Patience

Practise Patience Lesson       © Jenny Jenkins 2015    www.valueslessonsnz.com

Have the slogan 'Practise Patience' displayed in a prominent place.

Other lesson ideas about patience are listed as subpages at the side or bottom.

Introduction

Tell your class, 'Please would you wait quietly for 5 minutes. I have a really important phone call I have to make.' 

Pretend to be on the phone for 2 minutes, (mostly just saying yes into the phone is enough) while you observe how the students spend their time.

Tell the class, 'Thank you for waiting patiently. This lesson is about patience.

That dummy phone call was a set-up, to see how you use your time when you know you have to wait for someone.'

1. What did you do to fill in the time? (Write a list and count how many did each, e.g. talk, read etc.)

2. Which of these was a wise use of time? Why?

3. Were any a waste of time? Why?

4. Why is it important to use time wisely?

Lesson

1. What is patience? (Waiting, but with a good attitude) 

2. When do we need patience? (When we have to wait longer than expected) 

3. Who do you have to wait for? 

4. What kind of things besides people do we have to wait for? 

5. Why should we learn to be patient? 

6. Ask the students, 'Who would like to practise their patience?' 

Look at those with their hands up and say, 'I've got a sweet (lolly/candy) for everyone. I will give it to you right now, if you want me to, but if you'd like to practise patience, I'll give it to you at the end of the lesson instead. Now, who still wants to practise their patience?'

if any hands go down, say 'Some of you thought you wanted to practise your patience, but now that you've seen the sweet, you want it right away. Am I right? Maybe you're the ones that need to practise patience the most!

Those children who want their sweet right now, come up and get it, and then sit over the left side.

The ones that want to practise patience move over to the right. You'll get your sweet at the end, and with it you'll get a bonus: you'll have extra patience. Because practising is the only way to get better at something.

Give the sweets to the students wanting them right away and separate them from the others.

7. How do you feel when you are impatient? Does it help to get angry? 

8. Does feeling impatient speed things up or do you still have to wait anyway? 

9. Ask 'Did anyone else want to change their mind? Those children who want their sweet now can come up and get it, and then sit over the left side with the others. The rest of you will still get your sweet at the end, and you'll get that bonus: you'll have extra patience. '

10. When you start to get impatient, ask yourself:

Can I find another way so I don’t need to wait? Take ideas. (Come back later when things are less busy, leave a note or a message etc.)

Can I do something useful while I wait? What could you do? (tidy up, help someone, do homework, read, sing, talk quietly, go for a walk.)

Can I play a game while I am waiting? Take ideas. 11. Say to the class, 'Congratulations all those who have chosen to grow your patience. Come and get your sweet. I promised you'd get a bonus. What was the bonus I promised? (Grow more patience.) Line up now. I bet you're proud that you waited. (Give this group 2 sweets each.) When the others notice, say, 'There's always more benefits than you expect when you make wise choices. Well done, patient pupils!'

Image:https://www.google.com/search?q=free+patience+cartoon&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwip5NK2gsDuAhW0kksFHTnNDvgQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=free+patience+cartoon&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CR4wRYp-kEYJH3BGgAcAB4AIABgwKIAa8JkgEDMi01mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=mWgTYOmzMLSlrtoPuZq7wA8&bih=610&biw=1152&gl=ar&safe=strict&hl=en#imgrc=pMWFMjRPSXZdzM

This Week's Challenge

Think of a time when you often have to wait. Think of a good way to fill in that time. 

Do this every day until it becomes a habit. Share it with the class next week.

Begin the Next Lesson with Revision

1. What did we learn about, last time? 

2. Why is being patient a good idea? How does becoming impatient make you feel?

3. When you begin to become impatient, what two questions should you ask yourself? ('Can I find another way so I don’t need to wait? Can I do something useful while I wait?')

4. What did you find to do to fill in the time while you were waiting this week? Is it becoming a habit yet?(See Challenge above.)

Poster

Print out this Image as a Patience poster: https://www.pinterest.com.mx/pin/112238215690543120/