Self-Control (Self-Regulation)

Learning Objective

Students will understand the meaning of this character strength to then apply it in their lives.

Mục tiêu học tập

Học sinh sẽ hiểu được ý nghĩa của điểm mạnh tính cách này để áp dụng vào cuộc sống.

What Does This Character Strength Look Like When Applied?

Definition: Doing what’s best in the long run despite short-term temptations. I make thoughtful choices. "Self-control is useful in steering our attention toward one thing and away from another." ¹

Motto: "I manage my feelings and actions and am disciplined and self-controlled." ²

From Character Lab: Self-control means doing what’s important to you in the long run instead of what feels good in the moment but is later regretted. For example, scrolling through your Instagram feed might be fun but not worth falling behind in your work.

Self-control is self-initiated: if you turn off the phone to focus on work, that is an act of self-control; but if someone else tells you to do it, then it is compliance.

Know Your Brain! - "Brain areas responsible for tasks such as organizing, controlling impulses, planning, and strategizing do not fully develop until the mid-20s. Brain chemicals such as dopamine that help distinguish between what is worthy of attention and what is mere distraction also do not reach optimal levels until then." ³

Agency - This term is used a lot these days in describing the empowerment and self-confidence we want our students to experience as they make decisions in their lives. It connects to growing their sense of self-efficacy and understanding concerning their locus of control. These two concepts connect to the self-talk in whether we see ourselves as internals or externals regarding our belief regarding whether we are in charge of how we affect our lives or if we see life affecting us.

What it Looks Like and How to Encourage:

• Getting to work right away (initiating), rather than procrastinating

• Avoiding and resisting distraction to stay focused (selective attention)

• Planning ahead

• Making choices that won’t be regretted later

• Developing and using a self-talk system to self-regulate

• Promote a classroom language around self-control and its effects upon well-being

Unpack the Strength: ⁴

• What does the strength look like in action?

• What does this strength feel like in action?

• When and where can you use it?

• What is the "shadow-side" of this strength?

Điểm mạnh tính cách này trông như thế nào khi được áp dụng?

Learning Activities (Choose from the Following)

1. Personal Strength Spotting - Work with a partner to share one or two examples from your life when you engaged the character strength of self-control. What strategies (tools) did you use to have self-control? Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength through personal reflection.

2. Strength Spotting - Think about a person you know who exercises their self-control (self-regulation). It can be a person you know or possibly a historical figure. Draw a picture of the person and write text descriptor bubbles around them to explain their actions that demonstrated their self-control. Share with your partner. Goal> To deepen understanding of self-control by making connections in one's life.

3. Sharing Time - Each partner decides which example of "strength spotting" they would like to share with the class. Then share it with the class. We will do lots of strength spotting in ourselves and others! Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength by learning from your classmates and their experiences.

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1. Deepening Your Understanding - Your teacher will give you a handout of the Self-Control Strategies list from this website. Task> First, read through all the strategies on your own. Use a pen to underline words that you feel are important. Go to the bottom and back of the paper to write your understanding of the strategies in your own words. Also, write down what lessons you learned from reading the information! The next step is to talk to your partner about what they learned. Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength through personal reflection and collaboration.

2. Which Strategies are for You? - Hopefully, now you have a deeper understanding of self-control and strategies to support it. The next step is to return to the handout to choose which strategies you are already doing and which ones you think are worth trying. Do this on your own and then share it with your partner. Goal> To deepen understanding of self-control by making connections in one's life.

3. Sharing Time - Choose two strategies you currently use and two you want to try. Then share them with the class. Listen carefully to your classmates to see what you can learn from their shares. Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength by learning from your classmates and their experiences.

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Let's create a Character Card!

1. Decide whether you want to use paper and drawing pencils or if you want to use technology.

2. The ultimate goal is to create cards for all 27 character strengths, so decide on the card size for this and your future creations.

3. You decide on the layout of your card. Think about having sections that contain a picture of the strength, a definition, and ways to exercise the strength in real life.

4. Create your card and save it to your growing collection.

5. Share your card with a partner or the whole class.
   

Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength by engaging your spatial and artistic skills. To also exercise your character strength of CREATIVITY!

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Extension - So much of being a person who exercises the strengths of emotional intelligence, grit, growth mindset, proactivity, and social intelligence is being a disciplined person. Now that you have learned and practiced these character strengths let's bring them together around this idea of being disciplined.

Here are some activities you can do individually, with a partner, or with the whole class.

• What does it mean to be a disciplined person? Write your ideas down, share and learn what others have to say.

• Who are disciplined people you know personally, from public life, or are historical figures? List how they exercised their character strengths to be disciplined. Share and learn from others.

Whether on your own or with a friend, write a fictional story of a person who grows up learning how to be disciplined. How do people become disciplined? What experiences do they have? How do adults affect their personal growth? Planning and Writing Tip: Use the "working backwards" technique first to describe who the person is as an adult. In other words, their profile, including strengths, skills, and other attributes. Then work backward, briefly listing some of their experiences after high school, in high school, middle school, elementary school, and early years as a child. Remember that at each stage, the person will need to learn life lessons that will help them in the next stage. You can then use this framework to write your story.

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Taking Action: Use the WOOP goal-setting system to plan to engage this character strength more often in your life. It can be helpful to work with a partner to complete the WOOP worksheet to coach and support each other to reach your goal. Goal> To exercise this character strength more often with intention in your life! To also exercise the character strength of PROACTIVITY!

Hoạt động học tập (Chọn từ những hoạt động sau)

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1. Làm việc với ban để chia sẻ một hoặc hai ví dụ từ cuộc sống của bạn khi bạn thể hiện sức mạnh của tính cách đánh giá cao vẻ đẹp và sự xuất sắc. Mục tiêu> Tìm hiểu sâu hơn về sức mạnh của nhân vật này thông qua phản ánh cá nhân.

2. Làm việc với một đối tác để chia sẻ một hoặc hai ví dụ từ cuộc sống của bạn khi bạn thấy người khác thể hiện sức mạnh của tính cách đánh giá cao vẻ đẹp và sự xuất sắc. Mục tiêu> Tìm hiểu sâu hơn về sức mạnh của nhân vật này thông qua phản ánh cá nhân.

3. Thời gian chia sẻ: Mỗi bạn quyết định ví dụ nào về "điểm mạnh" mà bạn muốn chia sẻ với cả lớp. Sau đó chia sẻ nó ra cả lớp. Chúng tôi sẽ phát huy rất nhiều sức mạnh trong bản thân và những người khác! Mục tiêu> Hiểu sâu hơn về sức mạnh của nhân vật này thông qua kết nối xã hội chia sẻ đồng thời mở rộng tầm nhìn của bạn để thấy thêm nhiều ví dụ về vẻ đẹp trong môi trường của bạn.

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Hãy tạo một Thẻ nhân vật! Mục tiêu> Để hiểu sâu hơn về sức mạnh của nhân vật này bằng cách tham gia vào các kỹ năng nghệ thuật và không gian của bạn. Để cũng thực hiện sức mạnh SÁNG TẠO của nhân vật của bạn!

1. Quyết định xem bạn muốn sử dụng giấy và bút chì vẽ hay bạn muốn sử dụng công nghệ.

2. Mục tiêu cuối cùng là tạo ra các thẻ cho tất cả 26 điểm mạnh của nhân vật, vì vậy hãy quyết định kích thước của thẻ cho việc này và các sáng tạo trong tương lai của bạn.

3. Bạn quyết định bố cục của thẻ của bạn. Hãy suy nghĩ về việc có các phần chứa hình ảnh về sức mạnh, định nghĩa và các cách để rèn luyện sức mạnh trong cuộc sống thực.

4. Tạo thẻ của bạn và lưu nó vào bộ sưu tập ngày càng tăng của bạn.

5. Chia sẻ thẻ của bạn với một bạn kh.. và / hoặc cả lớp.

I Want To Learn More

• Self-Control video

Tôi muốn học nhiều hơn

• (chúng tôi sẽ cần xem liệu có tài nguyên nào bằng tiếng Việt có thể giúp học viên tìm hiểu thêm về thế mạnh này không)

¹ Emotion and other response descriptors drawn from materials at Mayerson Academy

² Niemiec, R. M., & McGrath, R. E. (2019). The power of character strengths: appreciate and ignite your positive personality. Cincinnati, OH: VIA Institute on Character.

³ Hales, D. (2021). An invitation to health: Taking Charge of Your Health (19th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning

⁴ Embedding Character Strengths. Institute of Positive Education. With permission.

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