Teach your students conflict resolution with the three choices they have in responding to both fair and unfair criticism… HOT, COLD, and COOL!

Dealing with criticism is a challenging experience for most people and can be especially difficult for younger students. If not handled effectively, criticism will impede improvements in performance, diminish self-esteem and lead to aggressive behavior or social withdrawal. Handled well, criticism can promote learning, improve performance, and enhance self-confidence. This module presents effective ways in which students can cope with criticism.

BeCool teaches students about the three basic ways we respond to criticism: Aggressively (HOT), Passively (COLD) or Assertively (COOL). In each of the video scenarios, children are challenged by a difficult person or situation. Your students will watch as their video peers hesitate and then model three different ways to respond to conflict: Giving Up (COLD), Blowing Up (HOT) or Staying in Control (COOL).

There is not always a clear difference between helpful criticism and destructive fault- finding. This module teaches your students how to distinguish between valid and invalid criticism and how to cope with each. Your students are presented with classic, real-life situations that model the effective use of assertive strategies. They will watch Cheryl react to her dad’s fair criticism of her messy room and see Diane respond to what appears to be unfair criticism from her teacher. They will also watch and see how Nathan handles Emily’s hysterical accusations about a missing backpack. Finally, they will learn the dead-end consequences of a COLD (victim-like) or a HOT (hothead) reaction to criticism no matter if it’s fair or not.

The BeCool Paradigm is research based and truly works.