There are two types of freewriting that we primarily use: journal writing and “brain dumps.” Although they are two different methods of freewriting, they possess the same intentions - to calm each student down and help her focus on the class. The brain dump is used at the beginning of the Loves Herself and Learning Strategies classes. Each student receives a paper with a picture of a brain. Below the brain it reads, “I [student writes name here], release all that is not a priority in this now moment.”
On the back of the paper, there is room for the student to write what she needs to “release” in order to learn for the day. By doing this, she acknowledges that her emotions are part of her and that she cannot separate from them. However, she knows that she will have to channel her energy away from her problems in order to learn.
Each writing class begins with five minutes of freewriting. Prior to freewriting, we have to establish the appropriate atmosphere. We turn on relaxing and peaceful music. We light a candle or the students light candles at their table. I provided each student with a journal to keep all of her freewriting. It is common practice for teachers in the ALP to use inspiration cards to help the women focus prior to starting class. One type of cards we use is Angel Cards. Eachhas a word on it, which contains a value, ideal, or characteristic. For example, there are cards with words like openness, synthesis, love, power, tenacity, vision, creativity, etc.A small bowl with these cards is passed around the room and each learner picks a card. When we use these cards in class, we always remind the students that Angel Cards come to a person for a reason. This word is the virtue that the person will “maintain” during that class or even for the rest of the day.
Affirmations are statements that consist of “powerful words”
meant “to train the mind (Blyth, 2002).”
They are positive sentences that a person repeats over and over to herself. By repeating this sentence several times each day, she will begin to internalize the meaning of the affirmation.Eventually it will become part of her and she will begin to live and breathe what it says.For example, during a leadership conference, one student spoke of her experience with affirmations: