Teaching sequence

10 minutes

Explore: The importance of positive self-talk

35 minutes

Discover: TED Talk

15 minutes

Thrive: Self-talk reflection

Explore: The importance of positive self-talk

Step 1

Watch the video:

Power of Positivity: Brain Games (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1kgl0p-Hw)

then discuss the key concepts as a class.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

Why were the results between the first and the second shooter so different?
What does this tell you about positive thinking?
What role does self-belief play?

Step 2

Explain that the next activity encourages students to engage in honest self-reflection. Each time a statement is read aloud, they will be asked to raise their hand if they agree with it. Before starting, ask students to close their eyes so they can focus on their own answers instead of their peers. Doing so will also help create a safe, judgement-free setting.

Read the following statements:

I am a great friend.
I have a positive mindset most of the time.
I can often see the positive, even in challenging moments.
I struggle to accept compliments.
I often say kind things to my friends.
I often think kind things about myself.
I believe I am strong and capable.
I know I have great potential.
I am someone other people can count on.
At times, I find it hard to think about myself in a positive way.
I know there are benefits to thinking kind things about myself.

Step 3

Once all the statements have been read, ask students to open their eyes and pair up to discuss some of the thoughts they had during the activity. Encourage them to share if they noticed any patterns in how they answered, then facilitate a class discussion to explore the concept of positive self-talk. Without singling students out, you may like to share some general observations about how the majority of students answered.

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

Positive self-talk refers to a person's inner conversation with themselves, which can boost their self-esteem and generate a sense of motivation. By recognising negative self-talk patterns, individuals can take the initial step towards practising a more optimistic thought process.

Step 4

Ask students what they think ‘toxic positivity’ is and if they can recall any examples of toxic positivity in their own lives. To wrap up, facilitate a class discussion about the difference between toxic positivity and positive self-talk.

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

Toxic positivity refers to the excessive and ineffective overemphasis on positive thinking or emotions. This can be harmful as it can dismiss or invalidate genuine feelings that are all part of the human experience.
Positive self-talk, on the other hand, is a healthy and constructive way of promoting self-compassion, self-confidence and motivation, as it’s based on recognising and affirming your strengths and abilities.

Discover: TED Talk

Watch the video:

TEDx Self Talk: Hailey Hultberg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytiF927W4E0)

then facilitate a class discussion to evaluate the format and effectiveness of Hailey’s speech. For example, she included an engaging statistic at the start, shared a personal story and linked what she spoke about to research.

Step 2

Advise students that they will work in pairs to research, write and present their own 3-4 minute TED Talk to promote the benefits of positive self-talk or practising a growth mindset. In their TED talk, they should include:

an engaging opening to get their audience's attention
a personal story related to the topic
the scientific benefits
enough information for each person to speak for approximately 2 minutes.

Step 3

Provide each pair with a TED Talk worksheet and give them 25 minutes to research, write and practise their talk.

Teacher note: The TED Talk worksheet can be distributed digitally.

Thrive: Self-talk reflection

Step 1

While remaining in their original pairs, ask students to create a group of 6 (3 pairs grouped together) and take turns presenting their TED Talk. For every presentation, audience members should aim to ask at least 1-2 clarifying questions and provide meaningful feedback to the presenters. If time permits, some pairs may wish to present to the whole class.

Step 2

Encourage students to remain in the same small groups and discuss their responses to the following questions:

How would you describe your current self-talk?
Where in your life could you benefit from having more positive self-talk?
Who or what can help you practise a growth mindset and positive self-talk?
What’s one piece of information you learned today that others could benefit from?

Step 3

To wrap up the lesson, encourage 1 member from each group to share what each person said they learned from the lesson.

Teacher note: If appropriate, these TED Talk presentations could be performed at a school assembly or filmed and digitally distributed to the school community.

Self: Investigating the Importance of Positivity

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

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