Our Year 1 learners have been diving into their Mitey learning journey by exploring emotions and learning how to recognise and talk about their feelings.
We began by discussing different types of emotions—like happy, sad, angry, and shy—and what those feelings might look like on the outside and feel like on the inside. The learners shared moments when they felt these emotions and practised identifying them in others. This helped us build empathy and start thinking about how to be a kind and supportive friend.
To make our learning visible, students created their own emotional self-portraits using coloured scribble art. Each picture represents a feeling, and learners added facial expressions to match their chosen emotion. These portraits were proudly displayed on our office foyer wall to remind us that all feelings are okay, and that we can talk about them.
Through storybooks, discussions, and art, we’re developing the tools to manage our emotions and show kindness. As part of our learning, we read several stories that helped us unpack important ideas around kindness, friendship, and empathy. These included What Does It Mean to Be Kind?, Tu Meke Tūī, and The Leaf Thief. These stories opened the door for thoughtful conversations about how we treat others and how our actions make people feel.
We’re so proud of the way our tamariki are developing emotional awareness and learning how to be thoughtful, respectful, and empathetic friends.
