Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v5 - Grade 4

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Identify three of your personal strengths.
• Describe two situations that make you feel proud.
• Tell the difference between positive and negative self-talk.
• Show one way to improve your self-esteem.
• Explain what self-awareness means in your own words.

Lesson summary

This week, we're going to explore two very important things about ourselves: self-awareness and self-esteem. Self-awareness means understanding who you are – your strengths, weaknesses, feelings, and what you like and don't like. Self-esteem means feeling good about yourself and believing in your abilities. Both are crucial for success and happiness in all areas of your life, from school and friendships to future careers. In South Africa, developing a strong sense of self is particularly important as it empowers you to overcome challenges, stand up for what you believe in, and contribute positively to our diverse society.

Lesson notes

What is Self-Awareness? Self-awareness is knowing who you are inside and out.

It's about understanding your: Strengths: What are you good at? Maybe you are great at soccer, good at drawing, or excellent at helping others with their homework.

Weaknesses: What are you still learning to do better? Perhaps you find reading difficult, or you sometimes struggle to be patient. Recognizing weaknesses isn't a bad thing – it helps you grow!

Emotions: How do you feel in different situations? Are you happy when you play with your friends? Are you sad when you can’t go outside because of the rain? Understanding your emotions helps you manage them better.

Values: What is important to you? Do you value honesty, kindness, or fairness? Your values guide your actions and decisions.

Interests: What do you enjoy doing? Do you like reading, playing games, or helping your family? Knowing your interests can help you choose hobbies and activities.

Example: Imagine you love playing netball (interest), and you're a really good defender (strength). But you sometimes get frustrated when you miss a shot (emotion/weakness). Being self-aware means recognizing all these things about yourself. What is Self-Esteem? Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. It's about liking and accepting yourself, even when you make mistakes. High self-esteem means you believe in your abilities and value yourself as a person. Low self-esteem can make you feel sad, insecure, and less likely to try new things.

Positive and Negative Self-Talk: The way you talk to yourself in your head is called self-talk. Positive self-talk is encouraging and supportive. It helps you believe in yourself. Negative self-talk is critical and discouraging. It can make you feel bad about yourself. Positive Self-Talk

Examples: "I can do this!" "Even if I make a mistake, I can learn from it." "I am a good friend." Negative Self-Talk

Examples: "I'm not good enough." "I'll never be able to do this." "Nobody likes me." Why are Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem Important?

Confidence: When you know your strengths and believe in yourself, you're more confident to try new things and take on challenges.

Resilience: High self-esteem helps you bounce back from setbacks. You see mistakes as learning opportunities, not as signs of failure.

Healthy Relationships: When you like yourself, you're more likely to have healthy relationships with others.

Success: Confidence and resilience lead to greater success in school, work, and life.

Making Good Choices: When you value yourself, you are less likely to engage in risky behaviour.

Example: Let's say Thando didn’t do well on a test (setback). If Thando has good self-esteem and practices positive self-talk, she might think, "I didn't do well this time, but I can study harder for the next test. I know I can improve." If she has low self-esteem and uses negative self-talk, she might think, "I'm so stupid. I'll never be good at this subject." Strategies for Improving Self-Esteem: Focus on your strengths: Make a list of things you're good at.

Practice positive self-talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

Set realistic goals: Don't try to be perfect. Focus on progress, not perfection.

Take care of yourself: Eat healthy food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.

Surround yourself with positive people: Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself.

Help others: Doing good deeds can boost your self-esteem.

Celebrate your successes: Acknowledge and reward yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small. Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: What is one of your strengths, and how can you use it to help someone else?

Solution: One of my strengths is that I am good at explaining things to others. I can use this strength to help my classmates with their homework when they don't understand something. Helping others will also make me feel good about myself.

Commentary: This question encourages self-reflection and highlights the connection between using strengths and helping others.

Question 2: Name one thing you are not very good at yet. What is one small step you can take to improve?

Solution: I am not very good at running long distances. One small step I can take to improve is to start running for 10 minutes every day and gradually increase the time.

Commentary: This question addresses weaknesses in a positive light and encourages setting achievable goals.

Question 3: Give an example of a time you felt proud of yourself. What did you do to feel that way?

Solution: I felt proud of myself when I helped an old lady carry her groceries home. I felt that way because I was being kind and helpful, and it made her smile.

Commentary: This question connects actions with positive feelings, reinforcing the idea that positive behavior leads to positive self-esteem.

Question 4: Change the following negative self-talk statement into a positive one: "I always mess things up." Solution: "I am learning, and I will get better with practice.