Feeling Circle Session I: Learning Feeling Words and making a Feeling Bingo Game Materials: Talking Stick Copies of the (when deciding not to create your own) List of Feeling Words Bingo Faces Worksheets Crayons/colored pencils Plastic Bags (to store Bingo Faces) Quieting Time: Introduce the idea that before each session is started, there will be two to ten minutes of quiet time where we will use yoga, meditation, and/or mindfulness breathing. For example, the leader might say, Close your eyes, be still, and take in 10 deep breathes slowly, breathing in and out through your nose. At the end of the breathing, have the students gradually open their eyes and remain still for a moment. Goals: Learn Feeling Circle purpose and pledge Learn 16 feelings words Make 16 simple drawings of a face expressing the 16 feelings Homework Review: None this session Activity 1: Introduction to Feeling Circle and : A Feeling Circle is when a group of students meet with a facilitator each week for eight weeks to learn about feelings. The more we understand our own feelings and the feelings of others the better we can solve problems. Explain that this is the first of eight meetings where students will learn about feelings. During these meetings we will be careful to be respectful of one another. One way we will do this is with the Talking Stick. When a person is holding The Talking Stick in his or her hand, that person should be the only one talking. This will help us to be good listeners and to not interrupt one another. Today we will also be working together to come up with our very own Feeling Circle Pledge or you can use the pledge below:
Activity 2: Learn Feeling Words: Hand out the List of Feeling Words Go around the circle using the Talking Stick, and beginning with the first word on the list, ask the students to read the word and give an example of when someone might feel this feeling. It works best if the students read the words in the order they are found on the list. o If a student has trouble coming up with an example, the facilitator can help them. For instance, jealousy could be: When I don t get invited to a party and I hear about it at school, I would feel jealous of the kids who did get invited. Excited might be: When there are only 2 more days until summer vacation, I get so excited just thinking about it. At first when discussing feelings, it is common for students to use angry when something feels bad. Helping them name feelings in more sophisticated ways such as I felt disappointed and therefore I was angry, or I was jealous and that makes me feel angry, or I felt overwhelmed with the chore and I got really angry is a first and important step to discussing our feelings in effective ways. Activity 3: Make a Feeling Bingo Game: Hand out Feelings Bingo Worksheet Ask each student to draw a face in each circle, adding eyes, a nose, a mouth, and a few simple features for each feeling. o Example: for angry a student might draw smoke coming out of the ears and a very upset expression; for embarrassed the face might have eyes looking down and the cheeks shaded red. The facilitator can help with ideas for drawings if needed, and should give a few examples. Each student should end up with 16 circle faces on their worksheet. Have students cut out the feeling faces and words along the dotted lines, so they end up with 16 squares. Have them put their 16 squares into a baggy and put their name on the bag or on a piece of paper in the bag. The facilitator will keep the bags for next week. The leader must make a copy for themselves as well (to use in Session II). Discussion: What did you learn new today? Was it hard to think of examples for our feeling words and faces? Any questions? (This is an opportunity at the end of every session to allow any student to request to go in the middle of the circle (stick in hand) and ask advice about anything related to the session topic. For example, from Session One, a student might say, Sometimes I don t know what I am feeling, so how can I tell others? The stick then goes around the circle and students can either pass, or give advice such as Tell someone I don t know what I am feeling, but maybe you can help me figure it out. ) Homework: This week, as you are playing with your friends, notice times that you feel each of these feelings we discussed today.
FEELING WORDS All of us have lots of feelings. You have felt all of the feelings listed below at one time or another. Feelings are just part of who we are. Having words to describe our feelings is an important step to being able to talk about them with others. When we use words to describe our different feelings, it is easier to tell others how we feel. For each feeling listed below, think of an example when you or someone you know might have felt this feeling. Using the circles, make a face that reminds you of what this feeling is like.. 1. Angry 2. Left out 3. Jealous 4. Scared 5. Nervous 6. Embarrassed 7. Excited 8. Hyper 9. Happy 10. Proud 11. Sad 12. Disappointed 13. Confident 14. Lonely 15. Shy 16. Annoyed
FEELING PLEDGE- COPIES TO HAND OUT