Self Awareness Teaching Resources
Help your students develop self awareness with activities, printables and more social and emotional teaching resources designed specifically for primary school students.
Created by teachers, for teachers, this collection is full of digital and printable activities designed to help students recognise their emotions and learn to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. Each teaching resource has undergone rigorous review by the Teach Starter team to ensure it's ready for the classroom ... and your students!
Curious about teaching self awareness and wondering how it applies to kids in your classroom? Read on for some tips from our expert teachers!
What Is Self Awareness? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Most students are not terribly self aware when they enter primary school, and that's completely normal. After all, any adults aren't very adept at self awareness! That's why it's so important to include these lessons in your planning to help students flex those muscles and become more aware of who they are.
So how do you explain the meaning of self awareness to your class, and how do you teach it? Let's start with a kid-friendly definition.
Self awareness means understanding yourself, your feelings and how your actions affect other people.
You might tell your students that being self-aware is a bit like having a mirror inside your mind that can help you see who you are and how you can make good choices.
Explain to students that when you're self-aware, you know what you're good at and what you might need to work on to become your own superhero.
Why Is Self Awareness Important?
Learning to be self-aware is part of gaining control of one's own emotions, thoughts and actions, and the lessons we teach in the classroom contribute to our students' personal growth, social interactions and overall well-being in the immediate future and well into adulthood.
When kids (and adults!) lack self awareness, they tend to struggle with poor decision-making, and they may have trouble understanding how their behaviour affects others. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts with peers and others around them or even unintentional harm to relationships, as they may struggle to empathise or consider the perspectives of others.
Self Awareness Examples for Kids
Explaining self-awareness by providing a definition is one thing, but surely you want to dig a little deeper.
Here are some examples from our teacher team that you can use to illustrate what it means to be self-aware — and why it's so important!
- Identifying Emotions — Being able to label our emotions with names like happiness, sadness, anger or excitement is a great example of being self-aware. For example, your students might learn to say, 'I feel happy when I play with my friends at recess.'
- Understanding Your Talents — Another example of self awareness that kids can easily relate to is identifying one's strengths or talents. It can be helpful to consider things we can do well and things we want to work on to improve. For example, a student might say 'I am very good at singing, but I would like to practise my spelling to improve.'
- Seeing Strengths in Our Peers — Acknowledging our own strengths is only part of being self-aware. It's also good for students to identify (and celebrate) the strengths of others. This will help them build better relationships in the long run.
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My Bowerbird Nest of Values Template
Help students understand what they value with this Bowerbird nest of values craft template.
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Gratitude Tree and Leaves Template
Create a gratitude tree display with a printable tree and leaves template.
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Personal Identity Activity (My Identity Wheel)
Explore personal identity by completing this personal identity wheel template.
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Growth Mindset Colouring Pages
Inspire creativity and encourage your students to think positively with a set of growth mindset colouring pages.
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Feelings and Emotions Match-Up Activity
Help students to recognise and identify their feelings and emotions with this interactive match-up activity.
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Recognising Feelings Flashcards
Improve your students' emotional literacy with this set of feelings flashcards.
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Places I Belong Cut-and-Paste Worksheet
Encourage students to think of the different places they feel a sense of belonging at school and in the home environment.
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I Am Worksheet - Affirmation Art Activity
Use this ‘I Am’ Worksheet to inspire your students to share how special they are at the beginning of the school year.
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Calming Strategies Chatterbox Template
Help your students choose and apply strategies when they need to calm down with this handy chatterbox template.
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Parts of My Identity Flipbook
Explore personal identity with your students with this Parts of Me Identity Flipbook.
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Synonym Poster Pack - Emotions Chart Display
Blend social-emotional learning and vocabulary building activities with a set of 15 emotional synonyms anchor charts.
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What's Your Mindset Level? - Poster
Encourage your students to adopt a growth mindset with this engaging classroom poster.
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The Worry Waterfall – Anxiety Management Poster
Teach your students how to deal effectively with worrying thoughts with this classroom poster.
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Emotional Self-Regulation Poster
Promote emotional awareness and self-regulation in your classroom with this classroom poster.
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Growth Mindset Bookmarks
Encourage your students to think about their growth mindset with this set of printable bookmarks.
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My Personal Identity Teaching Slides (What Makes Me Me?)
Explore what makes each student an individual and help them explore their own identity with this set of teaching slides.
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Emotions Worksheet Set
Help students understand different emotions with this set of five emotions worksheets.
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Personal Strengths Paper Chains
Explore your individual strengths with this fun paper chain activity.
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Calm-Down Strategy Cards
Help your students choose and apply strategies when they need to calm down with this comprehensive set of calm-down strategy cards.
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Growth Mindset Bulletin Board
Print a growth mindset bulletin board to display in your primary classroom.
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Characteristics of Emotions - Posters
Help students learn the facial expressions and body cues that accompany the most common emotional states with this set of classroom display posters.
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Managing Emotions Mini-Book
Help your early years students explore and manage their emotional responses with this printable mini-book.
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The Power of YET Poster Set
Encourage your students to change their growth mindset with this set of posters.
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All About Strengths Poster and Worksheet Pack
Help your students identify their personal strengths and weaknesses with this poster and worksheet pack.
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Managing Anger Worksheet (Upper Primary)
Help older students identify and manage angry feelings with this self-reflection and action plan worksheet.
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Understanding and Managing Anger Teaching Presentation
Teach your students about angry feelings with this comprehensive guide to understanding and managing anger.
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What Is Anger? Poster
Teach your students to understand and manage anger with this informative classroom display poster.
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How Are You Feeling Today? Emotions Template
A template to help your students express their emotions.
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Emotion Strategies Wheel
Help your students self-regulate when they experience 'big' emotions with this hands-on emotions wheel with accompanying calming strategies.
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Growth Mindset Worksheets
A set of worksheets to use when teaching students about Growth Mindsets.
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Growth Mindset PowerPoint
A 12 Page PowerPoint Presentation on Developing a Growth Mindset for students.
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I Need a Break - Choice Boards
Help upset students regulate their emotions in the classroom with our printable ‘I Need a Break!’ choice boards.
- Self Awareness Posters
- Self Awareness Worksheets
- Self Awareness Templates
- Self Awareness Labels, Signs & Decorations
- Self Awareness Games
- Self Awareness for Foundation Year
- Self Awareness for Year 1
- Self Awareness for Year 2
- Self Awareness for Year 3
- Self Awareness for Year 4
- Self Awareness for Year 5
- Self Awareness for Year 6