How to Manage Yourself: Kindergarten SEL Review & Celebration

Hooray for kindergartners! They are now exiting Jungle Self-Management and moving on to their next social-emotional learning journey. But before they embark on another adventure, face more challenges, and learn more concepts, Picks-It Raccoon and Nix-it Panda invite them to a reinforcing lesson and a joyful celebration. This provides an opportunity for them to pause and reflect on all the progress that they have made so far.

Marking the end of Positive Action Unit 3, this evidence-based SEL lesson is about the positive actions kindergartners have learned to develop self-management skills. This lesson aims to review and reinforce the main concepts to ensure retention among students.

The lesson starts with a creative activity and a walk down Memory Lane. Here, students receive their "My Feelings Booklets" back, which contain illustrations of their emotions. As they flip through the pages and look back, they remember their journey with their beloved puppet companions and jungle animal characters. The students reflect on their treasured journey and draw something about it as a booklet cover.

Afterward, there is a class discussion where the teacher and students discuss the nine emotions. During this conversation, the teacher reminds students not to allow their feelings to overpower them, as untamed emotions can be harmful. Students are encouraged to deal with and express their emotions positively to ensure that they generate positive feelings.

Finally, the lesson brings students to a celebration through an engaging puppet play. Picks-it and Nix-It greet the students and congratulate them for completing the unit. Then, they introduce what lies ahead in the students’ social-emotional learning journey. The kindergartners are thrilled to learn that they are off on an educational adventure to Getting Along with Others Island, where they will learn essential social skills.

The next part of the celebration is awarding the "Keys to Gates and Castle Self-Concept." This key serves as a token that reinforces the students’ positive action of studying the lesson concepts. So far, the students have received three keys, one for each unit they have accomplished. At the end of the curriculum, all the keys they have gathered will help them open and enter the Castle Self-Concept. Their entrance to the castle marks their completion of the journey and signifies that they now have a better understanding of themselves.

With this effective SEL lesson, kindergartners learn to master the art of self-management to help them thrive through the jungle of life. The positive actions they have learned empower them to navigate through daunting uncertainties, limited personal resources, and significant life changes with confidence and resilience. As they embark on their life journey, it is invaluable to equip them with these essential tools to guide them to the paradise of health and success.