Have a Go Spaghettio! The ABC of REBT Text Analysis – part 3

 

The third in the ABC of REBT series, this video applies the ABC of REBT theory considered in the first 2 videos, to text analysis. In effect the ABC can be used as a critical literacy tool and in this instance we look at the situation Franklin the turtle is called to deal with. The ABC theory lends itself well to teaching children that strength of emotion in response to an unwanted happening is connected to how the situation is viewed, perceived. Ms Smithers is across the theory and is doing well in applying it in practice to reinforce the ABC of REBT ideas through the Have a Go Spaghettio! framework. Ms Smithers is a Rational Emotive Behaviour Educator, a Have a Go Spaghettio! – ist, and she is firing on all eight cylinders!

We’re back at school; Ms Smithers welcome’s her children and beckons them inside. She’s planned a lesson that will illustrate how a book character deals with a serious and traumatic happening.

Ms Smithers is aware that her students sometimes feel very aggrieved and upset when things don’t go their way and she wants them to understand that things, most times, are not as bad as they seem to be.

Ms Smithers has a formula now to teach this via the ABC of REBT theory, and she believes that the children are learning important ideas and strategies to apply to themselves as they forge ahead. They will become their own counsellors, applying the ABC of REBT to their lives. Ms Smithers is doing what Albert Ellis wanted to happen, to bring elements of psychotherapy into the school system, to take psychotherapy from the confines of the consultancy room into the classroom. Good work all!

Ms Smithers reads Franklins Bad Day, asking questions to identify key ABC of REBT points like:

What happened?

How does Franklin feel? (check the ET)

How does he act?

Why do you think he acts like this? Why does he feel so sad? (check the Catastrophe Scale)

The children say because things have changed (Otter has moved away), Franklin won’t be happy again. Franklin thinks that:

‘Bad things happen and they make us feel bad and act bad. They shouldn’t happen and it’s not fair and things should be the same as before.’ Ms Smithers carefully and expertly

leads the children in discussion. The question at the end of the story is. ‘How does Franklin feel now? Has his friend Otter returned? So, what has changed?

The children say that Franklin was using BB thinking, which made his bad feelings and behaviour. But he’s now using BF thinking. His new thinking rule says, ‘Sometimes things don’t go my way, but I can handle difficult situations. I don’t think that everything should go my way all the time.’

Ms Smithers says, ‘yes the situation hasn’t changed but Franklins thinking has changed to BF/ SH thinking which has made BF feelings and actions.’  Franklin has an optimistic outlook, feels happy that though Otter isn’t returning he accepts that he can be friends in a different way.

Ms Smithers says, ‘yes children isn’t it interesting that Franklin goes from sad and mad, to happy and optimistic. And what has changed everyone?’ The children say that ‘Franklins thinking has changed.’ ‘And has Otter returned?’ Ms Smithers asks. ‘No’ the children say. “So, what is Franklin’s new BF rule again?

‘It’s, sometimes things don’t go my way, but I can handle difficult situations. I don’t think that everything should go my way all the time.’

Have a Go Spaghettio!

It’s raining ABC’s of REBT’s!

How does each relate to Franklin’s predicament. Ms Smithers is doing such a great job!

Ms Smithers has studied her ABC of REBT counselling paradigm. She believes that it is a useful way to help everyone explain how thinking, feeling and behaving are linked. She uses the Have a Go Spaghettio! language of the Success Helper chart, so that classroom discourse is imbued with the notion that we can learn to manage how we act and feel if we learn how to think about our thinking. Ms Smithers not only talks the Have a Go Spaghettio! talk she walks it. She shares with her students those moments when she feels anxious or frustrated, she checks the classroom catastrophe scale and thinks out loud, ‘is this problem the worst I can have? Am I thinking this problem is the worst that can happen? What is Brain Bully saying? Oh, I think I know, BB is saying (I’m thinking) that this is worse than it really is, can you help me here children?’ etc.

Let’s just recap on what Ms Smithers and her children have just done. Ms. Smithers is using the ABC of REBT as a critical literacy tool to provide her children with ideas and competencies that in turn will boost their emotional intelligence, and the ability to self-regulate. In doing so Ms Smithers teaches EQ in her daily overall literacy program via the Have a Go Spaghettio! pedagogy.

She has applied her knowledge and understanding of Have a Go Spaghettio!, to analyse how Franklin responds to a challenging situation, applying the ABC Theory of Emotional Disturbance counselling paradigm to in a sense ‘counsel’ Franklin through this episode. She brings the students along for the ride and in doing so reinforces the Have a Go Spaghettio! approach to problem solving situations that contrive against us. But its not so much the situation, but rather it’s our BB thinking that does!

Franklin is back to his old self. His best friend Otter moved away, he felt sad and angry. Otter didn’t come back, but Franklin changed his BB thinking to BF thinking and in doing so changed how he felt and behaved. Franklin is learning how to help himself in difficult times and the children are too. A win win for all! Well done Ms Smithers and students. Way to go Spaghettio!

The children sing the Have a Go Spaghettio! song and Ms Smithers feels happy because she believes the children not only understand the Have a Go Spaghettio! approach to success and wellbeing, they are applying their understanding to problem solve, they are learning how to self-regulate. Do your best lemon zest!

Ms. Smithers says, ‘The ABC of REBT tells us that what happens, A, has a connection to how we feel and behave at C. Have a Go Spaghettio! provides the ideas and language to talk about this. It talks about how the type of thinking B, about A, makes feelings and behaviors. We can use the ABC of REBT to critique and analyse texts like Franklins Bad Day.’