Building selfworth through guided visualisation: unique work with disturbed pupils

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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

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Outline

• To evaluate a project with disengaged young
  people
• To explore processes of personal development
• To investigate emotional intelligence and
  spiritual education

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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

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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.

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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.

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BBC Video
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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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Pupils (cont.)

• Anger management achieved through mentally acting
  through a social story
• Personal reflection encouraged by mental
  reference to ones 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

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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.

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Vicky

• Vicky, an early participant, now working with
  children, explained how SYEP had benefited her
• I dont know where Id 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 hadnt have come, I think Id
  have been a nervous wreck, I wouldnt 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 Id just end it. But I came into the
  Tranquillity Zone and it was like, now theres a
  reason to live, I am a good person, I can turn my
  life round. And I did.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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Mruk 1999 Self-esteem model
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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.

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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.

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Next steps

• Current developments are with whole classes, aged
  9-13.

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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