This week in Year 2, we took part in a special Place2Be assembly focused on the theme of self-efficacy – the belief that what we say and do matters, and that our actions can make a difference.
We talked about how it is completely natural to sometimes feel unsure or helpless, especially when things feel difficult or worrying. We discussed how believing in ourselves and in each other can help us to feel more confident and better able to cope with challenges.
We introduced the phrase self-belief and explored what it really means. The children shared some brilliant ideas and learned that self-belief is not just about feeling good about yourself, but about having the inner confidence to believe that there are things you can do to make a difference. We also discussed how knowing we have strengths to draw on in tricky times can make situations feel less stressful and more manageable, and that this is an important part of our mental wellbeing.
To help us explore this further, we shared the story of The Tortoise and the Hare. The children thought carefully about why the tortoise succeeded.
We discussed questions such as:
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Was the tortoise actually faster than the hare?
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What did the tortoise do to make the most of his strengths?
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How did he keep going even when the challenge felt difficult?
The children also talked about times when they had faced something tricky and were not sure how it would turn out, but chose to give it a go and try their very best. Teachers and adults shared their own examples too, showing that everyone faces challenges and keeps learning..
In class, we followed this up with some lovely activities to celebrate our strengths.
Each child completed an “I can…” activity, where they drew or wrote about something they enjoy or a skill they are proud of. We talked about how this does not have to mean being the best at something, but about enjoying learning, using our skills and persevering when things feel tricky. These were brought together to create a “I can…” classroom paperchain, showing all the wonderful strengths in our class.
We also carried out a very special activity to help children recognise strengths in others. In a calm and safe space, each child chose a classmate’s name and wrote it on a post-it note. On the back, they wrote something they admired about that person. We reminded the children to focus on positive qualities such as always trying their best, being kind, never giving up or being a good friend. We had some amazing ideas, and it was lovely to see how thoughtfully the children recognised and celebrated each other’s strengths.
It was a wonderful way for Year 2 to build self-belief, celebrate each other and remember that even when something feels difficult, we all have strengths we can use and the ability to keep trying.
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