Self-knowledge

This workshop is meant especially for staff in VET to learn more about promoting mental well-being. It is also useful in teaching students. You will find more material to use with students in the end of this page.

The goal of the workshop is to learn more about strengthening self-knowledge of students and to realize its benefits in studies, working life and personal life.

The structure of the workshop

1. Warming up: icebreaker excercise
2. Introducing the theme: Self-knowledge
3. Orientation and excercises
4. Introducing the theme: Self-esteem
5.Closing the theme

1. At the beginning of the workshop, please carry out icebreaker exercise

2. Introducing the theme: Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge is a base for a good mental health. It means recognizing and understanding your thoughts, feelings and sensations in your body. You learn to understand your behavior and yourself by listening reactions in your body and mind. It will answer question: who am I?

Awareness of your strengths and weaknesses helps you to improve yourself and make decisions based on your values. Knowing yourself helps also to recognize your limits and promotes your well-being. Self-knowledge is key to your wellfare and interaction with others. Knowing your strenghts and self development support good self-esteem.  

Afterwards you may watch: 

3. Orientation and excercises 

Find your strengths
- Print Strenght cards or 24 Character Strenghts from Materials below
- Share cards to each participant
- Each participant have few minutes to pick a card for question: what quality you appreciate in yourself? 
- Then take test of Character strenghts
- Then discuss the exercise with the group 

Strengths of staffs, students and the organization
- work again with Strenght cards or 24 Character Strenghts from Materials below
- participants are divided in to (4) smaller group to work on the questions; 

1. What quality students appreciate in teaching staff? 
2. What quality teaching staff appreciate in students? 
3. Streghts of our organization? 

Groups work for 5 minutes per question. They are supposed to talk about the qualities and choose 1 per question. At the end of the exercise each group present their cards and tell about their findings. Discussion around theme.
Please discuss how you can use the cards in your work.

4. Introducing the theme: Self-esteem

Self -esteem is part of self-knowledge. A good self-esteem consists the feeling that you are appreciated among others and important to someone. A good self-esteem is confidence in your abilities and appreciation of yourself and others.  This is a base for seeing your life meaningful and precious. Self-esteem affects mental health, well-being and social relations. It also gives a shelter for setbacks and crises in life.  Self-esteem is built in interactions. 

Next you may watch:

 For furter information you may watch 10 tips to improve self esteem

5. Closing the theme

Take small pieces of paper. Put 2 names per each participants to piece of paper, wrap it and put it to bowl. Each participant will take 2 different names from the bowl. Names remain secret. Paricipants write some nice things of a chosen person for these papers. These may be for example " I like your smile". Papers are given to the right person without them noticing. Excercise may be carried out with students for example with whatsapp application. Exercise will boost your self- esteem.

After you have received further information of the theme you may go through and test shared best practices.

Materials

24 Character Strenghts - Courage
24 Character Strenghts - Humanity
24 Character Strenghts - Justice
24 Character Strenghts - Temperence
24 Character Strenghts - Trascendence
24 Character Strenghts - Wisdom and Knowledge

How to use 24 Character Strengths

By playing The 24 character strengths, you will find out how well you know yourself and your strengths. How do you view your self? What image do you have of yourself? Perhaps you suddenly see strengths in you self, that you didn’t even know you had.

Feedback Game

How to use The Feedback Game?

By playing The Feedback Game, you will find out how well you know yourself and the other players. How do you view others? What image do others have of you? Perhaps they see strengths in you didn’t even know you had.

Perfect imperfections

How to use Perfect imperfections? 

This activity works with a teacher and a small group of students. Objective is for students to realize that everyone is able to transform their own reality. 

High and low self-esteem

How to use High and low self-esteem? 

To work on the student´s self-esteem in order to improve the way they feel about themselves and, therefore, improve their academic outcomes. 

Links

Via institute: Character Strenghts

Strength Cards and Ideas for Use

Rock and Water

Rock and Water, psycho-physical training for boys and girls in primary school, secondary school, youth work, mental care and children with autism spectrum disorders.

Rock and Water, psycho-physical training for boys and girls in primary school, secondary school, y

Rock and Water, psycho-physical training for boys and girls in primary school, secondary school, youth work, mental care and children with autism spectrum disorders.Rock and Water, psycho