What is your Superpower?

Britney Smith
Overview
Importance of Building Resilience in Children

The Guidance Lesson

Summary and Significance

Questions

Create Your Own Superhero

Building Resilience
Resilience - the ability to positively bounce back from significant life obstacles even
stronger than before by using effective coping skills

To build resilience: Resilience promotes:

Caring and support Growth mindset

High expectations Finding ones strengths
Opportunities for participation in Building self-efficacy
pro-social bonding Motivation to succeed
Clear and consistent boundaries A positive outlook
Life skills Overall well-being
Significance of Growth Mindset
There is more impact on students when positive behavior support starts as young as
possible because the older students become, the less likely this intervention will be as
effective.

The concept of growth mindset incorporated into a school counseling program can help
(i.e. more access to college and career readiness):

Reduce dropout rates

Increase learning beliefs and attitudes
Increase grades
Increase self-efficacy
ASCA Standards

Academic
A:A1.3 Take pride in work and achievement
A:A3.5 Share knowledge
Career
C:A2.5 Learn to respect individual uniqueness in the
workplace
C:C2.1 Demonstrate how interests, abilities and
achievement relate to achieving personal, social,
educational and career goals
Personal/Social
PS:A1.1 Develop positive attitudes toward self as a
unique and worthy person
PS:A1.2 Identify values, attitudes and beliefs
PS:A1.10 Identify personal strengths and assets
PS:A2.3 Recognize, accept, respect and appreciate
individual differences
PS:C1.10 Learn techniques for managing stress and
conflict
PS:C1.11 Learn coping skills for managing life events
What is a
Superhero?
What is Your Superpower?
This lesson can be modified for all ages.

Students will play a game where they can tell the class what superpower goes

with which superhero.

Then, students will create their own superhero with superpowers (talents) they

possess or want to possess.

Students will share their superhero with the group if they want to share.
Examples of Superheroes
Summary and Significance

A School Counselors role in helping build resilience in students to:

Create a positive environment for a growth mindset

Model resilience through growth mindset vocabulary
Be advocates and harp on the strengths of students
Gives students a sense of safety at school
Provide creative interventions for students to promote success such as
creating themselves as superheroes.
References
American School Counselor Association (2004). ASCA National Standards for Students.
Alexandria, VA: Author
Guang, Z., Hanchao, H., & Kaiping, P. (2016). Effect of Growth Mindset on School Engagement
and Psychological Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Middle School Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience. Frontiers In Psychology, Vol 7 (2016),
doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01873/full
Pawlina, S., & Stanford, C. (2011). Preschoolers Grow Their Brains: Shifting Mindsets for
Greater Resiliency and Better Problem Solving. Young Children, 66(5), 30-35.
Schroder, H. S., Yalch, M. M., Dawood, S., Callahan, C. P., Brent Donnellan, M., & Moser, J. S.
(2017). Growth mindset of anxiety buffers the link between stressful life events and psychological distress and coping strategies. Personality &
Individual Differences, 11023-26. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.01.016
Stoiber, K. C., & Gettinger, M. (2011). Functional Assessment and Positive Support Strategies
for Promoting Resilience: Effects on Teachers and High-Risk Children. Psychology In The Schools, 48(7), 686-706.
Superheroes & Super Powers: Wiki for Kids at Cool School. (2014, November 13). Retrieved
February 15, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Wv3J2trMs
Williams, J. M., Greenleaf, A. T., Albert, T., & Barnes, E. F. (2014). Promoting Educational
Resilience among African American Students at Risk of School Failure: The Role of School Counselors. Journal Of School Counseling, 12(9),
Yeager, D. S., Romero, C., Paunesku, D., Hulleman, C. S., Schneider, B., Hinojosa, C., & ...
Dweck, C. S. (2016). Using Design Thinking to Improve Psychological Interventions: The Case of the Growth Mindset during the Transition to High
School. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 374-391.
Questions?