Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 1, Session 3: Building Self-Confidence | Page 32 of 93(Possible responses: Saying the person is stupid, immature, careless, etc.; saying no one likes you; you
look silly, weird, childish, etc.; saying you are a bad person, a cheat, a liar, etc.)- Give the actors a name tag with the name of their character and have them perform the skit. Thank
them, give them a round of applause, and remove their name tags. Point out that they were reading a
script and playing a role. They are not this way in real life! Lead a discussion with these questions:
Note: The characters in this skit are not acting in a positive way. Facilitators should make a clear distinction between what is
acting and what is real. That is the reason for removing the character name tags, thanking the players, and emphasizing that
they were playing a role, not being themselves.What were some examples of “put-downs” that the Sammy character used on Samantha?
How do you think the Samantha character was feeling when she heard the “put-downs”?
What put-down statements do you think Samantha might make about herself after this encounter?
What effect did the “put-downs” have on the party the two were working on?
What do you think will happen the next time Sammy and Samantha have to do something
together?
What are some “put-downs” you can add to our list after seeing the skit?
What are some of the common beliefs or messages we have that limit our potential, or make it
more difficult to build our confidence and skills to be successful in our lives (Possible responses: I’m
not smart; I cannot do that).- Remind participants of some of the things Sammy said and ask them to imagine the beliefs or
messages Samantha might tell herself as a result. Sample responses:
What Sammy Said What Samantha Might Think
You look like a little kid in that hat I am foolish
That’s stupid, we tried it last year I never have any original ideas
Anyone with common sense knows that
won’t workI never have common senseDid you steal that idea from Nona? I am a thief
You’re being impractical My ideas are never realistic
I don’t know why I even listen to you I always waste other people’s timeB. Summary
Summarize the discussion of the skit by saying:
“‘Put-downs’ have a lot of negative effects. They weaken friendships, they lead to lowered self-esteem
and lowered confidence; they reduce the likelihood of success, and make it more difficult to interact
positively in the future.”