Anger Control

Why Teach Anger Control

What Makes Us Angry (Triggers)
How Can We Tell When We Are Angry (Cues)
How Can We Tell When Someone Else is Angry
Recognizing Internal and External Triggers
Triggers Work Page
Anger-o-Meter A Tool To Gauge Your Rage
Anger-o-Meter Work Page
What To Do If We Get Angry (Anger Busters)
Positive Self-Talk
Tools Teachers Have to Deal With Anger
More Tools
Practice P.E.A.C.E.
Anger Sentence Starters

Why Teach Anger Control

Anger is just one of our

emotions.
Everyone gets angry.
Its OK to be angry at
times.
Anger must be released.
What to do with those
strong feelings is the hard
part to be learned.

Its like a pot of boiling

water with the lid left on.
The lid needs lifted to let
the steam escape or the
water finally boils over
and blows the top off!

What Makes Us Angry (Triggers)

Things dont go our way.
We dont understand how to do
something.
We dont get what we want.
We get teased.
We get called names.
Something doesnt seem fair.
We get blamed for something we
didnt do.
We cant take anymore!!!!!
We dont get enough sleep.
Sometimes, we dont know why.
We just are.

How To Tell If We Are Angry

(Cues)

Heart

races
Adrenalin rush
Clench fists
Cry
Shoulders tense
Get hot or cold
Jaw tightens
Breathe faster

Face

gets red
Tummy hurts
Tone of voice
Get a headache
Want to break
something
Yell or scream
Negative thoughts

How To Tell When Someone Else is Angry

You can see it.
You can feel it.
They may stomp away.
They may stop talking to
you.
They may become quiet.
They may become
withdrawn.
They may scream.
They may hit or harm
anyone close by.

Give the person

some space.
Once you are away
from that person,
stop and think.
Try to figure out
what made that
person so angry.
Be a good listener.
Consider their
feelings.

The Importance of Recognizing

Internal and External Triggers

(What sets off your anger?)

Internal triggers are what goes on inside

our heads that make us mad. They are
what we think about what happens to us.
External triggers are those that happen
outside of self.

Triggers Work Page

Identify the external trigger. Consider what the person might

have thought that would have triggered an angry feeling.

While you are watching TV, your little sister comes

into the room and changes the channel.
Youve lost your homework. Now you must stay in
at recess to redo it.
The school picnic has been canceled because of rain.
Your teacher gives you some work you think is too
hard.
You are grounded because you did not do your
chores.
You hear your friends talking about a party you did
not get invited to.

Anger-o-Meter

a tool to help you gauge your rage

Cool

1=does not bother me at all

Warm
Hot
Steaming
Burning

2=only slightly irritates me

3=I get aggravated

4=I get provoked

5=I get furious

Cool

1=does not bother me at all

Warm

2=only slightly irritates me

Hot

3=I get aggravated

Steaming 4=I get provoked

Burning

5=I get furious

__1. When someone tells on me

__2. When I try out for something and dont get it
__3. When my friends do something without me
__4. When someone borrows something of mine and breaks it
__5. When I want to do something and no one wants to do it
__6. When Im unfairly accused of something
__7. When I lose money
__8. When I do something good and no one notices
__9. When someone gets me in trouble
__10.When someone kicks my seat in class
__11. When someone bumps into me on purpose
__12. When I wait for someone who doesnt come
__13. When someone says something about me that isnt true

Anger Busters
How To Reduce Your
Breathe deeply
Count backwards
Use imagery (pleasant
thoughts)
Relaxation
Stretching
Take a brisk walk
Write in a journal
Get or give a hug
Take a bike ride
Sing with the radio

Anger

Positive self-talk
Draw a picture
Exercise
Laugh
Cool down chill out
Tell someone
Chew gum
Ask for some help
Problem solve after you
are calm
Read a book

Positive Self-Talk
It is O.K. to
make
mistakes.
Ill stay cool
and stay in
control.
Ill grow up,
not blow up!

I wont make
a big deal
about it.
I am only
responsible for
myself.
Even if I dont
like it, I can live
with it.

Anger Sentence Starters

a self-reflection activity to do..

I get angry every time .
I get angry whenever
somebody
I get over being angry
quickly when
You can tell Im angry when
I
When I get angry my
face
The best thing for me to do
when I get angry is
After I lose my temper, I

A safe place to get angry

is
When I keep my angry
inside, I
Some ways to get my
anger out without
hurting anybody are
When someone is angry
with me
When I let my angry
feelings out, I

Tools Teachers Have to Deal With

Anger
Clear

Classroom Expectations

The Right To Be Treated With Respect.

The Right To Be Safe From Harm
The Right To Express Opinions
The Right To Be Listened To And Be Taken Seriously
The Right To Share Feelings
The Right To Live Without Fear Or Threat or Abuse
The Right To Make Mistakes And Learn From Them
The Right To Be Responsible For One's Own Behavior

Attitude

speak kindly, show respect

Encouragement
Conferences

5-1 ratio of positives to negatives

to vent, to problem solve, to build relationship

More Tools Teachers Have to

Deal With Anger
Have Clear Rules For Getting Mads Out
Have Clear, Consistent Consequences
Use Reminders and Redirections
Share Your Story: You can help boys and girls with their

anger by telling your story. Share how you calmed yourself down
when your were upset and how you stopped your Mad Attack.
Others can learn from your "Cool Off" words. What words did you
use to chill yourself out?

Use Class Meetings

Teach Personal Space
Teach P.E.A.C.E. Turtle technique

Practice
P.E.A.C.E.

Pause/Pretend you are a turtle.

(You are slow to act, very thoughtful before moving,

withdrawing from confrontations into your safe shell.)

Exhale/Enter your shell.

(You need to exhale in order to fit into your shells. Use your anger busters
such as breathing, counting, visualizing.)

Ask yourself to calm down and think.

(Look at the situation and evaluate it. Talk to yourself.)

Calmly talk to yourself about what is making you angry.

(Talk to yourself and think about turning your angry feelings into
positive choices.)

Exit to a skill.

(Put into practice the positive choice you decided

upon in the last step.

Worth Sharing
Here is a quote from my book, How To Let Go Of Your Mad
Baggage.
"Life is full of multidimensional possibilities. Once you get
a handle on your mads, your life becomes easier and
easier. Remember, you don't have to keep on doing the
same-o, same-o.
Choices. Life is about choices. You have choices about
what to do when you get mad. One great thing about being
a Human Being is that you do get choices. We can use our
choices about our mads to become gentle, loving people.
Lynne Namka, Ed. D. l997

Remember,
it is human to have anger.
It is what you do with it that counts!

Anger Control Resources

The Peace Curriculum (Expanded Aggression
Replacement Training) from The North County
Service Coalition/The National Peace Institute
Kim from BabyFold workshop handout
KidsHealth
http://members.aol.com/AngriesOut/index.htm