It’s always good practice to give positive support. We usually find it easier to complement or support others before ourselves. In this activity, students will illustrate different ways to build someone else's self confidence as well as their own. Self talk is a great way to motivate yourself, and is a simple way to help build confidence and self esteem. Students should be encouraged to portray real world ways they can support their friends and classmates in their storyboard.
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Student Instructions
Demonstrate your understanding of the impact of self esteem by creating a storyboard where you support others first, and then support yourself.
Foster an open dialogue by inviting students to share their ideas on supporting others and themselves. Encourage respectful listening and diverse perspectives to help everyone feel valued.
Set clear expectations for kindness and respect before starting. Remind students that all contributions are welcome and that sharing is optional to help reduce anxiety and build trust.
Share specific scenarios where someone gave or received support. Ask students to reflect on how those actions affected self-esteem to deepen understanding and promote empathy.
Brainstorm phrases students can use to uplift others and themselves. Write these on the board so the class can reference them when creating their storyboards or practicing self-talk.
End the discussion by reviewing the most helpful strategies shared. Encourage students to try at least one new way to support themselves or a peer this week to reinforce learning.
Easy ways for students to support each other's self-esteem include giving genuine compliments, offering encouragement during challenges, listening actively, and celebrating each other's achievements. These small actions can make a big difference in building a positive classroom environment.
Self-talk involves using positive statements to motivate and encourage oneself. Teaching students to practice positive self-talk helps them manage setbacks, reduce negative thinking, and build self-confidence and self-esteem over time.
A storyboard activity is a simple way to teach students about supporting themselves and others. Students create scenes showing how to help peers and practice self-support, making the lesson interactive and relatable.
Learning to support others and themselves helps students develop empathy, resilience, and self-awareness. It fosters a supportive classroom culture and equips students with lifelong social-emotional skills.
Teachers can encourage positive self-talk by modeling affirmations, integrating reflection activities, and providing prompts like "I can do this" or "I am proud of my effort". Consistent practice normalizes healthy self-talk for students.