If constructivist
theory is what all learning and teaching is based upon how well do we know and
understand it? How do we help students understand the philosophies they have
constructed and how they by and large determine the choices they make and the
emotions they experience? If a child has given up on herself and has reasoned
that she is hopeless how then can she develop her potential? If she has hit a
psychological brick wall and can’t push through it or clamber over it what can
be done? This psychological impasse has a negative affect on the student and if
schools are not equipped with the means to support her then nothing changes for
that student. Could educators
unwittingly be peddling a brand of negative psychology in schools? If educators
are addressing behaviours only and applying consequences to them this is not
enough as the underlying individually constructed beliefs that give rise to
dysfunctional behaviour and emotions aren’t being addressed. We can ask children to ‘believe in
themselves’ and have posters on walls around the school but what philosophy
underpins such self-belief? How do
we teach it?
Recently an educator (Ms.
Di Namic), a self proclaimed ‘passionate teacher’ and a strident critic of
‘poor’ teaching believes that a ‘good’ teacher (like herself maybe??) can
compensate for the psychological barriers that students have developed over a
life time. Well-prepared, knowledgeable and passionate teachers can achieve
this according to Ms Namic. These students can be ‘inspired’ out of the
doldrums by the teacher’s passion and verve! A more enlightened educator commented
that ‘I had a great physics teacher at school. Loved him but I didn’t learn a
thing.’ The point is that teacher competency; enthusiasm and dedication in
themselves are not enough to help disengaged students who are emotionally and
behaviourally unwell.
Dr Albert Ellis
founded Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in the 1950’s, a philosophy based
form of psychotherapy, the forerunner of other cognitive therapies like CBT and
Choice Theory amongst others. Martin Seligman acknowledges the influence Ellis’
work had on his Positive Psychology approach. Ellis’ ABC Theory of Emotional
Disturbance helps people to identify the errant personal philosophies they have
constructed, how these affect their moods and behaviours and how they can
deconstruct them and replace them with more helpful habits of believing.
This approach is educative
and empowering and is used the world over to help people sort out their emotional
and behavioural problems and has great potential for students from preschool
age upwards. It enables teachers to help students understand why they feel and
act as they do. It is not enough to focus solely on the behaviours we observe
(behaviour management?) but also on the underlying beliefs students have
constructed (behaviour education).
The Whyalla REBE
School Cluster in South Australia delivers the REBT mantra to students across
all year levels i.e. THINKING FEELING and BEHAVING are all linked. The
behaviour we observe and accompanying emotions are the visible (and audible) expressions of
individually constructed personal philosophies, which can be rational or
irrational (they either help or impede progress towards our goals). Rational
Emotive Behaviour Education educators promote positive psychology in schools
through Albert Ellis’ ABC Theory of Emotional Disturbance. They not only
describe behaviours but teach students where their choices of behaviour come from, a very powerful
teaching competency!
REBE Educators in
Whyalla:
· Understand constructivist theory
· Know that we act and feel as we do because we
think as we do
· Teach students how they construct their core
philosophical beliefs
· Help students challenge and change destructive
self defeating beliefs
· Always give behaviour (not person) specific
feedback
· Teach students they are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but they are always worthwhile
To do otherwise is not
enough as the status quo prevails where students remain in a mire of self-doubt and
helplessness (a cycle of negative psychological disturbance) disengaged,
alienated and at great emotional and behavioural risk.
Some ways in which negative
psychology is reinforced:
Having a step system
(one size fits all) approach to behaviour (behaviour management)
Publicly admonishing
students
Saying things like
‘you make me angry’
Using person specific
feedback e.g. ‘you are lazy/naughty’
Referring to student
as ‘a shit’ in the staffroom
Inflexible,
undifferentiated curriculum
Exclusive curriculum
Saying good boy/girl
Any others?
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