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​Self Awareness & Self Management - Pre-K-K

Recognize and label basic feelings
Demonstrate awareness of self and one’s own preferences
Distinguish between situations that elicit positive or negative feelings
Express a want and the means to achieve it

Recognize and label basic feelings

​Performance Indicator(s)
The learner will:
​Supportive Practices
The adult will:
​Teaching Strategies
  • Recognize and label feelings. (e.g., frustrated, anxious, embarrassed)
  • Name feelings of self and others in real or imagined situations.
  • Engage children in discussions about how they feel when they experience certain situations (both positive and negative).
  • Model genuine, appropriate emotional responses.
  • Use expressions (e.g., "I feel …" or "That must have made you feel …") when interacting with children.
  • Encourage open expression of feelings by asking children how they feel.  Respond to children's verbal and non-verbal cues. 
  • Use the Pyramid Model to support children's social and emotional success. 
  • Model and explain an appropriate cool-down strategy. (e.g., deep breathing, counting slowly to 5, give yourself a bear hug).
  • Establish and state clear behavior expectations. (e.g., "At school we do not throw things. If you feel angry, you can visit the peace table and choose something to work on.").
  • Read books about feelings and talk about what the characters are feeling and the outcomes.
  • Teach students to manage their emotions using the PIE approach –processing, identifying, and expressing their emotions.
  • Create a check-in board where students place their name or photo next to a feeling picture. Provide alternate symbols that could represent feelings (e.g., colors, weather patterns).
  • Read stories or show picture books with themes and ask students to discover the words or phrases used to describe emotions.
  • Help students increase their dictionary of feeling words through books, role-play, and modeling that includes various settings (i.e., classroom and work environments).

Demonstrate awareness of self and one’s own preferences

Performance Indicator(s)
The learner will:
Supportive Practices
The adult will:
Teaching Strategies
  • State independent thoughts and feelings.
  • Name one's own abilities and accomplishments.
  • Make choices based on personal preferences.
  • Demonstrate awareness of self and one's own preferences.
  • Provide children with opportunities to make decisions and choices.
  • Ask children to share opinions about classroom activities and other experiences.
  • Graph children's likes and dislikes.
  • Share enthusiasm and describe child's abilities and preferences. (e.g., "I see you enjoy building with blocks.")
  • Display children's work at their eye level.
  • Ask children about their decisions. (e.g., "Why did you decide to play with Legos today?"
  • Respond positively and respectfully to each child's strengths and limitations.

 

  • Using picture books, ask students to identify likes and dislikes of each character.
  • Create and use character puppets to exemplify the quality of a character from a story or a historical event.
  • Ask students to create an "All about Me Report" or "This is Your Life" storybook using pictures and language to describe themselves and their families.
  • Play a bingo game in which students find classmates with similar characteristics or likes and dislikes.
  • Have student draw a Venn diagram comparing/ contrasting two people.
  • Have a career day for which students dress up as a career that they are interested in and share what they like about that career.
  • Invite adults in different career fields to speak to your class about why they chose their career.
  • Have students put on a mini talent show to showcase interests and strengths for families and other classes.
  • Do a "show and tell" presentation for students about a hobby or a skill. Identify a job where having that skill would be beneficial.

Distinguish between situations that elicit positive or negative feelings

Performance Indicators
The learner will:
Supportive Practices
The adult will:
Teaching Strategies

  • Identify one's feelings specific to a context
  • Express preferred and non-preferred activities
  • Identify challenging situations
  • Encourage an environment where cultural and personal diversity are valued.
  • Provide opportunities to make decisions and choices.
  • Support students in sharing opinions about classroom activities, choices, and other experiences.
  • Graph students' likes and dislikes
  • Share enthusiasm and describe students' abilities and preferences. (e.g ., "I see you enjoy building blocks today.")

Express a want and the means to achieve it

Performance Indicators
The learner will:
Supportive Practices
The adult will:
Teaching Strategies
  • Establish goals independently.
  • Sequence steps needed to accomplish goals.

     

     
  • Explicitly use words such as "goal," "plan," "achieve," "met," "change."
  • Use "Plan-Do-Review" strategy to encourage planning and discussion about goals and follow-through.
  • Establish and maintain a safe climate in which reasonable risks are accepted and encouraged.
  • Discuss students' choices in terms of "goals" to be met and alternative strategies in meeting them.
  • Have students routinely develop and complete age-appropriate, short-term classroom goals (e.g., reduce time during transitions, put supplies away quicker, line up for lunch).
  • Have students write a list of short-term wishes and/or dreams as they relate to school, sports, etc., and have them prioritize the list.
  • Teach students decision-making skills to build self-confidence and self-control by providing a variety of choices throughout the day.
  • Set aside a time for students to describe and celebrate a goal they have accomplished.
  • Have students participate in a step-by-step art or baking project and celebrate successful completion.