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4. Write or draw about
experiences of learning
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 Be careful not to let anyone be drawn who is
not comfortable with this.
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Students might
not want to share what they have drawn or written with anyone. Or they might
want you to read it or look at it, or to read or have it read out loud to a
small group, or the whole group, depending on how well they know you, what they
are used to doing in your class, the size of the group, and the level of trust
in the group. After a first session of drawing or journal writing, the group
might be able to generate other questions and ideas to be written about or
drawn; if any of the writings are made public to you or members of the class,
they might generate other topics about how people cope with their feelings as
they try to learn. This could then become the subject of one or more further
pieces of writing or even an ongoing journal. A regular response journal on the
subject of learning and coping with the feelings which emerge might be a rich
vehicle for exploring what gets in the way of learning. At some point in the
writing or drawing process you could explore individually with students or with
the group what they want to change about how they deal with the feelings which
come up as they learn.
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* Introduce the idea that we all bring to the learning situation
all sorts of patterns of feelings and reactions to our feelings. Some of those
may help us cope with the tough situation of learning; others may get in the
way. Ask students to draw themselves and write on the drawing how their body is
involved when they are working well and how their body is involved when they
are having difficulty learning.
* Working in pairs and using several sheets of flip chart paper
stuck together or a roll of brown paper, they could draw around each other to
create an outline of each person.
* Ask each student to write or draw on their outline, using
words or pictures which show something about themselves learning.
* As well as drawing, or if students do not want to draw, they
could write a journal. These questions and suggestions might prompt students to
think about what they do when learning is not working well. Suggest that they
pick up on any of these questions which makes them think, or connects to their
experiences, and ignore any they are not interested in:
- How do you work with feelings of anger or frustration?
- Do you get angry or frustrated when you are trying to learn
something and you don't understand it or can't do it?
- Write about a time when you were angry when you were trying
to learn something, or trying to deal with the place where you are studying.
Write about what you do when you are angry.
- What do you do when "it" is not working? when you
feel you just can't do it, you can't learn?
- What do you tell yourself? Do you leave? For example, walk
out of the classroom, quit the program, just leave in your mind, or ….
* Write about what you do when you "can't do it."
- Are you terrified of "not doing it right"?
- Do you hate to take a risk?
- Do you worry about what will happen if you "do it wrong"?
- Write about your fears when you are trying to learn.
5. Write about what "works"
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This could begin
the process of sharing responsibility for each other's learning. You and the
class could look for patterns and talk about how to help each other as much as
possible and how to help each other not to block our own learning. When anyone
in the group sees another doing exactly what they say gets in the way of their
own learning, how will they supportively help them notice and try to change?
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* Invite students to ask for what they need by writing as many
sentences as they can with each of these beginnings:
- I can learn when I . . . .
- I block my own learning when I . . . .
- You help me learn when you. . . .
- You make it harder for me to learn when you. . . .
* Display the responses (if students are comfortable with that)
to see what everyone needs to do to help themselves learn, and what people need
from others.
* Students could change their statements at a later time if they
have new insights into what helps and hinders their learning.
* You, the facilitator, teacher, or tutor could also write these
sentences with the rest of the class, focusing either on what helps and hinders
your teaching, or on what helps and hinders your own learning. |