All About Me Lesson Plan: Safe Sharing, Choice, and Belonging

Privacy and voluntary-sharing warning

An “All About Me” activity should not require a student to disclose family structure, possessions, identity information, home circumstances, private preferences, or a personal story. Sharing is voluntary. Provide an opt-out and a private alternative before inviting public responses.

Use the activity for instruction, not entertainment

Choose a learning goal such as asking and answering questions, using descriptive language, creating a labeled self-portrait, or practicing a participation routine. Do not grade the amount, positivity, or personal detail of what a student reveals. Use responses only for legitimate planning clues such as interests, language supports, preferred participation routes, and questions to follow up privately.

Teacher-approved prompt choices

• One thing that helps me learn is ___.
• A skill I want to practice this year is ___.
• A topic, book, game, or activity I enjoy is ___.
• When I need help, a teacher can ___.
• One question I have about this class is ___.

Offer a “none of these today” choice. Avoid prompts that assume a particular family, home, income, cultural background, body, religion, or access to possessions.

Participation options

Need or preference	Alternative
Does not want to share publicly	Submit a private response, share with the teacher only, or complete a class-related fictional example.
Not ready for speaking	Draw, point, sort prompt cards, write, type, use a communication device, or rehearse with a partner.
Multilingual participation	Respond in a home language, use labeled drawings, bilingual tools, a partner, or a translated prompt.
Does not have a personal object	Use a classroom object, an imagined object, a book character, or a learning preference.

Examples by grade band

Copyable planning sheet

Today’s class goal:
Prompt choices offered:
Private/opt-out route explained?  Yes / No
Ways students may respond:
Materials or language supports:
What I will observe for learning:
What I will not grade or require students to disclose:
Follow-up needed privately:

Copy planning sheet

Assessment and follow-up

Assess the stated instructional skill—such as using descriptive words, asking a question, or following a response routine—not personal disclosure. If a response raises a safety or welfare concern, follow school safeguarding procedures and avoid turning the public activity into an investigation.

Sources and further reading

• CASEL: Fundamentals of Social and Emotional Learning
• Learning for Justice classroom resources
• U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy

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Related guides

• Inclusive learning spaces: a practical access check
• Daily classroom routines by grade level
• Lesson plan goals and objectives examples

Use this next: Choose one small change, try it in the next planning cycle, and record the evidence that will guide your next decision.