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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Emotional Self-Regulation Check-In Posters
Promote emotional awareness and self-regulation in your classroom with this daily mood check-in routine.
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Student Daily Check-In Template
Check in on your students' emotions each day with a printable emotions chart.
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Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
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Positive Affirmations for Kids - Posters
Help your students overcome self-doubt with this set of posters containing positive affirmations for kids.
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Managing Anger Scenario Cards
Explore ways to manage anger in a variety of real-life situations with this set of 16 scenario cards.
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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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Managing Anxiety Scenario Cards
Explore ways to manage anxiety in a variety of real-life situations with this set of 16 scenario cards.
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How Are You Feeling Today? Poster
Help students to recognise and identify their feelings and emotions with this colourful 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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Growth Mindset Inspired Goals – Template
A reflection template for students to use their strengths and Captain Yet's strategies to achieve their goals.
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Positive Growth Mindset Posters
A set of 10 positive growth mindset posters to display in the classroom.
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Growth and Fixed Mindset Poster
Help your students choose a growth mindset with this poster highlighting the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.
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Gratitude Journal Poem
A poem that explains the purpose of a gratitude journal.
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Emotional Self-Regulation Desk Mat
Promote emotional awareness and self-regulation in your classroom with this desk-sized strategies mat.
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'My Curious Mind' Growth Mindset Art Activity
A creative visual art activity, inspired by Professor Stephen Hawking, to use when learning about growth mindset.
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Self-Esteem Builder Board Game
Explore how to build self-esteem with your students using this fun self-esteem game board.
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Positive Self Talk Match-Up
Teach your students how positive self talk in challenging situations can boost self-esteem with this match-up activity.
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Growth Mindset Exit Tickets
Assess your student's understanding of everything growth mindset with this set of exit tickets.
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Self -Esteem Flipbook
Explore the topic of self-esteem with your students using this engaging flipbook template.
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Growth Mindset Mini-Book
Teach your students about growth mindset with this printable book, perfect for your social emotional lessons!
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Growth Mindset Worksheet Pack
Help students change their mindset to a growth mindset with this set of worksheets.
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Self-Esteem Portrait Digital Activity
Explore positive self-esteem with this self-portrait of positive traits activity.
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Mirror Self-Esteem Activity
Explore self-image and self-esteem with this mirror worksheet for students.
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'Why I'm AMAZING' Self-Esteem Templates
Boost students' self-esteem with these Reasons Why I'm AMAZING templates.
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My Strengths Sunglasses Template
Teach your students how to identify their strengths with this fun craft activity.
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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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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Upper Primary)
Help older students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection and action plan worksheet.
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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Lower Primary)
Help students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection worksheet.
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What Is Anxiety? Poster
Teach your students to understand and manage anxious feelings with this informative classroom display poster.
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Self-awareness Template
A template for students to use when exploring aspects of their personality.
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Angry Outbursts – Comprehension Worksheet
Explore emotional awareness and healthy calming strategies with this comic-style comprehension passage and accompanying questions.
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The Adventures of Pirate Nup and Captain Yet – Comic
Captain Yet themed posters to help students figure out how to problem solve common every day challenges.
- 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