Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other

Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Thanks for coming and sharing your tried and true lessons and activities with this group. Everyone who
has brought something to share-either hard copy or an oral description—will have five minutes to
present their idea to the group following the number sequence of the cards you took when you entered
the room. When you finish presenting you will also receive a set of collated handouts from others who
brought them. Everyone who brought handouts will receive a complete collated set.

*We will need volunteers to collate any contributed handouts.

1. Take a number card set, placing one card on top of your supply of handouts (Our room capacity
is 50, so please bring copies.)
2. List your name, email and school location on the contact sheet if you would like to receive the
complied list after the conference. (This information will allow you to continue to support each
others’ follow-up efforts. Your information will be used only for Connections of the Heart
communication. It will not be shared with anyone else.)
3. Place the handouts you brought (if any) on the table at the front of the room by your number
card.
4. You will be invited to present your lesson/activity to the group and answer their questions. We
will plan for 5 minutes for each presenter, with time adjustments made to accommodate the
number of actual participants.
5. Collect your set of handouts

For Your Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 1
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 2
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

18.

BC Bailey - Think First Poster

© Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Age 4-Grade 3 Classroom Lesson Plan

(Submitted for publication-please do not copy or distribute without permission –

www.ourbrainbuddies.com)

Unit Student Outcomes: (using BC Bailey’s Brain Rescue once it’s published)

1. Children will understand that emotions can block their brain’s access to problem solving skills.
2. Children will learn to solve relational problems.
3. Children will practice managing emotions through breathing and communication.
4. Children will learn how to plan solutions that give each participant something they need, a Win-
Win.

Materials:

 Poster
 Designated Peace Places [partner spaces that children can go to on their own to solve small
problems].

Process:

1. Display poster
1. Designate student partners
2. Students sit in a circle next to a partner
3. Read poster together
4. Practice motions [described on p. 2] and learn how the process works and why it’s a good idea
to solve your own problems.
5. Role Play the process using a situation that’s familiar to the students. Practice helps them learn
it.

Poster Introduction:

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 3
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

[Read BC Bailey’s Brain Rescue – when it’s published]

If you don’t have BC Bailey’s Brain Rescue, use a teachable moment story - a recent conflict fresh in the
children’s minds .

Story-Teachable Moment from children’s experience:

Have you ever been so angry that you couldn’t think? Maybe you just wanted to hit or throw
something? Did you end up making a bad choice because your brain was “locked up”? [padlock graphic-
closed]

Kids sometimes don’t get what they want. Maybe someone else has done something they don’t like at
all! When that happens, it’s like a padlock [padlock graphic] stops our brain from thinking. We’ve
already learned what we should do. It’s still there, somewhere in our brain. We just can’t remember. If
we could only unlock [open padlock graphic] the thinking part of our brain, we could solve the problem.
Brain Coach Bailey can show us how to… Think First! Use your brain so you don’t hurt anyone else’s
body, property or feelings!

B.C. (Brain Coach) Bailey says…

Breathe-

Swell Your Belly. The brain gets what it needs to work best.

Motion: Sitting cross-legged with hands touching on abdomen,

Take a deep breath and expand stomach,

Extend hands outward on inhale,

Close hands back in on exhale

Explain: Your breath sends oxygen and thinking fuel to your brain so it can do its job.

Talk-
www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 4
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Tell each other what you are feeling. What do you need?

Motion: Hands closed with straight fingers facing each other.

Open and close hands to indicate two people talking to each other .

Listen

Pay attention. Think together. Find a Win-Win.

Both people get some of what they want.

Motion: Partners face each other

Cup hands behind ears. Smile at each other

First one “talks”, the other “listens”, Reverse roles.

Explain: A Win-Win is what happens when both people cooperate, giving up some of what they
want, and get some of what they need. Their relationship gets better and they can work
together. Look each other in the eye, take turns telling what you need, and listening to
what the other person needs.

Plan

Decide what each of you will do to fix the problem.

Motion: Partners shake hands and smile together

Explain: Each person offers to do something to make things better. Agree on the plan and shake
hands to seal the deal. Plan together. You can remove the padlock that has your brain
locked up. You can think for yourself again, and enjoy being with friends.

Role Play: Choose two children to model the process while the rest of the class watches and
reminds them of the steps.

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 5
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Notes and Follow-up:

 Add graphics to the steps for younger children to help them visualize the motions and steps.

 Revisit the steps regularly during a morning meeting time for a few weeks until they learn to
apply the process on their own.

 Encourage the children to go to the designated Peace Place in the room or on the playground on
their own when small conflicts develop so they can practice the process.

 Larger conflicts may require debriefing with an adult before they are ready to go to the Peace
Place.

 Please don’t “send” them to the Peace Place when they are already “locked up” [padlock
graphic]. That may be experienced as punishment rather than self discipline and steal their
opportunity to learn self control.

 When they solve their own problems, help them celebrate and acknowledge their success.

Additional copies of the Think First poster and lesson plans are available for purchase through.
Connections of the Heart LLC at www.ourbrainbuddies.com.

UV coated posters are $10.00, (Lesson plan included) plus tax and S/H (mailing/storage tube plus
postage).

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 6
 Swap Shop – Learning from Each Other
Facilitated by: Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Thanks,

Sandi

www.OurBrainBuddies.com
Connections of the Heart LLC Page 7