In this activity, students explore resilience through structured peer coaching. By sharing challenges and guiding each other with reflective questions, they learn to better understand their reactions, identify strengths, and develop strategies for moving forward. The focus on listening and mutual support helps students see resilience as a skill that can be developed over time.
- Activity goal
- Practice skills | Reflect
- When
- In class
- Where
- Offline
- Duration
- < 60 minutes | > 60 minutes
- Group size
- Small | Medium
Step-by-step plan
Step 1: Introduction
Explain to students that resilience is not only about enduring challenges, but also about learning, adapting, and growing through them. In this activity, students will explore resilience together in a supportive environment. By working in small coaching circles, they will share current challenges and help each other identify strategies for academic, personal, and professional situations.
Step 2: Coaching in small groups
Form groups. One student at a time shares a current challenge, while the others take on a coaching role.
Provide students with structured prompts to guide their conversations. These prompts can be used flexibly depending on time and context.
Stage 1: Exploring the challenge
- What feels most challenging about this situation for you?
- What thoughts come up when you think about facing this challenge?
- How does this challenge affect your confidence or motivation?
- What would success look like for you here?
Stage 2: Understanding reactions
- When you face difficulties, what is your usual first reaction?
- What emotions are strongest for you right now?
- How do these emotions influence your actions?
- What patterns do you notice in how you respond to setbacks?\
Stage 3: Identifying strengths
- Think of a time you overcame something difficult. What helped you then?
- What personal strengths can you use in this situation?
- Who or what supports you when things get hard?
- What resources (skills, people, tools) do you already have?
Stage 4: Building resilience
- What would help you feel more prepared for this challenge?
- If you could reframe this challenge as an opportunity, what would that look like?
- What small step can you take today to move forward?
- How will you take care of yourself during this process?
Stage 5: Reflection and growth
- What have you learned about yourself through this challenge?
- How might this experience strengthen you for future situations?
- What advice would you give someone facing a similar challenge?
- What will you do differently next time?
Step 3: Group reflection
Bring the class back together for a plenary reflection. Invite students to reflect on what they learned from coaching each other and how their understanding of resilience has developed.
Example reflection questions:
- What did you learn from others’ experiences of resilience?
- What strategies will you apply in your own life?
Tip 1
- Model a short coaching exchange with a student so they see what 'good questioning looks like.
Tip 2
- Add a short thinking pause after the student shares their challenge before the others ask questions.
Tip 3
- Give clear time per stage (e.g., 3–4 minutes) to prevent rushing and to ensure depth.
