SELF-CONCEPT
How you see
yourself
Your thoughts
about yourself
Your beliefs about
yourself
How you feel about yourself
What you feel of others’
thoughts of you
What you value
Self-knowledge
Other General
influences, values, beliefs
MoneyBudget
Possessions
Friends Relationships
HealthBody and
Mind Fitness
School Work
College
Self-imageLooks and
Style
Your Self
Concept
The importance of self-concept as a shield that protects from positive
and exploitive influences
• Why are we more dependent on what others think and say when we don’t appreciate or respect ourselves?
• What internal and external forces help us appreciate ourselves more?
Discuss strategies for strengthening self-concept
• Be a friend to yourself. Take care of your body and mind. Learn to accept the parts of yourself you don’t like.
• Set and work toward personal goals; reward yourself when a goal is achieved.
• Choose friends who support you.• Guard against negative self-talk; practise self-
encouragement.• Let others know what you need.• Care for other people in a way you would like them to
care for you.• Get help for dealing with deep feelings of negativity or
worthlessness (e.g., in the case of troubled or abusive family life).
Activity: Creating your personal ChartsINTERESTS, APTITUDES, and SKILLS
Category In School Out of School
Art It’s okay
Marks are average
Like doing perspective
Design t-shirts
Make posters
Like doodling
Music Like playing the flute
Learning to read music is interesting
Performing is exciting
Listen to it all the time
Go to concerts
Buy CDs of my favourite musicians
Sports Like phys. Ed.
Am on intramural teams
Swim a lot
Am on a hockey team
Play baseball
Technology Use the computer as much as I can
Use the internet
Like making things out of wood
Program the VCR
Use the computer
Fix bicycles
VALUES & ATTITUDESCategory Activity Beliefs
Friends Group work is fun
Talk a lot in class
Talk on the phone
Friends should be:
Honest, Supportive
Dependable, Fun
Helping Others Read to younger kids
Help kids with special needs
Helping younger kids makes me feel good about myself
Homeless people need our help
Family/Culture Eat together
Keep up my cultural traditions
My family means a lot to me
Eating together keeps the family together
Family traditions are important
Health/Fitness Am very active
Like being outside
Love food
Eating good is healthy
Playing sports is good exercise
Staying at home when you’re sick stops germs from spreading
Attitudes Work hard in school
Am friendly
Am optimistic
Doing well in school is important
Helping others is good
Being positive makes everything easier
Self-Evaluation Questionnaire
• Complete the questionnaire individually and honestly.
Journal Statement Starters
I can show people what I like and who I am by…
I am important and I need to let people know that by…
• Tape black bristol board to the wall. Place an overhead projector facing the wall, so the light shines on the black paper.
• Trace each other’s silhouette on the black paper using the light shining on the wall.
• Cut out the silhouettes.
• Glue phrases or pictures from magazines to the silhouette that depict your likes, dislikes, talents, interests, challenges, and attributes.
• Trace a border (approx. an inch thick) around your silhouette and be sure to keep this border clear of any writing or pictures.
• After you have created your collage, you must share and explain your creation.
• Following this activity you will be completing a “Self Silhouette” Evaluation.
Self SilhouetteEvaluation
1. What are some of your likes, dislikes, talents, and challenges?
2. Which of your talents do you think is most important to you? Why?
3. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Why?
4. What did you discover about yourself that you hadn’t realized before?
5. Name three classmates and something you discovered about each of them that you didn’t know before.