Drawing About Yourself

When we take time to reflect on who we are, how we grow and develop, and what is special to us, we build an awareness of our strengths and beliefs that we can go back to when we need them.

1. Ask students to take out their journals (or a piece of paper) and draw a picture or write in response to a prompt.
2. Sample prompts include:

• Who are important people in your life?
• What activities do you like to do?
• Which types of songs, movies, books, etc do you enjoy?
• Which parts of yourself are most important to you?
• What are three things that went well today?

3. Turn on calming music and give students 5-10 minutes to draw or write.
4. Optional: Give students the option to share their drawing or writing with you privately or with the class. Write an affirming note back to the student with a smiley face, sticker, or stamp.

• How did your reflection go? Was it easy or hard to reflect and think about yourself?
• How do you know what you care about, or what you like about yourself?
• How do you think about your thoughts? Can you see other people’s thinking?
• When do you feel your best? Why?
• How would you change this activity for the next time we play?

For primary school students:

• Invite students to be creative and to use any materials to create a sculpture or comic strips which represents their interests and responses.
• Offer time on a daily or weekly basis for students to reflect. Students can create a “Reflection Journal.”
• Each time you play, offer new questions for self-reflection. Encourage students to reflect on the drawings they created during the activity and write what they notice.
• Invite students to decorate the cover of their notebook with pictures of their favorite foods, songs, hobbies, family members or friends, etc.
• Invite students to create a picture as an entire class. Have students share examples of things that went well during the day, activities they enjoy doing together, and positive aspects of the classroom community. Write and display the classroom note.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Modify prompts to support students in thinking about their strengths and future. Invite students to create new prompts that they would like to share with the class. For example, students can answer:
• How do you see your best future?
• Who will you be when you grow up? What will you do?
• What do you like about that future person? Why are those things important to you?
• What can you do today for your future?