Transcript Slide 1

Positive Relationships
with Self and Others:
Group-work in
Schools
Schools Group-work: Aims
•
To raise awareness about youth homelessness, in schools/colleges
especially those Nightstop get most referrals from and of support
services locally available to young people.
•
As conflict is the main reason for homelessness amongst young
people- (60%) to deliver conflict resolution workshops in schools
•
To raise the profile of sessions which address conflict resolution
emotional literacy in schools/colleges/youth groups
•
To help schools deliver key areas of PSHE requirements, Years 7-13
•
Can work with colleges, youth groups and other organisations into
young adulthood.
Youth as a time of
development
The period between 16-21 is known as
late adolescence.
During this period, people experience
radical development in five key areas:
Physically
They are:
• between teenage-hood and adulthood
• growing rapidly
• experiencing new powers and emotions
Emotionally
They are:
• easily upset
• difficult to control
• enthusiastic
• impulsive, crazy!
• self-conscious
• self-centred
• in need of recognition and acceptance
• wanting opportunities to express themselves.
Socially
They are:
• moving away from their parents, in the process
of interdependence to independence
• feeling the need to conform to their peer group
• needing to relate to significant adults
• wanting special friends of the same sex
• increasingly interested in the opposite sex
Intellectually
They are:
• questioning norms, values, traditions
• wanting to argue, keen to find out “why?”
• not good at learning by rote
• likely to see things in black and white
• in need of much encouragement
Spiritually
They are:
• open to new ideas
• demanding something more than religion;
authentic experience
• developing their own philosophy of life
• making life-changing decisions
How can we support young people
through these areas of development?
• we need to accept them as young adults
• be understanding, show empathy
• be patient
• provide helpful guidance
• encourage them to take responsibility and make decisions
• understand the complex influences in their lives
• be alongside them as they determine a value system and world view
• allow them to make mistakes
• use clear and direct language
• be willing to share, discuss, explore
• be available
• be willing to learn with them
• give appropriate trust
‘Teenage Brains’
•
MRI research in the last decade has shown
that experience actually creates physical
changes in the brain
•
The more we experience certain things, the
more permanent they are.
In adolescence:
• There is a significant production of myelin,
or ‘white matter’ compared to other
developmental stages
•
Taken from Howard Sercombe’s article:
‘Teenage Brains’, CCYP, March 2010
Myelin makes connections between
neurons and determines our habitual
responses to emotions, relationships,
thinking and reasoning. This is developing
significantly during adolescence.
Bitumen pathways
Taken Howard Sercombe’s
article ‘Teenage Brains’,
CCYP, March 2010
What does this mean?
• The more we help young people have positive
experiences of relationships, we are helping equip them
with the skills to have positive relationships themselves.
• Most young people have contact with school or college
at this age, and therefore there is a great opportunity to
work with them and improve their ability to relate to
themselves and others.
PSHE
(Personal, Social and Health Education)
• PSHE not yet an essential part of the curriculum as a
subject in its own right
• There are ‘over-arching statutory requirements’ that
would be difficult to meet without PSHE
• Every Child Matters
• Wellbeing requirement
• National Healthy Schools Programme
• Section 351 of the Education Act (1996)
Taken from: Psheassociation.org.uk
See also: DfE website‘The National Curriculum’
The National Curriculum
• Pupils' spiritual development
“the growth of their sense of self… foster their own inner
lives and non-material wellbeing”
• Pupils' moral development
“able and willing to reflect on the consequences of their
actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others”
• Pupils' social development
“acquiring an understanding of the responsibilities and
rights of being members of families and communities (…)
and an ability to relate to others”
Taken from the DfE website-
‘The National Curriculum’
Statutory
requirements:
Key
concepts:
Spiritual
Development
Moral Development
Growth of sense of self,
foster non-material wellbeing
Reflect on their actions
forgive themselves and others
personal identities
healthy lifestyles
critical
reflection
Key
processes:
Every Child
Matters:
Schools
work
outcomes
Social Development
Being members of
families & communities:
Relating to others
relationships
developing relationships
working with others
from the DfE website
Enjoy and Achieve
Develop
Communication
& Anger
Management skills
Improve
Emotional
Awareness
Normalise
Emotions
Stay Safe
Increase
Self-Esteem
& Confidence
Increase Respect/
Understanding
of Others
& Self
Be Healthy
Improve
Inter-Relational
Skills
Address
Relationship
Issues
Reduce
Feelings of
Isolation
Our expectations of a teacher:
• Co-facilitating
• Commitment
• Model respectful behaviour to the
students, including healthy communication
and conflict resolution skills
• To empower and be non-judgemental
• To work inclusively, promoting equal rights
What schools can expect from us:
• Plan and provide the resources
• Make time to evaluate informally with the
teacher after each session
• Evaluate formally the success of the group
at the end of the course
• Be open to development, discussion and
differences of opinion
The 6 stages of conflict solving
1. Knowing yourself
2. Willingness
3. Communication
4. Empathy
5. Negotiation
6. Compromise/Collaborate
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Identity
Being you!
P
E
R
S
O
N
1
P
E
R
S
O
N
2
P
E
R
S
O
N
3
Security
Recognition
Control
Fairness
Feeling safe
Being noticed
for what you
do/achieve
Having some
say
It being fair
Where do you stand?
Angry
Irritated
Indifferent
Calm
What the Young
People Say!
I learnt how to accept
the fact people have
their own opinion even
thought I might not
agree with it
(The class)
…made me feel
valued and like
the things I said
weren’t silly
It made us more
of a group and
learnt that
people have
been through
similar things
At first I wasn’t really
sure if I was brave
enough to have the
confidence to sit in the
circle and talk to
everyone but it was fun
after a while and I can
do that now
(the group taught me) it
is important to accept
people’s point of view in
life I will now accept
other people’s opinion
and not judge them
I underestimated
the emotions of
the people in my
class
Learned about self
esteem and it was
great to know and
share feeling
The class
got on better
in other
lessons too
It has helped my
confidence more and
its given the whole
class more time to get
to know each other
more and know a little
about their lives
Demonstrable
Outcomes
Increase
Self-Esteem
& Confidence
50%
Develop
Communication
& Anger
Management skills
44%
Improve
Emotional
Awareness- 63%
Normalise
Emotions
69%
Improve
Inter-Relational
Skills
69%
Address
Relationship
Issues
31%
Increase Respect/
Understanding
of Others
& Self- 69%
Reduce
Feelings of
Isolation- 56%
Outcomes
94% of students showed development in at least one outcomes
75% of students showed development in 4 or more outcomes
100% of students answered yes when they were asked if they had
enjoyed the group
100% of the students had something positive to say about the
experience
100% of students reported that they had learnt something of use to
them in their lives
In summary:
What are we offering?
Depaul offers schools:
•
•
•
•
PSHE curriculum requirements
Improved relationships in classes
Better cohesion of class group
Improving the emotional health of
the pupils