Emotions

Too much stress STINKS! Students in grades K through 6 will identify the negative side effects of experiencing too much stress and develop healthy strategies for dealing with stressful situations. Reinforce the lesson from the storybook, Stress...

The more people focus on the positive things happening in their lives, the more zest they will have. All students should be encouraged to find ways to look at their world through a positive lens. In this activity from ZEST: Live It! Activity Guide,...

By identifying areas within the school that they could improve, students will gain the knowledge of the steps needed to stay on task and work effectively as a group. Place students in groups and ask them to search for the top "100 Best Of..." This...

Students will practice zest by showing enthusiasm, optimism, and pride in their accomplishments when creating and sharing their “Zest Books.” This activity will help to identify what zest is and is not. Read the book ZEST: Live...

The goal of this activity is to show how zest and enthusiasm are decreased by our lack of organization and the ability to maintain a sense of order. Energy is wasted when we spend our valuable time searching for items that we need. Frustration mounts and...

Students will display zest by showing enthusiasm and optimism while finding various “wonders” in nature. They will practice keeping property in its place and utilize strategies to self-correct their behavior if needed. The activity...

Students will understand the importance of completing their work even when it becomes difficult, they will also learn to identify how zest can influence others. For this exercise, from ZEST: Live It! Activity Guide, candy will represent zest and...

Watch as students show enthusiasm while they practice waiting patiently for their turn. During class, students will be asked to brainstorm definitions or ideas of the word "zest." Once that step is completed, the next step in the lesson is an activity...

Individuals who possess higher levels of zest tend to be energetic and a source of motivation to those around them. Zest is thought to bring out the best and most positive qualities in a person. It enables a person to approach life as an exciting...

Students will learn the skills of accepting 'No' for an answer and disagreeing the right way. This activity accompanies Julia Cook's storybook I Just Don't Like the Sound of NO!, part of the BEST ME I Can Be! series. This fun and unique exercise is...

Students will learn the skills of accepting 'No' for an answer and disagreeing the right way with this activity that accompanies Julia Cook's storybook I Just Don't Like the Sound of NO! from the BEST ME I Can Be! series. Extend the learning with I...

This activity is designed to teach students to give more specific details and deliver them slowly. It can also teach students to listen more critically to instructions. From Julia Cook’s BEST ME I Can Be! series is an activity that accompanies her...

When you see your students display effective listening or following instruction skills, find a way to recognize them in front of their peers! The more you give praise and pay attention to positive behaviors in your classroom, the more often you will see...

One way to avoid Zest Zappers is to be proactive instead of reactive. Being proactive leads to positive emotions while being reactive can generate negative emotions. In this activity, students will recognize the moods of others and use self-monitoring...

Join in on the fun with an activity from Bryan Smith’s If Winning Isn’t Everything Why Do I Hate to Lose? Students will practice their sportsmanship skills during a coin flip game called “Don’t Flip Out.” Extend the...

Students will learn that a team is only as strong as its individual members! From Julia Cook’s BEST ME I Can Be! series is an engaging activity to accompany her storybook Teamwork Isn’t My Thing, and I Don’t Like to Share! This...