Using Our Words Tool

Concept: This Tool focuses on words and their power- finding the rights words, and then using them in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reasons. In order to have healthy relationships, we must be able to express our own thoughts and feelings, and be willing to invite others to do the same.

Hand gesture: Have your students pretend to hold a pencil or marker and “write” their first initials in the air. This gesture can remind them that their words are personal and powerful, and are usually the best way to communicate what they are thinking or feeling. The tagline is “I use the ‘right’ words, in the ‘right’ way”.

Suggestions on how to introduce the tool to your students:

• Introduce the gesture and the tagline.

• Ask: When other people do things you don’t like, do you tell them how you feel about that honestly and respectfully? Why do you suppose it’s sometimes so difficult to share our feelings with others when they upset us or do something we don’t like?

• Brainstorm on the board two columns: helpful words, harmful words. Encourage them to think about phrases, comments, and words that are positive and negative that they have said to people, or people have said to them.

• Talk about how it can be hard to have a honest conversation with our true voice. It takes confidence and courage.

• Discuss how part of Using Our Words is not just what we say, but how we say things. Think about voice tone, facial expression, and body language. Give examples.

• Give scenarios and have students role play how and when to use words in the following scenarios:

  • Someone takes your ball at recess.

  • Someone cuts in line.

  • You are frustrated with a lesson while the teacher is talking.

  • You are trying to take a test and a classmate is talking.

  • When you disagree with your friend on which Pokémon is the best.

• Point out that when you’re using the “Using Our Words” Tool, we might have to use the Breathing Tool, Empathy Tool, or Quiet/Safe Place Tools first.

Practice and implementation- choose from the following:

• As an adult/teacher, point out when you make an error and then adjust your words- “I don’t like how that sounded. Let me use my Words Tool better and say it this way…..

• Point out in any reading that the class is doing when characters use helpful words. If characters are using harmful words, ask the class what the character could have done instead.

• Practice using positive words in class room circles with prompts such as:

  • When I feel happy I…

  • After school I like to….

  • A favorite thing I like to do on weekends is…