Who am I? We all grapple with this question at various points in our lives as we learn about ourselves and the various elements that influence who we are, and who we desire to become. The journey provides various challenges and is different for each of us.
Year 5/6 have been offered a range of materials and questions that encourage us to think and explore the social, emotional, spiritual, physical and mental aspects of ourselves. We have compared these ideas as we continue to journal responses to provocations in class, including viewing a documentary I Am 11, reconsidering paralanguage (body language, tone, etc.) when communicating with others; and considering memories, preferences, and values that help create our personal identity.
Learning Together
An awareness of our past helps inform our identity. It is insightful to discuss your family history. Look at family photos, family trees, or share stories that identify significant decisions or change (such as a family decision move to Australia instead of Canada). These histories encourage a greater awareness of who we are and how our family values/traditions are formed.
Developing an emotional vocabulary enables us to accurately express our feelings as we grow and change. Continuing to identify and paraphrase emotions enable your child to express and manage their feelings as they enter adolescence. The graphic below may be a helpful reminder and perhaps a family talking point!
Something you can do at home
This would be a great time to have a look through family photos and talk about changes your child has had physically, mentally, spiritually/emotionally, and socially. If you have a strong relationship with them, it’d be a good opportunity to talk about what is different about the way they think and behave from when they are younger and what they anticipate for the future.
We have been developing interview questions for older people about their lives growing up, you might also want to check if they’d like to ask you.