For teachers, counsellors and wellbeing staff
Short poems for hard feelings. A 15-minute lesson you can run tomorrow.
Each micro-lesson pairs one poem with one guided activity and a teacher script that has safeguarding built in. No preparation needed.
- 10 to 15 minutes per lesson
- Safeguarding notes in every lesson
- Australian Curriculum links (Version 9)
Six books, six feelings young people find hard to name
Every book has three classroom lessons. Pick a cover to see its lessons in the shop.
Look inside
One page and one slide. Everything you need.
- The full poem, a learning intention and success criteria
- Step-by-step activity timings for a 10 to 15 minute session
- A teacher script with safeguarding notes and referral language
- A slide to project, and support contacts for students
Linked to the Australian Curriculum (Version 9). Each lesson lists its Health and Physical Education and English content descriptions, such as AC9HP10P06 and AC9E9LE02.
Free lesson
Get the free Anxiety micro-lesson
One thought becomes ten.
Ten become a storm.But I'm learning to breathe.
To pause.
To say, “This thought is not a fact.”
From “Overthinker”, Poems for the Brave: Anxiety. This poem is the heart of the free lesson.
Thank you. Your lesson is ready
Download your free Anxiety micro-lesson below. We've also sent you a quick email to confirm your address, so please click the button in it. Need help? Email [email protected].
Pick the pack that fits your class
All digital downloads, ready straight away. Prices in Australian dollars. See everything in the shop.
Toolkit Plus
$7
The Anxiety and Resilience lessons, two worksheets and a 7-minute PD video.
Get Toolkit PlusTopic Pack
$19 per theme
Three poems on one theme, with slides, worksheets, a student packet and an overview video.
Choose a themeFull Micro-Lesson Pack
$29
One lesson for each of the six themes, with slides, worksheets and a 9-minute PD video.
Get the Full PackComplete Collection
$89 worth $182
All 18 lessons, every student packet and video, Move and Make, and the posters.
Get the CollectionFor wellbeing leaders
Leading wellbeing for a year group or a whole school?
Start with the free 2027 term planner, which maps all six themes across the year. Then see the Wellbeing Leader Kit, with letters for families and a simple way to show impact, and the Team Pack for up to five teachers.
About the author
Cath Jordan (C.E. Jordan)
C.E. Jordan writes for those who feel everything and say little. The poems honour the quiet strength of young people working through anxiety, grief, self-doubt and change, and the slow, steady path to self-trust.
The six books are illustrated by Kathy Mason and published by CoreDwell Consulting in Perth, Western Australia. The teacher lessons grew from the series' Companion Guide, so classrooms can use the poems safely and well.
Questions schools ask
Something else? Email [email protected]. Wellbeing leaders, see the Schools page.
What ages is it for?
Secondary students and university students. The curriculum links are written for Years 9 and 10, and the lessons work just as well in senior years and in university wellbeing or counselling groups.
Is this therapy?
No. It's a short, low-risk classroom activity that helps students notice and name a feeling. Every lesson includes a safeguarding note, referral language and support contacts. It doesn't replace counselling or clinical care.
Do students need the books?
No. The poem is printed on the lesson page and on the slide.
Can I print and copy the lessons?
Yes, for your own classes. The free Anxiety lesson can also be shared with colleagues. Paid packs are licensed to the teacher who buys them, so please don't share or upload those files.
How do I get the files after I buy?
Everything is a digital download through Gumroad. You get the files straight away, and a link by email. Prices are in Australian dollars. Gumroad’s invoice shows the amount in US dollars, but you pay the Australian price shown at checkout. Go to the shop.
Shop
Lessons, activities and posters for your classroom
Everything is a digital download, delivered straight away through Gumroad. Prices are in Australian dollars.
Topic Packs: one theme, three poems
Each Topic Pack has three micro-lessons, each with a slide and a worksheet, plus a student packet, an 8-minute overview video on running all three, and an evaluation form. $19 per theme.
Not sure yet? Try the Anxiety lesson free first.
Anxiety
- Overthinker
- Invisible weight
- calm isn’t quiet
Or a single lesson for $5: Invisible weight or calm isn’t quiet
Resilience
- not fixed, just forward
- still here
- soft strength
Or a single lesson for $5: still here or soft strength
Grief
- Grief Isn’t Linear
- Your Hoodie
- Frozen
Or a single lesson for $5: Your Hoodie or Frozen
Healing
- Hope Isn’t Loud
- Open Window
- Legacy
Or a single lesson for $5: Open Window or Legacy
Identity
- Labels
- Unfolding
- who I am
Or a single lesson for $5: Unfolding or who I am
Love
- The Friend Who Stayed
- brave enough to be me
- Louder Than Love
Or a single lesson for $5: brave enough to be me or Louder Than Love
One lesson for every theme
Toolkit Plus
$7
- The Anxiety and Resilience micro-lessons and slides
- Two printable worksheets
- A 7-minute PD video on running the lessons
Full Micro-Lesson Pack
$29
- One micro-lesson for each of the six themes, with slides and worksheets
- A 9-minute PD video covering all six
Get students up and moving
Move and Make
$9 per theme, or $39 for all six
- Four active ways to follow each lesson: four corners, walk and talk, photo hunt and remix
- Activities for all three lessons in the theme, with corner signs
- Eight reflection cards with the steps and helplines on the back
Print the reflection cards double-sided on card, then cut them out.
Get Move and MakeClassroom Poster Set
$7 per theme, or $29 for all six
- Three A3 posters, each a line from a different poem with Kathy Mason’s art
- Three simple steps to try on every poster
- Australian helplines along the bottom
Best value
Complete Collection
$89 worth $182 bought separately
- All 18 micro-lessons, three per theme, with slides and worksheets
- Student packets, evaluation forms and an overview video for every theme
- The PD video covering all six themes
- Move and Make for every lesson, with reflection cards
- Classroom Poster Sets for all six themes
For one teacher. Buying for colleagues too? See the Team Pack.
For wellbeing leaders and schools
Plan the year, bring families in, show the impact
If you lead wellbeing for a year group, a department or a whole school, start with the free term planner. Then add what your team needs.
Wellbeing term planner 2027
Free
- All six themes mapped across the four terms
- Timed to R U OK? Day, Harmony Week and Mental Health Month
- Planning notes for form time, Health and English
Wellbeing Leader Kit
$29
- Six editable letters to parents and carers, one per theme
- A start and end of term student check-in survey
- A class tally sheet and a one-page impact summary
- The term planner
Team Pack
$199 about $40 a teacher
- The Complete Collection: all six Topic Packs, the PD video, Move and Make and posters
- The Wellbeing Leader Kit
- A team licence for five named teachers at one school
Start small, then grow
- One teacherTry the free Anxiety lesson, then the Full Pack ($29) or the Complete Collection ($89).Go to the shop
- A team of up to fiveShare everything with the Team Pack ($199), about $40 a teacher.See the Team Pack
- The whole schoolUse it in every class with a school licence. Email us to talk about what would suit your school.Ask about a school licence
Questions leaders ask
Want to see a lesson first? Get the Anxiety lesson free, or browse the shop.
Can the five teachers share the Team Pack files?
Yes. Write their names on the team licence certificate, then share the files in a private folder. Please don’t put them on a whole-school drive or a learning platform other staff can see.
Is the check-in survey a mental health screening tool?
No. It’s a short, anonymous check-in that shows how a class is going at the start and end of a term, to help you plan. It doesn’t identify individual students.
Can parents see what we’re teaching?
Yes. The Leader Kit has an editable letter for each theme that explains the lesson and what to talk about at home. Add your school letterhead and send it out before the lesson.
For readers
Six small books of poems for hard feelings
Poems for the Brave is a series by C.E. Jordan, illustrated by Kathy Mason. Each book takes one feeling, from anxiety to grief to first love, and sits with it honestly. They’re written for young people and for the adults who care about them.
The six books
Every book comes in paperback and as an ebook.
Anxiety
For the racing mind and the weight no one else can see.
Poems include Overthinker, Masks, calm isn’t quiet.
Resilience
For getting back up, one small step at a time.
Poems include Rebuild, still here, not fixed, just forward.
Grief
For loss, and for the days after.
Poems include The Day After, Your Hoodie, Grief Isn’t Linear.
Healing
For the slow, quiet work of mending.
Poems include Hope Isn’t Loud, Open Window, Legacy.
Identity
For working out who you are, and letting that be enough.
Poems include Becoming, Labels, Wild & Tender.
Love
For friendship, family and the people who stay.
Poems include Found, Louder Than Love, The Friend Who Stayed.
Giving one as a gift
A short book of poems can say “I see you” when it’s hard to find the words yourself.
- Order the paperback and send it straight to them. On Amazon, choose their address at checkout and tick the gift option to leave the price off the packing slip.
- Pick the feeling, not the problem. Resilience and Healing are gentle choices if you’re not sure. Grief suits someone who has lost a person or a pet.
- Add a note. Mark a poem that made you think of them.
Poster sets for a bedroom, desk or office
$7 per theme, or $29 for all six
- Three A3 posters per theme, each a line from a poem with Kathy Mason’s art
- Three simple steps to try on every poster
- Australian helplines along the bottom
A printable download. Print at home, or at Officeworks or any print shop.
Get the postersWork in a school?
Each book has three ready-to-teach classroom lessons. Start with the Anxiety lesson, free.
Get the free lessonIf someone needs help now
If someone is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
Start with one free lesson
The Anxiety micro-lesson and its slide, free for teachers.
Get the free Anxiety lessonPrivacy
When you sign up for the free lesson, we collect your first name, email address, where you teach and the theme you chose. We use them to send you the lesson and occasional updates about Poems for the Brave, and to suggest resources that suit your students. Your details are stored with our email provider, Kit, and we never sell or share them. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and you can ask us to see, correct or delete your details at any time by emailing [email protected]. Purchases are handled by Gumroad under its own privacy policy.