Teacher Self-Awareness and Knowledge

Increasing Self-Awareness and Knowledge About Body Image and Self-Concept

We all have biases about bodies, weight, and food choices because of the many messages we have received throughout our lives from society, family members, friends, peers, mentors, and the media. These biases may be inaccurate or oversimplify complex processes, and they may contribute to our own body image perspectives as adults.

Body image is complex and impacted by numerous biological, psychological, social factors. Teachers are in a unique position to have influence on the protective factors in a child’s life. If you have struggled with your own body image, consider talking with a mental health professional or taking steps to improve your relationship with your body.

Group of seven students in a circle smiling

Everyone deserves to feel that their body is welcome at school. Here are some strategies for increasing self-awareness about body image and self-concept, and contributing to a more body-inclusive community

Reflect on protective and risk factors that impact self-concept

Promoting positive self-concept at a young age creates a foundation for well-being throughout life. Various cultures have their own understandings of health and well-being. For example, in many BC First Nations communities, relationship with and connection to ancestors, ceremony, land, water, and territory support health and healing. Educating and caring for children and youth is seen as a collective responsibility. Many Indigenous belief systems around the world see beauty as an interconnection between the self and the land. Our bodies are seen as part of the larger story of who we are and connect us to our ancestors, our roots, our ceremonies, and our teachers (NEDIC, 2023).

Children and youth are an integral part of community well-being. Just as our inner selves and identities change and grow as we age, so does our relationship with our bodies and our environments. The First People’s Principles of Learning (FPPL) highlight the importance of exploring identity and supporting students’ well-being. Caring for the self and connecting to family, community and ancestors are key. These can be contributing factors for healthy self-concept.

Factors

Some factors can contribute to protecting and developing a positive self-concept and body image, while others can put individuals at a higher risk for developing a negative self-concept and body image.

Examples of protective factors

Students have better self-concept and body image when they:

have parents/caregivers and other caring adults that model a holistic acceptance of bodies;
engage in regular physical activity;
learn effective coping strategies for handling emotional distress;
practice self-compassion;
feel a sense of belonging in school;
view balance as key to health and well-being.

Graphics of three kids playing in a puddle

Examples of risk factors

exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACES);
intergenerational trauma; parental and peer modelling of dieting behaviours;
experiences of body-based bullying, discrimination, weight stigma, sexual objectification/assault;
exposure to unrealistic body ideals in the media.

Graphic of unhappy parent and upset child

Childhood is an important time to develop self-concept. As children grow, they learn more about themselves and others based on the people and environment surrounding them.

The way we live, grow, and age is shaped by the Social Determinants of Health Factors like income, education, and housing that shape health outcomes and the way we live, grow, and age. .
Our life circumstances and culture can shape our experiences of body image. We may be influenced by dominant perspectives and systems, such as settler-colonialism, White supremacy, and Indigenous-specific racism. The intersectionality wheel of privilege and the wheel of privilege and power are examples that show how various aspects of our identities intersect to create experiences of privilege or disadvantage in society.
Cultural beliefs about natural human phenomena like aging, growing up, and puberty, can vary. Some see it as a process to fear while others see it as gifts of wisdom that we gain through life experience.
Some cultures promote a narrow range of body ideals as the most attractive or healthy, while other cultures promote a broader range of body ideals. Sub-cultures like sport and diet culture also promote different body ideals. Individuals that belong to a body-inclusive culture are more likely to have a positive relationship with their body.

The framework of “-isms” like racism, colonialism, sexism, classism, sizeism, heterosexism, and ableism can shed light into deep rooted body dissatisfaction.

Marginalized bodies that are treated as different or discriminated against are more impacted by body dissatisfaction because of the systems and structures in place.
While female and non-binary individuals are more likely to experience body dissatisfaction, there has been an increase in the number of males who are also struggling with body image (McCreary Centre Society, 2024).
During the transatlantic slave trade and its evolutions, colonists would assign value based on body size and skin tone, leading to body modification practices still seen in many racialized communities (Mortier & Watson, 2023).

Reflection

Consider what lessons and where you have learned about weight, body size, or the importance of personal appearance. Reflect on whether these ideas align with your current values. The following questions may be helpful entries to personal reflection:

What experiences (positive or negative) stand out in your memory about messages around bodies, weight, and food choices when you were growing up? Why do they stand out to you and what did you learn from those experiences?
What would you tell your pre-teen self about body image? What messages of care do you know now, that you wish you knew when you were growing up?
What positive ways do you care for your mind and body now, and how does that change for you as you age and as your body ages?

Reading diverse perspectives, such as Jeanna’s story, shared through Foundry, can help us learn more about the multitude of body image experiences.

The Mirror Inside:

Understanding Self-Concept and Body Image

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Reflect on language used to speak about ourselves and others

As adults, role-models, and educators we are constantly modelling language and behaviours that shape the way that students see themselves. In using a body neutrality de-emphasizes appearances and focuses on what our bodies allow us to do, the inner aspects of who we are, the varied aspects of our identity, and how our inherent self-worth is not tied to how our body looks. Acknowledging and respecting your body for what it can do for you, rather than focusing on physical appearance approach, we can shift the language away from appearance-based comments to focus on what our bodies allow us to do, the inner aspects of who we are, and the various aspects of our identity.

This holistic, strengths-based approach can be used to reframe or reject negative messages about bodies in order to build or increase body confidence. Examples of a strength-based approach include:

Remind ourselves and others of the strengths and positive traits each person has
Make time to celebrate our accomplishments and honour our interests and social roles outside of work
Broaden our appreciation for the many aspects of our identity unrelated to our appearance that support our image of ourselves. E.g. we are athletes, we are family members, we are students, we have talents, we are learners

Many students are still learning how to think critically. As they become more aware of appearance ideals in broader culture and media, they may need support to develop personal strategies to build and protect their own positive body image and to promote a culture of body-inclusivity for others. Consider shifting our internal scripts about bodies and weight to re-framing those thoughts more neutrally. This can improve both our relationship with our own body, as well as our perception and treatment of others.

Below are some examples of how to internally reframe or speak up in response to common messages about bodies and weight:

Scenario	Consider responding with…
In response to a comment or joke that implies a simplistic or blaming understanding of weight…	Bodies naturally come in all shapes and sizes; it’s more helpful to focus on adding health instead of losing weight Weight is complex and affected by numerous factors, many of which are out of our control
In response to an unwelcome compliment or criticism of your own body or a conversation about someone else’s body…	It’s not appropriate to talk about other people’s bodies I know you mean well, but body-based comments make me feel uncomfortable There are so many other factors that make up our selves other than our bodies
Instead of “You look so nice today!…”	“It’s so nice to see you today!” “I like how I feel when I am around you” Commenting on a positive aspect of someone’s personality or attitude rather than their looks
Instead of “You have grown so much since I last saw you!…”	“You seem so grown up since I last saw you!”
When someone says “I feel fat” – realize that some people have a neutral relationship with the word “fat,” and may use it to describe themselves, while others may find the term hurtful. Look out for negative uses of the word “fat” and avoid commenting on others’ size generally. Be curious on what they mean by that. When students use the word “fat” in referring to something other than bodies (e.g. “a big, fat pillow”), no comment is needed. If a student is using the word “fat” to describe another person’s body, or that comes up in a book being read, it could be a good time to discuss how sometimes that word is used to hurt people.	“Fat is a word like small and tall; it’s just a way to describe something. There is nothing wrong with being fat, just as there is nothing wrong with being small or tall. There is something wrong, however, with making fun of someone’s body or how they look. Comments about someone’s body can make them feel uncomfortable.”

While we can never truly understand someone else’s experience, we can try to ensure that our teaching is inclusive, holistic, and comprehensive. We want all students, regardless of ability or appearance, to hear themselves in the conversation.

If a student has experienced appearance-based bullying, tell that student they have done nothing wrong and that it was not okay for someone to make fun of their appearance. Avoid reassuring victimized students about their appearance or body size as that can imply that appearance-based bullying may be justified in some cases. It is never okay to make fun of someone’s appearance. Remind them that all bodies are beautiful and are worthy of love and respect.

Connect with the student(s) who participated in appearance-based bullying and make it clear that appearance-based jokes and teasing are unacceptable. Support them in authentically repairing relationships to eliminate future incidents.

Words and Thoughts Matter:

Focusing on what our bodies can do

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Show kindness and compassion

The way we feel about our bodies changes. We experience varying and ever-evolving degrees of self-acceptance. You may not know whether someone close to you struggles with body image based on appearance. Not all body image struggles are related to body shape and size. People who have chronic pain, medical conditions, or visible/invisible disabilities may have unique body image experiences with both positive and negative dimensions.

Appearance-based bullying is a significant source of stress and poor mental health amongst students. Being kind and compassionate to yourself and others, in and out of the school environment, can make a big difference in student mental health and well-being. Some ways to show kindness and compassion include:

Recognize the ups and the downs of self-acceptance and how we learn to respond to these.
Acknowledge the various emotions we may be experiencing and how we may learn to regulate them.
Acknowledge we have choices and autonomous decisions to make about our bodies every single day.

Body Talk:

The inside and outside of being Me

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Increasing Self-Awareness and Knowledge About Body Image and Self-Concept