3 Steps to Help Students Build Resilient Self-Confidence

Research shows that self-esteem is critical for education, no matter the discipline. Simply put, confident kids are happy, healthy, and successful. While families and educators know confidence is key, instilling confidence through social and emotional learning (SEL) can be a challenge.

That’s why Dove Self-Esteem Project and Discovery Education teamed up to create Amazing Me, a no cost educational program delivering the best in SEL, health, and confidence-building resources for educators teaching grades 4-5. The suite of classroom and family resources focus on building self-esteem, promoting positive body image, and countering bullying.

Each of us is unique, beautiful, and worth celebrating, but too often, things like appearance ideals, negative body image, and weight-based bullying get in the way of us appreciating our awesome selves. Start with the all-new, Virtual Field Trip (VFT) developed by body image experts from Amazing Me. Through this VFT, students can explore how to be kinder to themselves and others. The Amazing Me program features a complete guide to support educators in expanding the learning with activities before, during and after the VFT. Here’s how to get kids confident:

Before the Virtual Field Trip
The “Think-Pair-Share” pre-VFT activity helps students explore the thoughts they already have about beauty and share those ideas with a peer. By responding to the series of questions, students learn to clearly articulate their views and hear the perspective of their classmates around key self-esteem issues, including comparing themselves to others and bullying. The educator guide includes recommendations for completing the activity either in person or in a virtual learning environment.

During the Virtual Field Trip
The field trip itself features relatable characters and student peers learning to appreciate their bodies and feel more comfortable in their own skin. Students will learn about the benefits of positive body talk and the importance of building positive self-image through featured interviews with special guests and real-life students discussing their own experiences and challenges dealing with the imagery they see in the media and bullying. Students will use the “Guided Notes” worksheet to recap important facts from the VFT, such as capturing the frequent use of retouching in the media and learning key terms to help them speak about body image issues.

After the Virtual Field Trip
After viewing the VFT, it’s important for students to take the time to reflect on the lessons they learned. The post-VFT activity encourages them to identify what lesson was most impactful for their lives and then create a drawing or other visual representation of what they learned. This moment of self-expression will help ensure that they take the lessons with them for the long term.

Designed for wherever learning takes place, the Amazing Me dynamic digital resources help students achieve success in school and beyond. Make learning last a lifetime by digging into all the resources at amazingmeselfesteem.com or on the Amazing Me channel in Discovery Education Experience.