Materials: Turtle images or infographic.
1. Explaining the technique: The trainer explains the four-step Turtle Technique from the guide:
“Dear colleagues, the Turtle Technique is very different from simply telling children to ‘calm down’. It is a concrete neuropsychological tool that teaches children how to use their own biological braking mechanism during a crisis. The technique consists of four steps: 1) Notice your emotion and say ‘Stop’. 2) Imagine withdrawing into your turtle shell and wrap your arms around your body. 3) Take a deep breath and tell yourself, ‘I can calm down’. 4) When you are calm, come out of your shell and try to solve the problem.”
2. Role-play practice: Participants work in pairs. One person takes the role of a child experiencing intense anger, while the other takes the role of the caregiver guiding the child and enacts the four steps.