Título: Working on Assertiveness in Compulsory

Título: Working on Assertiveness in Compulsory Secondary Education
Autora: Ana María Carrillo Sánchez
DNI: 30231774-E
Nivel: Educación Secundaria Obligatoria
Materia: Inglés
Contenido:
Nowadays, schools have to deal with a new demand from society: We need to
educate our students in assertiveness. But, what does assertiveness mean in
Compulsory Secondary Education?
When we talk about assertiveness we mean those attitudes based on respect
and recognition of others’ rights, including ourselves. In other words, this attitude is
based on the capacity to recognize and defend other people’s rights without violating
our own, while respecting our own boundaries and those of other people.
Teaching our students that they have the right to say “NO” when they feel
threatened, when they do not agree with something or someone, or when someone
asks them for something they consider dangerous, is initiating them into assertiveness.
Learning to say “NO” enhances self-esteem and an “I CAN” attitude, as well as
collaborating in building a responsible and thoughtful personality, and avoiding selfdestructive behaviors which may arise from their environment or their friends.
It is essential for an assertive personality to know how to ask for help when
necessary, and to express feelings such as gratitude, affection, admiration, and sorrow.
Now, how can we work on assertiveness with our students? Here are some
ideas:
1. A community project.
We can use one of the noticeborads in the classroom for this activity, which all our
students will participate in. We cover the noticeboard with a long white paper
tablecloth. Each student will think about a situation where he or she could apply
assertiveness. Finally, they share their examples by writing or drawing pictures in this
big paper.
2. A poster.
In groups of four, students make a poster about assertiveness. They could include
examples of situations of assertiveness in this poster, in comic-strip form, writing a
story or drawing a diagram. Finally, they share them with the rest of the class.
3. Interviews.
It could be very interesting to bring a psychologist to class. Prepare questions
beforehand to interview him or her about this topic.
Development of assertiveness skills is a healthy component of maturity and
grooming good citizens, but learning to use it effectively can take some practice on
their part and coaching on ours.
Bibliography:
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Palmer, Pat (1991): el ratón, el monstruo y yo: asertividad para jóvenes.
Valencia Promolibro-Cinteco.
Güell, Manel (2005): ¿Por qué he dicho blanco si quería decir negro? :
técnicas asertivas para el profesorado y formadores. Barcelona : Graó.
Ana María Carrillo Sánchez