Personality Pizza

The Personality Pizza is a group treatment activity to do with elementary or junior high school aged children. This activity is useful particularly with students who struggle socially because of behavior in the classrooms, as a motivator to build better, more positive friendships. This exercise is a part of Character Education, and develops communication and introspective skills for students, and connects to the school social work model of practice utilizing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the person’s perception of a reality, and works to develop thinking that will improve their function in a given situation. In this case, identifying the student’s thinking regarding their reputation and the positive characteristics of a friend is the focus, after which point the student is guided to consider and cultivate their own positive characteristics and behaviors as a friend.

The activity consists of two sessions. In the first, we read through the highlighted personalities in the handouts, and identify the qualities of each of those students described. In the second session, include a refresher of the qualities discussed, and label each of the nine pizza toppings with a quality. The students then “make their pizza” with the qualities that they would like to be known by. The activity centers around discussions of how the qualities the student has chosen can be achieved, while encouraging the students in the positive qualities that they already exhibit.

The pizza toppings and nine qualities can be altered, depending on the group of students. 

The following are some of the qualities that we utilize:

Helpful, Kind, Caring, Polite, Athletic, Honest, Cooperative, Dependable, Friendly

 

     

Reference:

Sitsch, G. M., & Senn, D. S. (2002). Puzzle pieces: Classroom guidance connection. Chapin, SC: YouthLight.