BeCool LosingIT!

What It's About

Middle school can be tough for students, with conflicts and provocations often leading to overreactions and destructive behavior. As educators, we want to help our students learn to handle themselves before they can handle conflict.

The BeCool®: Losing It! program offers proven self-talk techniques to help students avoid common thinking mistakes and put problems in a realistic perspective.

It is a four-module program designed for middle school students. The program teaches students how to use rational self-talk to prevent overreactions to conflict and provocations. It’s based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and has been shown to be effective in reducing anger and aggressive behavior in middle school students.

BeCool is easy to implement and can be used in the classroom or in a counseling setting. The program also provides resources for parents and caregivers to help reinforce the skills learned in the program.

“It’s great, our students love it! The Losing It, especially the skateboard tape is great. I have taught it from grades 1-High school and have had kids who have graduated call and tell me to keep teaching it because ‘I was the only one who knew how to solve problems.”

Beth Bishop, Okemos Public Schools

What You Will Learn

One of the most challenging emotions that students may struggle with is anger. Not only is anger a difficult emotion to handle, but it can also lead to regrettable actions and consequences. That’s where the BeCool: Losing It! program comes in – it teaches students how to use self-talk techniques to avoid overreacting to conflict and provocation.

BeCool: Losing It! uses a video format to model powerful self-talk strategies. Students will enter the heads of their video peers and learn how to cope with situations and people who threaten their cool on the most basic level.

The program also teaches students how to check out the facts before acting on assumptions. This is a crucial skill that helps to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications.

By teaching students to look at reality from different angles, they can come to a more rational understanding of the situation. They will also learn to stop themselves from reacting impulsively and to use their self-control skills to build self-respect. This is the essence of “cool” – being able to stay calm in the face of adversity.

Through failure, rejection, and attacks on their dignity, students will see how their peers use self-talk to stay calm and in control. The practical demonstrations in the videos make the program easy to follow, and the skills learned are more likely to be retained.

Module 1: Disrespect

In this module, students will learn how to imagine the consequences of their actions and use rational self-talk to manage their feelings and behavior when they feel disrespected.

The 29-minute instruction segment is accompanied by a helpful teacher’s guide that includes exercises and discussion questions. By teaching students to understand the power of their own thoughts and reactions, we empower them to make better choices and avoid escalation.

Module 2: Disrespect 2

Module 2 builds on the first by teaching students how to gain control of negative self-talk that often occurs when they feel disrespected. In the 20-minute instruction segment, students learn the difference between self-talk that helps and self-talk that hurts.

They’ll practice identifying negative self-talk and replacing it with positive thoughts that help them stay calm and focused. Again, the teacher’s guide offers suggestions for exercises and discussion topics to help reinforce the concepts.

Module 3: Failure/Frustration

Most students struggle with feelings of failure and frustration at some point in their academic journey. Module 3 helps them see how irrational self-talk leads to losing it, while BeCool techniques lead them to accept failure as a step toward achievement.

In just 20 minutes, your students will learn to identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with more positive, realistic ones. They’ll leave the module feeling empowered to face challenges head-on.

Module 4: Rejection

Rejection is a tough pill to swallow for anyone, but especially for young students who may lack the emotional skills to cope. In this module, students learn how to put rejection into perspective using BeCool self-talk techniques.

They’ll practice calming themselves down and keeping situations under control when things don’t go their way. At 22 minutes long, this module is a valuable addition to any classroom toolbox.

“Just a quick note to let you know how thrilled I am with the Losing It! Program. Your teacher guide is excellent. I have a 6th grade teacher anxious for me to begin using the series in his room. I also plan to give it a try in one of the special education classrooms when they come back on track in July.”

Christy Reinold, Lodi Unified Counselor

After Completion

Helping your students harness their inner cool is priceless. The BeCool Losing It program will give them the tools they need to regulate their emotions, solve conflicts, and build their confidence.

As an educator, you can help your students reach their full potential by giving them access to this valuable resource. The program includes four modules, a poster, and four teacher’s guides that can easily be integrated into your classroom lessons. This self-talk program teaches middle school students how to handle their emotions and put their problems into perspective.

So why not give your students the gift of peace of mind? Help them become the best version of themselves with BeCool Losing It!

"I was extremely pleased with all of the "Be Cool" and "Losing it" products. They opened up and engaged special education students who had previously been hostile and resistive to therapy. At the same time, it was very effective in the general education classroom. If I were queen of the world, I would require all schools to use it regularly!"

Gretchen K. Fuchs, Counselor, Burnet, TX