What is Mindful Dragon?

Mindful Dragons is a resource for parents with information on Social Emotional Learning (SEL). For this edition we will be highlighting Self-awareness, one of the five core competencies.

What Does Self-awareness Look Like in the Classroom?

Carefully checking over your work in math, taking the time to see that you have spelled words correctly while writing, and analyzing what you have read in order to make connections and inferences are all important skills, particularly at higher levels of learning. Metacognition and self-awareness facilitates this reflection  about what one has learned.

How Can Parents Help?

One of the best things you can do to start supporting your student within the SEL competencies, including self-awareness is to just be involved.  

What Can You Do?

Ideas for helping kids to improve their Self-Awareness skills

• Use checklists: Before your child begins a chore or task, develop a checklist together that will determine how effectively the task has been completed.

• Express yourself: Model self-verbalization skills by expressing your thoughts and problem-solving strategies aloud. For example, verbalize statements such as, “This reminds me of the time when we tried to do this,”

• Help your child set up a playdate with a friend. Prior to the friend’s arrival, try to anticipate some of the friend’s needs and interests. Have your child prepare some activities that they expect their friend will enjoy.

• Work with your child to recognize what they look like when they are stressed or frustrated (etc) and encourage them to verbalize their feelings.

• Estimate: Estimating how easy or difficult a task might be will assist your child to gage her ability to complete the task. Ask questions that encourage thinking about what might hinder, delay or prevent successful completion.

• For younger children, talk about and label their emotions as they happen (e.g. “I notice you look frustrated...your mouth is frowning and you look like you are going to cry...why are you feeling frustrated?”) to help them identify their emotions.

• When watching TV or reading stories, point out the emotions of characters and question how they know that the characters are feeling a certain way. What clues can they see on the character’s face, body language, actions, and words to figure out how the character is feeling.