Joy full January

Phase II

3^rd session – 30/31January 2010

30.1.2010

Morning- 10.00 am -1.00 pm

General session

Post lunch- 2.00 pm- 5.00 pm

Effective Communication skills- Listening Skills

Eye Contact – focusing and maintaining

Game – Pair Conversation

• Playing ‘catch’ with the ball in circle-

1. Correct name and proper eye contact
2. Correct name without eye contact
3. Correct eye contact and incorrect name.

Non-Verbal Gestures – nodding and smiling

Game – Pass the ‘emotion’ with ‘Ooohhh!’ and ‘Aahh!’

Non-Verbal Barriers –avoiding eye contact

fidgeting

gestures of exasperation,

quick movements ,

closed arms

Being attentive and listening with respect and interest

Game- Sitting back to back and drawing

Empathetic Listening

Game – Blindfold game- following instructions to avoid hitting obstacles

Listening to yourself

1. in two groups
2. with friends instruction
3. walking with friend including instruction.

31.1.2010

Morning –

9.30 am – 11.30 am General Session- Effective Communication-

Communication Tree and Cycle of Effective Communication

11.30 am – 1.00 pm – in groups - Effective Communication (cont.)

Game – giving multiple instructions

clap sound

Post Lunch- 2.00 pm- 5.00 pm

Game- hear/ receive the sound and pass on the same sound

hear/ receive the sound and pass on a different sound

two persons converse and the third tries to guess- mood of conversation

• correct expressions
• inconsistent expressions
• gibberish
• from receiver's expression.

Drama in miscommunication

• with physical barriers------ like deaf, dumb, color blindness,ETC.

Basic thought of L.S. programme

જો વ્યક્તીનો પોતાનો વિકાસ થાય તો તે તેના આસપાસ ના સમાજ નો ચોક્ક્સ પણે વિકાસ કરવા નો જ. મનુષ્યની એ જ સામાન્ય પ્રકૃતિ છે.લાઈફ સ્કિલ્સ માં વ્યક્તિ વિકાસ ના જ મહત્વ ના મુદ્દા શીખવવા માં આવે છે.

હવે ખ્યાલ આવે છે કે લાઈફ સ્કીલ પ્રાઈમરી સ્કુલ માં કેમ શીખવાડાય છે.

ચેપી રોગ ની જેમ લાઈફે સ્કીલ એ ચેપી પ્રોગ્રામ છે. તેનો ચેપ એક બીજા ને લાગ્યા વગર રહેતો જ નથી.

why do i like life skill programme?

રીફ્લેક્શન કરતા કરતા ધ્યાન માં આવ્યું કે લાઈફ સ્કીલ એવો પ્રોગ્રામ છે જે લક્ષ્ય સુંધી પહોંચવા નો રસ્તો કે રીત નથી બતાવતો પણ વ્યક્તિ ને જાતે જ રસ્તો શોધી લેવા તથા જાતે પ્રયત્ન કરી લક્ષ્ય સુંધી પહોંચી જવા માટે સક્ષમ બનાવે છે.લક્ષ્ય સુંધી પહોંચવા માં જે જે મુશ્કેલીઓ આવે તેનો સામનો કેવી રીતે કરવો તેમાંથી બહાર કેવી રીતે નીકળવું તે શીખવે છે માટે દુનિયા ના કોઈ પણ ખુણા માં આપણે હોઈએ કોઈ પણ કામ કરતા હોઈએ લાઈફ સ્કિલ્સ મદદરૂપ નીવડે જ છે.

આ પ્રોગ્રામ માં "કમ્પલ્સરી" એવો કોઈ શબ્દ જ નથી. તમે તમારી અનુકુળતા મુજબ ઈચ્છા મુજબ પૂરે પૂરી સ્વતંત્રતા થી તેને શીખી અને શીખવી શકો છો . તેમાં તમારા પોતાના નવીન પ્રયોગો કરવાની પણ છુટ્ટી છે.અને માટે દર વખતે એક જ ગેમ શીખવતી વખતે કઈ નવો જ અનુભવ થાય છે. એક ની એક જ ગેમ માંથી દર વખતે નવું શીખવા મળે છે.

A letter from Jignesh Goswami

Jignesh Goswami
5.2.2010
Respected Madam,
How are you?
I am writing a letter to share my latest experience at the Govindpur Madhyamic School. 348 students and 12 teachers attended my lecture. And the subject was one which is very dear to all of us- ‘Life Skills through Drama in Education’.
I started my lecture with the sentence….
Mentioning your name-Dr. Swaroop I acquainted them with them about how you introduced us to the concept of Life Skill learning through Drama in Education. I further went on to say that – ‘subject’ here is not drama or play or theatre…But it is about an innovative method in teaching and learning life-skills…It is about the process of doing drama and not the product of making a play…
The Chief Minister of our state Gujarat invited her to head the programme in using an innovative educational method to teach children life skills….
I highlighted the most important life skills which, I think, are: Value of Emotions, Self-awareness and effective communication… During my lecture I used examples given by Dr. when she was our facilitator..
I named my friends and peers and have a line to describe each of them…
• Bharatbhai- always teaching Life skills…every where
• Ramanuj- Reality of life for young people
• Rakesh- Life of the village and life skills
• Binduba- Heart of the life skills education
• Nima-mani- the school is the best institution for life skill education

Finally I got everyone to play the game - Do you like?!?

All the students and teachers were very happy and agreed with me concerning the contents of my lecture……..

 

Jignesh Goswami in our training programme with his lion mask!

The Change is a matter of insight!

Here is a letter from one of my trainee....

Patel Ghanshyam l.

Ravaliyavadar pra. shala

ta:drangadra

dist:surendranagar                                                                                        

                                                                                          

                           

 Dear Madam,

 I’m Ghanshyam

         1st of all, I am happy because now I love my school and class and student. Due to this training, I have become a loving teacher in our school. Now I feel that I have become ‘teacher’ in the true sense…for the first time.

 After the second training, day, this following changes have happened in my class and to me.

1.      I love my students and they also love me so much and also take care of me. One day I forgot my lunch box….. on  the second day I forgot my sweater... on the third day I  told my students, jokingly, that I’m not happy today because you can’t take care me….as I have not forgotten anything…. two students came running  to me and told me that... it will always be our duty to take care of you…you don’t worry.!!!

2.       Dear Madam, before this training in my student were not concerned for each other. They did not feel emotions like, sympathy for each other. Now after training I have noticed they really feel more emotion for each other ....they take care of other student and also care so much more for me …..Sometimes I think they care for me more than my wife does!.

I will give you an example …one day we went Gandhinagar for our school tour. On the return journey one boy named Vijay who was sitting by the window was feeling very cold because of winter breeze. So my student named p return Prakash told him please take my sweater…Vijay refused the offer. But Prakash insisted saying, please take my sweater you have fever.  Then Vijay took sweater. Prakash helped him. I love this moment my students shared with each other.

Another example of the gain through life skills training is …In our village lots of students live at field so one day a girl went at field to take care of the  buffalo and after return she picked big bors ( a kind of fruit) from the field. Not only for herself, not only for me but for the whole class. I am so impressed with this act of hers. I am so happy she cares for her peers and wants to share thing with them.

 In my class when students feel that I have wronged them ,I say “Sorry yaar” and when they are at fault they say “sorry sir, we will not repeat this mistake”.. I think this is a plus point/ good point of my class.

3.      I touched on the topic of gender education for some time. Now I’m happy because in my class they have lessened the differences between the girl student and the boy student. Now they think of themselves as ‘student’ fill that we are students

One day I saw...ek chokari chokara na sholder per hath rakhi ne vat karti hati....[ one girl had put her hands on a boys shoulder while talking]. They disregarded that she is girl and he is boy….good feeling after seeing that !!!!

4.      One student Shakti...te bahuj tofani []...daily 3 thi 4 tofan ni fariyad ave....tene hu roj fariyaad ave etle ubho karu ane prem thi kahu " beta tara thi avu na karay yaar..tara aa dost ne khotu lage ...ane tu dahyo che. kem tu aavu kare che?...have aavu naa karto ok?...sit down"  avu lagabhag 1 week karyu pachi ek divas tene bheti ne kidhu tu dahyo thayi gayo che te kem aavu karyu ..tena matha per haath fervyo ane kahyu have mane tara per visvash che k tu have tofan nahi kare...te divash thi Shakti ni fariyaad have aavti nathi ane bija students ne samjave che k tofaan na karay sir ne dukh thay really i m so happy.

One student Shakti …he is very naughty.. everyday there are 3-4 complains about him..as soon as there is a complain about him I make him stand up and tell him.” Child, you should not do this ..your friend will feel bad.. you are  a good child.. why do you do this? ..now do not repeat this ok? Sit down.” After about 1 week I called him near me, made him sit down and ran my hand through his hair patted him on his head lovingly and said,” Child, I have faith in you that you will not be naughty .” Since that day there are no complains about Shakti. In Fact I heard him telling some other students do not be naughty , Sir, will feel bad. I am so happy to see the transformation in Shakti…

5.      We prepared the statue of MAKARSNKRATI.

1^st step was giving fodder for cow and giving chocolate for children.

2^nd step was enjoying for kiting and

3^rd step was one boy falls down from the terraceand everone is in shock.

but one boy told me- Sir, in 2^nd step we should change… that one boy was enjoying cutting the other kite and another boy was sad as he his kite is cut….and I accept his advise and thanked him.

6.      1st January we welcomed 2010 with ‘emotion ni rangodi ni compitition’ [ Rangoli competion of Emotions] yojel jema badha students khubaj saras rite envolv thai ne bhag lidho ane ame badha techers bhega thai ek big smile emotion dori welcome 2010 lakhelu jena photograps pan che...

1st January we welcomed 2010 with ‘emotion ni rangodi ni compitition’ [ Rangoli competion of Emotions] All the students were involved in the activity and participated well. All the teachers got together and drew a huge smiley face to welcome the New Year…and took photographs…

I think this training for me the best training of my life and it is good for not only my school but also for me….now for 24 hours I think  about my classroom and  my student. I really am thankful dear Swaroop madam And to CM sir Narendrabhai Modi...thanx...for giving us this 

programme…..                                            

Some photographs of the situations  mentioned in the above letter......

 

                                                                                 

“Magic hai to mumkin hai”-Really

“Magic hai to mumkin hai”-By Dr Swaroop Rawal

The recent spate of suicide by children in Mumbai has got everyone worried. Mumbai has recorded 8 in the past week, mainly in the under-20 age group. Psychiatrics suggest that children as young as 5-6 test as clinically depressed. That is really distressing. A survey done in 1999-2000 by an Indo-USA team interviewed 2,273 college students in Mumbai and found that nearly 24 % suffered from various degrees of depression.
Mental heath professionals suggest that – “ Nip depression in the bud ”. Below are some points put forward to protect children from suicide. They are

Individual factors

·         High emotional intelligence

·         Good Problem-solving and coping skills

·         High Self-esteem

·         High personal control

Family Factors

·         Positive family relationships

·         Good parent supervision

·         High level of family cohesion and support

·         Strong parental disapproval of antisocial behavior.

Community Factors

·         Positive connections in school

·         Good presence of supportive peers

·         Good school attendance

·         Frequent  extra-curricular activities

·         Strong involvement in faith community

·         Availability of counselors in schools

·         Safe neighborhood.

  Source- Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly (Children’s Health Policy Centre, Simon Fraser University 

All of us who are involved in the – ‘Making-magic in Gujarat’ project which deals with ‘Enhancing Life-Skills in Children using Drama’ will observe that there are so many points that are common between our project and the points raised above.

I believe the most important features that contribute in enhancing the mental health capacity are the individual factors that are high emotional intelligence, good problem-solving and coping skills, high self-esteem, high personal control. All these are inculcate in our programme. They are :

·         Emotional competence :

o      Emotional understanding

o      Emotional perception

o      Emotional facilitation of thought.

o      Emotional management

·         Awareness of self :

o      in areas of self-expression, self-acceptance and acceptance of others.

o      Awareness of his/her worth, which encourages them to develop a strong sense of themselves as capable persons and that their ideas are valuable. Thus leading to a gain in self-esteem and self-confidence.

·         Ability to empathise with others.

·         Creativity and creative thinking.

·         Communication skills.

Then the school environment and support come next. School is actually classified with community but I have separated school as a separate category because if children get even a touch of help from school and importantly their school teachers their mental health can be resuscitated. Moreover, usually school and what we call education in today’s India is the cause of stress in our children’s lives. This category has positive connections in school, good presence of supportive peers, good school attendance, frequent extra-curricular activities, and availability of counselors in schools. Yet again there are commonalties – through this program the teacher makes learning an enjoyable experience for their pupils. Thus not only enhance motivation to learn but additionally enhancing the children’s self-esteem.

When children enjoy whatever they are doing, they are going through what Csikszentmihalyi (1990) calls a ‘flow experience’. A flow experience is an experiential state that distinguishes an enjoyable moment from the rest of life. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) suggests that the feeling is like being carried away by a current, like being in a flow. A teacher who understands the conditions that make children want to learn is in a position to turn classroom activities into flow experiences. Through this programme children learn to work together in a group and this in turn improves their relationship with each other and their teacher’s.

Below is a table which suggests the change brought about by enhancing life-skills for approximately 2 years.

Expected Outcomes with reference to Time Line

	Year 1(level 1)	Year 2 (level 2)
Understanding and Coping with        emotions	To understand that there is a range of emotions and the expressions of different emotions To become aware different people may experience different emotions in response to the same situation	Understanding how they affect the way we behave. To better understand how others’ words and action can influence our emotions and how ours affect others
Self -awareness	Learning about me as a special person	Self control
Communication	Basic verbal and non-verbal communication skills	Assertive communication in the face of peer pressure
Empathy	Understanding how people are alike and how we differ. Learning to appreciate the differences between people (also falls in self awareness skills)	Avoiding prejudices and discrimination of people who differ (also falls in self awareness skills)
Creative Thinking	Developing the capacity to think creatively	Generating new ideas about things that are taken for granted
	Year 1(level 1)	Year 2 (level 2)
Interpersonal relationship skills	Learning to value relationships with friends and family	Forming relationships and surviving the loss of friendships
Decision making	Learning basic steps of decision-making
Coping with stress	Identifying the sources of stress	Methods of coping in stressful situations
Problem solving	Learning basic steps of problem solving
Critical thinking	Learning basic steps of critical thinking

 

Importantly, I believe that an agenda in augmenting the mental heath in children should be concerned not only with the prevention of emotional and psychosocial problems but should also be focussed at management and enhancing pro-social behaviour. That is exactly what our programme is doing.

Warm up activity before Life skill Class

How Do You Feel?

Objective: warm-up ice-breaker, learn about emotions, improve emotional lexicon, enhancing peer understanding

Description: (5 minutes) this ice-breaker can be used as a ritual/repeating activity at the start of every class or life skills session to help children express their emotions.

Students stand in a circle and one-by-one reveal how they feel…..in one word at that very moment.

It is important to establish consistency and have a regular activity, this enables the students to get familiar with the activity and in turn become successful at doing it.

This also gives the teacher an idea of what to expect from the student’s behaviour/ attitude in class that day.

Try it - Feeling Faces

Feeling Faces

Objective: learn about emotions, improve emotional lexicon, enhancing teacher-student understanding
Equipment: pictures of children and adults showing different emotions

Description: Each week choose a different feeling (happy, angry, sad, excited, calm) to focus on for that week.

Have children look at pictures of children and adults in different situations related to the focus feeling.

Show children how to identify feelings related to different facial expressions:

1. Describe the situation in the photograph,
2. Ask the children what they think the child in the photograph is feeling,
3. Ask children if they have ever felt like that and what was the situation that made them feel happy, angry, sad, and so on.
4. Ask them to make statues depicting the focus emotion.
5. Remind children that all feelings are okay, but not all behaviours are okay. For example, it is okay to feel angry when someone snatches a toy from you, but it is not okay to hit the person who grabbed your toy.