Using two volunteers, we began our lesson with a question:
Who looks the best?
This question initiated a class debate.
- ‘They both look good.’
- ‘They have different qualities.’
- ‘It doesn’t matter what they look like.’
- ‘It’s what’s inside that is more important.’
- ‘Each person is unique.’
Since body image can be linked to a person’s self-esteem, teaching children to love their body is crucial to promoting a happy and positive attitude towards life. Body image describes our idea of how our body looks and how we think it is perceived by others. This can include our thoughts and feelings about our height, weight, shape, skin, colour, and our appearance and attractiveness.
- ‘Body image is how people see you.’ – Sakina
- ‘Body image means that we are all different.’ – Priya
- ‘People comment on clothes and skin colours.’ – Emma
- ‘I think body image is the shape or form of your body.’ – Harris
The class discussed that body image often focuses on the external aspect, specifically the way we look.
Following this, the children were asked to focus on their own talents. Every one of us has a gift or passion for something. Recognising and enhancing that passion or talent is important.
This led us to thinking about how it feels to receive a compliment. The children offered positive remarks to each other. We then discussed how it felt to hear these.
In our classroom, we have some compliment slips and it’s great to see the children using them.
