WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE
HERTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS · SEL FRAMEWORK 2026–27
Self-Management
CASEL Core Competency · Rooted & Rising · August – September
COMPETENCY
1
OF 5
WHAT IS SELF-MANAGEMENT?
You can't calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm �will pass.
Timber Hawkeye
Goal + Strategy Gathering
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave person is not one who does not feel afraid, but one who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
Activist, President of South Africa
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
Maya Angelou
Poet, Author & Civil Rights Activist
Stress Weather Check-In
Breathing Check-In
Open your gathering by naming what you want to accomplish today and planning what you will do if it gets hard. Strong people plan for obstacles before they happen.
Check your inner weather — sunny, cloudy, or stormy? Name it and share one thing you will do today to manage it. There is no wrong weather; there is only noticing.
Choose your breathing strategy — 4-4-4 for focus, Box Breathing for stress, or 5-2-5 for overwhelm. Use this check-in to set the tone before learning begins.
→ See full activity guide
Self-management means you are in charge of your own emotions, actions, and goals — even when things get hard, stressful, or unfair. It is not about being perfect or hiding how you feel. It is about pausing before you react, making a plan, and following through — one decision at a time.
Author & Mindfulness Teacher
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WORDS FROM GREAT LEADERS
Words have power. The leaders who changed how people see each other started by truly seeing others first. Read these slowly. Let them land.
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GATHERINGS AND CHECK-INS TO PRACTICE THIS SKILL
ELEMENTARY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
The Most Magnificent Thing �by Ashley Spires
A girl gets frustrated when her invention does not work and learns to pause, breathe, and keep trying. A perfect picture-book model of self-management in action.
Inside Out (2015)
Pixar / Disney
Riley learns that managing emotions does not mean controlling them — it means understanding them. A powerful conversation-starter for �grades 5–8.
The House on Mango Street �by Sandra Cisneros
Esperanza navigates identity, belonging, and self-determination in a community that tries to define her. A rich text for exploring inner discipline and self-authorship.
BOOK
FILM
BOOK
STORIES THAT SHOW SELF-MANAGEMENT
Questions? Email Dr. Sophia Allmond, Director of School Support
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE — SERVICE LEARNING IN YOUR COMMUNITY
1
2
3
4
Survey your school or neighborhood: where do people feel stressed or overwhelmed? What calm spaces exist — and what is missing?
Investigate
Work as a team to create a Calm Space with breathing posters, goal boards, and regulation tools for classrooms or a community partner site.
Prepare
Lead a mini-training for classmates, staff, or community members on breathing techniques and the Stop-Think-Act framework.
Action
Partner with the local library, senior center, or RCCHC to bring calm spaces beyond school walls. Your skills belong to the whole community.
Demonstrate
Hertford County Public Schools · SEL Framework 2026–27 �Based on CASEL (2020) ROOTED & RISING
Self-Management | Competency 1 of 5