Navigating Life: Social Academic Intervention Group (SAIG)
High School Level PBIS TIER 2
Topic: Resiliency: Do you have what it takes?
Learning Intentions:
 Today we are learning about the characteristics of resilient people
 Today we are learning to identify within ourselves the characteristics of resiliency that we possess
Success Criteria:
 We know we are successful when students can identify characteristics of resiliency
 We know we are successful when students can identify characteristics of resiliency that they possess
and would like to possess
Materials for Activity:
 Set up for YouTube video (i.e. projector and lap top/computer)
 YouTube video: “Be Inspired: Tyson vs. Buster Douglas” featuring Eric Thomas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aqPQzPpN2s (9:11)
 “Resiliency Quiz - How Resilient Are You?” Handout (see page 4-5 of lesson)
 “Resiliency Quiz Interpretation – How Resilient Are You?” Handout (see page 6 of lesson)
 Pens/Pencils
 A ball of yarn
 Check -In check- Out Rubric
Standard Circle Set Up:
 Chairs in a circle (preferable without desk attached)
 Center Piece in center of circle
 3-4 talking pieces laying around the center piece
 2-4 Copies of the Group’s Shared Agreements
Group Procedure
Welcome
Greet students, get in circle. If needed, seat students strategically. Notice how the group is doing today (e.g.
high or low energy, high or low motivation). Once everyone is seated, remind students of the shared
agreements. Feel free to ask a student to volunteer to read them or read them yourself.
Icebreaker
Name and what’s the first thing that comes to mind that makes you laugh? *Try to choose the first person
that volunteered. *If he/she begins speaking without a talking piece, remind him/her to choose one. *If
he/she does not pass it to the left when done, remind him/her to do so. *Remember who started so you know
who will be the last person to speak.
Prior Week Reflection
Praise group for their participation and pass out the prior week CICO rubric. Have students reflect on their
performance by stating: Let’s take some time to review our goal for the week. Take some time to determine
if you achieved your goal, what worked, and what didn’t work so well. Then we will send the talking piece
around for everyone to share. After a minute has passed, assess group to determine if everyone is ready to
start. Then ask: who would like to start? *Try to choose the first person that volunteered. *If he/she begins
speaking without a talking piece, remind him/her to choose one. *If he/she does not pass it to the left when
done, remind him/her to do so. *Remember who started so you know who will be the last person to speak.
Topic of the week
Explain: Today we will be learning about resiliency and the characteristics of resiliency that we possess.
Inspiring Word
Choose One:
“Nothing can sabotage winning except the fear of losing. Success usually lies just beyond failure.”
Mario Cortes, Leadership Coach
“I haven’t failed. I’ve identified 10,000 ways this doesn’t work.” Thomas Edison
“When nothing in life seems to go right, go left.” Unknown Author
Lesson
Today we are going to learn about resiliency and the characteristics of successful people. Resilience is the
ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
 Explain: Resilience is defined as your ability to adapt well and recover quickly after stress, adversity,
trauma or tragedy. If you have a resilient disposition, you are better able to maintain poise and a
healthy level of physical and psychological wellness in the face of life's challenges. If you're less
resilient, you're more likely to dwell on problems, feel overwhelmed, use unhealthy coping tactics to
handle stress, and develop anxiety and depression.

Explain: You can develop resilience by training your attention so that you're more aware of the
present moment. You can use purposeful, trained attention to decrease the negative thoughts in
your mind and bring greater focus on the present moment. Forming a resilient disposition includes:
o Fostering acceptance
o Finding meaning in life
o Developing gratitude
o Addressing spirituality
o Retaining your attention

Here is a video by Eric Thomas (he calls himself the hip hop preacher). In this video he shares Buster
Douglas’ story and show’s how his resilience lead him to be the 1st person to knock out Mike Tyson.
As you watch this video, pay attention to the skill, character traits and/or situation that made Buster
win the fight.
Facilitator may pass out pens/pencils to have students record the traits they observe when watching
the film.

Play YouTube Video: “Be Inspired: Tyson vs. Buster Douglas”

Eric Thomas mentioned a few things that contributed to Buster Douglas, winning the fight. Share
one thing he mentioned that stood out for you.
Activities to Practice Skill
Hand out pens/pencils and copies of resiliency quiz (see page 4-5 of lesson)
 We are going to take a resiliency quiz to determine how resilient you are. It is important that you
take time to think about your responses so that the quiz accurately reflects the resiliency skills you
possess and those that your need to work on. The quiz will not be shared with anyone besides you
and me (the facilitator).

Ask for a volunteer to read the introduction to the quiz that begins: Resilient people overcome
adversity…

Ask for a volunteer to read the instructions. Does anyone have any questions? Give participant 5-8
minutes to complete quiz.

When students are finished, ask students to add up the circled numbers and write that number at the
top of their quiz.

Give each participant a Resiliency Quiz Interpretation (see page 6 of lesson). Go over the scoring
rubric.

Ask students to share if they are surprised by their score and if they agree or disagree with their score.

Over 30 years of research has shown that resilient people have a lot of similar characteristics. Using
the circle process, ask participants to read each statement in bold under interpretations that begins:
playful, childlike curiosity, constantly learns from experiences etc.

Ask participants to circle the characteristic that they did not rank high in, but would like to possess.

Ask participants to share the characteristic that stood out for them the most
Check-In Check-Out Rubric
Pass out new weekly CICO rubric. Have students make a new SAIG driven goal for the upcoming week. (SAIG
driven goal idea: think of one resiliency skill that you would like to work on improving or possessing in your life
and one thing you will do this week to begin improvement).
Closing
Explain: In closing, Share a word to describe a resiliency characteristic that you ranked high in
*End by encouraging participants to use their resiliency skills to help them navigate through this thing called
life.
Student Agenda
Topic: Resiliency
Welcome
Icebreaker
Name and what’s the first thing that comes to mind that makes you laugh?
Prior Week Reflection
Review your CICO rubric from last week and reflect on your performance. Did you meet your goal? What
worked? What didn’t work?
Topic of the week
Resiliency and the characteristics of resiliency that we possess
Inspiring Word
“Nothing can sabotage winning except the fear of losing. Success usually lies just beyond failure.
-Mario Cortes, Leadership Coach
“I haven’t failed. I’ve identified 10,000 ways this doesn’t work.” -Thomas Edison
“When nothing in life seems to go right, go left.” -Unknown Author
Lesson
Resilience is defined as your ability to adapt well and recover quickly after stress, adversity, trauma or tragedy.
 Forming a resilient disposition includes:
o Fostering acceptance
o Finding meaning in life
o Developing gratitude
o Addressing spirituality
o Retaining your attention

Eric Thomas mentioned a few things that contributed to Buster Douglas, winning the fight. Share one
thing he mentioned that stood out for you.
Activities to Practice Skill
 Resiliency quiz
 Resiliency Quiz Interpretation
 Are surprised by your score? Do you agree or disagree with your score?
 Resiliency Characteristics
o Circle the characteristic that they did not rank high in, but would like to possess.
 Share the characteristic that stood out for them the most
Check-In Check-Out Rubric
Make a new goal for the upcoming week. (Idea: What is one skill of resiliency that you would like to work on
improving or possessing in your life and one thing you will do this week to begin improvement?)
Closing
Share a word to describe a resiliency characteristic that you ranked high in
Resiliency Quiz - How Resilient Are You?
Resilient people overcome adversity, bounce back from setbacks, and can thrive under extreme, on-going
pressure without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways. The most resilient people recover from traumatic
experiences stronger, better, and wiser. How resilient are you?
Take the Quiz…
Rate yourself from 1-5 on the following: (1 = very little, 5 = very strong). Circle the number that best
indicates how you see yourself.
1 2 3 4 5
1. In a crisis or chaotic situation, I calm myself and focus on taking useful actions.
1 2 3 4 5
2. I’m usually optimistic. I see difficulties as temporary and expect to overcome them.
1 2 3 4 5
3. I can tolerate high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty about situations.
1 2 3 4 5
4. I adapt quickly to new developments. I’m good at bouncing back from difficulties.
1 2 3 4 5
5. I’m playful. I find the humor in rough situations, and can laugh at myself.
1 2 3 4 5
6. I’m able to recover emotionally from losses and setbacks. I have friends I can talk with; I
can express my feelings to others and ask for help. Feelings of anger, loss and
discouragement don’t last long.
1 2 3 4 5
7. I feel self-confident, appreciate myself, and have a healthy concept of who I am.
1 2 3 4 5
8. I’m curious. I ask questions. I want to know how things work. I like to try new ways of
doing things.
1 2 3 4 5
9. I’m curious. I ask questions. I want to know how things work. I like to try new ways of
doing things
1 2 3 4 5
10. I learn valuable lessons from my experiences and from the experiences of others.
1 2 3 4 5
11. I’m good at solving problems. I can use analytical logic, be creative, or use practical
common sense
1 2 3 4 5
12. I’m good at making things work well. I’m often asked to lead groups and projects.
1 2 3 4 5
13. I’m very flexible. I feel comfortable with my paradoxical complexity. I’m optimistic and
pessimistic, trusting and cautious, unselfish and selfish, and so forth.
1 2 3 4 5
14. I’m always myself, but I’ve noticed that I’m different in different situations.
1 2 3 4 5
15. I prefer to work without a written job description. I’m more effective when I’m free to
do what I think is best in each situation.
1 2 3 4 5
16. I “read” people well and trust my intuition.
1 2 3 4 5
17. I’m a good listener. I have good empathy skills.
1 2 3 4 5
18. I’m non-judgmental about others and adapt to people’s different personality styles.
1 2 3 4 5
19. I’m very durable. I hold up well during tough times. I have an independent spirit
underneath my cooperative way of working with others.
1 2 3 4 5
20. I’ve been made stronger and better by difficult experiences.
1 2 3 4 5
21. I’ve converted misfortune into good luck and found benefits in bad experiences.
Megan Raphael Al Siebert, PHD, author of The Resiliency Advantage
Supporting you in living and leading courageously!
Resiliency Quiz Interpretation: How Resilient Are You?
80 or higher = very resilient
65-80= better than most
50-64= adequate
40-49= you are struggling
39 or under= life is tough for you; consider seeking help
Over 30 years of research into the inner nature of highly resilient people has created a clear understanding of
human resiliency and how it develops. Highly resilient people show many similar characteristics.
Playful, childlike curiosity: Asks lots of questions, wants to know how things work; Plays with new ideas;
Enjoys themselves as children do; Have a good time almost anywhere; Wonders about things, experiments,
makes mistakes, gets hurt, laughs; Asks: “What is different now? What if I did this” Who can answer my
questions? What is funny about this?”
Constantly learns from experience.: Rapidly assimilates new or unexpected experiences and is open to being
changed by them. Asks: “What is the lesson here? What early clues did I ignore? The next time that happens I
will…”
Adapts quickly: Very mentally and emotionally flexible; Comfortable with contradictory personality qualities;
Can be both strong and gentle, sensitive and tough, logical and intuitive, calm and emotional, serious and
playful, etc.; The more the better; Thinks in negative ways to reach positive outcomes: “What could go wrong,
so it can be avoided?”
Have solid self-esteem and self-confidence: Has healthy self-esteem that allows taking in praise and
compliments; Buffers against hurtful statements while being receptive to constructive criticism. “I like,
appreciate and love myself…”
Have good friendships and loving relationships: Research shows that people in toxic working conditions are
more stress resistant and less likely to get sick when they have a loving family and good friendships. Talking
with friends and family diminishes the impact of difficulties and increases feelings of self-worth and selfconfidence.
Expresses feelings honestly: Feels and expresses anger, love, dislike, appreciation, grief—the entire range of
human emotions—honestly and openly; Chooses to suppress feelings when they believe it would be best to.
Expects things to work out well: Has deep optimism guided by internal values and standards; Tolerates
ambiguity and uncertainty; Can work without a job description; Able to bring stability to chaos and crises;
Focuses on the synergy of all; Asks: “How can I interact with this so that things turn out well for all of us.”
Reads others with empathy: Sees things through the perspectives of others, even antagonists; Approaches
conflict with win/win attitude; Asks: “What do others think and feel? What is it like to be them? How do they
experience me? How have I contributed, positively or negatively, to the situation? What is legitimate about
what they feel, say or do? How can we solve this together for a mutually-beneficial outcome?”
Uses intuition, creative hunches: Accepts subliminal perceptions and intuition as valid, useful sources of
information; Asks: “What is my body telling me? Did that daydream mean anything? Why don’t I believe
what I’m being told? What is my intuition telling me now”
Stands up for self. Teaches others how to treat them; Speaks up about wants and needs; Sets boundaries and
limits; Finds allies, resources and support.
Gets better and better every year, every decade. Sees progress in becoming more durable, competent,
playful and free; Spends less time ‘surviving’ and more time thriving in all areas of life; Enjoys life more and
more.
Megan Raphael Al Siebert, PHD, author of The Resiliency Advantage Supporting you in living and leading courageously!