Self-Love in the Secondary Classroom
How often do we feel empowered to name & celebrate what we love about ourselves? At times we can find ourselves in environments that dim our light or cause us to second guess our worth and who we are. This happens more frequently that some would care to admit.
Even as adults we find it challenging to name our worth and our strengths. To be clear, I am not talking about the names & labels given to us by our families, communities & society in general… I mean the names & descriptions we give ourselves.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this idea of self-love & self-celebration.. With this on my mind & with Valentine’s Day being right around the corner, we so easily forget to think about ourselves and the type of self-love needed to be equipped to love others.
I put together a resource with that guides students to brainstorm not only who they are, but what they love about who they are.
The brainstorming sheet gives a categorized list for students to read through. They can check off aspects on the list that are aligned with who they are. Providing this list gets students thinking about themselves in ways they maybe haven’t before. At the bottom, they are encouraged to list out the aspects they love most and add as many additional aspects that weren’t included. I’ve included a glossary that will help with understanding some of the concepts that may be new.
In the end, students will get an I AM web, where they will cut and paste all of the things they LOVE that make up who they are.
So frequently, when asked to describe ourselves we immediately go straight to what we do and not to who we are. I listened to a Ted Talk recently “Let Curiosity Lead” by Yara Shahidi and I can’t let go of the question she asks: “….who are you? Because what we do is only a fraction of who we are.” She also speaks about the value in being curious and exploring more than just one thing.
OUR BIG KIDS NEED TO CUT & GLUE & CRAFT TOO!
The Self-Love Thinking Map Project guides students through a thoughtful exploration of their identity, values, and strengths, while providing the scaffolding they need to go deeper than surface-level responses.
This resource includes both English and Spanish versions, making it ideal for multilingual classrooms and for students who benefit from native language support.
This project is especially powerful in February, but meaningful any time students need space to reflect, reconnect, or reset.
Students reflect on:
What matters to them
What they love about themselves
How different parts of their identity connect
Language to name who they are
The thinking map structure helps students organize their thoughts visually, making this accessible for a wide range of learners.
What’s Included
Teacher directions
Example photos
Brainstorming handout with checklist & prompts
Glossary for complex terms
Thinking map template
Word bank & word strips (plus blank options)
Full English & Spanish versions of all student materials
Why Teachers Love This Project
✔ High student buy-in
✔ Thoughtful, not cheesy
✔ Encourages student voice
✔ Easy to implement
✔ Works for advisory, ELA, or SEL moments
✔ Supports multilingual learners
This project creates space for students to feel seen, capable, and affirmed, without forcing vulnerability.
