Shepherd Junior High Support Group Lesson:
Educator: Eva Dwight/Netina Bodine
School Site: Shepherd Jr. High
Title: Proactive vs. Reactive Behavior
Note: This lesson is based on concepts from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
Teens, by Sean Covey.
Group is set up to model the recommendations for classroom implementation in
Positive Discipline in the Classroom, by Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott. Each student
has a job that helps the group in some way (recorder, attendance taker, clean-up
crew, etc.), to allow each student to feel a sense of belonging and significance in the
Group. Closure activities generally involve students taking the day’s lesson and
using it over the next week in their classes, and are reviewed at the beginning of
each Group session before starting the next lesson.
Lesson Objective: Students will determine what circumstances they can influence in the
classroom, for positive results.
Grade level: 7 – 9
Time required: two class periods (45-50 min. each)
ASCA National Standards and Student Competencies supported by this lesson:
Academic Development Domain A: Students will acquire the attitudes,
knowledge and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life
span.
A: A1.1 articulate feelings of competence and confidence as learners
A: A1.2 display a positive interest in learning
A: A1.5 identify attitudes and behaviors which lead to successful learning
A: A2.2 demonstrate how effort and persistence positively affect learning
Resources/Materials Used: 3 x 5 note cards for closure; enough sets of 3 x 5
proactive/reactive behavior cards for students to use in pairs: each set should have one
proactive or reactive behavior (see list at end of lesson) written on each card; posters of
Proactive Man and Proactive Woman (see directions at end of lesson), and posters of
Reactive Man and Reactive Woman (Proactive vs. Reactive behaviors adapted from The
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey.); tape; Learning Targets page
Anticipatory Set:
1. Before beginning the lesson, have students copy the objective for the day on their
Learning Target page. They will keep it in their folder, which is used only for Group.
Learning Target:
Understand: I can influence what happens to me in the classroom, in positive ways.
Do:
1. Complete proactive vs reactive behavior activity.
2. Decide how I can influence my success in school.
2.
* Let’s make a list of all the things you have control over at school.
*Now, let’s make a list of all the things you don’t have control over at school.
(Have a student list what others say on the board.)
Instructional Procedure:
1. We’ll leave that list up there so we can look at it again later. Right now, I’d like you
to pair up. I’m going to give each pair a set of mixed up cards. I want you to separate
them into two categories, one pile for each category, but I’m not going to tell you what
the categories are. I think you can figure that out.
(Give students a few minutes to separate the cards.)
2. How did you separate the cards? What do the cards in each pile have in common?
(Students will, in most cases, have separated the cards into piles that could be
categorized as either proactive behaviors or reactive behaviors. Have them describe
what kinds of behaviors they’re seeing in the two piles, and then ask them to decide
which pile would be called PROACTIVE and which would be called REACTIVE. Then
ask them what about the word PROACTIVE made them think it described that pile, and
what about the word REACTIVE made them think it described the other pile.)
What do you think Proactive behaviors are? (official definition = behaviors that help
me take responsibility for my success)
What do you think Reactive behaviors are? (official definition = behaviors that
allow me to make excuses for being unsuccessful)
Which behaviors might help you achieve more positive results in school?
3. (Put the Proactive and Reactive Man/Woman posters up where students can reach
them easily.) I’m going to collect the cards from you, and then pass one set back out so
each of you have only a few cards. (Collect the pairs. Then deal out one set among
students so each one has 5-6 cards apiece.) I would like you to take turns reading a card,
deciding if that behavior is proactive or reactive, and then you may tape it to either
Proactive Man/Woman, or Reactive Man/Woman.
(Take turns going around the table, and as students read each card, have the group agree
whether it should go on the proactive or reactive poster.)
5. Let’s think about what these proactive behaviors might look like in school. (Pass out
the Proactive Behavior Poster—see end of lesson—and go over examples. Give students
time to complete their poster.)
NOTE: The class will doubtless end before students are able to finish their posters.
When there are just a few minutes left of this first class period, hand them a behavior
focus card and ask them to write one proactive behavior that they could practice over the
next week in school. Their ticket out the door is to share with you what that behavior is.
They will share with the group next week what they noticed when they used those
behaviors.
The following week, have them share their “noticing” with the group, review the
definitions of Proactive and Reactive behaviors, and then have them finish their posters
and share them with the group. If there is additional time, use the Sponge Activity game
at the end of the lesson. Then go on to step #6 below.
6. Let’s look back at the list of things you thought you couldn’t control at school. How
would using proactive behaviors shift any of those to the list of things you can control?
Assessment: The counselor will determine students’ level of understanding based on
their contribution to the discussion.
Closure: On your 3 x 5 note card, write at least one proactive behavior that would help
you influence your performance in a class in a positive way. Keep a record of when you
use it (which day and which class) and be able to talk about how it helped you next week.
If you can tell about three times you used the behavior in class, you will earn three
Dwight Dollars/Bodine Bucks.
Learning Target
date:___________________
Topic:__________________________
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Thinking level: _________________
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Assessment/Do:__________________
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date:____________________
Topic:_________________________________________________________
Thinking level:__________________________________________________
Assessment/Do:__________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________
date:____________________
Topic:_________________________________________________________
Thinking level:__________________________________________________
Assessment/Do:__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
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Proactive vs Reactive Behaviors
1. On a large sheet of construction paper, draw an outline of a man or woman and label it
Proactive Man (or Woman). On another sheet, draw another outline and label it Reactive
Man (or Woman). Laminate them so they last.
2. Write each of these statements on 3 x 5 note cards and laminate them. Make as many
sets as you need so students in the group can work in pairs. (Don’t label them
“proactive” or “reactive,” as students will be determining what category they belong
in.)
Proactive Behaviors:
Reactive Behaviors:
I say, “Let’s look at all our options.”
I allow others to control
me.
I bounce back when something bad happens.
I say, “I can’t.”
I say, “I can do better than that.”
I think more about
barriers and problems
than about solutions.
I think before I act.
I wait for something to happen
to me.
I say, “I choose to.”
I make choices based on
impulse. (I don’t think first; I
just act.)
I take action.
I say, “That’s just the way I am.
I can’t help/change my
behavior.”
I say, “I’m not going to let your bad
attitude rub off on me.
I say, “I’ll do it.”
I get angry and say
things I later
regret.
I change only when I
have to.
I take responsibility for my choices and
my behavior.
I say, “I’ll try, but I don’t
know if I can do it.”
I say, “There’s gotta be a way.”
I say, “There’s nothing I
can do.”
I think about solutions and options.
I say, “Other people
ruined my day.”
I am not easily offended. When someone
I am easily offended and
I start an
argument or fight when
someone
makes me mad.
makes me angry, I go cool down and then
talk about the problem with that person.
I take the initiative to get a project or
assignment started.
I always find a way to make it happen
I focus on things I can do something about and
don’t worry about things I can’t.
I whine and complain
when things
aren’t going exactly the
way I want.
I blame others for my
behavior when I have
something hard to do.
(It’s always someone
else’s fault.)
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Write one PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR from the
proactive cards that you think would help you do
better in class.
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Which class will you use this behavior in?
__________________________________________
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Tues ____ Wed____ Thurs____ Fri____ Mon____
Keep track of when you use this behavior by putting
a check next to each day you use it. Return with this
card to Group next week and earn $3!
Proactive Behavior Poster
Make a poster showing the 5 most important proactive behaviors that students can use to
be successful in school. Your poster should have:
1. 5 proactive behaviors from the behavior cards: You may use pictures to show these
behaviors, or you may write the words in a creative style.
2. Tell in words or show in pictures an example of each behavior:
Example:
I bounce back when something bad happens.
(proactive behavior)
I ask my teacher if I can
study and retake a test if I
get less than 70%, so I can
raise my grade.
(example of the proactive behavior)
3. You will earn 3 Dwight Dollars/Bodine Bucks:
1 for showing 5 proactive behaviors
1 for showing an example of each behavior
1 for sharing your poster with the group
You may use the back of this page to make your poster, or you may use a large piece of
construction paper.
SPONGE ACTIVITY
Proactive vs. Reactive game:
a. review definitions:
Proactive = behaviors that allow me to take responsibility for my own success
Reactive = behaviors that allow me to make excuses for being unsuccessful
b. Divide into two teams. Each team gets a piece of butcher paper and a marker.
c. Decide who on each team will write. Everyone will share ideas.
d. When I read a proactive behavior, each team will have 60 seconds to write as
many ways as they can think of that they could use that behavior at school. At the end of
60 seconds, each team will read their ideas. The team with the most ideas at the end of
that round will earn a Dwight Dollar/Bodine Buck for each member.
e. Continue to play for 5 rounds.
round 1 = I always find a way to make it happen when I have something hard to
do.
round 2 = I think before I act.
round 3 = I bounce back when something bad happens.
round 4 = I think about solutions and options.
round 5 = I take responsibility for my choices and my behavior.