Self-Awareness

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Why it works

Self-awareness, a CASEL competency, is the ability to recognize one's own emotions, thoughts, values, and strengths, and how they influence behavior. It underpins the other SEL competencies: students cannot manage emotions they cannot recognize, or make good decisions without knowing their values. Research supports teaching it through helping students name and understand emotions, reflect on their strengths and growth, and receive honest feedback. It is foundational and learnable.

The research: CASEL framework; research on self-awareness.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: build self-awareness

Teachers leave with ways to help students name emotions and reflect on strengths.

Plan ways to help students name and understand their emotions.
Plan reflection on strengths and growth.
Create space for honest feedback students can consider.
Connect self-awareness to the other SEL skills.

You can't manage what you can't nameSelf-awareness, recognizing emotions, strengths, and values, is the foundation of the other SEL skills. Teach students to notice and name their internal states.

Facilitator notes

Help students name emotions, and reflect on strengths and growth.
Use honest feedback.
Connect to the other SEL skills.

The other SEL skills rest on this oneWithout self-awareness, students cannot manage emotions or make values-based decisions. Build the foundation of naming and understanding internal states.

Adapt it

Elementary: naming feelings, strengths, simple reflection.
Secondary: emotion and values awareness, feedback.
All settings: name, reflect, foundation for other skills.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Self-Awareness: the foundation

Name to manage: help students recognize emotions, strengths, and values, the base of the other SEL skills.

How I help students name and understand emotions:
The reflection on strengths and growth:
How I create space for honest feedback:
How I connect it to other SEL skills:
Where self-awareness is the missing piece:

Make it stick

Name and reflect:

Teach students to name and understand.
Build the foundation.
Bring a self-awareness routine to the next PLC.

Common questions

Why is self-awareness so important?

It is the foundation of the other SEL skills. You cannot manage an emotion you cannot recognize, or make values-based decisions without knowing your values. Self-awareness comes first.

How do I teach it?

Help students name and understand their emotions, reflect on strengths and growth, and receive and consider honest feedback. Build in moments to notice and name internal states.

Isn't this just navel-gazing?

No. Accurate self-awareness, including of strengths and areas to grow, supports self-management, good decisions, and relationships. It is practical, not self-absorption.