Last month, during class we did a very interesting activity called the circle of self. First, we were instructed to write down five words that define or make up who we are. I chose fiance, sister, teacher, daughter, and friend. This was a fairly easy task. We then were told to get rid of two in which I chose daughter and teacher. This was really hard but I got rid of these because I was looking at the future and what roles were the most important in my life. Then, we had to get rid of a third one. This was even more difficult but I took away friend. Lastly, we were told to get rid of one more which would leave us with just one word that defines us. I was left with sister and fiance. My sister and I are very close but I ended up with keeping fiancé. He is my future and what makes me the person I am today. This activity really made me think about myself and the roles I have and the importance that each identity has for me.
I think that this activity could be beneficial for some of my students to do but they would definitely have a different perspective on it compared to me. My 5th graders would have words that reflect highly on their social life perhaps and their peers rather than family and other things. I think I could modify this activity a little bit to make this a worthwhile and self-discovery lesson for my students.
This activity allowed me to see again how important my identity and role is in so many situations but at the same time I know how wrapped up I can get in just one of those and then I am not balancing them. With the start of another busy school year upon us, I need to realize what an equal balance is between these identities and where I need to dedicate my time to.
