Feelings and Actions

Overview

This 30-minute PSHE session aims to help 8–9-year-old students explore how different actions and words influence how we feel about ourselves. The lesson meets key expectations from the UK PSHE Association Programme of Study, focusing particularly on Relationships and Health and Wellbeing key stages.

National Curriculum Links

• PSHE Association Programme of Study, Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11)
  • Relationships: Recognising how behaviour impacts others’ feelings and our own self-esteem
  • Health and Wellbeing: Developing strategies to manage feelings and build positive relationships

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify positive and negative actions and words and how they affect self-esteem.
2. Express how certain behaviours make them feel about themselves.
3. Demonstrate empathy and recognise the impact their own behaviour can have on others’ feelings.

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Resources Required

• Emoji cards showing a range of feelings (happy, sad, proud, embarrassed, angry, etc.)
• Scenario cards with brief descriptions of actions/words (e.g., “Someone says ‘well done!’”, “Someone ignores you when you ask to join”, “Someone calls you a silly name”)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Small mirrors (one per student)
• Sticky notes in two colours
• A “Feelings Jar” or box

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Welcome and Ground Rules: Establish a safe space where everyone can share without judgment.
• Emoji Check-in: Each student picks an emoji card that shows how they’re feeling right now and briefly explains why. This builds emotional awareness and sets the tone.

Teacher prompt:
“Today, we're going to explore how different actions and words can change how we feel about ourselves — sometimes making us feel happy and proud, other times making us feel sad or worried. Let’s see how…”

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2. Exploring Actions and Feelings (10 minutes)

• Activity: Scenario Role Play
  Divide into pairs or trios (depending on group numbers), giving each group a scenario card. Students take turns acting out or reading the scenario, then choosing an emoji card that represents how the person in the scenario might feel about themselves.

• Whole Class Discussion:
  Teacher pulls responses back to the board, writing down keywords about feelings and linking to self-esteem.

Prompt questions:

• “Why do you think that action made the person feel proud/sad?”
• “Has anything like this happened to you or someone you know?”
• “How might someone’s words change how you see yourself?”

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3. Mirror Activity: Reflection on Self-Talk (8 minutes)

• Each student takes a small mirror.

• Teacher explains: “Sometimes, it’s not just what others say to us, but what we say to ourselves that affects our feelings.”

• Students spend 1-2 minutes looking in their mirrors and silently thinking or softly saying something positive about themselves.

• Then, they write one positive phrase about themselves on a sticky note and place it in the “Feelings Jar”.

• Group sharing: Invite volunteers to share their phrase and why it makes them feel good. Emphasise the power of positive self-talk.

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4. Making Connections & Strategies (5 minutes)

• Teacher summarizes key points through a mind map on the whiteboard:

  • Effects of kind/unkind behaviour on feelings
  • Power of words – both from others and self
  • Ways to respond positively (e.g., saying “Thank you”, asking for help, positive self-talk)

• Students then use the other colour sticky notes to write down one strategy they can use next time they feel sad or hurt by someone’s actions or words. Stick these around the mind map.

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5. Plenary & Reflective Question (2 minutes)

• Round robin: Each student answers the question, “What will you do differently to help yourself or others feel better?”

• Teacher reinforces the importance of kindness and self-kindness in everyday life and previews that next lesson will build on this by discussing empathy and respect.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe participation in discussions and role-plays to assess understanding of emotions linked to actions and words.
• Reflection: Quality and thoughtfulness of sticky note strategies indicate grasp of coping mechanisms and emotional awareness.

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Additional Teacher Notes

• Use inclusive language and ensure scenarios cover diverse and relatable situations to your class.
• For quieter students, offer the option to write down their ideas instead of speaking aloud.
• Consider following up this session with a creative project (e.g., making a Kindness Tree where students add leaves with kind things they or others do).

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This lesson uses practical role-play, mirrored self-reflection, and creative mapping to engage students and promote emotional literacy, aligned with UK PSHE best practice and the ‘Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning’ (SEAL) framework. It helps children not only identify feelings but equips them with positive strategies for self-esteem resilience.