1. WALK THE LINE
Background, settling in.

2. IHS EXPECTATIONS Be RESPECTFUL Be RESPONSIBLE Be EMPATHETIC Be HONEST
Ground rules for conversation in this class: making it a safe and comfortable space to share.

3. What’s the Line? Why do we care?
Everyone has a "line" at which they best engage. This is your normal, calm and best problem solving state.
Why we care: You’re in high school now  The stakes are higher than they’ve been before with grades, expectations and future readiness.
Difficult conversations, disagreements and conflict are a normal part of your everyday experience both inside and out of the high school.
Conflict is not always bad, and a disagreement does not have to be a personal insult.
We want to help you navigate tough conversations so you can have the best results when you’re working with someone around a conflict.
We live in a world with varying opinions, experiences and beliefs. It is important that we know how to work with people we don’t always agree with.

4. What does this have to do with me?
Sometimes tough conversations, anxiety, or ups and downs in our day can put us above or below the line, making it difficult for us to effectively communicate our needs and concerns.
Have you ever had a disagreement with your parents?
Have you ever seen someone in class act out?
Have you ever seen something seemingly small set someone off?
Touch on related topics they’ll be learning throughout week of welcome. Expand on examples listed if needed. Point of the slide is to show that it is applicable to all.

5. How many of you have seen mean girls
How many of you have seen mean girls? Short clip for review, and we’ll come back to this…

6. Escalation (triggers)
What That Looks Like:
Peak Emotion
Escalation (triggers)
Cool Down
Back to Your Line
Your Line
Your line: calm normal state. May be higher or lower based on personality.
Escalation or “triggers”: things that make you mad, sad or upset. Can be physical: hunger, sleepiness, etc.
Peak emotion: not always met. Personal worst. Unable to listen or engage.
Cool Down: Where we come down from escalation or peak emotion (coping strategies).
Low point: either after peak, or directly where some people go-emotional withdraw or shut down caused by escalation or triggers.
Back to line: Where things are back to normal-where you can learn from your emotions and have the most productive and meaningful conversations.
Refer to Gretchen on the line as needed. Peak emotion-where she’s yelling in class, low point where she looks around a bit scared by her own response…
Low Point

7. Remember: we do not always have control over the situations that bring us above or below the line, but we do have control over how we respond and engage with each other at any given time.

8. Reflection
Being mindful of our own emotional state is the most powerful thing we can be in charge of when a problem arises.
What are your “triggers” or things that bring you above or below the line?
What does that look like for you? How might you act or respond to someone when you are escalated or down?
Before or after sharing out: Go back to “Mean Girls” clip… If you’ve seen it there were many things over time that led Gretchen to feeling so angry. Her anger was not actually about Julius Caesar. It was building before she hit peak escalation, and then she seemed rather shocked at her own response, maybe even remorseful. Play again if needed.
Its okay and expected to go above or below the line. Learning to be mindful of what that looks and feels like can help you to be preventative of finding yourself in a situation that has gotten out of hand.
Be reflective: how you are acting may be different that what you thought.

9. What can bring you back to the line?
Think: Submarine, something that brings you DOWN when you’ve gone above the line…
Examples?
Now think: Trampoline, something that can bring you UP when you’ve gone below the line…
Examples?
Share own examples as needed. Connect that submarines and trampolines can be one of the same (example: time and space can bring us down or back up, same with “listening to music”, etc)

10. Take the emotion out of the situation Schedule an appointment
Tips:
Write it down
Take the emotion out of the situation
Schedule an appointment
Role play with a trusted friend.
Allow time and space for each party to return to the line.
Reminder: the best conversations and problem solving happens when both parties are at the line.
How might you gauge if someone else is above or below the line?
Journal, reflect. Take emotion out: logically why is this upsetting? Was I already triggered? (back to Gretchen reference as needed-it wasn’t about Caesar) Schedule apt: future date/time when you and other person have had space. Role play: objective opinion. Best of all: time/space.
Examples of how you might know someone else is above or below their line?

11. Examples: Discuss with a neighbor
Stephanie worked really hard on her English essay. She put in more hours than most of her peers, and tried her very best. When her paper was handed back to her she was disappointed to see she got a “B”. Before her teacher could finish passing back the papers, Stephanie blurts to her teacher, “A B?! You’ve got to be kidding me! Ms. Smith, we need to talk about this RIGHT NOW.”
Is Stephanie above or below the line?
Where does her approach put Ms. Smith?
What submarine strategies might Stephanie use to come back to her line?
Important: how her approach might take Ms. Smith off her line…

12. Examples: Discuss with a neighbor
Stan is at basketball game and is feeling pretty tired because he stayed up too late studying for his exam the night before. His coach notices and benches him for poor defense. Stan shrugs and says, “yeah, I’m the worst at everything.” as he sulks back to the bench.
Is Stan above or below the line?
How might this affect his coach?
What trampoline strategies might Stan use to come back to the line?
Stan goes straight to low point…

13. Examples: Discuss with a neighbor
Jerry was already having a rough day. His alarm didn’t go off in the morning, he missed breakfast, and forgot his homework for his first period class. While reviewing current events in history class, there was a debate about immigration. Jerry’s parents are immigrants and he felt outraged by the conversation, so he slammed his books on the table and stormed out of the room. Later he felt so bad about his response that he cried and felt too embarrassed to return to class.
What were some of the “triggers” in this story?
Where was Jerry on the line?
Could Jerry have avoided hitting his peak emotion?
When would be a good time for Jerry to apologize for his actions?
What ‘submarines’ and what ‘trampolines’ would you suggest for Jerry?
Could Jerry avoid peak emotion? Had he recognized he was triggered maybe he could have stopped, had a snack, used some “submarines” to bring himself back down and been prevented from hitting peak emotion.

14. Remember:
Not all conflict is bad. It is okay to have a difference of opinion and good conversations around that can lead to a positive learning experience.
The way you respond to a situation is within your control, and can inform the way that someone responds to you.
Sometimes submarines and trampolines can be the same thing- and they can be as simple as taking some space to cool down.

15. Questions?
Comments?
Concerns?

16. To be available on counseling website. Also available as handout.