Lesson Plan

Expressing Boundaries

Students will learn to assertively express their feelings using the sentence “I don’t like it when you do that” by modeling, practice, and role-play in peer scenarios.

Teaching clear, assertive communication builds self-advocacy and helps students with IEPs set healthy boundaries, improving social confidence.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Preparation

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up

3 minutes

Step 2

Introduce Phrase

5 minutes

Step 3

Guided Practice

7 minutes

Step 4

Wrap-Up

5 minutes

Warm Up

Slide Deck

How Do You Feel?

Display the emotion chart and guide the student to identify their feelings. Say: “Let’s look at these faces. How do you feel when someone takes your toy or says something unkind?” Point to each face, label it, and relate it to situations.

Say This Sentence

Introduce the full sentence frame. Say: “Today we’re learning to tell someone how we feel when they do something we don’t like. Repeat after me.” Model slowly and clearly.

Let’s Break It Down

Break the sentence into two parts. Part 1: “I don’t like it” – Have student repeat. Part 2: “when you do that” – Have student repeat. Finally, combine both parts and practice together.

Practice with a Scenario

Show or hand the student a scenario picture card (e.g., someone taking a crayon). Ask: “What happened? What can you say?” Encourage them to use the sentence frame. Provide script card if needed.

When Will You Use It?

Review the full phrase one more time. Ask the student to think of another situation and say the sentence. Praise effort and remind them to use it during the day.