Ever wonder what type of a visual a student could use when they are feeling angry, frustrated or overly excited that would allow them to think about their next action BEFORE doing it?! A visual that is visible for every student to see and use without others even noticing them using it?! I would like to introduce you to the Stop and Think Light. The Stop and Think Light is very simple and easy to implement after you have modeled how and when to use it. You can use any picture of any stoplight that you would see when you are driving. Some may prefer to print some in color, I prefer to print a blank clip art version and have the students color it themselves while they are learning about how and when to use it. This gives them ownership of their own stoplight and increases their willingness to use it.
When teaching my students how to use the Stop and Think Light, I give them scenarios in which I was feeling very angry, frustrated, upset with someone, or super excited and acted on those emotions immediately. I tell them what I did and what consequences I had immediately following my quick decisions. The looks on their faces makes it hard not to laugh, but it is a great way to let them know that we all have these powerful feelings and that we all struggle to make the right decisions when we feel so strongly. Then we discuss what I did, why it wasn't a good choice and what I could have done differently. We continue these discussions with 3-4 scenarios then I have the students self-reflect and think about a time that they did something similar. I have them close their eyes and remember how they felt, what they did as a result, and what the end result was. Eventually we are all guided to the fact that if we all just took a few seconds to take a deep breath, think about our next possible actions, then act on the best one, that we all would have made better choices. Then I show them a stoplight that I have colored. I explain that we all start at the top red light when we have a powerful feeling. We stop and think about why we feel that way. Then we move to the yellow light in the middle. Here we think about what we could do as a result of our feelings. We think of all the different choices we could make, both good and bad, and decide which one is the best choice that will help us resolve our problem in a respectful and kind way. Then we are ready for the green light. This is when we go and act on the action that we decided on. I then give each student their own small version of a stoplight to color. The students color them using the correct colors and then decide if they want it taped onto their desk or put in their pencil box. This way their Stop and Think Light is always readily available for them to use.
Some of your students may never need or use their Stop and Think Light, which is perfectly fine! Later in their school years it may be something they reflect back on to use as peer actions become more complex and emotionally involved. Some of your students may use the Stop and Think on a daily basis which is a great opportunity for these students to learn how to identify their emotions and identify which actions are most appropriate. The Stop and Think Light is a great tool for your students to identify how they are feeling, examine the possible actions they could do next, and choose the best option that will ease their strong feelings in a kind and respectful way. This helps your students to self-regulate their emotions and their behaviors that follow.
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