Cool Tool: Feeling Emotionally Safe at Toki
Skill/Setting: Respect Everyone by avoiding put downs
Materials Needed: Paper Plates or A larger cleaning bucket, Paper,
tape, markers.
Introduction by the teacher: Read the following to the whole class:
There was an old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never
hurt me”. While words don’t cause physical injury, they often hurt. One does not need
to read the paper or listen to the news long to hear stories of how hurtful bullying or nasty
comments in person and on the web can cause severe damage to a person’s self –esteem
and ability to feel safe at school. At Toki we want everyone to feel emotionally safe.
Toki is a place where hurtful words are not to be spoken or written. Toki is a place to
learn and grow and when one feels humiliated by harmful rumors and words, that person
is unable to concentrate on learning. This week and for the rest of our time at Toki, let’s
concentrate on saying things that fill the spirit, bucket, soul, plate of all members of our
Toki community with positive comments.
Student Activities:
1) Make a Class or hallway NO PUT DOWN ZONE or EMOTIONALLY SAFE
ZONE Poster for your room or hallway.
2) Read “how full is your bucket” for kids. DD has a copy and others in the
building may have a copy . Have a discussion about the story afterward. Example:
How do we either fill each-other’s bucket or take away from each-other’s bucket.
3) Place a bucket in your room for students to randomly place compliments, thankyou notes, or kind words. Try to fill the bucket by the end of the week and read
some comments out loud periodically.
4) Remind students regularly that Toki is a NO PUT DOWN ZONE. Toki is a safe
place where learning takes place.
5) Paper Plate Activity: Tape a plate on each person’s back and have classmates
write honest and positive comments on each other’s plate. * this can be
risky…make sure your class is ready for this.
6) Reinforce students randomly with Dragon Dough who are using positive words to
fill another student’s emotional bucket.