2nd Grade Guidance Class- Reputation

Second graders have been learning about what the word "reputation" means and how it is created.  At the beginning of this set of lessons, we look at a picture of a wolf and describe some of the words that come to mind right away.  Second graders say things like: "Hungry", "Scary", "He's going to eat me!", "Cute!" (strange boys), and "mean".  Some of them talk about stories where there is a wolf included- Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs.  After they share these things, we talk about how this is the wolf's reputation.  It is "what he does over and over again that creates a picture in our minds about who he is".  

Then we look at a variety of different characters that either possess a positive reputation or a negative reputation, and the behaviors that are building that reputation.  Students do an excellent job of being able to pull out those negative and positive behaviors.  

Finally, we start to examine our own reputations more deeply.  I ask questions like, "What do you want to be known for?" "What are some behaviors that you are proud of that are forming your reputation?" "What are some behaviors that may be hurting your reputation?" Students are always very honest in their answers, I am also so impressed by this.  For example, I had one little boy tell me that he always blurts out at school, and he knows that when his teacher talks about him, that she could be saying that he is a "blurter".  Well, he doesn't want to be known as a "blurter", he doesn't want that to be in his reputation, and the beautiful thing about it is...WE CAN CHANGE!  

Just like with making a pizza, we can add different "toppings" onto our reputations.  If we want to be known as a kid who helps others, we do helpful behaviors.  If we want to be known as a person who is patient, we show patience.  Students then got the opportunity to make their own "reputation pizzas".