An Inside Job

Grade: 7th Grade

Objective: Students will recognize the need to reframe our thinking in order to approach a problem and find solutions.

Materials: Top 20 Teens book, Zoom pictures, Fork in the road exit tickets

Introduction: Write answers on a piece of paper:

  • What is your most challenging class?
  • If it were a type of car or a type of vegetable what would it be?
  • How do you feel about it?
  • How do you act in this class?
  • What is a chore/job that you do not enjoy doing?
  • What makes it difficult?
  • What is the most difficult time of day for you?
  • Why?

The Frame: The way we SEE things (our beliefs about situations, other people or ourselves) affects how we FEEL. How we FEEL affects what we DO (our behavior or actions). What we DO affects what we GET (the results). What we GET tends to reinforce how we SEE or our beliefs.

  • Three Options:
  • 1. Change nothing; 2. Change what you feel or do; 3. Change how you see the situation

An Inside Job:

  • Show Maybe – Michael Jordan Commercial
  • 90/10 Concept– 90% of happiness comes from thoughts (inside)/10% of happiness comes from outside world
  • As we grow we move along a continuum
  • Have to stop believing that we have no control over situations.

Activity:

  • Zoom Activity – Using the book Zoom students will use the pictures and put them in order. They will face them down so nobody else can see them. When they think they are finished after 15 minutes, turn the pictures over and see how they did.
  • Debrief the activity – pay special attention to excuse making, blaming, etc.

Discussion:

Top 20 Beliefs / Bottom 80 Beliefs
I use my attitude to control the event. / I allow the event to control my attitude.
I can always work on my inside. / I wait for the outside to change.
I’m not sure what it is but there’s a better way of thinking about this. / There’s nothing I can do. I can only do what I’ve always done.
I see choices. / I’m stuck.
Change is possible. / I can’t help the way I am. It’s in my genes…my family…and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Ticket Out:

  • Fork in the road worksheet
  • Pick a problem – Example: Getting ready to play a tough team, getting a low grade, you think someone is talking about you, etc.
  • Pick a Top 20 reaction for one side of the road
  • Pick a Bottom 80 reaction for the other side of the road