Introduction

For students in special education, facing challenges can often lead to frustration and discouragement. It is essential for educators to teach these students the importance of positive thinking and persistence when confronted with difficult tasks. By fostering a growth mindset and encouraging students to keep trying, they can develop resilience and problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. In this blog post, we will discuss an easy-to-implement activity, discussion questions, related skills, and next steps to help educators teach positive thinking and persistence in the classroom.

No-Prep Activity

One simple activity that requires no preparation or materials is the “Positive Thinking Challenge.” In this activity, the educator asks students to think of a task or activity they find challenging. It could be anything from reading a difficult passage to solving a math problem. Then, the educator encourages students to come up with positive phrases they can tell themselves when facing these challenges. Some examples of positive phrases include “I can do this,” “I will keep trying,” and “I’m making progress.”

Once students have a list of positive phrases, have them practice saying these phrases out loud while pretending to face their chosen challenge. The educator can then facilitate a group discussion about how using positive self-talk can help students stay persistent and overcome obstacles.

Discussion Questions

1. How does positive thinking help us when we face challenges?
2. What are some examples of positive phrases you can say to yourself when you’re struggling with a task?
3. Can you think of a time when positive thinking helped you overcome a challenge? How did it make you feel?
4. Why is it important to stay persistent and keep trying, even when something is difficult?
5. How can we support each other in staying positive and persistent during challenging tasks?

Related Skills

Teaching students positive thinking and persistence is just one aspect of social-emotional learning. Other related skills that educators can help students develop include:

• Problem-solving: Encourage students to think critically and come up with creative solutions to challenges they face.
• Resilience: Help students build their ability to bounce back from setbacks and maintain a positive outlook.
• Growth mindset: Teach students to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than as insurmountable obstacles.
• Self-awareness: Assist students in understanding their emotions and recognizing how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior.

Next Steps

Teaching positive thinking and persistence is a crucial aspect of supporting students in special education. To further explore these skills and access additional resources, sign up for free samples of social-emotional learning materials at Everyday Speech. By incorporating these strategies into your classroom, you can help students build resilience, develop problem-solving skills, and foster a growth mindset that will benefit them in all areas of life.