, this evidence-based, age-appropriate curriculum is:

• Low cost and low tech
• Proven to help increase students’ knowledge of social and emotional concepts and decrease their emotional and behavioral problems

Other programs in Strong Kids™:

• Merrell’s Strong Start—Pre-K: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum
• Merrell’s Strong Start—Grades K–2: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum
• Merrell’s Strong Kids—Grades 3–5: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum
• Merrell’s Strong Kids—Grades 6–8: A Social & Emotional Learning Curriculum

Sample Lesson from Merrell's Strong Start—Grades 9-12

Title: Clear Thinking 1

SEL Competencies

• Purpose and Objectives:
  This lesson teaches students an awareness and understanding of common thinking traps. In this lesson, students will:
  • Understand the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors
  • Develop an awareness of their own thoughts
  • Identify common thinking traps that affect behavior

Materials Needed

• Supplements 6.1–6.2 (online download and handout)
• Supplements 6.3–6.4 (online download)
• Supplements 6.5–6.6 (online download and handout)
• Supplement 6.7 (homework handout)
• Optional props (dark glasses, binoculars, fortune cookie)

Key Terms and Definitions

• Thoughts: Ideas or opinions in the mind that can affect feelings and reactions.
• Self-talk: Type of thought aimed at oneself that can be negative, positive, or neutral.
• Thinking traps: Inaccurate or unrealistic patterns of thought.

Examples of thinking traps include:

• Dark glasses: Focusing only on negative aspects.
• Fortune telling: Making predictions without enough evidence.
• Making it personal: Blaming oneself for things that are not one's fault.

Mindfulness-Based Focusing Activity

• Sample Script: "Let’s begin with an activity to settle our bodies and focus our minds..."
• Encourage students to focus on their breath and notice wandering thoughts.

Activity on Identifying Thinking Traps

• Discuss eight common thinking traps, and facilitate examples from students' experiences or media.

Practice Situations Worksheet

List situations in which you or someone you know got stuck in a thinking trap. Include:

Conclusion

Close with a brief breathing activity and a reflection on what was learned. Encourage journaling about thoughts and self-talk for a week to identify patterns in thinking traps.

Additional Activities

• Discuss common traps seen in media or news reports.
• Journaling to track thoughts and their emotional impact.