670.Resource, Gordon, I Am Enough: Mentor Text for Identity and Agency (K-2)

Identity is our self-concept. Agency refers to our capacity to act. The theme of Identity and Agency begins with the self-awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses and expands to our capacity to take action and attain goals. This theme includes self-efficacy (believing in oneself), the self-confidence to try difficult or new tasks, perseverance, and resilience.  Identity and Agency are affected by our experiences.

I Am Enough encourages self-awareness of our individual strengths and weaknesses through a series of comparisons. For example, “Like the trees, I’m here to grow . . . .  Like a ladder, here to climb . . . .  Like the student, here to learn. ”  It encourages us to have the self-confidence to try new tasks and to persevere when we don’t succeed: “Like the winner, I’m here to win, and if I don’t, get up again.”  I Am Enough celebrates respect for others.

Heart of Georgia RESA teachers may request a free copy of the book to use with their classes by listening to the short VoiceThread about the book, reading a brief handout that includes the ELA standards and suggested strategies for using the mentor text, and completing a request form.