The idea of a thermometer display came up during a discussion with one of our teachers. This particular class has a tendency to run extremely hot and cool in mood, and we thought it would be helpful to make a visual for students. Then the teacher can explicitly discuss the need to take a break and cool down before engaging in learning again.

I plan to use this thermometer for several lessons. First, we will be discussing the feelings and behaviors associated with each section (i.e., slips of paper with the words "angry" and "yelling" would be taped to the red section. The next lesson would discuss recognizing feelings in the red or yellow zones and what coping methods can be used to return to the yellow or blue zones. The teacher would like to use it with individual student for discussion when they are struggling in the classroom, as well. 

My fabulous social work intern, Heather, made this giant 3 foot thermometer with butcher paper. It has little pockets to the right where a little flag can be inserted and is laminated. 

Students in grades K-2 will often find themselves wrapped up in the emotions of a given situation. Happy play turns to impulsive frustration… and the anger becomes their entire world for the moment. Or a brief accident in front of the class brings about embarrassment that seems like it will never end. It can be important for students to realize that feelings change… sometimes in a flash (much like Santa??)! 

One way to teach this concept is to read the book, Are You Grumpy, Santa? by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. As I read the book aloud, I paused to allow students to predict the feeling that Santa would have at various events in the book (kinder students made the face of the feeling they predicted). I made sure to point out how Santa's feelings changed from one event to another. By the time we reached the end, students could clearly see how Santa experienced a wide range of emotions, and eventually ended up happy. I asked them if this meant Santa would then remain "happy ever after," and was actually pleased to hear them all say no! They seemed to grasp the idea that it is okay to have a range of feelings and that none will last forever.

It has become abundantly clear that I will need to form small groups in order to reach even a small portion of the 580+ students at my school. One of the first needs to pop up has been a group focused on curbing impulsivity & coping with overstimulation for Kinder and first graders. We have carefully selected the students and sent out permission forms. I had also been attempting to pull together lessons and activities from a variety of sources, when I stumbled upon this book. Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control, by Lori Ann Copeland looks so promising! I will give it a go and let you know how it all turns out...

(This post can also be found on my website, on the "small groups" page.)

Update: February 2013
I have modified this curriculum for Kinder and first grade students, and it has gone well! One thing that we have added is the use of motions that correlate with the buttons of the remote control. It has allowed students to apply the concepts even when they are not in the classroom to see the remote control visual. It also seems to help students to practice "in the moment." 

Here are the motions we've created:
pause: press one finger to the back of the hand
slow motion: slowly drag one finger from the wrist to the shoulder (and take deep breaths)
rewind: spin both index fingers backward toward the chest (we added the diddly-doo sound like the Wayne's World sound effect!)
fast forward: point flat hands together to make wall, then move forward
coach: tipping the cap motion
zapper: snap of the fingers
way to go: thumbs up
channel changer: pressing buttons of remote with thumb

We made paper remotes and have been coloring the button that we focus on that week. However, I have seen blogs that have made ones out of foam sheets, and we may give that a try for the 2nd grade group (check out the entirely elementary blog for this and other great ideas)! 

With younger students- and with only 30 minutes of meeting time- we have simplified the activities significantly. Generally, we start by reviewing our group's rules and the buttons we have already learned. We then introduce the next button, color the button on our paper remotes, and practice the corresponding motion. We then have time for one activity that helps to reinforce that day's button/ concept. Here are a few sample activities we have done:

pause: The book's suggestion to play Simon Says while using the pause button on their hand is fun but also effective.
slow motion: Play Jenga and have students play quickly and then slowly; discuss why going slowly and gently helps. You can then refer to playing Jenga when students are attempting to problem solve with others and feeling frustrated.
rewind: Use finger puppets to act out scenarios with mistakes then rewind and try again. It was fun to match scenarios to the individual's specific challenging behaviors (i.e., if a student struggles to keep hands and body to self, the scenario acted out relates to reacting to an accidental shove).

Throughout the week, I try to check in on students in the group to allow them to practice the concepts in the moment. I recommend creating a larger sized remote control visual to hang in the classrooms of students in the group, and letting teachers know about the lessons so they can reinforce the concepts. I wrote a letter for parents and guardians so they can support our work at home, as well. I will attach the letter below. Again, I highly recommend this book for students in grades K-3 (with some modifications for their developmental levels)!