A. Exploring the Messages from Home and School

1. Graffiti board

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If some students don't want to show others their words, that is fine too. They might want to add them to the board later when others will not know who put them up.


* Provide assorted pens and papers of different sizes and colors, and magazines to cut out words and pictures from.

* Ask students to make a graffiti board in response to the question, "What were you told at home and at school about yourself as a learner?"

* Students may work alone or in pairs as they choose. They may write the words or cut them from the magazines. Encourage them to think about the shapes and colors they want to use to show these words.

* Make space for a graffiti board on a notice board or a flip chart page, and invite students to put their words on it.

* When everyone is finished, ask students to read out the words that are there. Students could read out their own, or anyone who wants to could read out some, or you could read them, depending on reading levels and emotions.

2. Guided discussion

* Give students a chance to talk as long as they need about their reactions to seeing all the words. Some questions to consider:

  • How does it make you feel to see the words up there?
  • Were you surprised by any words which were there or were not there?
  • Were you surprised by how similar they were or how different they were?
  • Which words would help you to feel good about yourself and make it easy to learn?
  • Which words would make you feel bad about yourself and make it hard to learn?
  • Who gave you messages about who you were and whether you could learn or what you could learn? (For example, did you get messages from family members, teachers, children's aid workers?)

3. Find a positive for every negative

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * You might organize the groups so that people will work with others who will support them, not further put them down.


* Encourage students to work in pairs or groups to find a positive word for each negative word on the graffiti board they created earlier.

* Encourage them to think about the colors, and the styles and shapes of writing and paper, that feel, positive to them.

* Encourage students to have fun with creating lots of good things to say to themselves about how good they are at learning.

* When students are finished you could go through the same procedure as for the first graffiti collection. Cover up the negative words with the positive ones as they are put up on the board.

* Some questions for discussion:

  • What did it feel like to do this exercise?
  • How do you feel when you see these new words up?

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