Welcome! ❤️ You are invited to use our SEL journal prompts, self-esteem writing ideas, information, and resources with your students. Take a look now. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Yes!
In our powerful list of 52 SEL journal prompts, children are encouraged to reflect on the positive aspects of their lives.
You see…
When students journal, they become more aware of their own feelings and grow more comfortable expressing their ideas.
From identifying their greatest strengths to considering their goals, each journal prompt offers a motivating or inspiring idea for kids to consider.
Plus…
Students will think about the qualities they share with people they admire and the way they feel when they receive compliments.
Self-Awareness and self-reflection are two incredible benefits of journaling!
To promote confidence and higher self-esteem in children, allow them to identify their best qualities through writing. As they reflect on their talents and successes, they’ll feel inspired and encouraged to go out and try new things!
Enjoy and use this fabulous list of SEL Journal Prompts today.
SEL Journal Prompts and Self-Esteem & Confidence Journal Prompt Ideas for Kids
1. What is your greatest talent?
2. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?
3. How do your parents encourage you to be more confident?
4. Write about a unique quality you have that makes you special.
5. Write down five things that define who you are, listing them as “I am ____,” statements. Take a few minutes to think about each one. Which quality feels the best?
6. Write about a time when you did something you were afraid to try. How did you feel afterward?
7. When you’re feeling confident, what emotions do you experience?
8. Write about a person you admire. What qualities do you have in common with this person?
9. What is your favorite thing to do? How do you feel when you work on this activity?
10. What does it feel like when someone recognizes something you worked hard to do?
11. What makes you feel like a strong person?
12. What do you do when you see a classmate struggling with something?
13. Of the people in your life, who makes you feel the most confident?
14. Name three qualities you love about yourself.
15. How do you think other people see you?
16. What is self-esteem?
17. Why is it important to have high self-esteem?
18. How do you know when you’ve succeeded at something?
19. Write a poem that describes the feeling of confidence.
20. What kinds of things hurt self-esteem? How can you discourage these activities?
21. What is your greatest strength?
22. What is the greatest feeling you’ve ever had?
23. Why is it important to congratulate people who do well?
24. Write about your greatest success.
25. What do you see when you look in the mirror?
26. What does it mean to have confidence?
27. How do you think confidence relates to happiness?
28. How do you feel when you earn good grades?
29. Write about your favorite physical feature.
30. Write about your favorite intellectual quality.
31. When you want to feel more confident, what do you do?
32. What is your biggest goal? How will you achieve it?
33. Write about a time when you helped another person. How did you feel?
34. What makes you happy?
35. Make a list of ten things you’re good at doing. How do these things make you unique?
36. How can you help other people feel more confident?
37. How do you feel when you journal regularly?
38. What is it like to try something new?
39. Do you ever have trouble making decisions? How can you work to make choices more quickly and with more confidence?
40. Write about three things that make you happy. How can you spend more time on these things each day?
41. What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
42. Why is it important to have high self-esteem?
43. Think of something that you would like to do better. How can you work to improve?
44. How do you feel when someone gives you a compliment?
45. What types of things make you feel confident?
46. Why is it important to spend time with people who appreciate your best qualities?
47. How do positive thoughts promote confidence?
48. What is something you have done well recently?
49. Write about a time when you made a great choice.
50. Do you spend time worrying about what other people think? How does this feel?
51. When do you feel proud of yourself?
52. Write about a time when you struggled with something new. What did you do to improve?
I hope you enjoyed this list of 52 SEL Journal Prompts.
Journaling for Self-Esteem
Many kids face intense peer pressure from their friends and the media to look and act in particular ways.
Though parents and teachers can’t take these pressures away, you can alleviate the damage by promoting confidence and high self-esteem.
Journaling is one of the best ways to help elementary, middle school, and high school students kids develop their self-esteem, as it encourages reflection, offers confidence, provides stability, and promotes creativity.
What is Social and Emotional Learning?
According to Casel, social-emotional learning is defined as follows:
We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.
Source: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
5 SEL Skills
The 5 SEL Skills (once again citing Casel) are:
- Self-awareness–including how we identify and process our emotions and reflect on our own strengths and identities.
- Self-management–including how we set goals, manage stress, and demonstrate resilience.
- Social awareness–including the ability to empathize and take the perspectives of others from similar and diverse backgrounds.
- Relationship skills–including establishing and maintaining healthy relationships and collaboratively finding solutions to challenges.
- Responsible decision making–including analyzing situations, solving problems, and making decisions that promote collective well-being.
As you can see, social-emotional skills are powerful and essential tools for all students to learn and master.
To support SEL skill development in your classroom, check out this SEL reflection tool. It is easy to use and integrate into your current lessons. Plus, it’s wonderfully useful for all grade levels and will help build your students; writing skills, too.
SEL Printable Teacher Resources
- Again, this SEL reflection tool is based on five core social and emotional learning competencies and includes approximately 60 more SEL Reflection writing prompts.
- And these sample teaching activities support core competencies of SEL if in a printable PDF and so valuable. Check it out here.
- Guide to the Core SEL Competencies (includes activities and strategies)
More Positive Self-Esteem Resources & Links
- Confidence and Self-Esteem Journaling and Prompt Ideas
- Self Love Journal Prompts
- 5 Self Esteem Facts + 10 Writing Prompts
Until next time, journal on…
If you enjoyed these SEL Journal Prompts and Prompts for Kids on Self Esteem & Confidence
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I appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator
