One of the benefits of working with The Seeds of Change is our ability to be agile in the way that we work and support learners in their work away from our sessions. One of the issues that our students can face is coping back in a more traditional learning environment, in the case of one learner a mainstream school. We practice strategies and scenarios during session time that learners can use away from us but if we can do more to facilitate this process we will always do so.
This week one of the teachers at a learners school has reached out to us to enquire if there are any tips or strategies that she can use to support our learner in school. During the learners session with us we were able to discuss how he was feeling and he was able to share that his frustration was he was frightened about “making mistakes”. When discussing this with his coach they discussed some exercises that he had done previously with the horses that had helped him to feel calm and how those exercises could be adapted back in school to help him to feel more comfortable. In addition they practiced the breathing exercise which we often use with students to reduce anxiety and promote feelings of calm.
Together they were able to prepare a “feelings volcano” that included quotes about the importance and positive aspects of making mistakes. He picked these himself and together the coach and student made a step by step guide that his TA can work through with him in school to continue the experience and build upon the positive steps that he had started during his session this week.
When he returns next week we will be able to review how that has gone for him and which parts he found to be helpful.
Our work with schools and a joined up approach really helps to support our learners in a more comprehensive way and for the schools who commission us to share in some of the strategies that young people find work for them back in school. We will look forward to hearing how this young person has coped when he attends his session next week!
By JoTSOC
By The Seeds Of Change
