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Garbage Can Tool
Garbage Can Tool
Concept: We can take responsibility for what we do with other people’s words and actions and how we feel about them. Sometimes the best choice is to throw harmful words away. Sometimes we need to listen more carefully to what is behind the words.
Tagline: I let the little things go
Hand Gesture: Place one hand on your hip creating an open semicircle. With one hand, make a “throwing-away” gesture into the open space under the arm. Or, make a “thumbs-up” sign with one hand, then flip thumb down (as if closing a lid on the garbage can).
Explain that some conflicts and unpleasant words or actions just aren’t worth bothering about. They need to be thrown away. Small irritations can be placed in the Garbage Can where we can forget about them and continue with what we were doing. Some behaviors are just like trash… yucky, rude, and inappropriate, and not worth further attention. That’s the little stuff that we can throw away and forget. But, some behaviors are not possible to walk away from. They need further exploration and help to resolve.
Little Things: problems that they can make a choice to let go/throw away.
Someone calls you a name
A brother/sister teases you
Someone makes a rude gesture at you
Someone brags
Big Things: help identify bigger issues that they may want to tell an adult about.
Someone hitting/kicking them
Someone stealing
Someone threating to do harm to another person/them self
When doing homework talk with students about what tasks can be thrown in the Garbage Can (at least temporarily) and which tasks are of a “must do” nature (e.g. learning how to focus on one section of a readying and not be distracted by everything on the page, chapter, or book).
Brainstorm with students the kinds of attitudes they have in class or about homework that get in the way of academic success. Help them figure out for themselves when to use the Garbage Can on an attitude. Note: This is really about using the Garbage Can on their own negative self-talk.
Toolbox Chants - The Garbage Can Tool
(start the rhythm)
It’s the garbage can
It’s a Tool
I can use it
Every day
It’s the garbage can
It’s for the little things
That just don’t matter
Throw it away!
There’s this girl
She thinks she’s better than me
She walks right past me
Throw it away!
I have to pick up
After my brother
He thinks it’s funny
Throw it away!
I’m reaching for it
Someone else grabs it
That really bugs me
Throw it away!
He took my spot in line
I wasn’t out that time!
It’ll all be fine, just:
Throw it away!
You made me lose my place
She yelled right in my face
Oh man, I lost the race!
Throw it away!
She called me a brat
He said I was fat
They’re having a baaaaaad day
Just throw it away!
It’s the Garbage Can
It’s a Tool
You can use it
Every day
It’s the Garbage Can
It’s for the little things
That just don’t matter
Throw it away!
Put it in the garbage can and
Walk On By!
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