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TRANSCRIPT
Better Choices
A Prevention Education Online Course
By
Rebekah Babb and Katherine Morgan
Choices Direct Our Lives
We have the power to make many choices in life.
The choices we make can take our lives in many directions.
Poor choices can lead to many problems and a loss of fun and freedom.
Better choices can lead to fewer problems and more fun and freedom.
Do you want to stay in control of your life?
Studies have shown that people can learn to make better decisions.
Learning to make better choices can help you stay in control of your life.
What you learn in this course can help you stay in control of your life and keep your life moving in a positive
direction.
Time to Think #1
Q. How can learning to make better
choices help you?
A. Better choices can help you stay in
control of your life.
Q. Do better decisions put you in more
control of your life and freedom?
A. Yes, better decisions put you in
more control your life and freedom
.
.
PART 1
S-T-E-P-S to Better Choices
Make a thumbs up with your hand.
Five S-T-E-P-S can help you make
better choices.
Do you remember learning three steps to
help you cross a street safely?
Do you still stop, look both ways, and
cross when no cars are coming?
The Five Steps to Better Choices can be
learned and remembered just as
easily.
The Five Steps to Better Choices
Step back.
Think about emotions.
Exercise judgment.
Picture consequences.
Select the best choice.
Five S-T-E-P-S to Better Choices
1 Step back. (S-T-E-P-S)
The first step to making better choices is
to step back. Before doing something it is
important to and take time to
THINK.
Stepping back can be difficult because you
will have to fight the habit or impulse of
acting quickly without thinking. You will
need to remind yourself to and
THINK when you are faced with
important decisions.
STOP
STOP
WARNING:
If others are involved with you in a
decision-making situation, you will need to
be prepared to use courage to let them
know that you need to "step back." You
could simply say, "I need to take time to
step back think about this."
Can you think of times when it would have
been a good idea to step back before making
a choice?
Time to Think #2
Q. What is the first step to making better
choices?
A. Step back.
Q. Does taking time to step back and think
result in better choices?
A. Yes!
Five S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices
Step back.
Think about
emotions.
(S-T-E-P-S)
The second step to making better choices
is to think about emotions or strong
feelings.
Have you ever said or done something
when you were upset that you later
regretted?
When the brain becomes clogged
with a strong feeling, it is difficult to
think clearly.
Notice how emotions led to poor
choices in the following examples:
WARNING:
Examples:
Someone says, “He is
to chicken to steal it.”
She is told, “No you
can’t go out now!”
He accidently breaks
a neighbor’s window.
Feeling embarrassed
from the insult he
quickly steals it.
Feeling frustrated,
she throws a vase
at the wall.
Feeling scared he lies
about seeing a
child with a ball.
Better choices are not usually
made when you act on strong
feelings.
That is why it is important to think
about your feelings or emotions
.
.
WARNING:
Time to Think #3
Q. What is the second step to making
better choices?
A. Think about emotions.
Q. Are better choices usually made when
you act on strong feelings or emotions?
A. NO!
How Do You Recognize and
Manage Your Emotions?
Things happen to you physically when you are
upset. Your "emotional symptoms" are
physical signs that your body shows when you
are experiencing strong feelings.
Like recognizing a bumpy ride as a sign of a flat
tire so that a serious wreck can be avoided, you
can learn to recognize signs of strong feelings
before you hurt yourself or others.
Look for any of the following physical signs that
you may have experienced when your emotions
were strong:
___rapid breathing ___increased sweating
___dry-mouth ___red-faced
___clenched fists ___tears ___frowning eyebrows
___increased heart rate ___depression
___stomachache ___shouting ___screaming
___cursing/swearing ___ insulting
___laughing ___ talking fast. Can you think of any signs
not listed?_____.
After recognizing your emotional symptoms, strong
feelings should be managed. The following is a list
of ways to help manage strong emotions.
_____
_____ Ask for time to calm down. _____ Take a walk.
_____ Take deep breaths. _____Go do a
chore.
_____ Play a sport. _____ Lift
weights.
_____Clean house, car, closet, etc. _____Read.
____ Talk to a friend. ____ Listen to
music.
_____ Count to ten. .
_____Say a word or phrase that helps you calm down.
_____ Think about something pleasant like sitting on a beach.
Recognizing strong emotions and managing them can help you make
better decisions for yourself.
Time to Think #4
Q. Why are symptoms of your emotions
important to better choices?
A. Symptoms help you recognize
strong feelings that need to be
managed so that you don’t make a
bad choice.
Five S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices
Step back.
Think about
emotions.
Exercise judgment.
(S-T-E-P-S)
Exercise Judgment
The third step to making better choices is
to exercise judgment.
One way to exercise judgment is to
brainstorm and question your choices.
Brainstorming means to think of several
possible choices.
Doing the first thing that comes to
mind is not necessarily the best
choice.
Questions can be used to test choices. Have
you ever asked yourself if a choice you are
thinking about making would be safe?
Questions can help you make good
decisions.
WARNING:
Any of the five key questions can help you test most
choices and make better decisions. If a possible choice that
answers with a "no" for one of the questions that choice will
probably not be the best choice and could lead to
unwanted results. A choice that answers "yes" to all five
questions is the better choice.
Five Key Questions
Is it respectful?
Is it responsible?
Is it safe?
Is it honest?
Is it lawful?
Think of several possible choices for what to do if you find
a wallet in a store. Test each of the choices with
questions.
Keep it.
Turn it in to the office.
Give it to a parent.
Find the store manager to give the wallet.
Five Key Questions
Is it respectful?
Is it responsible?
Is it safe?
Is it honest?
Is it lawful?
Time to Think #5
Q. What is the third step to making better
choices?
A. Exercise judgment.
Q. Is doing the first thing that comes to
mind always the best choice?
A. NO!
Q. What is a good way to exercise judgment
and test choices?
A. Asking myself the five key
questions.
Five S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices
Step back.
Think about emotions.
Exercise judgment.
Picture consequences (S-T-E-P-S)
The Fourth Step to Making
Better Choices
The fourth step to
making better
choices is to
picture
consequences.
Imagine that someone is hungry and decides to eat some
birthday cake for a party that will begin in an hour. This
decision is based on short-term results. If the hungry
person had thought about long-term results and pictured
the consequences of the guests' reaction, a better choice
might have been made.
Better choices are usually made when consequences are
pictured.
The three questions can be used to help you
picture consequences before taking action
.
.
1. What could happen?
2. What could you lose?
3. Is it worth it?
Think about someone who does not have money
to buy a new CD and is thinking about stealing.
Time to Think #6
Q.
Q. What is the fourth step to making better
choices?
A. Picture consequences.
Q. Does picturing consequences result in better
choices?
A. Yes.
Q. Is asking what could happen one way to picture
consequences?
A. Yes
Five S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices
Step back.
Think about emotions.
Exercise judgment.
Picture consequences.
Select the best choice.
(S-T-E-P-S)
Select the best choice.
(S-T-E-P-S)
The final step to
making better
choices is to
select the
best choice.
Practice Courage
After you step back, think
about your emotions,
exercise judgment and
picture consequences,
you have what you need
to
select the best choice.
Now you need to be
willing to show the
strength and courage
to make the best
choice.
If others are involved with you in a
decision-making situation you may need
to let them know the choice you are going
to make. Saying “no” to others who are
about to make a poor choice can be
difficult. Keep picturing the consequences
in your mind. Saying “no” will become
easier with practice.
WARNING:
Time to Think #7
Q. What is the fifth and final step to
making better choices?
A. Select the best choice.
Q. Do you need to show courage to select
the best choice?
A. YES!
Review S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices
Step back.
Think about emotions.
Exercise judgment.
Picture Consequences.
Select the best choice.
Quiz Yourself
What are the 5 S-T-E-P-S to Better
Choices?
S________________________________
T________________________________
E________________________________
P________________________________
S________________________________
One more time…
1. Step B________
2. T_______ about emotions.
3. Exercise J_________________.
4. P____________ consequences.
5. S _______________ the best choice.
PART 2
Communication Tips
Problems with others are a part of life for
everyone. When there is a problem with
another person we often try to change the
other person’s behavior but the truth is
that we are not in control of changing
anyone’s behavior except our own.
Instead of trying to make others change,
focus on positive changes you can make
to solve the problem.
Once you have your
emotions under control,
the next thing to do is to
use an “I” statement. “I”
statements work best for
solving problems with
others. The following
situation between two
people shows an example
of an “I” statement and
how a solution can be
offered:
Problem: A friend
borrows twenty
dollars from you but
has not paid back the
loan in over a month.
State the problem with an “I” statement.
“ I need the twenty dollars I loaned you.”
Ask questions.
“When do you plan to pay back the money?”
Offer a solution
“I would like to have half today and the
other half next Friday. Okay?”
If the solution does not solve the problem,
think of other options that are positive actions.
“If you pay the loan back today you will only
Have to pay $15 back.
Some ways of communicating
make problems worse.
Avoid “you” statements.
“You never pay what you owe.”
Avoid insults.
“You’re a liar.”
Avoid threats and commands.
“Pay right now or I’ll tell everyone
you don’t pay what you owe.”
“You” statements, insults, threats
and commands usually make
problems with others worse.
Become more aware of your body
language.
Pointing fingers, rolling
eyes, laughing when not appropriate,
glaring, and other negative body
language send damaging messages
and can make the problem worse.
Practice calm and positive body
language.
Q. What ways of communicating works best for solving problems with
others?
A. Use “I” statements and work towards solutions.
Q. What makes problems with others worse?
A. Threats, commands, and insults.
Q. Do “you” statements help you communicate better than “I”
statements?
A. No!
Time to Think #8
PART 3
Ways to Take Responsibility
When a poor choices have been made there are
several ways to take responsibility for your
choices.
The following 3 R’s for taking responsibility
can be used:
1. Take responsibility.
Apologize and state the choice you made.
“I apologize for
_______________________________”
(Excuses should be avoided. Reasons for your
actions can be explained at a later time.)
2. Offer Restitution.
Offer to pay for, repair, redo or replace.
“Is there something I can do to make things
better?”
3. Make a Resolution.
“I will not ___________again” or “I will make a
better choice in the future.”
Time to Think #9
Q. What is a good way to take
responsibility for a poor choice?
A. State the poor choice you made
and apologize.
Q. What is a good resolution for future
situations after a poor choice has been
made?
A. I will make better choices in the
future.
ACTIVITY ONE
Using Past Choices to Make Better Choices in the Future
Looking back at past choices can help you make better choices in the
future.
Think of past choices that did not give you positive results.
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What was the choice you made? (State
the problem with an "I" statement.)
2. What happened?
3. What did you choose to do to solve the
problem?
4. What other choices could have been
made to solve the problem for better
results?
Think Back
What choice did you make that resulted in
you having to take the Better Choices
class?
What happened as a result of your choice?
Looking back now, what are other choices
that you could have made?
Activity 2
Check Emotions that Block
Reasoning
Even though emotions are a normal and
important part of life, making choices
based on strong feelings is not usually the
best choice.
The activity in the next slide lists some
emotions that might block the reasoning
needed to make a better choice:
Look for any feelings that have caused
you to make poor choices in the past.
____afraid ____angry ____stressed
____sad ____annoyed ____jealous
____embarrassed ___impatient ____rejected
____revengeful ___hurt ____sensitive
____ashamed ____preoccupied
____frustrated
____insulted
____afraid of what others might say about you
____tired
____Consider any feelings not listed that apply to you.
Becoming more aware of the emotions that have led
to poor choices in the past can help you in future
situations.
Activity 3 Consider More
Than One Option
Consider which choice would help solve the
following problem situation below:
Problem: You have overslept and are late for
school.
Possible options/solutions:
1. Start screaming or crying.
2. Find someone in the house to blame.
3. Calmly grab your clothes and go.
4. Break the alarm clock.
5. Go back to sleep.
There are many ways to solve a problem
but some ways are better than others.
Thinking about more than one choice for
a solution to a problem situation can
help you find a better choice.
I could
I could
…
…
Or
maybe
I could
Or I
could
….
Or I
could
If you have several problems happening at
the same time, you need to solve them
one at a time in order of importance.
For example, not knowing what to wear
in the previous problem situation is a less
important problem to solve than being late
for school.
WARNING:
Activity 4 Reason the Better
Choice
Consider which of the following examples show that better choices
have been made.
A. You oversleep and are going to be late for school. You choose to stay
home and watch a movie.
B. Your friends want you to join them in doing something illegal. You
choose to think about the consequences and walk away.
C. You forget to study for a class quiz. You choose to copy a friend’s
answers.
D. A police officer asks you to stand still. You choose to manage your fear
and cooperate.
If you considered B and D to be better choices you receive a thumbs-
up! Notice how A and C could lead to more problems.
Activity 5 Make Plans for
Better Choices
People usually decide to change habits
when consequences are more unfavorable
than they wish to experience.
Do you need to change any habits?
Changes take practice and commitment but
the results are worth it!
The lists below show some habits to change and new
habits to develop.
Choices with Unfavorable Results Better Choices
You act too quickly. Step back.
(Stop and think.)
You act on strong emotions. Think about emotions.
(Manage feelings.)
You do the first thing that comes to mind. Exercise judgment.
(Ask questions.)
You use short-term thinking. Picture consequences.
(Ask yourself what could happen.)
You are afraid to tell others "no". Select the best choice.
(Think through all choices)
You try to change people. Make positive changes in your behavior.
You use "you" statements with others. Use "I" statements and state the problem.
You make threats or insult others. Ask questions.
You make commands to others. Offer solutions.
You use negative body language. Use positive body
language.
You make excuses for your Take responsibility.
actions.
Deny your actions. Take responsibility.
Justify your actions. Take responsibility
.
Blame others for your actions. Take responsibility.
Make Plans for Better
Choices
Consider the following chart to help you make a plan for changing a habit
or action.
HINTS FOR
SUCCESS
Put up reminders.
Report your progress
to someone.
Practice until a new
habit is formed.
5. Think of a plan
for changing that
action.
Example: I will practice
telling the truth and
use courage.
4. Think about an
action you could
choose instead.
Example: Choose to tell
the truth.
3. Think about the
next time that you
might be tempted to
choose that action.
Example: A similar
situation tempts you to
lie again.
2. When you use
that action what
else happens?
Example: You have to
tell other lies to cover
the first lie. People do
not trust you.
1. Think of an action
that you want
to change.
Example: You tell a lie.
One Last Word...
The Better Choices program has
provided you with some tools for
making choices for better results.
If you have downloaded the student
handbook, it can be kept to
review what you have learned.
Success has been defined as a series
of good choices
The choice to use what you have
learned is up to you.
The Better Choices program wishes
you success!
Thank you for participating in the
Better Choices Online Course.
Good Luck!
Final Review
Show some of what you have learned about making
better choices by answering the following
questions.
Part 1
1. What are the 5 S-T-E-P-S to Better Choices?
2. What are the 5 key questions for exercising judgment?
3. What are the 3 questions for picturing consequences?
Part 2
4. What are 3 ways of communicating that usually make
problems worse?
5. What kind of statement can be used to communicate in a positive
way?
Part
6. What are the 3R's for making amends after making a poor
choice?
Review the questions and
answers on the Time to
Think #1-9 slides if
needed.
You should now be ready to
take the test.
Good luck. You must
answer 16 out of the 20
questions to pass the
test.