Self- Awareness
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the process through which children and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. This year, our school district is providing a proactive approach toward developing and maintaining positive behavior expectations for students. Through this progressive approach we are changing school environments and developing meaningful relationships with students and their families.

    Self-Awareness

    It is the ability to recognize one’s feelings and thoughts, the impact of one’s feelings and thoughts on one’s own behavior, one’s personal traits, strengths and limitations, and the importance of self-confidence in handling daily tasks and challenges.  In our elementary schools, we use the Responsive Classroom approach to build the academic and social-emotional skills of our students. Students engage in Morning Meeting with their teachers to discuss and practice the Responsive Classroom SEL competencies related to the monthly SEL focus. This month our students are practicing:

     

    Assertiveness- Students’ ability to take initiative, stand up for their ideas without hurting or negating others, seek help, succeed at a challenging task, and recognize their individual self as separate from the circumstances or conditions they’re in.

     

    Self- Control- Students’ ability to recognize and regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to be successful in the moment and remain on a successful trajectory.

    Tips for Parents

                            Self-awareness means understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing what types of help you could use. It also involves “tuning in” to feelings and thoughts, helping kids know how other people see them, and it’s an important skill for kids to develop so they can engage in self-reflection and self-advocacy (www.understood.org).

    As parents, you can help your child improve their self- awareness by doing the following things:  

    • Acknowledge the issues- Your young child may not yet fully understand their learning and behavior issues and that’s okay. It’s important for your child to begin to acknowledge his/her strengths and weaknesses.
    • Look at the big picture- Remind your child that his learning and behavior issues are just a small part of who he is. Help your child identify and celebrate his strengths. Focus on the good!
    • Don’t let weakness be a taboo topic- Try not to shy away from talking about weaknesses. You can use members of your family as examples for your child: “Mom is good at drawing, but she has a hard time riding a bike.”
    • Nurture your child’s passions- Remind your child what he’s good at. Let him know about compliments others give him when he’s not around. “Your art teacher said you’re one of the most creative kids in class. Is art really fun for you? Should we do some art together?”
    • Let your child try new things- Trying a variety of activities can help your child gain awareness of what he’s capable of. Reassure him that he doesn’t have to like or be good at everything. It’s more important for him to discover and recognize new interests. Consider extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities can also help your child build self-esteem.