Self-Confidence
Materials and Preparation
Curriculum Provided Materials:
- For Teacher Use:
- One copy of the “Student Friendly Objectives”
- One copy of “Self-Confidence” definition card
- One copy of the “Looks Like/Sounds Like” worksheet
- One set of “Looks Like/Sounds Like” cards
- Poster with teacher’s photograph (created in Lesson 1)
- For Student Use:
- One copy of the “Looks Like / Sounds Like” worksheet per student
- One copy of “Self-Confidence” definition card
- Poster with student’s photograph (created in Lesson 1)
- Copy of “ME” worksheet (from Lesson 1)
- One Exit Ticket
Teacher Materials:
- A white board, chart paper, or document camera
- Glue sticks and scissors for each student
Preparation Notes:
- Print and display “Student Friendly Objectives”
- Print one “Looks Like/Sounds Like” worksheet for each student and teacher
- Optional: Pre-cut the examples from the “Looks Like/Sounds Like” worksheet, if cutting is too difficult or would become a distraction from class
- Print, cut, and laminate one set of “Looks Like/Sounds Like” cards
- Make a photocopy of each student’s “ME” worksheet
- Print one Exit Ticket for each student
NOTE: The standard addressed in this lesson speaks of self-respect, but the lesson focuses mostly on self-confidence; we have found that students develop self-respect as they build their self-esteem and self-confidence, and that these concepts are a bit more accessible to the students.
Supplemental Materials:
- Self-Confidence Quiz PowerPoint
- Self-Confidence Quiz PowerPoint presenter notes
- “Self-Confidence” role play cards
- “My Self-Confidence” statements
Lesson Information
Lesson | Self-Respect | Unit | I Matter |
Lesson Number and Type | 2 – Visual/ Auditory/Kinesthetic | Approximate Length | 55 Minutes |
Standard(s) | MEH1.5.13 Identify characteristics of someone who has self-respect (HBO 2, 7) |
Objective(s) | Students will be able to accurately define self-confidence.
Students will be able to describe at least three attributes of a person with self-confidence. |
Student Friendly Objective(s) | I can tell you what self-confidence is.
I can tell you what self-confidence looks and sounds like. I can be self-confident. |
Transition Goals | N/A |
Evidence/Assessments | Self-Respect Looks, Feels, Sounds sorting cards
Exit Ticket |
Lesson Vocabulary Word(s) | Self-Respect: knowing you have worth; knowing you matter
Self-Confidence: knowing you can do things Skill: something I am good at |
Teacher Notes
Review (15 minutes) | Review the definition of “self-esteem” by reading it aloud, you may also want to post or project the definition.
Say: “Self-Esteem means feeling good about yourself.” Say: “Last week we looked in a mirror [hold up the binder that says “The Most Important Person”] and found out that we are each an important person. Now, I am going to give each of you a poster with your picture on it [hand out posters] and a copy of the worksheet you made last week [hand out copies of “ME” worksheet to each student]. I want each of you to cut out the thing that you are good at and the thing that you like to do. Once you are done, you will glue the words on your poster, like this [hold up your copy, already completed]. Help students cut out and glue their words to their poster. End by showing your copy of the poster and explaining that looking at your poster makes you feel good about yourself. Ask students how it feels when they look at their poster. |
Introduction (10 minutes) | Tell students: “Today we are going to learn a new word that is similar to self-esteem. We are going to learn about “self-confidence”.
On a dry-erase board, write the words “Self-Confidence.” Say “self-confidence” aloud and have students practice saying it, too. Next, draw a line from the word “self”. At the end of this line, write the word “me”. Tell students that “self” means “me” [point to yourself]. Ask students: “who is your self?” and have them answer “me” and point to themselves. Then point to the word “confidence” and say it aloud. Have students practice saying the word aloud. Draw a line from the word “confidence”. At the end of the line, write “knowing you can do things”. Say: “Self-confidence is knowing I can do things.” Explain: Self-confidence means that I [point to “me”] know that I can do things [point to “know that I can do things”]. Have each student say aloud “I know that I can do things”. Pass each student a copy of “Self-Confidence” definition card and hang the teacher’s copy prominently in the room. Read it together. Next, ask students to think of something they know how to do. Give them a moment to think while you write your name on the board. Gesture to yourself and say, “I know how to teach.” Write your name and “knows how to teach” on the board. Next, go from student to student and repeat this activity. As each person identifies something they are good at, write a sentence on the board as you’ve done for yourself. If you would like to reinforce this concept you can ask each student to repeat their name and say what they know how to do. |
Activity (20 minutes) | 1. Explain that people with confidence in themselves usually look and sound a certain way.
2. Ask the students to watch as you demonstrate how a confident person might look. Make yourself taller, speak clearly, make good eye-contact, and stand up straight. Say: “My name is [your name] and I am good at [something you are good at]. 3. Ask: “Do I seem confident? How can you tell?” Have students point out what they see. Ask: “Am I looking at you or looking away? Am I speaking clearly or mumbling? Am I standing up tall or am I slumping over?” Discuss 4. Next, do the opposite. Slump your shoulders, look at the floor, and mumble. Say: “My name is [your name] and I guess I’m okay at [something you are good at].” 5. Ask: “Do I seem confident now?” Have students point out the differences. Ask: “Am I standing up tall? Am I making eye-contact? How do I sound? HOw do I look?” 6. Next, you can ask students if they would like to try to role-play. Use the sentences on the board that were created in the introduction and ask students to practice speaking the sentence in a confident voice. For fun, have them try it without confidence as well. 7. Explain that you will now break down some of the things that make people look and sound self-confident. Place the pre-cut “Looks Like” card on one side of the board and the “Sounds Like” card on the other. Now, present the students with one of the example cards. Ask: “Would this make me look self-confident or sound self-confident?” Have students come up to the board and place each example in the correct column. 8. Once complete, pass out the “Looks Like, Feels Like, Sounds Like” worksheet. Explain and model that students will need to cut out the example cards and glue them in the correct column, just as you’ve done together as a class. Note: Some students will find it easy to sort cards into “Looks Like” and “Sounds Like” categories, but some will not. If students struggle, do the entire activity together first before having students try on their own. As you select each card, have students act out that particular attribute. For example, when drawing “eye contact”, say: “Show me eye contact [look at each other]. Now, show me no eye contact [look away].” Repeat the activity as many times as needed for students to gain mastery. |
Conclusion and Exit Ticket (10 minutes) | Read students the “Self-Confidence”definition again: “Self-Confidence is knowing I can do things.”
Explain that you will spend the last few minutes of class sharing some of the things that you are good at doing, but you will do it in a confident voice. You’ve already created a list of things students can do. Use this list to help students share something they are good at with the class, but this time, have students be as confident as possible. Spend a few moments pointing out the confident behaviors that you notice in your students. If appropriate, have them try a few times to practice their confidence skills. Congratulate your students on their work today. Explain that the self-confidence skills that they’ve been practicing are an important part of being an adult. Explain that self-advocacy, or asking for what we need, takes a lot of self-confidence. Pass out the Exit Tickets for students to complete. Depending on your students, you might leave the “Looks Like/Sounds Like” cards, the list created during class, and the definition of “Self-Confidence” on the board as a word bank. |
Suggested Supplemental Activity(ies) | Self-Confidence Quiz
Self-Confidence Role-Play Cards
My Self-Confidence Statement
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Student Friendly Objectives
“Self-Confidence” Definition
Looks Like/Sounds Like Worksheet
Looks Like/Sounds Like Cards
Exit Ticket
Self-Confidence Quiz PowerPoint
Self-Confidence Quiz PowerPoint Presenter Notes
Self-Confidence Role Play Cards
My Self-Confidence Statement