Trusting Yourself

Objectives

1. Comprehend the importance of trusting oneself.
2. Reflect on personal experiences connected to self-trust.
3. Identify strategies to build self-confidence.

Subject Matter

Topic: Listening
Theme: Trusting Oneself

Procedure

Preparation

Materials:

• Colored paper
• Pens
• Speaker to play music
• Lyrics to "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera (printed)
• Papers or chart boards for the game "Newspaper Dance"

Checking of Attendance

• Mark attendance as students arrive.

Greetings/Prayer

• Greet the students warmly.
• Ask a volunteer to lead a short, reflective prayer.

Pre-Listening

Game: Newspaper Dance

• Objective: To establish trust among peers by supporting one another in a fun and engaging activity.
• Instructions:
  1. Lay out sheets of newspaper on the floor, one for each pair of students.
  2. Students pair up, and each pair stands on a single sheet of newspaper.
  3. Play a short segment of upbeat music. When the music stops, each pair must fold their newspaper in half and continue standing on it. The process repeats until the newspaper can no longer be folded.
  4. Discuss how trust and cooperation were needed to stay on the shrinking newspaper.

Motivation: Personal Reflection

• Activity:
  1. Ask students to listen to "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera and recall a time when they faced difficult problems.
  2. Distribute different colored papers to the students and ask them to write down these problems. Each color represents a different kind of problem (e.g., academic, personal, social).
  3. Students can choose to share their problems anonymously by placing their papers in a box or openly with the class.

While Listening

Questions for Discussion:

1. Have you ever faced a problem or task you thought you couldn't overcome?
2. How did you manage to deal with it?
3. Was there someone who helped you during that time?
4. Do you think trusting yourself would make handling problems easier?

Activity:

• Play the song "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera.
• Distribute printed lyrics of the song to each student.
• Ask students to listen carefully and highlight or note down words/lines from the song that resonate with them or make them feel confident.

Post-Listening

Activities:

1. Reflection on the Game:
   • Regroup and discuss the Newspaper Dance game.
   • Ask students how they managed to fit on the shrinking newspaper. What strategies did they use? How did trusting their partner help?
2. Performance Task:
   • Have students come forward and share the words/lines from the song that helped them trust themselves.
   • Encourage a brief group discussion on why those specific lines resonated with them.

Assignment

• Task: Write a short letter to a friend who has lost self-confidence. Offer advice and encouragement on how to regain trust in oneself and face challenges.
• Instructions:
  1. Ensure the letter is heartfelt and supportive.
  2. Include at least one strategy that has helped you or could help your friend trust themselves more.

Curriculum Alignment

• Common Core Standards:
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Notes for the Teacher

• Prepare the necessary materials ahead of time to ensure smooth transitions between activities.
• Be supportive and encourage a safe space for students to share personal experiences, but respect their decision if they choose not to disclose certain things.
• Monitor the discussion to keep it respectful and productive.