The Mystery of Me: The Art of “Knowing Thyself”

At the beginning of the year, my 4th-grade GT students complete a booklet that we call The Mystery of Me, and we add to it throughout the year. Our GT studies in 4th grade center around MYSTERIES (find an overview HERE), and certainly there are many unanswered questions about what makes us unique as human beings (our brains, our bodies, our personalities, our motivations, passions, etc.)!

Judy Galbraith, author of The Survival Guide for Gifted Kids (affiliate link), lists “self-awareness” among the many needs of GT kids, and I would add that all children benefit from learning what makes them special and what “makes them tick.” Let’s note, however, that self-awareness and self-literacy are not the same as self-obsession and self-centeredness. In today’s world, we need to help students make this distinction. Psychologies worry that narcissism and self-obsession are taking a toll on the self-concepts of our youth. Some have called the next generation the selfie generation, with millions of selfies taken each day. Our students can learn to recognize the difference between a healthy self-awareness and an unhealthy focus on oneself.

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Understanding one’s unique gifts, talents, and interests and learning more about what motivates you can lead to a healthier self-concept and may even enhance future leadership skills. As you come to terms with your own flaws you become more empathetic and tolerant of the flaws of others.

Most of what we studied and did in the GT class was somehow documented in my students’ learning logs. When we learned something or when they worked on independent studies, everything was contained in these notebooks in the form of cartoons, diagrams, outlines, photos, foldable pages, etc So The Mystery of Me wasn’t a separate booklet. The activities were recorded in the students’ learning logs.

In order to share the activities more easily, I’ve created the booklet in Google Slides. You can PREVIEW and make your own copy of the entire mini-project HERE.

MAIN GOALS:

• promote healthy self-awareness in each student
• encourage and reinforce empathy and an appreciation for the diversity of humans
• develop an understanding of the reasons for differing perceptions and opinions, and introduce strategies for positive communication and interactions.
• incorporate some advanced vocabulary and content (e.g. biometrics) for depth.
• promote a “growth mindset” and strategies for developing a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance, and positive self-talk.

I hope this is something your students find helpful and enjoyable as you begin the year together, and that the activities help you achieve these goals. Your comments and questions are welcome!