Potential Exercises for self-concept improving
Theoretical background:
Self-concept or self-identity is the mental and conceptual understanding and
persistent regard that sentient beings hold for their own existence. In other words, it
is the sum total of a being's knowledge and understanding of his or her self. The
self-concept is different from self-consciousness, which is an awareness or
preoccupation with one's self. Components of the self-concept include physical,
psychological, and social attributes, which can be influenced by the individual's
attitudes, habits, beliefs and ideas. These components and attributes can not be
condensed to the general concepts of self-image and the self-esteem.
Target group:
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Pupils 15 to 17 years old
General Target Group:
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Counsellors
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Teachers
Activities’ description:
All these activities can be the part of a more meaningful lesson which
takes place in a different classroom. The desks’ arrangement is very
important. It is preferable for the children not to be sat down as in the
others lessons in order to feel more comfortable to interact. All these
activities are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other activities
through which a teacher can help students build a positive self-concept.
These types of activities hopefully give students the strength to withstand
the pressures of the pack; they hopefully enable students to resist that
pull to metamorphoses into who they're not.
Pedagogical aims
A student enters school as a unique individual, consisted of genes,
environment, and a certain spark within himself. An increased awareness
of how special that unique spark really makes him helps that student
retain that quality. Our goal as teachers is not to produce cookie-cutter
children but to nourish each student's individual soul. As an ancient
Chinese proverb says:
I hear …and I forget
I see… and I remember
I do…and I understand.
These potential activities should pose specific aims for children in order
to:
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To motivate them via quick and spontaneous answers
To detect, to realize and to reveal the traits of their
personality.
To motivate them to discriminate the external self traits from
the internal ones and to detect the difficulties in order to
realize the most hidden ones.
To shape a final completed picture of self.
To motivate them to realize that all traits are essential and to
accept that fact. It is also necessary for the children to
understand that they should accept their traits and then to try
to change them those which are considered as negative ones.
To help students to realize and to name their feelings
To help students to develop team spirit, to interact with each
other, to pose the same goals, to reveal their thoughts and to
share experience.
Time:
45 minutes including the conversation
Resources needed: photocopier, magazines, glues
Cross cultural Issues :
System
Interaction
Communication
Student – Team
Change
Activity 1st
Designing Self-Collages
Part 1: We suggest students to use pictures, words, or symbols clipped
from magazines that represent their traits that they have glued on the
iceberg’s sides or things they enjoy doing, places they've been, people
they admire, or careers they desire. With all these things students create
a collage. They place their names on the back, and we post the collages
around the room.
Part 2: The other students guess which collage belongs to whom and
state why they made that guess. Afterwards, all children are unmasked
and justify their choices and their work procedure.
Time required: 20 minutes
Activity 2nd
Create a "Me" Commercial
Part 1: Each student write a two- to three-minute television commercial.
The topic is why someone should hire him or choose him. The commercial
will depict the student's special qualities, traits, interests in a persuasive
way. All children should have in their mind where they would address for
hiring them (in what kind of company) in order to achieve their goal. After
they work on these, the students present their commercials in front of the
class circularly.
Part 2: Afterwards, they write to their portfolio the reason they choose
this or that characteristic, this or that interest. Another variation is for a
group of five to create a commercial for each one and then present this in
front of the class.
Time required: 20 minutes
Activity 3rd
Drawing Self Portraits – Life Trees
Part 1: We ask students to draw themselves. Students can use black or
coloured pencils, but any medium could be used. The picture does not
have to be exact, but it should be representative of that student.
Students can draw a tree. This tree will be named life tree and represent
self. The size, the branches, the fruits, the boles have sense in order to
understand students’ selves. An asthenic tree with small branches,
without fruits will give us a meaning that the student feels insecure with a
low self-esteem.
These drawings or portraits also go into the journals. An optional variation
is to divide the shape for the face down the centre lengthwise. Half the
face can be a depiction of how the studend see themselves, and the other
how they think others see him. This is accompanied by a paragraph that
describes how the students see themselves versus how they think others
see them.
Time required: 30 minutes
Activity 4th
Matching traits with professions
Part 1: Students write down to their portfolio – notebook their traits that
they had chosen in the 1st exercise in a vertical list. They complete this list
if they want (a proposed list can include 10 traits). Next to this list, they
create another one with professions, in the way that every trait will be
matched with a potential profession eg. Accurate8Accountant,
Affectionate8kindergarten teacher. We can also give us a brief indicative
board with professions.
Part 2: Afterwards, we say the students’ names randomly and each one
says her/his name, a trait and the matched profession, eg. Elen,
communicative, journalist
Time required: 30 minutes
These activities are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other
activities through which a teacher can help her students build a positive
self-concept. These types of activities hopefully give students the strength
to withstand the pressures of the pack; they hopefully enable students to
resist that pull to metamorphoses into who they're not.