A sign of identity for individuals and groups in Native American and Australian indigenous communities, the totem carries its own evocative power—a symbol of lived experience and worth expressed through the signs that mark it. Here, it is offered and used as a teaching tool: a concrete, real way to map the growth of a person, whether child, adolescent, or adult, and of a group as a whole.
The totem is a large stick, gathered by the child alone or with the help of a trusted adult. On it are recorded the child's achievements—the milestones reached and surpassed. Each mark represents a different kind of experience, chosen carefully to capture positive lived moments. Written into the stick, these moments strengthen a sense of self-worth and testify to it.
Knowing your own value—and this applies far beyond childhood—brings stability. As the author writes, "in difficult moments we are less likely to abandon ourselves if we can draw on our own reservoir of worth" (p. 18). This is a handbook for anyone concerned with building resilience in education—and it works in two directions. On one side: practical activities for different grade levels. On the other: stories, analysis, and reflection on children's creative potential, along with brief texts used with young people as they search within themselves for the roots of self-regard.
C.T., 2010