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Self-esteem is intimately related to the valuation of oneself. Some authors suggest that it is the union of two feelings: The feeling of personal capacity (I can) and the one of personal worth (I am worth).

The personal capacity is understood by these authors as the ability to face the problems and successes that appear in life, to have confidence in oneself, and the personal value is the feeling of having the right to be happy and therefore to look for, to defend and to do everything that makes us feel well.

The little child is in the process of development and construction of himself, which begins very early with the differentiation of I, the recognition of the corporal image before a mirror, calling himself in the first person, in the recognition of what is mine and in the development of the self-assessment, which begins first by the evaluation of the other with whom one is compared, and later with the recognition and evaluation of his own behaviour, already at the end of the stage, at five to six years old approximately.

It is necessary to begin to work the self-esteem when the child begins to differentiate himself from the others and when the conscience of I arises.

The activities must be directed so that the child learns to accept himself, to want himself and to feel satisfied as he is, as much physically as regarding his psychic qualities, to accept his errors and to work to amend them, to enjoy his successes and to work to diminish his failures without hurting him.

It is also indispensable for the good development of the self-esteem in the child that activities be carried out where the confidence in himself is developed and in his increasing possibilities.

It is recommendable that the educator has always in mind that a simple comment on an error of the child done in an inadequate way, an evaluation badly handled can be taken by the child as a rejection, which surely can bring bad consequences, sometimes irreparable, and to harm the healthy development of the self-esteem.

It happens that sometimes the self-esteem of a child is damaged by expressions or acts of rejection, which are unconscious for the adult but noticeable for the child, for example: not to pay attention to him, not to give him a space so that he acts and expresses, not to give him the affection that he needs, not to communicate to each other or hardly communicate with him, etc.

One should treat a child like a delicate flower, which can spoil its petals, sometimes with only an aloof glance or a badly said phrase.



ACTIVITY No 1
"THE VAIN MAGPIE"


Summary of the activity: It will begin with the performance of two puppets "The idiot parrot" and "The vain magpie" who will tell their histories to the children, later a conversation of the children with the puppets will be made and finally the children will draw.

Objectives: To develop in the children acceptance and satisfaction towards the image of themselves.

Procedures:
• Conversation
• Observation

Material Resources: Two puppets that can be made of gloves or rods, drawing and modelling materials: coloured pencils, temperas, watercolours, paper, clay or mud.

Development of the activity:
1st Part
The puppets appear and greet the children.

The magpie comes out and says to the children: "They call me the vain magpie, do you know why? well, I am going to tell you":

- Once while I was walking in the meadow, I saw two peacocks walking past that unfolded the feathers of their beautiful tails.
When seeing them so beautiful I was speechless. "What a wonderful thing", I thought; "What beautiful colourful feathers!”. And I was so impressed with such beauty that from that day onwards I began to torment myself, thinking that I was very ugly. I did not support my own appearance with a so black and sad colour...
One day I found thrown on the ground some feathers of the peacocks, and I quickly had an idea: I stuck the feathers in my tail with drops of pine resin and I felt very pleased, because when I watched myself in the water of the river I was so pretty that I ran as fast as I could so that my companions could see me.
As soon as I arrived I said to them: "Look how pretty is my tail now...I am no longer as ugly as you", and do you know what my friends did? They were infuriated and they ran saying to me:
- "Although you have three feathers more, you continue being a magpie like us!”
Well, as my friends were so envious I flew towards the peacocks; but do you know what they did when they saw me, they also ran after me and very angered they said to me:
- "How dare you use feathers that do not belong to you?"
This is how I remained alone and rejected by all, even by my companions magpies, who called me "the vain magpie", but I, who do not deceive the children, am going to tell the truth to you.
It is not that I am vain, but that I did not agree with my appearance, but now I regret it, I realize that I was mistaken, and I advise you not to do what I did, because each one has his own charm, and I did not know how to find mine, although the peacocks are more beautiful than we magpies, they are not better.

2nd Part
It comes out to scene "The idiot parrot", it greets the children and it says: - Well, I have a history similar to the one of the magpie.

It turned out that I was displeased with the colour of my feathers, and I did not want to be green, red and yellow like the other parrots, then I painted myself all over with an orange colour.

One day I heard the other animals saying that there was a place called “The island of parrots”, where parrots of beautiful colours lived and after finding it out, I found the direction and I set off towards there.

When I arrived the humiliated parrots asked themselves “What so rare animal will be that?” and they started to peck me until they left me all bare, and dying of cold and rejected; but friends, I learned a good lesson: The others must learn to like you the way you are. Do not renounce your species, there are other more important qualities than the colour.

You see? The important thing is to accept oneself as one is. There are more beautiful things as being a good child, to be obedient, to love the family, to be polite, those are things that make us feel happy.

3rd Part
Now the educator invites the children so that they speak with the puppets and give them good advice, they tell them their anecdotes, say everything that they think that happened to the magpie and the parrot and if they are pleased or not with their image, which is not only the external aspect, but the way to be and to act.

Later the educator will summarize the activity and addressing the puppets he will say to them:

- Lady magpie, you were vain, but the important thing is that you have understood your mistake, return to your companions who surely will receive you because you are good and that is the best beauty that one can have, isn’t that true, children?

- And you, beautiful parrot, you have understood that your beauty is not in the colour, but in your good feelings, and that will make you very happy

- Children, have you understood the message of the puppets? It is necessary to know how to accept oneself and to be happy as one is, and to gain the esteem of others with our good behaviour.

4th Part
The children will draw and model based on the subject: The parrots and the magpies, finally the works will be exposed in an exhibition.


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
By means of their expressions the children show that they have understood the message of the puppets.
 
 
 
They understood the importance of feeling pleased with the image of oneself.
 
 
 
They showed examples similar to those of the magpie and the parrot.
 
 
 


ACTIVITY No 2
"HOW ARE THEY?"


Summary of the activity: First the educator will remind the children what was said by the puppets in "The vain magpie" and "The idiot parrot", later he will read the story "The red deer and its antlers", and later he will talk with the children to know their opinions about these characters and about themselves.

Objectives: To teach the child to evaluate the qualities of some characters and their own ones.

Procedures:
• Conversation
• Questions and answers

Material Resources: Engravings of the fable, which can be serialized according to the argument of the tale (with no more than three scenes, like the following ones):

1. A beautiful red deer in the foreground with very showy antlers and long legs, watching itself in the waters of a stream. There can be two or three distressed rams in the background.
2. The red deer with antlers entangled in a shrub in the foreground, the legs trying to dig a hole; the roaring lion that approaches in the background.
3. The red deer running smiling with the unfolded legs, the lion far away behind.

Development of the activity:
1st Part
The educator will remind the children what was said by the puppets "The idiot parrot" and "The vain magpie", and later he will narrate and show the engravings of the fable to them:

"The red deer and its antlers"
Once upon a time there was a red deer that had beautiful antlers, of which he was so proud that it used to make fun of little rams, believing them to be inferior because they do not have antlers. It frequently watched itself in the waters of a near stream and it used to say to itself: "What so beautiful and strong antlers I have, nevertheless my legs are so thin, if I could change them by others I would do it with pleasure".
One good day of summer in which it grazed calmly in the savannah, it felt the roar of a lion and when seeing it ran desperately because this one followed it, its quick legs helped it to move away, but suddenly its beautiful antlers were hooked between the foliage of the trees. The red deer desperately tried to free itself, but it was impossible to it, because the more it fought to get away, the more the horns in the foliage were entangled.
While the lion almost reached it, the red deer with one of its legs could move away some branches first and others later until it was freed, and with agile movements it fled quickly to escape from the lion. Soon, already out of danger, it said very sorry: "The legs that I so much despised have saved me in the flight and my antlers who I admired so much betrayed me!” I have understood that I do not have to complain about my legs because they are very quick ".

2nd Part
Once the narration is finished the educator will talk with the children asking questions about the performance of this character. Who has acted like the red deer? Who does it look like? Why? (To see if they compare it with the characters already learned in the previous activity).

3rd Part
Once it has been verified that the children have understood and known to describe the negative and positive qualities, and to compare them with the previous reference, the educator will ask each child: Do you look like any of those little animals? Why? How do you behave?


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
They correctly evaluated the positive and negative qualities of the characters of the stories in an independent way.
 
 
 
They needed help to correctly evaluate the positive and negative qualities of the characters of stories.
 
 
 
They knew how to evaluate their qualities independently.
 
 
 
They needed help to evaluate their qualities.
 
 
 


ACTIVITY No 3
"HOW DO I MAKE THE ACTIVITIES?"


Summary of the activity: It consists of a conversation that the educator will make when finishing an activity or a game with the children. He will ask questions to them to know how they value themselves.

Objectives:
• To teach the children to evaluate their way to act in the performance of daily activities (game, educational activity, work, etc.).
• To wake up in the children positive emotions by their performance in their daily activities.

Procedures:
• Conversation
• Questions and answers

Material Resources: The same ones of the activities made, in order to help the children to be centred in what it is asked of them.

Development of the activity:
1st Part
When finalizing the game, or any of the educational activities of the program, the educator will talk with the children about the activity at issue, always leaving the children to express how they behave. He will ask the following questions:
How have you played?
How have you worked?
How have you behaved with the teacher?
How have you behaved with your friends? (a reference to the activities made is done), etc.

Firstly the positive performances made will be highlighted, emphasizing and waking up in the children pleasant or positive emotions towards the work made or the way to behave, so that they feel satisfied and happy with their good performance, and later we will speak about the negative conducts (if there are any), making it clear that all can be overcome and that for that reason no child should feel bad.

2nd Part
The educator together with the children will summarize the activity valuing with them if they have evaluated well, what they have obtained and what they have still to achieve, always emphasizing in the positive qualities.


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
They knew how to suitably evaluate their way of acting in games and activities in an independent way.
 
 
 
They needed help to suitably evaluate their performance in games and activities.
 
 
 
They showed positive emotions (joy, satisfaction, etc.) by their performance in games and activities.
 
 
 


ACTIVITY No 4
"I WANT TO BE LIKE ..."


Summary of the activity: The activity will begin with the recitation of poetries and later the children will make a story about what they want to be when they grow up.

Objectives: To develop in the children interests or expectations about what they can become in the future.

Procedures:
• Recitation
• Narration

Material Resources: Poetry texts that can be supported with diverse illustrations.

Development of the activity:
1st Part
Educator will teach children the following poetries:
Here the educator mentions two poetries.

2nd Part
The children will recite the learned poetries, one has to try to make them use the appropriate intonation and gestures, in order to promote the sprouting of positive emotions during the recitation that will be connected with the content of what it is said.

3rd Part
The educator will ask the children to make a brief account about what they would like to be when they are adults like their parents.

Later he will stimulate the children so that they are hardworking, studious at school and so they will be able to become what they wish, he will show examples of successful people in the community, or in the country such as: doctors, outstanding workers, artists, scientists, soldiers, etc. who were children like them and who by their dedication to work, or to the study, or to the art are celebrities wanted by all, who they can also be in the future.


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
They learnt the content of the poetries.
 
 
 
They carried out well the accounts in an independent way.
 
 
 
They needed help to relate.
 
 
 
They showed interest in what they can become in the future.
 
 
 
They related the poetries with positive feelings of self-esteem.


ACTIVITY No 5
"LET'S PLAY ..."


Summary of the activity: The educator will organize different corners so that the children play the plot that they select and that must be related to what they want to be when they are adults.

Objectives: To develop the knowledge about what they can and would like to be in the future.

Procedures: Game

Material Resources: Materials and toys so that the children represent in their different games professions or jobs (according to which they have selected).

Development of the activity:
1st Part
The educator will talk with the children about what they want to be when they are adults and he will invite them to develop games with plots about what they want to be.

He will explain to them and he will show them engravings so that the children have experiences about the work that is made in the different professions and offices selected by them.

2nd Part
The children will develop the game, the educator will intervene to help them when it is necessary, he will also give suggestions so that the plot stays alive and they conduct the playful actions well.

He will teach the children how the different professions or offices can interrelate, for example, the builder takes his son to the doctor, to the school, etc.

3rd Part
A final conversation will be made in which the children will value how they have played and what was the thing that they liked more.

The educator will emphasize that we all can become doctors, educators, nurses, builders, and to outstand in our work, if we study and work well. The message consists of making the children understand the idea of their personal value to be able to become.........


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
They knew how to suitably conduct the actions of the selected role and in an independent way.
 
 
 
They needed help to carry out the actions of the selected role.
 
 
 
They carried out the argument until the end.
 
 
 
They needed help to take the argument until the end.
 
 
 
They showed interest by the profession or office that they selected in their games.


ACTIVITY No 6
CRITICAL EXPERIENCE FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE BLOCK
"HOW AM I?"


Summary of the activity: The first part of the activity consists of a conversation where the educator will remind the children what they have learned in the previous activities of this block and later the children will draw and speak about their self-portrait.

Objectives: To verify if the children have a suitable self-esteem.

Procedures:
• Conversation
• Questions and answers

Material Resources: Sheets of paper and pencils.

Development of the activity:
1st Part
The educator will ask the children to make descriptions of the characters already known in the previous activities, mainly of their qualities. If it is necessary the educator will express some important thing that was left to say.

2nd Part
He will invite the children so that they self-evaluate comparing themselves with the characters which they already knew in the other activities (the magpie, parrot and the red deer), to help them the following questions will be asked:
Do you remember how they acted?
Would you act as any of them? Why?
What do you think you need to be like them?

Later he will say to them: Tell me how you are at school, how you are with the classmates and the family, trying to make the child express himself freely, helping them to say why they think that the character acted in that way, and how they would act, making that all the children participate. If it is necessary one can work with half of the group.

3rd Part
Finally the educator will invite the children to make a self-portrait, first they will draw and later they will speak about their qualities. The educator, if it is necessary, will help them so that they characterize themselves not only to talk about their external characteristics but their ways of performance.

Finally the teacher will correct any manifestation of poor self-esteem in any child, emphasizing among other things, their positive qualities and suggesting how to eliminate the negatives.


CRITERIAL ASSESSMENT
Observed conduct
YES
NO
Comments
During the evaluation of themselves they declared to have a suitable self-esteem.
 
 
 
They were able to evaluate positive and negative characteristics of the characters.
 
 
 
They managed to make their self-portrait and to reflect the positive characteristics of themselves.
 
 
 
They could express not only external qualities, but also internal ones of themselves.