These questions are designed to initiate conversations to expand growth mindset and social-emotional learning. This week’s topic is about never giving up and the mindset related to self-motivation. The discussion provides opportunities to apply the affirmation to each of the five core competencies of social and emotional learning.
SEL Discussion Resource: I NEVER GIVE UP
Self-awareness
- Let’s say the affirmation together: I never give up.
- If you feel like quitting when a task becomes difficult, what emotions do you feel in that moment?
- When something is challenging for you, are you more likely to want to quit, or are you more likely to work even harder to prove you can do it?
Self-management
- Imagine you want to give up on a task. You’re feeling frustrated. What can you do to manage that frustration?
- If someone is ready to give up and they are frustrated, what might happen if they took a little break and came back to it later? Why does this sometimes help us to be ready to keep trying? (Discuss how it calms emotions, clears our head, gives us new ideas, etc.)
Responsible decision-making
- Let’s imagine you’re trying to invent some amazing, motorized shoes, but the design isn’t working. So, you decide to throw away the design and start over with a new plan. Describe the difference between quitting/giving up and starting over. How is starting over still “never” giving up?
Social awareness
- Describe some behaviors you might see in someone else who was ready to give up on a homework assignment. What physical behaviors would they show? What might they say?
- If you’re playing soccer on a team and two people on the team quit, how does their quitting affect the whole team?
Relationship skills
- Friendships can be frustrating sometimes. You might even want to quit being friends with someone. Instead of giving up on a friend, what do you think might happen if you tried to find a new way to talk through your differences?
- Sometimes a person shows unkind behavior to their friends to hide their feelings and emotions. They might take out their frustration on you when you weren’t the one who upset them. If you are a friend who never gives up, what could you say or do to let them know they hurt you, but you still care about them as a friend?
Next week’s SEL focus: I AM BLESSED
To find the full-size posters to use in your classroom (or the magnet or postcard size) visit our store.
Suggestion for virtual learning:
- Purchase a pack of 30 postcards for the teacher to hold the appropriate one up to the screen during discussion.
- Purchase a pack of 30 small hand-off notes for each student to have at home with them. This allows for an interactive and hands-on experience.
