Whose Thoughts are These Anyway?

Requirements

• 15 minutes of class (or one-on-one) time; Sample Scenario
• “Whose Thoughts” Worksheet

How it Works

1. The teacher begins by describing a situation (the sample scenario provided describes a student striving for Top Performance at Any Cost; other scenarios could include peer pressure to experiment with drugs or sex, pressure to keep a secret about one’s own unhealthy behavior or that of a friend or family member, etc.)
2. Students then use the “Whose Thoughts” Worksheet to write down their thoughts about it (ex:  I won’t get into the best college without a 4.0; I need to get into the best college or I’m a failure; If I don’t make Varsity I won’t get a scholarship and my future is doomed), listing as many as they can. For each, they then write down whether these are messages they’re receiving from others or cultivating on their own.
3. The teacher and students then brainstorms about other ways to look at and impact the situation.   

Benefits

• This activity is designed to help students dissect the messages they receive – both externally (from parents, teachers, peers) and internally from their own self-talk.