How Feelings Affect the Self: Teach Pre-K SEL Lesson

Oh no, the hedgehog puppet, Mimi, is caught in an Unhappy Circle! She has negative feelings about herself in her heart because she has had a negative thought and done a negative action! It’s a good thing that Squeak and the pre-kindergartners are not too late to help her.

This lesson is about "feelings" in the Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle. The goal of this lesson is to teach pre-kindergartners that their feelings about themselves can be positive or negative, depending on their thoughts and actions. Feelings about themselves are also called self-concept.

To begin, the lesson opens with an enjoyable puppet show, featuring the two lovable hedgehog puppets, Squeak and Mimi. The puppet show demonstrates how having a negative feeling about oneself happens.

Following this, an insightful class discussion takes place. Pre-kindergartners talk about and analyze Mimi’s negative thoughts and negative actions that lead to her having negative feelings.

Having negative feelings is being stuck in a Negative or Unhappy Circle. In the class discussion, pre-kindergartners also learn how to flip an Unhappy Circle to a Positive or Happy one. Through class participation, they help Mimi turn her negative feelings into positive ones by turning her negative thoughts and actions into positive. The positive and negative side of the "Thoughts-Actions-Feelings" poster is displayed for this.

After the class discussion, Emily, Luis, and Sadie the Stoplight drop by the class. They share with the students the first secret in the story of "The Secret of Secret Street." The character visual aids are displayed to better immerse the students in the story.

It is a universal need to feel positive about oneself. A healthy and positive self-concept improves well-being, develops resilience, and helps individuals thrive. Remember, positive feelings about oneself are not just desirable but also achievable through conscious effort and intentional choices.