Practicing How to Be There for Ourselves: A Jack Talk Follow-up

Before you teach, we recommend you review our supporting resources:

Mental Health 101

Safer Language

Classroom Discussion Guide

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Please note that this lesson is designed to accompany the Jack Talk: Practicing How to Be There for Ourselves module. Please visit Book a Modular Jack Talk to book your Jack Talk

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In this lesson, students will revisit key terms and concepts from the Jack Talk: Practicing How to Be There for Ourselves. They will reflect on strategies for building resilience and discuss various topics, including overcoming challenges, the role of support systems, and the importance of community.

The lesson includes a student assignment titled "Planning for Independence," where students will outline the skills and resources necessary to maintain their personal health and well-being as they transition to independent living.

Your students will be able to:

• understand the meaning of resilience 
• understand how building resilience can contribute to overall mental health
• recall a number of different strategies for building resilience 
• recognize how these strategies can be applied in their own life or in the lives of people around them

Slide Deck

EdHUB Post 3.2 Jack Talk Slide Deck ⤓

Suggested Handouts

CAMH article Building Resilience | CAMH ⤓

Building Resilience - Reflection Questions ⤓

Building Resilience - Possible Student Responses ⤓

Grade 12 Health and Physical Education Assignment: Planning for Independence ⤓

Grade 12 Post Jack Talk Self Assessment ⤓

Additional Materials

• Teacher computer, projector
• Student access to devices/internet (optional)

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Part 1: Minds On (5–10 minutes)

Part 2: Action Tasks (40–50 minutes)

Part 3: Consolidation (5–10 minutes)

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Note: All parts of the lesson procedure can be found in the slide deck provided.

Slide 2: Land Acknowledgement

In the slide deck, we have included Jack.org’s land acknowledgement. We encourage you to write your own, acknowledging the Nations, communities, territories and treaties upon which you live and work, and your calls to action for reconciliation / Self Pledge.

Here are some resources to support you:

• Why Acknowledge?
• Territory Acknowledgement - Native-Land.ca.  

Slide 3: Mental Health Supports

Inform students that today’s lesson will involve reflecting on their mental health needs and planning for potential needs in the future.

• Encourage students to reflect on their current mental health.
• Remind them to check in with themselves throughout the lesson. 
• Point out the mental health support available at your school/space.
• Discuss any policies/procedures specific to your school.
  • For example, if students prefer not to interrupt or draw attention when they need to take a break from the topic, they can visit the Guidance Office. There, staff can notify you of their whereabouts and confirm their safety.

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Part 1: Minds On (5–10 minutes)

Slide 4: Let’s Review!

Click once to bring up the left column with the definitions from the Jack Talk. Ask your students if they can recall the terms for each definition on the slide.

Click again to bring up each of the terms in the right column in order.

• understanding how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours change when our mental health is declining: self-awareness‍
• the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress: resilience‍
• how you can manage those thoughts, emotions, and behaviours: emotional regulation‍
• showing yourself the same kindness as you would to a good friend: self-compassion‍
• negative attitudes that we might have about our own mental health struggles: self-stigma‍

Teacher prompt: Today we are going to further explore the concept of building resilience, as well as how you can begin to plan for your transition to independence after high school.

Part 2: Action Tasks (40–50 minutes)

Note: All parts of the lesson procedure can be found in the slide deck provided.

Activity: Read and Respond (20–25 minutes)

Building Resilience - Reflection Questions ⤓

Options for completion

Choose the method that best meets the needs of your students. For example:

• Assign reading and questions ahead of time, then discuss in class 
• Assign some or all of the questions
• Allow students to choose which questions to respond to (e.g. Choose 3 of 10.)

Options for discussion

Choose the method of sharing that best meets the needs of your students. For example:

• Students can share their ideas with a partner or another group (Think, Pair, Share).
• Students can populate a shared Google doc with their ideas.
• Students can discuss their ideas in small groups.
• Students can take part in an informal class discussion.
• A combination of the above.

Activity: Self-care and Support Plan (20–25 minutes)

Grade 12 Health and Physical Education Assignment: Planning for Independence  ⤓  

Allow your students time to review the assignment instructions thoroughly and address any questions they may have.

This assignment is intended to be completed over an extended period. Provide students with time in today’s class to start working on it and to raise any initial questions. They can use the audience worksheet from the Jack Talk, Applying How to Be There for Ourselves, as a starting point for their work.

Note: Acknowledge that some students may already have a clear path for their post-high school plans, such as acceptance to colleges or plans to travel during a gap year, while others may still be uncertain about their next steps. For those who are unsure, this uncertainty might provoke feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear. Normalize these feelings and reassure your students that, no matter where their post-secondary journey leads, reflecting on their personal needs and creating a thoughtful plan will always be valuable.

Part 3: Consolidation  (5–10 minutes)

Ask your students to complete a reflection on their learning today using the handout:

‍Grade 12 Post Jack Talk Self Assessment  ⤓

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Ontario

Healthy Active Living Education, Grade 12 (PPL4O)

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Specific Expectations

C2.5 identify the skills and resources that they will need to maintain their personal health and well-being as they become more independent (e.g., budgeting and time-management skills, interpersonal skills, cooking and meal-planning skills, recreational and leisure opportunities, access to health care and other supports)

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