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The Pause Protocol: practising a pause and a thoughtful response
Try a three-step routine with a made-up situation: notice an event, offer a safe pause, and rehearse a respectful or protective response. A teacher or trusted adult guides the practice. Adapt the pace and response mode, and allow students to observe or pass. This is a teaching activity, not a clinical assessment or a promise that a particular strategy will work.
Notice a possible trigger
Use a fictional scene, such as missing a turn in a game. Notice the event and offer possible feelings without assigning them to a person. A student can observe, pass, point, draw or write; no personal story or spoken answer is needed.
Try saying
- “What happened in this made-up scene?”
- “What are two possible feelings?”
- “Would we need to ask rather than guess?”
Offer a safe pause strategy
With a trusted adult, try a pause card, gentle movement, a quiet break or comfortable breathing. No strategy or duration suits everyone. Offer support and time without insisting on stillness, eye contact or an appearance of calm. Follow school procedures for unsafe situations.
Try saying
- “Would a pause card, movement or quiet space help?”
- “You can take time before choosing words.”
- “We can ask a trusted adult for support.”
Rehearse respectful words or actions
In the fictional scene, practise a respectful response or a protective action. Use words, writing, drawing or response cards. Discuss its possible consequences and when adult help is needed. Rehearsal is an opportunity to practise, not a guarantee about later behaviour.
Try saying
- “What words or action could help in this scene?”
- “Would you like to point, draw, write or watch?”
- “When should a trusted adult help?”
Use the routine as a practice opportunity
A pause offers time to consider options. It need not suppress a feeling or require someone to appear calm. Discuss different strategies and what support might help in the fictional scene. Whether learning transfers beyond the activity needs evaluation; no recovery time or behavioural outcome is guaranteed.
This is the same sequence that runs through every Word Guard lesson — Recognise the signal, Think before responding, Lead with a chosen response, and Rehearse it until it feels normal.