The Self Confidence Project for Teens (Ongoing Section)
Make Friends, Journal and Create art to Gain Confidence, Gain Life Skills, Lower Stress, and Replace Negative Thoughts.
Jennifer Hughes, B.A., J.D., LL.M, LC
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(656)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
1 hour per week. Finish weekly journalsAssessment
By parent requestClass Experience
New Class begins June 12th (Wednesdays). The Self-Confidence Project recognizes that adolescence can be very challenging and encourages teens to express themselves through bullet journaling and self-exploratory handouts and class discussions. Each week we will connect as a group and create a bullet journal page, or a skills building exercise that centers on a self-affirming topic. Here are 4 benefits of journal writing for students: 1. Improves writing and communication skills. It goes without saying that the more a student writes her thoughts out on paper, the better she (or he) will be at putting her emotions into words and communicating her needs to others, but what many of us don’t realize is that journals for students also provide a fun and effective way for young adults to work on their writing, spelling, and grammar skills. Of course, a journal is meant to be a private, unedited place for stream-of-consciousness writing, but you will be surprised to see how your child’s skills improve when she continues to put pen to paper. 2. Provides an outlet. Whether your child suffers from excessive stress, or takes life in stride, there’s no denying that kids of all ages have worries, and journaling provides a fabulous outlet to help them address their feelings. Younger kids will likely want to share their journal with you, but if your child chooses to keep her journal private, she’ll have a place to express herself freely without feeling as though she needs to censor her thoughts for the benefit of others. 3. Promotes a sense of calm. Writing our thoughts out on paper forces us to come to terms with the things we’re feeling, working through her thoughts will typically bring her back to a state of calm. 4. Provides solutions. There are tons of journal prompts and worksheets for students that are designed to help kids think outside of their comfort zones, and as your child writes, she will inevitably start to come up with solutions to her problems. (Source: Meraki Lane). Sunday Morning Class (longstanding) Sun, Mar 24 Making Good Decisions and Common Teen Pitfalls Sun, Apr 7 Seek to understand first, before making yourself understood. Sun, Apr 14 Being more Independent. Sun, Apr 21 Earth Day/ Taking care of my inside and outside environments. Sun, Apr 28 Habit and Mood Trackers Sun, May 5 Abundance Mentality (gratitude mandala) Sun. May 12 Stability Sun. May 19 People Pleasing/Codependency Sun. May 26 Creating a Safe Space Sun. Jun 1st June Portfolio Sun. June 8th Overcoming Bad Habits Sun. June 15th Summer Bucket List Sun. June 23rd The Mountain and the Valley/Highs and Lows Sun. June 30th A Day in the Life Sun July 6th The Face Sun July 13th No Class Sun July 20th August Portfolio Sun July 27th Cultural Competency -This class will resume in September after summer break
Learning Goals
Here are 4 benefits of journal writing for students:
According to an article by Positive Psychology, students of all ages can benefit from journaling.
It has proven effective in an area that is vital for child and adolescent development: increasing self-efficacy and promoting a healthy sense of control over one’s life (Fritson, 2008).
The article not only lists 83 benefits of journaling for all ages but specifically goes on to state that journaling helps students in many ways:
Helping them deal with “big feelings” in a healthy and safe way;
Improving their writing skills, including spelling, sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammar;
Enhancing their reading skills;
Enhancing their communication skills (both written and verbal);
Taking advantage of an outlet for things that are difficult to express or uncomfortable to share;
Exploring and identifying their emotions;
Allowing themselves to feel “taboo” emotions like anger;
Examining the pros and cons of something to help them make a decision;
Reflecting on their thoughts about something after the fact;
Gaining insight into their own motives and the motives of others;
Seeing the positives as well as the negatives;
Planning out tough conversations in advance (Morin, 2018; Rodriguez, 2017).
Fritson, K. K. (2008). Impact of journaling on students’ self-efficacy and locus of control. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 3, 75-83.
Froh, J. J., Sefick, W. J., & Emmons, R. A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 213-233.
Morin, A. (2018). The benefits of journaling for kids. Very Well Family. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-benefits-of-journaling-for-kids-2086712
Other Details
Parental Guidance
A student's journal can be deeply personal. You may want to discuss privacy issues ahead of class. My hope is that student's will share and be proud of what they create. While doing our self-portraits, if you find that your student can not think of good things to say about themselves, gently drop in suggestions. Please let me know of any accommodations I can do ahead of time for your student. If you suspect your student is in any type of crisis, please speak with their physician or seek help from a counselor, I am not an appropriate substitute for those that need medication or medical help.
Supply List
Bullet Journal (Can be any journal, with or without lines, but must be sturdy enough to glue pages and designs). Journaling Gel Pens or Markers Optional: Stickers, Stencils, Paints, etc. If there are handouts, they will be provided by the instructor a week before class begins, they may need to be printed out or just there for ideas. I will let you know which ones will need to be printed out. Your students will be able to choose during the week how they wish to proceed with their journal.
Sources
Atomic Habits
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Joined March, 2020
4.8
656reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Doctoral Degree from State University of Buffalo School of Law
Journals have been a part of my life since I was a child. I successfully completed Law School with four children in tote, mainly because of my journal lists. They kept me sane and organized.
For twenty years I have had the opportunity to work with students from Pre-K through Graduate School in both a traditional learning atmosphere and those classes that deviate from neurotypical teaching. I am a retired certified teacher, attorney and mother of seven. Every class I create is first implemented in my own household. My teaching philosophy is that all students are individuals and unique learners that must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and where mistakes are considered education victories.
While incorporating the eight learning styles into each class, I believe that there are five essential elements that are conducive to learning. (1) The teacher's role is to act as a guide. (2) Students must have access to hands-on activities. (3) Students should be able to have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning. (4) Students need the opportunity to practice skills in a safe environment. (5) Technology must be incorporated into the school day.Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 134 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-12 learners per class
