Transcript Building self-worth through guided visualisation: unique work with disturbed pupils Dr. Stephen Bigger University of Worcester Paper: www.worc.ac.uk/departments/5221.html Key publications/New.

Building self-worth through
guided visualisation:
unique work with disturbed pupils
Dr. Stephen Bigger
University of Worcester
Paper: www.worc.ac.uk/departments/5221.html
Key publications/New
Outline
• To evaluate a project with
disengaged young people
• To explore processes of personal
development
• To investigate ‘emotional
intelligence’ and ‘spiritual
education’
Context
A ten year project
• In comprehensives and primary
schools
• within Excellence in Cities funding
• involving Learning Mentors and
teachers
• now engaging with whole primary
classes
Six Principles
• We all have inner qualities, or ‘gems’
• We all have the potential to do good, or to
do harm (dual nature)
• Positive speech has power to transform
• We have the potential to transform our
lives, whatever our histories
• Positive action: the community is more
united if people work together
• We need, and can be, positive role models.
Description
The Tranquility Zone (TZ):
involving disengaged teenage pupils in
personal guided imaginary mental journey. It
takes place in a special ambient atmosphere
(see pictures) with candles or lights, quiet
music and pleasant scents.
The Discovery Zone (DZ):
a period of subsequent discussion on
experiences and issues.
BBC Video
Tranquility Zone (TZ)
This involves both personal
tranquility and visualising
themselves as worthwhile
individuals. This takes them on an
imaginary journey to an island
where they meet their ‘wise
person’ and re-evaluate their view
of self through mental images and
role model stories.
Discovery Zone (DZ)
A group discussion immediately
after the TZ of personal
development and self esteem
issues. This encourages them to
reflect on personal estimation and
personal choices – what kind of
person am I? What kind of actions
do I approve of?
Methodology
• Ethnographic, involving participation and outsider
observations, interviews, naturalistic evaluation
questionnaires, and critical/sceptical questioning.
• Particular emphasis on the pupils and the learning
mentors (the interface with the pupils).
• The team are encouraged to generate evaluative
data.
• A parallel report by educational psychologists is
considered.
Findings (pupils)
• Pupils in the early phase were from a
special programme for disengaged pupils
• Reported that it had the wow factor
• Became actively involved and ran their own
TZ/DZ in the local hospital
• Most have since then become educational
achievers school, in FE and in degree
courses. The first to go to University said
he never remotely regarded this as a
possible aspiration.
Pupils (cont.)
• Anger management achieved through mentally
acting through a social story
• Personal reflection encouraged by mental
reference to one’s ‘wise person’.
• Pupils reported the process to be calming and
life affirming by encouraging a positive self
image.
• Helped them to see a point in education and
career aspirations.
• Personal change reported as long lasting
Pupils (cont.)
• Helped them to see a point in education
and career aspirations.
• Personal change reported as long
lasting and even life saving
• Problem behaviour radically improved
• Academic work also began to improve.
• “Service to others” also in evidence.
Vicky
• Vicky, an early participant, now working with children, explained
how SYEP had benefited her:
• “I don’t know where I’d be, to be honest. I think I would have
been stressful, now I think about what I do, and say No, stop,
think about it, and then take it in a different way. If the
Tranquillity Zone hadn’t have come, I think I’d have been a
nervous wreck, I wouldn’t know how to take it out I think I had a
lot of anger in me.”
• She went on to describe a much improved relationship with her
mother, which had been difficult before, and how she felt it
important to pass the positivity on to the children in her care. Two
years earlier she had said,
• “I was having a lot of problems at the time, my life was basically
going downhill every day, I thought that I’d just end it. But I came
into the Tranquillity Zone and it was like, now there’s a reason to
live, I am a good person, I can turn my life round. And I did.”
Parents
• Parents reported substantial changes in
attitudes: e.g. “she came back a
different child”.
• Some reported home relationships to
have improved.
• Since the Tranquillity Zone is open to
adults in the evenings, a number of
parents became regular attenders.
Learning Mentors (LMs)
• Undertook a training programme to lead
TZs and DZs themselves.
• Extremely enthusiastic feedback.
• Training was hands-on and personally
affirming. LMs found it personally as
well as professionally helpful.
• Enthusiasm about being change agents
in their schools.
Social and Emotional Aspects of
Learning
• Elements of social skills, not by behaviourist
methods but by having tools for reflection.
• Emotional understanding can lead to growing
competence and ability.
(See Kevin Murphy, A Critique of Emotional Intelligence,
2006)
• Revolutionary rather than evolutionary –
provides children with a breakthrough to get
them out of a vicious downward spiral.
• Active thinking about self: contributes to
teaching and learning strategies.
Psychological perspectives
• Ed Psychologists saw links to:
– Social skills training
– Cognitive behaviour psychological therapy
• There are better links with:
– Emotional understanding and abilities
(see Kevin Murphy, 2006)
– Self worthiness, and self competence
(see Chris Mruk, 1999)
Mruk 1999: Self-esteem model
Visualisation and the vocabulary
of self affirmation
• Visualised pictures and stories tackle low
self esteem and personal problems.
• All pupils viewed as having potential –
‘inestimable gems’ within them.
• Discussion uses metaphor in getting
youngsters talking about high nature and
low nature (positive and negative
attitudes).
• Imagination, art and drama are
encouraged in the DZ, e.g. mask
work/body language.
Spiritual Education
• The process described here is secular. It is not
about religious meditation or worship. It does not
focus on ‘spiritual beings’ (e.g. God) but
recognises that influences and role models can be
diverse.
See Bigger S & Brown E 1999.
• Adults involved see spiritual benefits – as
benefiting the whole person.
• Spiritual education across the curriculum is
described as about personal and inter-personal
wisdom.
• This programme could contribute significantly.
Next steps
• Current developments are with
whole classes, aged 9-13.
References
Bigger S and Brown E (1999) Spiritual, Moral, Social and
Cultural Education London: David Fulton
Mruk, C (1999) Self Esteem: Research theory and practice,
London: Free Association Books
Murphy Kevin R (ed.) 2006 A Critique of Emotional
Intelligence. What are the problems and how can they
be fixed? Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates