My Coping Toolkit

Overview

In this fourth lesson, students bring together learning from challenges, control, persistence and positive self-talk. They investigate and rehearse a personal coping plan for a common change or challenge, then reflect on which strategies can support their wellbeing and relationships.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain resilience as the ability to recover, adapt and keep going through challenges.
• WALT distinguish persistence (continuing to try and changing strategies) from simply repeating the same action.
• WALT identify helpful strategies for coping with challenges and changes.
• WALT practise choosing positive self-talk, problem-solving and help-seeking strategies.
• WALT explain how coping behaviours can support our own and others’ wellbeing.
• WALT reflect on a strategy that may help us in the future.

Success criteria

• I can explain resilience in my own words.
• I can identify persistence in a real or fictional example.
• I can name a strategy that helps me keep going.
• I can name at least three helpful coping strategies.
• I can change an unhelpful thought into a positive, realistic self-talk statement.
• I can choose a safe response to a challenge and explain why it may help.
• I can identify a trusted person or source of support.

Curriculum links

• Health and wellbeing — applying behaviours that contribute to personal and others’ health, safety, relationships and wellbeing.
• Health and wellbeing — planning, rehearsing and reflecting on strategies to cope with changes and transitions.
• Personal and social skills — selecting and refining strategies to establish, manage and strengthen relationships.
• Movement and physical activity — cooperating, encouraging others and applying movement skills in a challenge.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Connect and recall. Teacher displays the question “What can help when something feels hard or changes unexpectedly?” using the opening question slide and revisits the previous lessons’ key words: challenge, control, persistence and positive self-talk. Introduce: “Resilience is our ability to bounce forward, recover and adapt when things are difficult. Persistence means continuing to work towards a goal, even when it takes several attempts.” Clarify that being resilient does not mean never feeling upset; asking for help is a resilient choice. Students think-pair-share one strategy they remember, without needing to disclose a personal experience. Add the 5-minute interactive activity “Keep going or change the plan?” Using a simple example such as learning a tricky skill, students decide whether the person is showing persistence, resilience, both or neither, and explain why. For example, if a child keeps trying but changes how they practise or asks for help, this may show both.

2. 5–12 min · Build the coping toolkit. Teacher introduces four coping tools on the coping toolkit slides: positive self-talk, problem-solving, calming the body and seeking help. Explicitly connect them to resilience and persistence: these tools can help us recover, adapt, keep going and change strategies rather than simply repeat the same action. Teacher language: “Resilience does not mean the problem disappears or that I never feel upset. It means I can pause, choose a helpful next step and ask for support when I need it.” Model an accessible Year 4 example: “I cannot solve this tricky maths problem yet. I can say, ‘I can try a different strategy,’ take three calm breaths, reread the question, and ask a classmate or teacher for help.” Students help identify whether each response is safe, helpful and within their control.

3. 12–20 min · Scenario strategy stations. Teacher places students in five groups and gives each group a set of the growth mindset scenario cards. Groups read one card at a time, discuss the suggested growth self-talk and add one further strategy from the toolkit. Students rehearse saying the sentence clearly, then rotate or select another card. Emphasise that strategies should not involve unsafe actions, blaming or handling a serious problem alone.

4. 20–28 min · Plan and rehearse. Teacher distributes the coping strategy planner and models how to complete one example. Students choose a fictional or everyday school challenge, identify what they can control, write a realistic positive self-talk statement, select a next step and name a trusted person or support source. In pairs, students rehearse their plan using the prompt: “The challenge is… I can control… I could say… My next step is… I could ask…”

5. 28–36 min · Cooperative challenge. Teacher presents a short, low-risk team challenge from the cooperative challenge instructions such as moving a soft object across a marked area without touching the floor. Students work in groups, using encouragement, turn-taking and one agreed coping strategy when the first attempt does not work. Groups try again after briefly discussing what to change.

6. 36–40 min · Reflect and exit. Teacher displays the reflection prompts on the plenary and exit prompt. Students complete the final section of the coping strategy planner: “One strategy I will try is… It may help because…” Invite a few volunteers to share. Collect worksheets and check that students can identify a safe strategy and appropriate support person.

Resources

• the coping and rehearsal slide deck
• the coping strategy planner
• the growth mindset scenario cards
• Whiteboard or interactive display
• Soft objects for the cooperative challenge
• Floor markers or cones
• Pencils and coloured pencils
• Timer

Assessment

• Listen during scenario discussions for students distinguishing helpful, safe responses from unhelpful responses and identifying what is within their control.
• Check planners for a realistic positive self-talk statement, a practical next step and an appropriate trusted person or support source.
• Use the final reflection to identify students who need further modelling of calming, problem-solving or help-seeking strategies.

Differentiation

• Provide dyslexia-friendly reading options: use a clear sans-serif font, large print, high contrast, short lines and icons; read scenario cards aloud and allow students to give responses verbally or by scribing.
• Support students with a four-step visual scaffold: pause, name the problem, choose a strategy, seek help. Offer sentence starters such as “I can control…”, “I could try…” and “I can ask…”.
• Pair students thoughtfully and allow rehearsal with a trusted adult or supportive peer. Do not require students to share personal or sensitive experiences.
• Extension: students compare two possible responses to the same challenge, explain which is more effective and adapt their plan for helping a friend experiencing a similar difficulty.