Chapter 4: MIMEing Time
MIMEing the Future: Planning Ahead with Purpose
In this chapter, students learn how to picture themselves in the future—what they’ll be doing, how they’ll feel, and what steps they’ll take to reach their goals. We call this skill MIMEing. It’s a way to mentally “rehearse” the future like a mini movie in your mind, so students can plan ahead and problem-solve before challenges even happen.
Students will practice using both mental imagery and gestures to act out their plans—literally thinking with their hands to better feel how time will unfold. They’ll also learn how to talk themselves through these plans, using strategies like “Plan A/Plan B” thinking to stay flexible and adjust when things don’t go as expected.
This kind of future thinking helps students make smarter choices, avoid last-minute stress, and feel more confident navigating their day.
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Lesson 16: MIME Activities
Students will learn how to be a “mind MIME.” They will start by MIMEing and gesturing simple tasks, then gesture a sequence of actions within a time frame, and finally plan by MIMEing and gesturing the actions and subtasks involved in more complex tasks. Using MIME and gesture will help students more accurately plan their tasks, avoid potential problems, and stay on track throughout the day.
Lesson 17: MIMEing and Plan A/Plan B Thinking
Students will learn to incorporate Plan A/Plan B Thinking into their use of MIME and gesture. Adding these stated intentions while MIMEing and gesturing a future task will help them consider the specifics of how they will carry out the plan (e.g., “I am going to . . . ,” “I will . . .”) and remember to anticipate and plan for obstacles they might encounter along the way.