Challenges are significant parts of life that provide opportunities for learning, growth, and maximizing potential. They come with feelings of overwhelm, doubt, and discouragement as side effects that make a person question their abilities and tempt them to give up. However, it is precisely these moments when pushing through discouragement becomes essential.
Discouragement is a feeling of being disheartened and dispirited to tackle a seemingly impossible task. Kindergartners often experience this feeling while learning to write or solve numbers for the first time. Failing to address this feeling in a healthy way can deject children for good, causing them to develop a negative mindset, lose interest, and damage their self-concept.
This evidence-based SEL lesson aims to teach kindergarten students how to maintain a positive attitude and behavior when faced with difficulty. It instills essential self-management skills to help kindergartners cope positively with their discouraged feelings. It also teaches them to keep a positive mindset and direct their actions more effectively to persist through challenges and failures.
"Discouragement is a feeling of being disheartened and dispirited to tackle a seemingly impossible task. Kindergartners often experience this feeling while learning to write or solve numbers for the first time."
The lesson begins with a class discussion that cites examples of challenging tasks the students have faced. Such examples include learning to tie shoelaces and writing their names. Afterward, the class plays an immersive audio story titled "Ellie Gets Discouraged."
Kindergarten students listen as the story unfolds, following jungle animal characters as they prepare to sail to the lake. The animals have only one thing left to do: push the boat to the lake. For this task, the jungle animals rely on Ellie Elephant, for they never doubt her strength.
Ellie successfully brings the boat to the water, but to her dismay, the boat starts sinking immediately. As it turns out, a small hole has broken as she and her friends drag it to the water. The animals can still fix the hole if they hurry to pull the boat back to the shore. But after being disheartened by their failure, Ellie loses her courage. Will she find the courage to try again?
This story perfectly illustrates how one’s self-concept and courage can quickly diminish when great effort is invested into a task, yet still results in a sense of failure. While it is normal to feel this way, it is essential to remember that setbacks do not define worth or capabilities. By managing their thoughts this way, kindergartners can help themselves react better to difficulties.
Kindergartners spend a significant portion of their time in school, where they encounter various challenges, setbacks, and moments of discouragement. As these young learners navigate their educational journey, schools and educators play a crucial role in supporting and guiding them through the ups and downs they may experience.
Teaching self-management to kindergarten students can equip them with tools to help them move forward with their letdown hearts. With this effective lesson, kindergartners can learn to turn negative thoughts into positive ones, overcome overwhelming emotions, and choose to act positively.
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