Introduction

Self-esteem and self-worth are essential components of a healthy mindset for students in special education. Positive self-esteem allows students to value themselves and believe they deserve respect. On the other hand, self-worth is the belief that one is worthy of love and respect from others. Both self-esteem and self-worth contribute to a student’s overall well-being and success in various aspects of life. This blog post will explore activities and discussion questions to help educators support their students in developing a healthy self-esteem and sense of self-worth.

No-Prep Activity: Positive Affirmations

This activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator and helps students practice positive self-talk. Begin by having students sit in a comfortable position, either at their desks or in a circle on the floor. Explain that they will be repeating positive affirmations to help improve their self-esteem and self-worth.

1. Ask students to close their eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax.
2. Slowly read out the following affirmations, allowing students to repeat each one after you:
   • I am loved.
   • I am unique.
   • I am growing.
   • I am valuable.
3. After repeating the affirmations, encourage students to take a few more deep breaths and open their eyes.

Remind students that they can practice these affirmations on their own whenever they need a boost in self-esteem and self-worth.

Discussion Questions

1. How did you feel before and after repeating the positive affirmations? Did you notice any changes in your thoughts or emotions?
2. Why is it important to have positive self-esteem and self-worth? How do these beliefs impact our daily lives and relationships with others?
3. Can you think of a time when you faced a challenge and used positive self-talk to help you overcome it? How did it affect your self-esteem and self-worth?
4. What are some other strategies you can use to improve your self-esteem and self-worth?
5. How can we support each other in developing a healthy sense of self-esteem and self-worth within our classroom community?

Related Skills

Developing self-esteem and self-worth in students is closely related to other essential social-emotional learning skills, such as:

• Effective communication
• Emotion regulation
• Resilience
• Empathy
• Goal setting and achievement

Working on these related skills can further support students in their journey towards improved self-esteem and self-worth.

Next Steps

If you found these activities and discussion questions helpful, consider signing up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech. Access a wide range of resources designed to support educators in teaching essential social-emotional learning skills to students in special education. Don’t miss out on these valuable tools to help your students grow and thrive!