My Circle of Safety

This Lesson: Wellbeing Learning Intention is for you to learn about how your feelings can affect how you are thinking. When you are calm, you think sensibly, called Dolphin Thinking, because they are calm. When you are tense, you think in a snappy way, called Crocodile Thinking, because they are snappy. Ask yourself often, “am I thinking like a dolphin or a crocodile.” If you feel you are using crocodile thinking, use positive self-talk to change it to dolphin thinking, e.g. I can and I will listen more and control my feelings to not let them affect my thinking. Doing this every day will build your self-control to make good choices.

Draw a little dolphin Draw a little crocodile

Describe or draw what you would act like for one of the situations below using dolphin thinking and then crocodile thinking. 1. Your parents have asked you to clean up your room a number of times because it is messy. 2. You and your friends are playing a game at lunchtime and two older students want to join in. 3. In class your teacher has asked you to stop talking and to listen more. 4. Your friend has borrowed your bike without asking you and you want to ride it. 5. Some of your class is playing a fun game at lunchtime and they haven’t asked you to join in.

Dolphin Thinking Crocodile Thinking

Acknowledgement: RRRR, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne