Who Are My Supports and Who Do I Support?

The last week of March is focused on recognizing the support systems we have in place within our lives. The students started by illustrating the people and things that are part of their support system right now. It was a great way to get them started on thinking about who and what provides them support and assistance during difficult times in their life.

We provided the students with analogies of how to understand the importance of having a support system. The first example we looked at was a food chain that depends on the support of multiple animals. We discussed how when one is gone, it affects the entire population.

The students then watched a video about a woman skydiving for the first time. We analyzed how the gear and instructor was the woman's support system in helping her overcome this accomplishment.

In using these two examples, the students were tasked to create their own analogies that can be used as references for their support.

To help the students identify the specific people that are their supports for certain problems, the students were prompted to create their own cup of comfort. This task provided them prompts to help facilitate their thinking process.

The next step in our learning was to understand that the closeness of our relationships affects who we may confide in for specific trials and tribulations. The students were tasked to create an anchor chart of the Support Circle, identifying the different levels of closeness that may exist.

By that point, the students were experienced in identifying who and what consists of their support system, so they then contemplated on whether they are a part of others' support systems; whether they are someone others can count on. The students were asked to create a helping hand where each finger represents a reason or example for how they can be helpful to others.