New Beginnings Together

Overview

This 40-minute lesson is designed for a class of six 9-year-olds (third class) to develop essential social skills aligned with the IE Curriculum’s SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) programme and the Personal and Learning Competencies (PLC). Using the theme of "September New Beginnings," the lesson focuses on welcoming new teachers and classmates, enabling students to build confidence, empathy, and positive relationships as part of their social and personal development.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and express feelings related to new beginnings (SPHE Strand Unit: Myself and the Wider World – Developing citizenship, interpersonal skills)
2. Demonstrate respectful communication behaviours when meeting new people (SPHE Strand Unit: Myself and Others – Communicating)
3. Cooperate collaboratively in group activities (PLC: Personal Effectiveness – Being positive about learning and working with others)
4. Reflect on the importance of kindness and inclusion in the classroom (PLC: Wellbeing – Managing myself and others)

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Curriculum Links

• SPHE Curriculum, Strand Units:
  • Myself and the Wider World: Developing citizenship and community awareness
  • Myself and Others: Communicating and interacting effectively
• Personal and Learning Competencies (PLC):
  • Wellbeing: Managing myself and others
  • Personal Effectiveness: Being positive about learning, working with others

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Materials Needed

• Name tags (prepared in advance)
• Large blank paper or whiteboard
• Marker pens
• Emotion flashcards or emoji cards
• Scenario cards depicting new social situations
• Soft ball or “talking stick”

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Lesson Timeline

1. Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet students warmly and explain the theme: "September New Beginnings: New Teacher, New Friends."
• Use emotion flashcards to initiate a brief discussion: "How do you feel about starting a new school year with new teachers and friends?"
• Ask each student to choose a card representing their feeling and share one sentence explaining why.

Purpose: To build emotional awareness and validate feelings about change (Measuring Objective 1).

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2. Interactive Story & Discussion (10 minutes)

• Share a short story about a child starting a new school year and meeting new classmates and teachers.
• Highlight moments where the child feels nervous, excited, or curious.
• Discuss, “What did the child do to make friends? How did the child show kindness?”
• Engage students in predicting what behaviours help make others feel welcome.

Purpose: Develop empathy, listening, and reflection skills (Objectives 1, 4).

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3. “Kindness Circle” Group Activity (15 minutes)

• Arrange chairs in a circle. Introduce the soft ball or “talking stick.”
• Explain the rule: only the person holding the ball speaks; others listen respectfully.
• Prompt students with scenario cards (e.g., "You see a new student sitting alone," or "Your new teacher asks you to work in a pair").
• Each student shares what they would say or do in that situation to be kind and inclusive.
• Teacher models respectful language and positive body language throughout.

Purpose: Practise respectful communication, turn-taking, and collaboration skills (Objectives 2, 3).

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4. “New Beginnings” Collaborative Poster (8 minutes)

• On a large paper or whiteboard, students work together to write/draw ideas for making new classmates and teachers feel welcome (e.g., smile, say hello, include others in games).
• Each student contributes at least one idea.
• Summarise these as “Our Class Promises for Kindness and Friendship.”

Purpose: Reinforce positive behaviour and students’ responsibility in creating an inclusive classroom culture (Objectives 3, 4).

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5. Reflection and Closing (2 minutes)

• Recap learning objectives by asking: “Which new idea or feeling about new beginnings do you like best?”
• Praise all students for sharing and listening, reinforcing confidence.
• Encourage students to practise these skills daily and remind them this will help everyone feel happy and included this year.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe student contributions during discussions and group work, noting use of respectful language and participation.
• Peer Feedback: During the kindness circle, peers acknowledge helpful ideas or supportive behaviours.
• Self-Assessment: Use a simple thumbs up/down to gauge confidence in expressing feelings about new beginnings at the end of the lesson.

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Differentiation

• Support less confident speakers with sentence starters (e.g., “I would say hello by…”).
• Use visual aids and emotion cards for students who benefit from non-verbal cues.
• Extend learning by inviting more complex scenarios for advanced learners or encouraging them to role-play next lesson.

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Teacher Notes

• Model all new vocabulary and social behaviours clearly.
• Create a safe, non-judgmental space for sharing feelings.
• Praise all attempts to communicate kindly and inclusively.
• Ensure all new classmates and the teacher feel authentically welcomed during and beyond the lesson.

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This lesson plan fully integrates the best practice approaches outlined by the IE Curriculum’s SPHE programme and PLC framework, supporting 9-year-olds in confidently navigating new social environments through emotional literacy, respectful communication, and cooperative learning.