We want our students to make decisions that will improve both themselves and the community. While we can’t make decisions for them, as teachers we can certainly make an influence. If a student feels good about themselves and has high self esteem, they will put themselves first when faced with important choices. On the other hand, when a student has low self worth, they may occasionally or consistently make destructive decisions. Developmentally speaking, young people do not think consequence first, but they have developed a reward system. If students don’t value themselves and they are faced with a destructive decision, they may ask themselves: why not? If they have low self worth, they may feel like there is nothing to lose.
The activities in this guide allow students to create storyboards and posters that will help them foster positive self esteem and self worth. They will be challenging their self worth in several different ways. Mental health is an underappreciated aspect of health that is often not thought about until it’s negatively affecting our lives. It is not something that can be seen and it is hard to measure, making mental health an afterthought, especially for students. Let’s help our students help themselves by equipping them with the tools they need!
