Strong on the Inside | Full Year Daily SEL Journal | Activities | Bell Ringers

A full year of daily SEL activities for middle and high school students. Perfect for bell ringers, morning meetings, tutor time, or homeroom, this engaging SEL journal builds skills in mindfulness, gratitude, growth mindset, and emotional literacy in just 5 minutes a day - each prompt helping students grow stronger inside.

Finding SEL activities that are meaningful and engaging for middle and high school can feel impossible. Too often, kids roll their eyes at the “same old” questions, and teachers feel like SEL is just one more thing.

But with stress, anxiety, and dysregulated behaviour on the rise, daily SEL routines have never been more important.

That’s where Strong on the Inside comes in. This ready-to-use, full year SEL program gives your students short, powerful prompts that spark reflection, build connection, and create lasting skills, all in just 5 minutes a day.

What’s Included

• 40 weeks of SEL activities (student-facing booklet)
• Two versions: with days of the week / without days (for flexible use)
• Two formats: full colour + black & white (B&W doubles as a mindfulness colouring/creative version for students to personalise)
• Editable Canva template - change the wording to suit your students/context (free Canva account required and some knowledge of Canva usage)
• Digital version included (Google Slides) - comes with an easy PDF link + instructions you can email directly to students, no setup needed
• Prompts built around 5 SEL concepts: emotional literacy, mindfulness, gratitude, community, grit & growth mindset

✨ That’s a full year of SEL for less than 40¢ a week - a ready-to-use routine that saves you time, engages your students, and actually makes a difference.

Why YOU will love Strong on the Inside

• Quick but powerful: daily SEL in just 5 minutes
• Student buy-in: teen-friendly prompts, not the same tired SEL questions
• Behaviour bonus: creates a calm, consistent routine that reduces low-level disruptions and builds felt-safety
• Built-in teachable moments: SEL skills are woven naturally into each activity - no need for a big, explicit lesson
• Flexible: perfect for morning meetings, advisory, homeroom, or tutor time
• Framework aligned: meets SEL competencies without turning kids off (e.g., “advice column” scenarios instead of forced conflict questions)

Why YOUR STUDENTS will love Strong on the Inside

• Prompts feel personal and real-world, not repetitive or babyish
• Framed as a journey of building inner strength and practising real-life skills
• Activities help them learn about themselves, their emotions, and regulation strategies in a natural way
• Beautiful illustrations featuring Dot Dudes and Sarah Pecorino’s emotion artwork add fun and engagement

Sample Questions

Emotional Literacy – When Aliens Ask About Anger
How would you explain anger to them?
What does it feel like in your body?
What kinds of things make humans feel this way?

Mindfulness – Alphabet Challenge
Starting with A, name a food beginning with that letter.
Keep going until Z.

Gratitude – Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Find something that makes you smile
Find something that makes your life easier
Find something you’re glad exists

Community – The Priceless Thing
Someone offers you a huge amount of money if you give up one thing you own. What’s one thing you’d never sell, and why?

Growth Mindset – The Pep Talk
Write a pep talk for a friend who’s having a bad day.

SEE THE PREVIEW FOR MORE EXAMPLES!

By the end of the year, your students will be able to look back and see how those small daily steps added up. Building calm, confidence, and connection. Strong on the Inside doesn’t just make SEL doable; it makes it meaningful, giving students the tools to manage emotions, strengthen relationships, and grow into resilient learners.