Caring for Ourselves

Sharon St Pierre

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Caring for Ourselves Lesson Plan

Equip teachers with strategies and tools to introduce holistic care concepts—Psychological, Emotional, Physical, and Spiritual—to Pre-K students, fostering early self-awareness and balanced well-being.

This lesson plan provides teachers with practical facilitation techniques to guide young learners in understanding and practicing holistic self-care, laying the foundation for their lifelong well-being.

Audience

Teachers of Pre-K

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Use interactive discussions, visual aids, and teacher-guided activities.

Materials

Holistic Care Flyer

Prep

Teacher Preparation and Material Review

5 minutes

Review the Holistic Care Flyer to ensure it clearly displays four squares labeled Psychological Care, Emotional Care, Physical Care, and Spiritual Care.
Familiarize yourself with the language and visual cues used in the flyer to effectively explain each type of care to young learners.
Prepare additional supportive discussion prompts and examples to guide classroom conversation.
Set up any creative supplies (crayons, markers, stickers) for the interactive activity.

Step 1

Introduction and Teacher-Led Discussion

10 minutes

Start by explaining to the students that there are different ways to care for ourselves.
Use the Holistic Care Flyer to point to each square:
- Define Psychological Care as using our minds to think and learn.
- Describe Emotional Care as caring for our feelings.
- Highlight Physical Care as looking after our bodies through healthy eating and physical activity.
- Explain Spiritual Care as nurturing the part of us that brings joy and connection.
Engage students with guided questions (e.g., 'How do you take care of your body?') to encourage participation and link the concepts to their daily lives.

Step 2

Guided Interactive Activity

10 minutes

Invite students to choose one square from the flyer to decorate or color.
As they work, circulate in the classroom to ask prompting questions and offer support. Share examples like hugging a stuffed toy or eating a healthy snack.
Emphasize that every type of care is important and show how the activity connects to the larger idea of holistic self-care.

Step 3

Wrap-Up and Reflection

5 minutes

Lead a discussion to recap the four care aspects using gestures, repetition, and visual cues from the flyer.
Ask for volunteers to share what they learned and how they might take care of themselves in each area.
Conclude by reinforcing that self-care is a daily practice, and encourage teachers to integrate similar discussions into everyday routines.

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Slide Deck

Caring for Ourselves

Today we will learn about taking care of our minds, feelings, bodies, and the special part that makes us feel happy inside.

Begin the lesson by welcoming the students and introducing the idea that we take care of ourselves in many different ways. Explain that the slide will show different types of care that help us feel good and healthy.

Psychological Care

This is taking care of our mind. We learn, think, and play with ideas.

Introduce Psychological Care as caring for our minds: learning new things and thinking about our day. Ask the children what makes them smart or what they like to learn.

Emotional Care

This is taking care of our feelings. We show love, care, and smile a lot.

Explain Emotional Care in a simple way, as the feelings we have and how we share them with others. Use examples like smiling, laughing, or even feeling sad sometimes.

Physical Care

This is taking care of our body. We eat healthy, play, and get plenty of rest.

Talk about Physical Care by connecting it to basic actions such as eating healthy foods, playing, or resting. You might use images of fruits or kids playing.

Spiritual Care

This is taking care of our heart and spirit. It makes us feel happy and connected.

Discuss Spiritual Care as the part of our heart that brings us joy and connection. Relate it to moments of quiet, prayer, or a warm feeling inside when we are happy.

All Together!

Remember to care for your mind, feelings, body, and heart every day. What's your favorite way to care for yourself?

Wrap up the lesson by recapping each area of care. Ask the children to share one thing they do to take care of themselves. Emphasize that all these ways are important and help us feel our best.

Activity

Holistic Care Flyer for Elementary Teachers

This flyer is designed to help you reflect on and enhance your approach to holistic care in your classroom. Each square represents a different aspect of care. Use the descriptions to understand each area and the reflective sections to evaluate and improve your current practices.

Psychological Care

Description: Caring for our mind through learning, thinking, and problem-solving.

What works well:

New ideas or strategies to try:

Emotional Care

Description: Nurturing our feelings and emotional well-being by recognizing, expressing, and managing emotions.

What works well:

New ideas or strategies to try:

Physical Care

Description: Looking after our body through healthy eating, physical activity, and rest.

What works well:

New ideas or strategies to try:

Spiritual Care

Description: Fostering a sense of inner peace, connection, and purpose. This can include moments of quiet reflection, gratitude, or sharing values.

What works well:

New ideas or strategies to try:

Instructions for Use:

Review each section: Read the description and reflect on how you currently support this type of care in your classroom.
Complete the reflective sections: Identify what is working well and note any new ideas or strategies you could try to further enhance student well-being.
Discuss with peers: Share your reflections and strategies with fellow teachers to gather additional insights and support.

This flyer is a tool to encourage continuous growth and reflection, ensuring that all aspects of holistic care are integrated into your teaching practice.