To the Teacher:
Who are you?
You may be asking this when looking at all the new faces in your classroom at the beginning of the school year. You may also be asking: How can we, as a classroom community, encourage each other to answer this question authentically, peeling away the many layers that comprise who we are?
One place to start is by identifying words and concepts we are connected to and then considering why. This helps us create imagery for us to see ourselves truly reflected and invite others to learn more about who we are.
Use this lesson at the beginning of the school year. This lesson could also be used to follow up on community agreements/norms, asking: Now that we have defined how we want to be in community with one another, who is in our community? This lesson has been written to be facilitated over at least three periods/sessions with your students.
Session 1
Prior to this period/session, invite students to bring in a talking piece that reflects an aspect of who they are. The object should be something they are comfortable leaving in the space until the next session and something they don't mind other people touching. (Find more on talking pieces here.)
Opening
Welcome students to sit in the circle. Invite everyone to bring their talking piece to the space. Share that over several periods/sessions, we will all be taking some time to get to know ourselves and each other.
Invite a volunteer to read the community agreements/practices you have for your classroom.
Share photo: Painting by Randall Chavarria “On Being Heard.” Display the following reflection prompts in a way that everyone can see them:
- What do you see?
- What do you think the artist is expressing?
- How does this painting make you feel?
- What questions are coming up for you?
Go-round: Invite each student to respond to the prompt of their choice. Remind them that everyone is encouraged to share, yet passing is also an option. Thank everyone for sharing.
Below is the artist’s description of their work. Share if you feel there is curiosity or if it feels supportive to what was shared during the go-round:
“The painting is meant to explore the meaning of voice, in exploring the ways in which we are heard by others. The person on the left being the speaker and the person on the right being the audience, the line in between being the ideas and things the speaker has to say.” - Randall Chavarria
Speak to the importance of the talking piece being an invitation to share as well as to listen.
Activity
Go-round: Invite everyone to share their talking pieces. Invite them to speak to how and/or why what they chose reflects an aspect of who they are. Be sure to share yours as well. If someone does not have their talking piece, invite them to share what they would have brought.
Once everyone has shared, they can place their talking pieces in the centerpiece.
Thank everyone for sharing.
If you have time to do another go-round, please consider this.
Go -round: Invite students to choose a talking piece other than their own that catches their attention that they find interesting, or that has a story resonated with them in some way. They may retrieve the talking piece from the centerpiece and then begin to share why they chose that piece.
Closing
Invite everyone to stand and take a collective deep breath.
Session 2
Opening
Welcome students to sit in the circle. Have their talking pieces available to use.
Building on the previous lesson, consider the importance of being seen and heard. Explain that, today, we will explore why it’s important to know who we are as well as how we are seen, how we see ourselves and, ultimately, how we see others.
Invite students to share in response to the following prompt:
- Why is it important to know yourself? Like, really, really know yourself?
Invite a few volunteers to share. If there is hesitance to answer/participate, start things off by sharing your answer and your intention behind getting to know them. If the sharing comes easily to the students, you may also ask: Why do you think it’s important to know each other?
Go-round: In three words, describe somebody you love. This can be a friend, family member, or even someone you don’t know personally. Invite a volunteer to start off the sharing and choose a talking piece to use. Be sure to share as well.
Invite them to share who the person is and the three words that describe why they love them.
Thank everyone for sharing.
Invite students to use a thumbs up (yes), thumbs down (no) or thumbs horizontal (maybe) to reflect on the following:
- If I would have asked you to share three words that describe yourself, would that have been easy? Invite everyone to take a look at the thumbs.
- If I would have asked you to share three words that describe why you love yourself, would that have been easy? Invite everyone to take a look at the thumbs.
- Did your answer change between the first and second question? Any thoughts or reflections on why?
Invite a few voices to share. Acknowledge, validate, and affirm their answers.
Activity
Share that we are going to watch a spoken word piece by poet, author and spoken word artist, Elizabeth Acevedo. While watching the video, invite students to tune into who/what she is saying she is. Watch Elizabeth Acevedo’s poem, “Afro Latina.” (In the video, the poet speaks in English and Spanish, but the YouTube captions do not translate what is spoken in Spanish. If it makes sense for your students, print out the poem with translations so they may follow along).
Go-round: Invite students to share either:
- Something they noticed she said about who/what she is
- A general reflection about the piece
Thank everyone for sharing. Invite them to start thinking about who and what they are.
Distribute blank pieces of drawing paper and writing utensils. If students need something to lean on, give them a moment to grab a book or clipboard.
Invite students to write a list of words describing who they are, what they are, what they like, what’s important to them, what gives them purpose, what they find interesting, what their essence is. These prompts can be at the top of the page handed to them or made visible to all in a way that suits your learning space.
Give them a set amount of time to write as many words as possible. (Suggested amount of time is 5-7 minutes.)
Invite students to write their name on their papers and collect them for the next session. Let students know you are collecting them for safekeeping and not reading them.
Closing
Go-round: Invite everyone to share one word that describes who they are. You may begin the share to model and foster comfort. For example, I am kind, I am funny, I am hungry, etc.
Session 3
To the Teacher:
Although this session includes an artistic activity, it should not be introduced as artmaking. Since we all have a different relationship to the arts and our ability to engage with and create art varies, our intention is for everyone to participate to the best of their ability without making connections to how good we are at creating art. This should be presented as an exploration of self that will be shared with the goal of getting to know each other.
Opening
Welcome students to sit in the circle. Have their talking pieces available to use.
Hand out their list of words.
Share that today may be the final session on the exploration of self and each other. Building on the previous session, we will continue to think about who and what we are through the use of words. We will also be adding an additional element to our exploration: the element of line or drawing.
Watch pop artist Halsey’s - Still Learning (Lyric Video).
Go-round: Using the students talking pieces, invite them to share in response to any of the following prompts:
- What did you notice?
- What do you think is the message the artist is expressing in this song?
- How does this song/video make you feel?
- What is a message about yourself you would like to share with others?
- Thank everyone for sharing and prepare for drawing. Transition back to desks for comfort. Distribute blank pieces of drawing paper and any drawing materials you may have (pens, markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Activity
“Who Am I?” portraits: Using words from your list as shape and line, create an image of yourself. The idea is to share who and what you are through imagery and words. You can use your words individually or create sentences out of them. Use as many words as you can. The image can be of your face or whole body. You can start by creating a light line drawing of yourself and then add the words above the lines.
Share examples of portraits for inspiration. Emphasize that there is no right or wrong way to make these—they should each look unique, reflecting how we are all different.
If you search “Calligram Self Portrait online,” you will find many examples. Feel free to choose examples that you feel will be relevant to your student population.
Give students at least 20 minutes to work on their drawing. If it seems that they need more time, pause, and do a closing of your choice. Then return to the drawing and sharing of their work the next time you meet.
Sharing
Option 1: Silent Circle Gallery Walk
- Have students place their drawings on the floor in a circle. Have them walk around the drawings in a circle, taking the time to look at what everyone created.
Option 2: Silent Desk Gallery Walk
- Have students walk around each other’s desks and look at what everyone created.
Option 3: Silent Circle Observation
- Have students return to circle with their work and hold it in front of them. Invite everyone to silently take in all of their peers’ work.
Closing
Prioritize this closing: If your allotted time is not enough for this, split this session into two sessions.
Sitting in a circle, with drawings in hand, facilitate a go-round with each of the following prompts:
- What’s something you learned or realized about yourself during this activity or over the three sessions?
- Which words did you include in your drawing that are most meaningful to you and why? or What is one thing that you want people to know about you?
- What is one thing you learned about someone else in the room?
Thank everyone for sharing. Share any observations you may have had during the three sessions that you feel will uplift the experience of students tuning into themselves and opening up to learn more about others. Close out the session with a high five passed around the circle.
Display
Once students feel their artwork is complete after returning to it during free time or another session— finalizing any details, adding color, etc., display the work in a place where all can see it.