What It Feels Like When Others Are Defining You
TARGET:
9-11 years
INTENSITY:
25 min / 2x per week
LEARNING GOAL
Developing Emotional Awareness When Interacting with Others
PEDAGOGICAL INTENTION
Identifying My Emotions When Interacting with Others
Target SKILLS
Socio-emotional Intelligence
Co-Intelligence Human-Human
Critical Thinking
Metacognition
MATERIALS
Reputation-emotion scenario cards
Personal identity statement journal
DETAILED PROCEDURE
Gather the whole group together in a circle for this activity. Explain calmly to the children: "At your age, what other people think about you starts to matter in new ways. The emotions that come with reputation are intense and often confusing."
Step 1
Use these scenarios: a rumor spreads about you / you're suddenly popular and don't know why / your reputation in one group doesn't match who you are in another.
Step 2
Map the emotions: what does it feel like when others define you inaccurately? When accurately?
Step 3
Say gently to the children: "Your reputation is what others think you are. Your character is what you actually are. You control one of these."
Step 4
Personal statement: write 3 sentences about who you actually are, independent of anyone's opinion.
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
PROGRESS INDICATORS
The child names emotions associated with 3 reputation scenarios.
The child distinguishes reputation from character clearly.
The child writes a personal identity statement independent of peer perception.