Relaxation practice can have your kiddos swimming in the relaxation pond. I use this little ducky many ways in my groups at school.
1. Group Management
- Group Norms: The ducky swims in relaxation. When the group is quiet and focused, the ducky swims. So, if the group is not centered or focused, the ducky will wait until there is calm so that it can swim freely.
- Turn Taking: When the ducky swims to you, it is your turn to share. You only talk when you are holding the ducky.
2. Explanation/Discussion of a Relaxed Environment–explain the “relaxation pond”
- When the group enters the room, we discuss what the environment would be like if it were a “relaxation pond.” We talk about how it would be quiet and calm, and the energy in the room would be focused and centered. We give examples of calm, cool and collected energy and contrast it with big, scattered, hyper energy.
3. Skill Rehearsal
- Review relaxation skills: When the ducky swims to you, you get to select from a basket of previously taught skills and demonstrate the skill to the group. If the student can’t remember, it is an excellent time for group practice of the skill.
- Practice skill of the day: After direct instruction around the relaxation skill of the day, the ducky will swim to each student in order for them to practice the skill
4. Group Practice
- At the end of the lesson, the ducky swims to the middle of the group and pauses in the relaxation pond. The group then gets to practice the skill of the day together, making the relaxation pond expand and get bigger. Explain to the students that you are going to make the relaxation pond bigger by practicing all at once. Then the ducky can swim to each group member afterwards so that he can share his experience.
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