1. Read the quote and with the person next to you, discuss what you think it means. Do you agree? Why / why not? Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class!
Still not sure?
Think about this: we will all go through hard times in life. Think about a time when life got hard and you “fell” or “hit rock bottom”, what did you do? Did you pick yourself back up or did you stay down and sulk? Which do you think feels better and makes you a stronger person, and why?

2. (Someone at your table can be the scribe)
We all experience change, failure, loss and set-backs at some time in our lives and we need to find ways to work though those inevitable challenging times.
In groups, brainstorm some common problems that you deal with as a middle school student and put a possible coping mechanism / reactions to these problems.
(Someone at your table can be the scribe)

3. Each group will share out (3) of the things that you brainstormed
As a class, we’ll discuss the suggested response and alternative coping mechanisms.
Is this a healthy coping mechanism? Why?
What do we need to consider when thinking about how we are coping?
How will we know if what we are doing has helped?

4. How would you describe the term “resilience”?
Being able to handle difficult situations
The ability to “bounce back” from hardship
Not seeing failure as final
Persevering to reach a goal
A key skill to cope with life’s challenges
Physiological strength to cope with stress
Being able to face difficulties head on
Keeping cool under pressure
Having a “fighter”, not “victim”, mentality
Taking control when facing adversity

5. How would you describe your own resilience and why?
Do you often set goals and achieve them?
How do you respond when facing challenges?
How well do you cope with change or stress?
Do you have a supportive network of people?
How do you respond when things don’t go to plan?
Do you have confidence and belief in yourself?
Can we tell what other peoples’ resilience is like? How?

6. Which circumstances do we demonstrate our resilience?
Dealing with change
Coping with a physical illness
Family issues, like divorce
Conflict with friends
School workload
Set backs or failures
But does everyone respond to these situations in the same way? Why do you think that is?

7. What are the signs of people with low resilience?
Victim mentality
Slow to recover from setbacks
Avoid dealing with the situation
Blame others instead of taking action
Make excuses instead of taking action
Dwell on problems for a long time
Easily overwhelmed when facing difficulties
Use unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with challenges

8. What are the signs of people with high resilience?
Positive attitude
Bounce back quickly
Enjoy their achievements
Face fear head on
Achieve their goals
Able to see the funny side
Not defined by hard times
Never give up, fighter mentality
Sees setbacks as an opportunity for growth
Don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves

9. What things can positively affect your resilience?
Prioritizing tasks
Developing healthy routines
Talking to people you trust
Knowing when to say “no”
Breaking the problem down into chunks
Looking on the bright side / optimism
Expressing yourself in a healthy way
Knowing that failure is not permanent
Finding the silver lining even in bad situations
Do these all positively affect everyone’s resilience in the same way? Why do you think that is?

10. Building resilience begins with self-awareness.
Lets see where you currently are at. Explain how you would respond in each of the scenarios on your sheet, then with the person next to you discuss your reactions and compare:
How did your responses differ with your partner’s?
Did they all show resilience? How?
If not, how would you prefer to react and why?

11. Scenario #1 (Discuss in groups / as a class)
You already have lots of homework due for school tomorrow hen your teacher tells you she’s setting a pop quiz that you have to study for as well. How would you respond and why?

12. Scenario #2 (Discuss in groups / as a class)
You are patiently lining up in the lunch line when someone pushes in front of you. How would you respond and why?

13. Scenario #3 (Discuss in groups / as a class)
You have just been told that your family are moving and that means that you will have to change schools. How would you respond and why?

14. Scenario #4 (Discuss in groups / as a class)
You got a test score back and it was not as good as you were hoping for. How would you respond and why?

15. Building resilience begins with self-awareness.
Now take a look at your responses to those situations and ask yourself:
Do I have family and friends who support me?
What things can I do to help me bounce back from stressful situations?
What positive sayings / quotes can help me cope?

16. What are some actionable steps to build resilience?
Don’t react to situations impulsively
Take deep breaths and accept challenges are inevitable
Think of at least 3 responses before reacting
Confide in your friends and family if you need support
Break down big problems into smaller chunks
Learn from past mistakes and experiences
Try and be optimistic and look for the positives
Know that failure is not permanent – try again
Face your fears
Never give up!