LIFE SKILLS
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- Title
- LIFE SKILLS
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7/27/01 1'57 PM
Mr. Chanct’aslrckra
REDS (.Kag pickers Education and Development
1
Society)
1
14.Cl.niy street
Langford town
1____ Bangalore 560 0027
2. Mr. Rajiv Nair/ Sahana Asvvath
1
MAYA (Movement for youth Alternatives)
111,6* main 5th Bl cck
!
Jayanngar
____ Bangalore -560 0041
3. BOSCO
B. street
6th Cress, Gandhinagar
Bangalore -560 009
____
4- MaitHri Sava Seva Sami tta
1300D T cross. I Main
New Thippasandara
HAL HI stage
Bangalore—560 075
5. Sr. Lilly
TREDA
Sag spur Road,
Cannalaram Post,
Bangalore —560 035.
6. Ms. Indra Bandokar
1
Institute for Soria! Studies Trust
No. 601, North Block,
i
6th Floor, Marripal Centre,
1
47, Dickenson Road,
!
|____ Bangalore -560 042.
1 7. Sr. Hize Mary,
Nav^eevanMziiilaPragathi Kendra,
Grape Garden,
1
Nedasandra,
I
1
Bangalore -560 047.
8. MrsJessy Machu/ Mr. Shankar
Wort d Vi si on Indi a
55, Lazer Road,
Cooke Town,
Bangalore -560 005.
9. Joseph Chelladmai
YMCA (Young Men Christian Association)
6 Infantry i oand
Bangalore -560 001
10. Mr. Thyagaraj an
DEEDS
VI main S.K. Garden
Benson town
Bangalore-560 046
n. Nandana Reddy
CWC (Concern for the World ng Children)
303/2 LB shasbi nagar
1
vimanapura post
1
I
Bangalore-560 017
12. Sr. Betty’/ Sr. Genebibha/ Sr. Margartte
i L,tm Deep
Monlforti an Society
7/1 Venkatappa i oad
Tasker town
Bangalore -560 051
IL
I____
Mr . Joe Paul
22214247
Mr. Solomon
6658134
6346053
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Fr.Verghese
2253392
Mr. Anslem
Rozario
5255543
6681244
Sr. Lilly
8439505
Ms. Indra
Bandokar.
5583701
-
Sr. Elize Maty,
CPP)
5546895
Mr. Vijay a
Kumar,
5476382
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Joseph
Chelladurai
Mr.
Thyagaraj an
3331783 < ..
Nandana
Reckh,’
3234270
Sr. Lauret
Marie
2864113
13
I' 13.
i*Ls. xzGIici
1
1
I
VIMOCHANA
No.26,17dlMain,
HAL H Stage,
Bangalore -560 008
14. Dr. Saraswathi Ganapatliy,
Beiam Trust,
I
697,15“‘Goss,
J.P.Nagar II Phase,
1
Bangalore —560 078.
r Mr. Venkatesh
Pa-sijia-a
I
71/2 First Floor
1
7th Qoss, Bandappa road
Yesvranthpura
±Jdij§210f£ —
16. Dr. Sreekala/ Ms.Roopa Lobo
APSA (Assort ai on for Promoting Sorirt Action)
Nammane
1
Annasandapalya
1
Mmanapura post
____ Bangalore -560 017
17. MsJResina and Amudha
APD (Assort fiion of people v.ith disabilities)
6* Goss Hutchins road
Hemn.il Main road
Bangalore -560 084
18. St. Lukes Ragpicters Wdfwe Programme
Pampa mahakavi road
Gramraj pet
Baiigairoe —560 018
19.
Ms. Dona
Feniancfez
>
Dr. Sat aswathi
Ganapathy,
6630463'
Vnekaicsh
3472701
Dr.Kshitij /
Jkfr.Lakshapath
y
5232749
'5-27-21M-
Mr.
V.S.Basvaraju
5475165
5470390
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21.
1
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604065
Griha Krrndka Okkoota
33304338/33
30838
Churches’ cotmcil for child and youth care in south
India
Lavelle load
Bangalore-560 001 —
Mr.
Giakaraborty
2210098.(221
1412
Mr. PramodJohn
Pi on Kid John
5469550
Ms. Dorothy
5454653
Dr. Veda
Zechariah
2212530
t'rakriiti
79,kariyanapalya
Li ngrajap.tr am
Bangalore - 560 084
____
22. Ms. Dorothy
New Horizon trust for disabled
23.
354,10th main 100 feet road
Dodda Banaswad
Bangalore -560 033
Ms.Annapoomi ancIMs.Geetha
Saijiviri Trust
5 7, Langford Road
Richmond Road
24.
Ms. Vani Kamal anathan
1)
)
/
2,MiIlers road
Bangalore -560 0-16
20
5269307
5360311
6662288
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Ms. Vrundha
Public Attars Centre
578.16"" B main
3 rd Ctoss. 3'd Block
Koramangaia
Bangalore -560 0034
Dr. James P. Joseph
1
1
i
126
1
1
1
i
1____
1 27. Ms. Shaknntala
INSA INDIA
5/1 Benson cross toad
Benson Town
Bangaloie —560 046
28. Ms. Leena Pascal
1
Prof. Samuel
Paul
5537260
pacincta@vsl
nl.com
Ms. Edwina
Perira
3536633
3536299
insai nd a(i7.b!
iAsnl.net. in
6581671
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___
____________
on
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21th of Autist
Subject: Re: Training on sexual health on 20th and 21th of August
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 07:22:42 +0100 (BST)
From: Srinivas Sridhar <'mamtablr2001 @yahoo.co.uk>
io: t.oinniuuitv licalth Ceil ''Soclnii'a(6^vsni.coni+
regret t: inform you that the dates for the training
on ssxuai ricdiuit
(Aucj even dnci zlsc/ you FiteFitlOlled at
our last meeting are not convenient for us owing to
the fact that we have already fixed the dates as
August 8th, 9th, and 10th with the community youths in
the presence of Mr. Chandar on July 13.
It would be a
serious inconvenience to the youths as they have
already requested to be excused from work on these
dates. We would therefore request you to hold the
training as originally planned on August 8th, 9th, and
Again, sorry tor the inconvenience caused.
S.Srinivas
Programme Officer
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'Re: teleohone
Subject: Re: telephone
Date: Tue. 14 Aug 2001 07:51:45 +0100 (BST)
From, Srinivac Sridhor <mamtablr2001@yahoo.co.uk>
To: Community Health Cell <sochara@vsnl.com>
Attn:
Dr. Sampath Krishnan
Mr. Chandar
riaase find enclosed tne readback of tne training
conducted by CHC.
Srinivas
MAMTA
Do You Yahoo!?
Got your frss Syahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co■uk
or your free isyahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie
Name: TRAINING ON SEXUAL
AND REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH, doc
Type: WinWord File
^TRAINING ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.doci
(application/msword)
Encoding: base64
Description: TRAINING ON SEXUAL
. AND REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH, doc
8/14/01 4:35pM
TRAINING ON SEXUAL AN D REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
i
DATE: August 8th and 10th
VENUE: Infant Jesus Church Mini-Hall
TIME: From 2-5 PM
The training was provided by Community Health Cell and the topics were covered from a
medical perspective. There were detailed explanations of male and female biology as
well as the illness that commonly affect these parts. While on the first day, the
explanation was found to be too technical by some, this was remedied on the second day,
where the explanation by Dr. Sridhar was easily understood and much appreciated. Mr.
Joe Paul of REDS raised some interesting questions regarding the relationship between
biology and sexuality and the more liberal attitudes towards sex adopted of late by Indian
society. These topics were to be dealt with in detail in later sessions. Overall, the
participants found the training to be educative as well as enjoyable because ofthe
approach was participatory and interspersed with games and role-playing activities.
ADOLESCENT THE CRITICAL PHASE
Adolescent is difficult lime for young people. It is a lime of major physical changes including the
adolescent growth spurt in the which size and shape of the body changes markedly and the
differences between boys and girls are accentuated. These years also tile time when mental and
psychological development take place putting great stress on young people and those around
them and influencing and affecting their relationships with their peers and adults. Puberty is also
a time of behavioral changes when reproductive capacity is established, the sex hormones
secreted during this period not only affect the tissues of the body but also related to changes in
the sexual and emotional behavior.
Adolescent has been defined by the WHO as the period of life spanning the ages between 10 and
19 years, and youth as between 15 and 24 years.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
Puberty in Girls
j Age:
j________________
1
1
may begin at 10 or even earlier
puberty in hoys
Usually later than girls
Curves develop and breast began Change of thickening in the voice
to grow
Hair sprouts in the pubic area Growth of hair in the chin, face
and under the harms
followed by hair on the chest and
increase hair on the body including
the pubic area
Menstruation begins
There is also some development of
the genitals
Ovaries in the healthy girls body Boys experience an occasional
begin to ovulate at around 11 to erection, particularly in the early
14 years or earlier once every 28 morning, they may also experience
days. The ovum produced by the wet dreams at night when they might
ovaries is released and the involuntarily ejaculate
uterus prepares its self for
fertilization. Fertilization occurs
when a female eggs unites with a
male sperm which leads to
pregnancy. If fertilization does
not take place menstruation
occurs.
Ail these changes are normal and natural and there is no need to be ashamed of them or
frightened. It is ignorance that is to be feared.
Nutrition and Growth spurt
Nutrition and Growth spurt
Adolescence begins with pubescence which is the time for a final growth spurt in girls and boys.
This physical growth is determined by many factors genetic and hereditary, nutritional and
behavioral factors like dieting.
The rapid growth which occurs in the adolescence places extra demand on the nutritional
requirements. During this period more titan 20% of total growth in stature and up to 50 % of
adult bone mass are achieved resulting in 50 % increasing in calcium requirements. Girls also
have additional requirement of iron up to 15 % to compensate for menstrual blood loss.
During pregnancy the need for energy and protein increases as does the nee for increase vitamins
and minerals. Some cultures favors male offspring who have given greater share of available
food resulting in malnutrition among the girls.
PS YC HOLOGICAL CHANGES
Period of great creativity, empathy, idealism and energy and of new experiences, ideas ands
skills. Die support of family members during this phase is crucial in enabling them to meet the
challenges.
integrated and internalized sense of identify. This means drawing apart from older members
of the family developing more intense relationship with peers
-
taking major decision.
Gradual move from involvement with groups of the same sex to mixed group and sexual
paring may take palace.
Girls may experience romantic interest before boys, this some times leads to sexual activity
depending on the cultural background.
-
Thinking moves from concrete to abstract and being to articulate independently
Orientation towards future begins
Moral independence grows, alternative courses of action and their consequences come to be
considered
Look at educational and employment options
Begin to explore new interest and influences which can mould their thinking and their ideas
and actions.
Behavioral Changes
Look beyond their relationship with their parents and families and begin to form more
intense relationship with their peers and adults in their communities.
-
Exploring sexual relationship to alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse
Tempted to emulate their role model characters on television and movies often with
disastrous consequences.
-
Peer pressure leads to experiment many things, sex, drop out of school, eating disorders
In al! of these situations girls are at greater risk, since in most societies behavioral patterns are
more restricted for them. They may also be victims of discrimination, violence, sexual abuse or
just be married early.
Success
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal Earl Nightingale
Success and happiness go hand in hand success is
getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you
get
EXISTENCE ALONE IS NOT SUCCESS! IT IS
A LOT MORE!
Do more than exist
Do more than touch
Do more than look
Do more than read
Do more than hear
Do more than listen
- live
- feel
- observe
- absorb
- listen
- understand
QUALITIES THAT MAKE A PERSON SUCCESSFUL
+ Desire
♦ Commitment
+ Responsibility
+ Hard work
+ Character
+ Positive believing
+ Given me more than you get
+ The power of persistence
+ Pride of performance
+ Be willing to be student - be mentor
SOME OBSTACLES TO SUCCESS
♦ Ego
♦ Fear of failure
♦ No plan
♦ Lack of formalized goals
♦ Life changes
♦ Procrastination
♦ Family responsibility
♦ Financial security issues
♦ Lack of focus, being muddled
♦ Giving up vision for promise of money
♦ Doing too much alone
♦ Over commitment
♦ Lack of commitment
♦ Lack of training
♦ Lack of persistence
♦ Lack of priorities
REASONS FOR FAILURE
♦ Un willingness to take risk \
♦ Lack of persistence
4 Instant gratification^
♦ Lack of priorities
4 Looking for short cuts.
4 Selfishness and greed
4 Lack of conviction
4 Lack off understanding of nature’s law
4 Unwillingness to plan and prepare
4 Rationalizing
4 Not learning from past mistakes
4 Inability to recognize opportunity
4 Fear
4 Inability to use talent
4 Lack of discipline
4 Poor self esteem
4 Lack of knowledge
4 Fatalistic attitude^
4 Lack of purpose5
4 Lack of courage ,
COMMON SEXUAL PROBLEMS
1. PROBLEMS DUE TO MYTH AND MISCONCEPTION
Semen, Masturbation, penis
Hymen, menstruation, female orgasm
2. INHIBITED SEXUAL DESIRE
To much exposure to sex, pornography,
boredom and homosexuality
3. ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Primary:
uncommon
Secondary: filling problems
Vascular defects
diabetes mellitus
Drugs
Depression
Situational dysfunction
4. EJACULATORY DYSFUNCTION
Early, late, never
Being Real
236
SNEAKY SNAKES
[Exercise]
When you have finished, do it again, choosing another
snake if you feel quite confident (over 50%) that you will
succeed. All right, star, again: 30 seconds.
After you and, perhaps, your friend have done the exercise,
answer these questions:
1.
In the first round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you think it would be very easy? Very difficult?
Generally do you accept tasks and set goals which are
very easy? Very difficult? Or do you take moderate risks?
2.
In the second round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you try’ to choose a snake which was a more realistic
challenge: neither very easy nor very difficult?
3.
Did your success or failure in the first round influence your
second choice? How?
x
Now quickly choose one snake you think you can complete
in thirty seconds. Ask a friend to time you with a watch. STOP
IMMEDIATELY WHEN THIRTY SECONDS HAVE
ELAPSED.
kSNEAKY
“When the signal is given trace the lines of one snake from
the tail to the head with your pencil. You must start from the
end with the number one. .When the line crosses another line,
number the crossing two. Then continue to trace the line until
you reach another crossing. Number this three. Continue this
way until you reach the head. Number it”
SMKCS
On the next page is a drawing of eight snakes. Here are the
instructions:
237
Being Real
236
SNEAKY SNAKES
[Exercise]
“When the signal is given trace the lines of one snake from
the tail to the head with your pencil. You must start from the
end with the number one. .When the line crosses another line,
number the crossing two. Then continue to trace the line until
you reach another crossing. Number this three. Continue this
way until you reach the head. Number it.”
Now quickly choose one snake you think you can complete
in thirty seconds. Ask a friend to time you with a watch. STOP
IMMEDIATELY WHEN THIRTY SECONDS HAVE
ELAPSED.
When you have finished, do it again, choosing another
snake if you feel quite confident (over 50%) that you will
succeed. All right, start again: 30 seconds.
After you and, perhaps, your friend have done the exercise,
answer these questions:
1.
In the first round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you think it would be very easy? Very difficult?
Generally do you accept tasks and set goals which are
very easy? Very difficult? Or do you take moderate risks?
2.
In the second round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you try to choose a snake which was a more realistic
challenge: neither very easy nor very difficult?
3.
Did your success or failure in the first round influence your
second choice? How?
^SNAKES
On the next page is a drawing of eight snakes. Here are the
instructions:
237
Being Real
236
SNEAKY SNAKES
[Exercise]
“When the signal is given trace the lines of one snake from
the tail to the head with your pencil. You must start from the
end with the number one. .When the line crosses another line,
number the crossing two. Then continue to trace the line until
you reach another crossing. Number this three. Continue this
way until you reach the head. Number it"
Now quickly choose one snake you think you can complete
in thirty seconds. Ask a friend to time you with a watch. STOP
IMMEDIATELY WHEN THIRTY SECONDS HAVE
ELAPSED.
When you have finished, do it again, choosing another
snake if you feel quite confident (over 50%) that you will
succeed. All right, start again: 30 seconds.
After you and, perhaps, your friend have done the exercise,
answer these questions:
1.
In the first round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you think it would be very easy? Very difficult?
Generally do you accept tasks and set goals which are
very easy? Very difficult? Or do you take moderate risks?
2.
In the second round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you try to choose a snake which was a more realistic
challenge: neither very easy nor very difficult?
3.
Did your success or failure in the first round influence your
second choice? How?
^SNAKE'S
On the next page is a drawing of eight snakes. Here are the
instructions:
237
Being Real
236
237
SNEAKY SNAKES
[Exercise]
“When the signal is given trace the lines of one snake from
the tail to the head with your pencil You must start from the
end with the number one. .When the line crosses another line,
number the crossing two. Then continue to trace the line until
you reach another crossing. Number this three. Continue this
way until you reach the head. Number it."
Now quickly choose one snake you think you can complete
in thirty seconds. Ask a friend to time you with a watch. STOP
IMMEDIATELY WHEN THIRTY SECONDS HAVE
ELAPSED.
vSNAKES
On the next page is a drawing of eight snakes. Here are the
instructions:
When you have finished, do it again, choosing another
snake if you feel quite confident (over 50%) that you will
succeed. All right, start again: 30 seconds.
After you and, perhaps, your friend have done the exercise,
answer these questions:
1.
In the first round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you think it would be very easy? Very difficult?
Generally do you accept tasks and set goals which are
very easy? Very difficult? Or do you take moderate risks?
2.
In the second round why did you choose the snake you did?
Did you try to choose a snake which was a more realistic
challenge: neither very easy nor very difficult?
3.
Did your success or failure in the first round influence your
second choice? How?
3
f
4
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2 ’
...
...
English only
Dlstr. General
LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION
FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
' IN SCHOOLS .
Introduction and Guidelines to Facilitate the Development
and Implementation of Life Skills Programmes
Tints document was ccmpied In 1993 to assist -with the firmer development of Ife stalls
education, ft has been In great demand since that time, and since it is now being reprinted, the
opportunity has been taken to moke a few small changes. It should be emphasized howeVfer. that the
document has not been changed In-any substantial way. Its purpose Is to outline a framework for Ufa
stalls programme development, both conceptually and practlccly. The materials focus on the teaching
of life stalls to children and adolescents In schools. This document Is therefore targeted at those agencies
Involved In school curriculum development, health education, and the development of sr-ool-based
health and social Interventions. Ufe skills education is relevant to everyone and the ccr..ents of this
document, although directed at schools, can be adapted and interpreted to guide the aevelopment
of Ife skills education for children that are not in schools, as wel as for cduit education and as part of
community development projects.
The two parts contained in this document (Part 1. Introduction to Ute Stills for Psychosocial
Competence and Part 2. Guldeir.es: The Development and Implementation of Ufe Sk|ls Programmes)
may be used in conjunction with another document (WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev. 1) Training Workshops tor
the Development and Implementation of life Skils Education by those who are involved h the setting
up of programmes, tt should be emphasized that the material In these tranng workshops is not related
to classroom activities and Is not Intended to help Indvidual teachers who may wish to Introduce life drills
education Into their own teaching programmes; it Is primariy to assist the training of those people who
wil be Involved In the development and implementation ot Ife skis programmes at national or
subnatlonal level.
This document Is being circulated as part of the Ife stalls project of the Programme on Mental
Health. WHO. Genova. The Newsletter 'Stalls tor Ufe' Is also available. This describes Ife stalls Initiatives
around the world, as well as the work of WHO and other UN agencies h the support and promotion of
Bfe status education. For more Information contact The Ufe Skils Education Project. The Programme on
Mental Health. World Hearth Orgcneatlon. 1211 Geneva 27. Switzerland.
PROGRAMME ON MENTAL HEALTH
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
GENEVA
1997
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following people contributed to the development of this document
Rhona Birrell Weisen, WHO, Geneva
John Orley, WHO, Geneva
Vivienne Evans, TACADE, UK
Jeff Lee, TACADE, UK
Ben Sprunger. Life Skills International, USA
Daniel Pellaux, Mandat Plus Prevention, Switzerland
The following people are acknowledged for their support and guidance.
UNICEF
Jane Ferguson. WHO. Geneva
Jack T. Jones, WHO, Geneva
G.O. Adetula. National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, Lagos. Nigeria
Leonardo Mantilla Castellanos, Ministry of
Health, Santafd de Bogota. Colombia
Elena Nightingale. Carnegie Corporation of New
York. USA
Julian Oliver. UK Drug Demand Reduction
Task Force. London. UK
Ruby Takanashi. Carnegie Corporation'of New
York.. U A
Ute Deseniss-Gros, Programme Communicatioti/
Social Mobilization Section, New York
Bruce Dick. Youth Health Promotion, New Yak
Regina Faul-Doyle, Health Cluster, New York
Anthony Hewett. Programme Communication/
So. ial Mobilization Section, New York
Lakshman Wickramasinghe. Communication
Officer. Uganda
Mohammed Jalloh, Communication Officer,
Sierra Leone
<
Financial support for the development of these materials has been provided to WHO by
the Johann Jacobs Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland and the Carnegie
Corporation of New York, USA. The Trainer’s Guide and Workshops, available as
a separate document were prepared by TACADE, UK with a grant from the UK Drug
Demand Reduction Task Force.
Further copies of this document may be obtained from
Programme on Mental Health
World Health Organization
121 ] Geneva 27
Switzerland
© World Health Organization 1994
■
This document is not a formal publication of the World Health Organization (WHO).
and all rights rue reserved by the Organization. The document may. however, be freely reviewed.
abstracted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, but not for sale or for use in conjunction with
commercial purposes.
The views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors.
CONTENTS
Page
Part 1
Introduction to Life Skills for Psychosocial Competence.......................... 1
Part 2
Guidelines: The Development and Implementation of Life Skills
Programmes ............................................................................ 9
Developing a life skills support Infrastructure....................................................... 9
Formulating objectives and a strategy for life skills programme development 13
Designing life skills programme materials ........... . ......................................... '.9
Paining of life skills trainers ..:
................... ............................................ 25
Pilot testing/evoluating a life skills programme and training............................ 29
Implementing a life skirts programme .............................................................. 33
Maintenance of a life skills programme ........................................................... 35
Appendix: Sample Life Skills Lessons and Life Skills Programme Lesson
. Titles and Sequence.............................................................. 37
Sample Life Skills Lessons..................................................................................... 39
Life Skills Programme Lesson Titles and Sequence .......................................... 47
V/HO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Pago 1
PART ONE
INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SKILLS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL COMPETENCE
Promoting Psychosocial Competence
Psychosocial competence is a person’s ability to deal effectively with the demands and
challenges of everyday life. It is a person’s ability to maintain a state of mental well-being
and to demonstrate this in adaptive and positive behaviour while interacting with others,
his/her culture and environment
Psychosocial competence has an important role to play in the promotion of health in
its broadest sense; in terms of physical, mental and social well-being. In particular, where
health problems are related to behaviour, and where the behaviour is related to an inability
to deal effectively with stresses and pressures in life, the enhancement of psychosocial
competence could make an important contribution. This is especially important for health
promotion- at a time when behaviour is more and more implicated as the source of health
problems.
..... The most direct interventions for the promotion of psychosocial competence are tnose
which enhance the person’s coping resources, and personal and social competencies. In
school-based programmes for children and adolescents, this can be done by the teaching of
life skills in a supportive learning environment.
Defining Life Skills
. Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour, that enable individuals to
deal effectively with the demands and challenges of .everyday life..
Described in this way, skills that can be said to be life skills are innumerable, and the
nature and definition of life skills are likely to differ across cultures and settings. However,
analysis of the life skills field suggests that there is a core set of skills that are at the heart
of skills-based initiatives for the promotion of the health and well-being of children and
adolescents. These are listed below:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Decision making
Problem solving
Creative thinking
Critical thinking
Effective communication
Interpersonal relationship skills
Self-awareness
Empathy
Coping with emotions
Coping with stress
Decision making helps us to deal constructively with decisions about our lives. This
can have consequences for health if young people actively make decisions about their actions
in relation to health by assessing the different options, and what effects different decisions '
may have.
Similarly, problem solving enables us to deal constructively with problems in our .
lives. Significant problems that are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give rise to ■
accompanying physical strain.
Creative thinking contributes to both decision making and problem solving by
enabling us to explore the available alternatives and various consequences of our actions or
non-action. It helps us to look beyond our direct experience, and even if no problem is
identified, or no decision is to be made, creative thinking can help us to respond adaptively
and with flexibility to the situations of our daily lives.
Critical thinking is an ability to analyse information and experiences in an objective
manner. Critical thinking can contribute to health by helping us to recognise and assess the
factors that influence attitudes and behaviour, such as values, peer pressure, and the media.
Effective communication means that we are able to express ourselves, both verbally
and non-verbally, in ways that are appropriate to our cultures and situations. This means
being able to express opinions and desires, but also needs and fears. And it may mean being
able to ask for advice and help in a time of need.
,
Interpersonal relationship skills help us to relate in positive ways with the people
we interact with. This may mean being able to make and keep friendly relationships, which
can be of great imponance to our mental and social well-being. It may mean keeping good
relations with family members, which are an important source of social support It may also
mean being able to end relationships constructively.
Self-awareness includes our recognition of ourselves, of our character, of our strengths
and weaknesses, desires and dislikes. Developing self-awareness can help us to recognise
when we are stressed or feel under pressure. It is also often a prerequisite for effective'
communication and interpersonal relations, as well as for developing empath}- for others.'
Empathy is the ability to imagine what life is like for another person, even in a
situation that we may not be familiar with. Empathy can help us to understand and accept
others who may be very different from ourselves, which can improve social interactions, for
example, in situations of ethnic or cultural diversity. Empathy can also help to encourage
nurturing behaviour towards people in need of care and assistance, or tolerance, as is the case
with AIDS sufferers, or people with mental disorders, who may be stigmatized and ostracized
by the very people they depend upon for support.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev,2
Page 3
Coping with emotions involves recognising emotions in ourselves and others, being
aware of how emotions influence behaviour, and being able to respond to emotions
appropriately. Intense emotions, like anger or sorrow can have negative effects on our health
if we do not react appropriately.
Coping with stress is about recognising the sources of stress in our lives, recognising
how this affects us, and acting in ways that help to control our levels of stress. This may
mean that we take action to reduce the sources of stress, for example, by making changes to
our physical environment or lifestyle. Or it may mean learning how to relax, so that tensions
created by unavoidable stress do not give rise to health problems.
The life skills described above are dealt with here in so far as they can be taught to
/young people as abilities that they can acquire throughJeaining and practice. For example,
problem solving, as a skill, can be described as a series of steps to go through, such as: 1)
define the problem; 2) think of all the different kinds of solutions to the problem; 3) weigh
up the advantages and disadvantages of each; 4) chose the most appropriate solution and plan
how to realise it Examples of lessons designed to facilitate life skills acquisition are included
in the appendix to this document.
Inevitably, cultural and social factors will determine the exact nature of life skills. For
example, eye contact1 may be encouraged in boys for effective communication, but not for
girls in some societies, so gender issues will arise in identifying the nature of life skills for
psychosocial competence. The exact content of life skills education must therefore be
determined at the country level, or in a more local context. However, described in general
terms,^ife skills are being taught in such a wide variety of countries that they appear to have
relevance across cultures.
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Conceptualizing the role of life skills In health promotion
□
Complementary life skills can be paired to reveal 5 main life skills "areas", as shown
below. For health promotion, teaching skills in each of these areas provides a foundation
in generic life skills for psychosocial competence.
decision making problem solving
creative thinking critical thinking
communication interpersonal
relationships
self-awareness empathy
coping with emotions
stressors
□
The teaching of life skills appears in a wide variety of educational programmes with
demonstrable effectiveness, including programmes for the prevention of substance abuse
(Botvin et al., 1980, 1984; Pentz. 1983) and adolescent pregnancy ..Zabin et al., 1986;
Schinke, 1984), the promotion of intelligence (Gonzalez, 1990), and the prevention of bully '.g
(Olweus, 19 0). Educational programmes teaching these skills have also been developed for
the prevention of AIDS (WHO/GPA, 1994; Scripture Union, undated), for peace education
(Prutzman et al., 1988), and for the promotion of self-confidence and self-esteem,£TACADE,
1990). Teaching life skills in this wide range of promotion and prevention programmes
demonstrates the common value of life skills for health promotion, beyond their value within
any specific programme.
□
Teaching life skills as generic skills in relation to everyday life could form the
foundation of life skills education for the promotion of mental well-being, and healthy
interaction and behaviour. More problem specific skills, such as assertively dealing with peer
pressures to use drugs, to have unprotected sex, or to become involved in vandalism, could
be built on this foundation. There are research indications that teaching skills in this way,
as part of broad-based life skills programmes, is an effective approach for primary prevention
education (Errecart et al., 1991; Perry and Kelder, 1992; Caplan et al., 1992).
□
The model below shows the place of life skills as a link between motivating factors
of knowledge, attitudes and values, and positive health behaviour; and in this way
contributing to the primary prevention of health problems. .
knowledge
attitudes
values
life skills
(for psy
chosocial
competence)
behaviour
reinforce
ment or
change '
positive
health
behaviour
prevention
of health
problems
□
Life skills enable individuals to translate knowledge, attitudes and values into actual
abilities - ie. "what to do and how to do it". Life skills are abilities that enable individuals
to behave in healthy ways, given the desire to do so and given the scope and opportunity to
do so. They are not a panacea; "how to do" abilities are not the only factors that affect
behaviour. If the model above was placed within a larger, more comprehensive framework,
there would be many factors that relate to the motivation and ability to behave in positive
ways to prevent health problems. These factors include such things as social support, cultural
and environment factors.
□
Effective acquisition and application of life skills can influence the way we feel about
ourselves and others, and equally will influence the way we are perceived by others. Life
skills contribute to our perceptions of self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-esteem. Life skills
therefore play" an important role in the promotion of mental well-being. The promotion of
mental well-being contributes to our motivation to look after ourselves and others, the
prevention of mental disorders, and the prevention of health and behaviour problems.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.R9V.2
POQ0 5
Promoting the teaching of life skills
In promoting the teaching of life skills, the WHO is promoting the teaching of abilities
that are often taken for granted. However, there is growing recognition that with changes in
many cultures and lifestyles, many young people are not sufficiently equipped with life skills
to help them deal with the increased demands and stresses they experience. They seem to
lack the support required to acquire and reinforce life skills. It may be that traditional
mechanisms for passing on life skills (e.g. family and cultural factors) are no longer adequate
considering the influences that shape young people’s development. These include media
influence and the effects of growing up in situations of cultural and ethnic diversity. Also
the rapid rate of social change, witnessed in many countries, makes the lives of young people,
. their expectations, values, and opportunities -very different from that of their parents.
•■'■■.■i'r-i,.
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..jl.^Life skills for psychosociarcdmpetrnce need to be distinguished from other important
• skills that we hope ydung people will acquire as they grow up, such as reading, numeracy,
. technical and practical "livelihood" skills. These and other skills are usually recognised as
abilities that young people should learn, either in schools, at home or in their communities.
■"Life skills are being promoted so that they can gain recognition as essential skills that should
be included in the education of young people. .
Life Skills Education
For health promotion, life skills education is based on the teaching of generic life
skills and includes the practice of skills in relation to major health and social problems. Life
skills lessons should be combined with health information, and may also be combined with
other approaches, such as programmes designed to effect changes in environmental and social
factors which influence the health and development of young people.
’*
•
*
‘
The methods used in the teaching of life skills builds upon what is known of how
young people learn from their own experiences and from the people around them, from
. observing how others behave and what consequences arise from behaviour This is described
in the Social Learning Theory developed by Bandura 01977). In Social Learning Theory,
learning is considered to be an active acquisition, processing and structuring of experiences.
. ;')■(?-i')
:
In life skills education, children are actively involved in a dynamic teaching and
■'^'learning process. The methods used to facilitate this active involvement include working in
77 small groups and pairs, brainstorming, role play, games and debates. A life skills lesson may
start with a teacher exploring with the students what their ideas or knowledge are about a
particular situation in which a life skill can be used. The children may be asked to discuss
the issues raised in more detail in small groups or with a partner. They may then engage in
short role play scenarios, or take part in activities that allow them to practice the skills in
different situations - actual practice of skills is a vital component of life skills education.
J Finally, the teacher will assign homework to encourage the children to further discuss and
practice the skills with their families and friends.
.'7c.*A
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Life skills have already been taught in many schools around the world. Some
initiatives are in use in just .a few schools, whilst in other countries, life skills programmes
have been introduced in a large proportion of schools, and for different age groups. In some
countries. tb“re are several important life skills initiatives, originating in different groups in
the country, eg. non-governmental organizations, education authorities, and religious groups.
Identifying an optimal strategy for life skills education
V
The wide range of motives for teaching life skills to children and adolescents include
the prevention of drug abuse and teenage pregnancy, the promotion of mental well-being and
cooperative learning. For adults, life skills appear in programmes such as communication and
empathy skills for medical students and counsellors, problem solving and critical thinking for
business managers, and coping with emotions and stressors for people with mental health
problems.
’ '
Given the wide ranging relevance of life skills, an optimal strategy for the introduction
of life skills teaching would be to make it available to all children and adolescents in schools.
Life skills teaching promotes the learning of abilities that contribute to positive health
behaviour, positive interpersonal relationships, and mental well-being. Ideally, this learning
should occur, at a young age, before negative patterns of behaviour and interaction have
become established.
.
*
The school is an appropriate place for the introduction of life skills education because
of:'
i
the role of schools in the socialization of young people;
access to children and adolescents on a large scale;
economic efficiencies (uses existing infrastructure);
experienced teachers already in place;
high credibility with parents and community members;
possibilities for short and long term evaluation.
Even in countries where a significant proportion of children do not complete
schooling, the introduction of life skills education in schools should be a priority. Life skills
education is highly relevant to the daily needs of young people. When it is part of the school
curriculum, the indications are that it helps to prevent school drop-out. Furthermore, once
experience has been gained in the development and implementation of a life skills programme
for schools, this may help with the creation and. implementation of programmes for other
settings.
Developing life skills programmes
Designing and implementing a life skills programme is only a part of the life skills
programme development process. It is equally important to secure long term support and
resources for life skills education, and to engage, from the very beginning, all of the potential
agencies that would have a role to play in the process of life skills programme development
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WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 7
Implementing a life skills programme will require the introduction of teaching methods
that may be new to teachers, and the success of the programme will depend very much on
the availability of in-service training, as well as efforts to include training.in participatory
learning methods in teacher training colleges.
The introduction of life skills education will require input from the school and
education authorities, for teacher training and the development of teaching manuals, as well
as for the ongoing support of teaching programmes once they are in place. This investment
is worthwhile considering that the potential gains of life skills education are so far reaching.
Apart from the impact on child health, there may be other benefits for the school as an
institution. For example, evaluative studies of life skills programmes suggest that the methods
used.can help to improve teacher and pupil relationships (Parsons et al., 1988), and there are
indications that life skills lessons, are associated with fewer reports of classroom behaviour
problems. There are also research indications of improved academic performance as a result
of teaching life skills (Weissberg et al., 1989). Other positive effects include improved school
attendance (Zabin et al., 1986), less bullying, fewer referrals to specialist support services and
better relationships between children and their parents.
■
..A life skills programme will have to be proven worthy of the resources allocated to
it Process and outcome evaluation studies should be carried out and results shared with all
the relevant decision makers that could affect the future of the life skills programme. A
programme that has a component of ongoing assessment of its use and impact offers scope
for keeping in touch with changing priorities, and is more likely to be modified and
maintained over time.
The main aspects of life skills programme development are discussed in more detail in •
W,02?of this ‘document, c-'
>;• •; T"'
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.•
>
^TheriocumCTtj.Ti^ningiJVqrkshppsfor the.Development ahd Implementation ofLife
Sk^ .Programme^tWHO/WNH/PSF/Pl.TB.Rev.l) 'providesmaterial that has'.beehy.
'^- designed tp'assist the process of life skills programme development Active; experiential’.
Ttaridrp’dtip‘^workimethods'-fonn/the basis 'of>the’ activities describedvin- thc trainirig <
/-wxirkshcpsand'thehccompanying'trainer’s guide
vA-. -AT. :Ai-X- -^SE|
A-lTi^^cumairLife'^kiilsifeiuca^oh: vPlannihg''for Research (N!NlMPSF/96j2;R'ev;I) A-
yripforides a concise review'bf(the:research literature related to life skills education, and. '
^provides morc information to guide the use of reSearch as an integral part of the process /
Toflife skills^rogramme development and implementation. .U'.■; ./
’
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Wei' designed, tested and delivered'life skills programmes can achieve much in
helping children and adolescents become more responsible, healthy and resilient both during
childhood and as adults.
Pogo 8
References
Bandura. A. (197.7). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall.
i
t.
■
I-
' Borein, GJ.. Eng. A. and Wiliams. C.L. (1980). Preventing the onset of cigarette smoking through Life Skills
Training. Preventive Medicine. 11. 199-211.
«--PAjj W H
N H f fS (r,
p
Botvin, GJ.. Baker, E.. Botvin, E.M;. Filazzoh. A.D. and Millman, R.B. (1984). Alcohol abuse prevention
through the development of personal and social competence: A pilot study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 45,
550-552.
1
Caplan; M.. Weissberg. R_P.. Grober, J.S., Jacoby, C. (1992). Social competence promotion with inner city and
suburban young adolescents: effects on social adjustment and alchohol use. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology. 60 (1). 56-63.
Errecan. M.T., Walberg. HJ„ Ross. J.G., Gold. R.S.. Fielder. J.F. Kolbe. LJ, (1991). Effectiveness of Teenage
Health Teaching Modules. Journal of School Health. 61(1).
.
Gonzalez, R. (1990) Ministering intelligence: a Venezuelan experience in the promotion of cognitive abilities.
International Journal of Mental Health, 18 (3). 5-19.
Olweus. D. (1990). A national campaign in Norway to reduce the prevalence of bullying behaviour. Paper
presented to the Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting. Atlanta. December 10-12.
Parsons. C.. Hunter. D. and Warne. Y. (1988). Skills for Adolescence: An Analysis of Project Material,
Training and Implementation. Christ Church College, Evaluation Unit. Canterbury, UK.
Pentz. M.A. (1983). Prevention of adolescent substance abuse through social skills development. In Glynn, TJ.
et al. (Eds.) Preventing adolescent drug abuse: Intervention strategies. NIDA Research Monograph No 47
Washington DCtNIDA. 195-235.
Perry. C J... Kelder. S.H. (1992). Models of effective Prevention. Journal of Adolescent Health. 13 (5). 355363.
Prutzman, P.. Stem. L. Burger. Ml.. and Bodenhamer. G. (1988) The Friendly Classroom for a Small Planet:
Children's Creative Response to Conflict Program. New Society Publishers, Santa Cruz, USA.
fhixk-t.
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:
• •
............ ... ......
■(.. .;••
Schinke S P (1984) Preventing teenage pregnancy. In Hersen. M„ Eisler. R.M and Miller. P.M. (Eds.) Progress
in behaviour modification. New York: Academic Press. 31-64.
Scripture Union, (undated). All the'Right Moves: Lifeskills for an Aids-free Generation: Twelve to fifteen year
programme. Scripture Union. POB 291. 7700 Rondebosch, South Africa.
TACADE (1990). Skills for the Primary School Child: Promoting the Protection of Children. Salford, UK.
Weissberg. RJ’.. Caplan. M.Z. and Sivo. PJ. (1989). A new conceptual frameworkfor establishing school-based
social competence promotion programs. In Bond. L.A. and Compas. B. E. (Eds.) Primary preven'ion and
promotion in schools. Newbury Park. CA: Sage.
/ WHO/GPA. (1994) Schoo! Health Education to Prevent AIDS and STD: A Resource Package for Curriculum
Planners. World Health Organization/Global Programme on AIDS. Geneva.
Zabin. L.S.. Hirsch. M.B.. Smith. E.A.. Strcett. R.and Hardy. J.B. (1986). Evaluation of a pregnancy prevention
programme for urban teenagers. Family Planning Perspectives. 18. 119-126.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Pev.2
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'■ PART TWO
GUIDELINES:
THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMMES
DEVELOPING A LIFE SKILLS SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ’
:
Establishing a life skills initiative at national or sub-national level requires an
infrastructure capable of developing a life skills programme of widespread relevance and.
■ acceptability, as well as managing the implementation and evaluation of the programme over
time. This infrastructure may take the form of two bodies, one to manage the technical tasks
of programme design, implementation and evaluation, the other to advise ano supervise this
process. -These may be called, for example, the Life Skills Development Group and the Life
Skills Advisory Panel, respectively. •
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The initiative for forming these groups may come from currently established agencies
that have responsibility for health education (for example, a school curriculum development
group pi health education authority) or responsibility for specific aspects of preventive health
education jx jntervention$ (for example, a drug abuse control council, AIDS prevention
agency etc.). The groups? as described here, are not necessarily new structures, since jhey
may involve people that already work together on other areas, and may be brought together
using an established forum.
The Life Skills Development Group
fA Life Skills Development Group may be formed for the purpose of working on the
development, implementation and evaluation of a life skills programme.
•
. The coordinator of this group, the "project manager", is likely to have responsibilities
for school (health) curriculum development, or a role in planning and developing school
• curriculum materials or school-based health and social interventions. The project manager
should be in a position to establish links with government agencies, that should be mobilized
in support of the life skills initiative.
. .' Members of the Life Skills Development Group might include people that hold posts
..which entitle them to decision making responsibilities over the content of school-based
interventions, or represent established institutions with recognized authority in this field.
iTbeyiwould., be expected to have expertise in curriculum development or school-based
jihterveritidnsl and should have familiarity or expertise in the design of educational activities
teat 'matches the learning capabilities of the age jgroups targeted for life skills education.
However, it should not be limited to these individuals. The contributions of other child and
■'youth'experts is helpful; for programme design and later, during the implementation stages.
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The Life Skills Development Group should be selected in order to form a
multidsiciplinary group, and may include professionals from the following domains:
.
.
school curriculum development
health education
prevention education
public health
teacher training
developmental and/or educational psychology
social services
For the development of a broad-based life skills programme, the multidisciplinary
composition of this group should also be supportive of the generic goals and concepts of life
skills education as described in Part 1 of this document.
;
The principal tasks of a Life Skills Development Group include:
. '
forr-uiation of objectives for life skills education;
’
formulation of strategies for life skills programme development;
management of resources for life skills education:
the design of life skills programme teaching materials;
the development of training sessions for life skills trainers and cducators/tcachers;
pilot-testing a draft version of the life skills programme;
making plans for the implementation of the life skills programme;
maintenance of the life skills programme once it is in place.
The tasks are described in the next section of these guidelines, together with points
that may serve to guide decision making.
Training the Life Skills Development Group
. The Life Skills Development Group will need to be trained in the:theoretical basis,
objectives and methods’of life skills tdpcation, as well as in how to design a~d evaluate
life 'skills .programmes.’ This training could, be based ^on the• training, workshops i
• described in the document Training Workshops for the Development and Implementation ...
of Life Skills Programmes (WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev:l).
i
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The Life Skills Development Group can to some extent be self-trained on the basis
of the workshops, and can use the same workshops to provide training or briefing sessions
for the life skills advisor}’ group, and for the training of trainers. Ideally, the training of the
Life Skills Development Group should be assisted by a trainer with expertise in the area of
life skills education. A life skills consultant from another country may be askec :o assist this
pr .ess. However, if resources are not available to cover the services of a consultant, it may
be relevant to bring in the help of people with related experience. For example, attempts
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
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Page II
could be made to establish links with professional groups currently using active learning
methods, and which teach at least one of the life skills areas described in Part 1.
The Life Skills Advisory Panel
Identifying a Life Skills Advisory Panel is an important part of the strategy for gaining
support, resources and commitment to life skills education. Such a "panel" would be selected
to include relevant opinion leaders and agencies that could act as promoters of the major aims
and objectives for the development of life skills education. An advisory panel can play an
important role in supporting life skills education, including guiding policy and the decision
making process. If problems arise, this group can also provide backing which might be
necessary for the very survival of an innovative initiative such as life skills education, which
may be misunderstood and criticised. Endorsement from respected individuals and agencies
can help dispel criticism as well as give credibility to the effort.
„
The composition of the Life Skills Advisory Panel might include representatives of:
•'
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education authorities;
health authorities;.
■ social services;
i relevant departments of universities and colleges;
youth organizations;
'minority groups; ,
. rion-governmental organizations;
police;
religious institutions;
media;
popular personalities;
charities;
public sector agencies - including potential sponsors from business and industry;
parents and teachers associations;
teachers’ unions;
international agencies working in the country.
’fMembers of ah advisory panel would need to: be convinced of the relevance of life skills
^eciimatibn in relation, to the country's needs and priorities, So it may be necessary to
provide training or;briefing sessions. Such training could be developed from the
. reicv^Vworkshbps* 'p’’6videcf in the document Training Workshops for the Development
(f’an'd-Implementa'tion of Life Skills Programmes (WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rcv. I). <
The project manager of the Life Skills Development Group could be instrumental in
establishing the Life Skills Advisory Panel, whose members would be consulted as the Life
Skills Development Group formulates and implements its plans.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 13
FORMULATING OBJECTIVES AND A STRATEGY FOR
LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Formulation of objectives for life skills education
•■•Objectives for life skills education should be based on'a needs assessment' -
• .
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A needs assessment will help identify the most relevant prevention and promotion
objectives for life skills education. As far as possible, the needs assessment should make use
of existing reports and statistics. Existing statistics, describing the prevalence of particular
problems, can help to put force behind new initiatives which are designed to have
implications for the prevention of those problems.
th relation to life skills education, relevant statistics include the incidence of health
and social problems that are related to mental well-being and behaviour. These include: .
' extent and type of substance dse and abuse;
.
. ,
HIV/AIDS prevalence;
pregnancy rates in school children;
; teenage suicide rates;
1 incdence of childhood psychiatric disorder and psychological problems;
1 extent of violence in schools.
.’LlThe formulation of objectives of a life skills programme should also include a review
of education and/or health policy, and where possible the Life Skills Development Group
shouldi try to pursue the development of life skills education within existing government
policy and priorities. Where existing policy is inadequate, the life skills development group,
working with or through the advisory panel, will need to present the case for necessary policy
changes.
The objectives for life skills education should be placed within a rationale and
conceptual framework for the place of life skills in health promotion (see Part 1 of this
document). It can also help to relate the objectives of life skills education to already
> established objectives, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 29):
"... the education of the child shall be directed to the development of the child" s personality,
- : talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential; ... the preparation of the
'.'Child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance,
• e^liality of the sexes, and friendship among all peoples...".
To increase acceptability and feasibility of the life skills programme, objectives should
take into account the realities of the religious, cultural, political and socio-economic
. conditions.
Two questions that need to be addressed early on are: What life skills are to be
taught? .nd. for which groups and ages?
i)
What skills to teach?
For a broad-based foundation in life skills the following were suggested in Pan 1, as
complementary life skills for the enhancement of psychosocial competence. ’
decision making problem solving
creative thinking critical thinking
communication interpersonal
relationships
self-awareness •
empathy
coping with emotions and
stressors
The Life Skills Development Group will need to determine the exact nature of the
skills to be taught and to determine the specific applications of life skills that will need to
be taught to achieve primary prevention and health promotion objectives. (Refer to the table
on page 22, and to the Appendix, for. example lesson titles and sequence).
ii)
What is the target group of the life skills programme? ’
.
If a life skills programme is to be developed for the promotion of health and well
being, it should ideally be targeted at all children and adolescents, as a positive response to
health needs, rather than as an intervention aimed only at those already at risk or who already
have health problems.
If the plans are that the life skills programme should eventually be implemented widescaie in a country, then the original programme is likely to be developed first for the most
dominant, majority language and culture in the country. This may mean that minority groups
will not be reached, especially if there are no representatives from such groups in the Life
Skills Advisory Panel or Development Group. Plans should be made for programme
adaptation, or life skills programme development, for such groups once a programme has been
implemented and Ls being maintained.
•
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Life skills programmes can be developed for all ages of children and adolescents in
school. Experience gained in countries where life skills programmes have been developed
suggests 6-16 years as an important age range for life skills learning. However, the age
groups to be targeted are likely to be determined by education policy and the resources
available, as well as by the age at which children are most likely to be in school. It will be
necessary to weigh up the value of life skills education to different age groups, to help select
who it is for and for how many year groups. Given the role of life skills in the promotion
of positive health behaviour, it is worthwhile ensuring that life skills programmes are
available in the pre-adolescent or early adolescent years, since young people of this age group
seem to be most vulnerable to behaviour-related health problems.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.R0V.2
Pace 15
Formulation of a strategy for life skills programme development
One of the main questions about strategy will .be whether to develop a life skills
programme or to adapt one that is already being used in the country or elsewhere.
TT^fadcumcnf The De yelopment-jand* Dissemination--of '.Life .Skills-Educanonr'An',,
■' -Overview'; (M&H/PSF/94.7) provides, brief.; case-;studies’. of . die, development: and'.
? adaptation ■ of .life skills programmes’ in’ /differed t 'countries.: It also' includes- a"sirbft?
--.annotated list of examples of life skills education resource materials? '• ?
' j,
It may be useful to obtain copies of several life skills programmes, and to examine
them before deciding whether programme adaptation is a feasible and appropriate solution.
Even-where the best strategy is considered to be the design of a life skills programme, the
work may be facilitated by reviewing life skills programmes to generate ideas for style and
content Also, actual implementation of a life skills programme developed elsewhere can, in
the short term, help local groups gain valuable experience in life skills education, even if the
eventual goal is to develop rather than adapt a programme.
The ability to achieve cultural relevancy and linguistic integrity in adapting a Life skills
programme is a primary factor in determining whether programme adaptation is feasible.
Cost is Another important factor. Programme adaptation is not necessarily cheaper than
programme development, when licence fees and royalties are added to the adaptation costs.
Furthermore, programme adaptation can take as long as programme development.
-T Experience suggests that the’process of life’ skills development or adaptation can take...
,'-‘fft>m:2 to 4 years to complete. V
:
- i .;i
V•-;
Three main steps in the adaptation process are briefly described below:
Language translation
This tnay be necessary even if a programme is written in the "same" language. So
many expressions are culture specific, and may have no meaning in other countries or regions.
ID
A reverse language translation
The translated version of the materials is translated back into the original language.
This is done to ensure that what has been translated from the original does not change the
basic concepts and content of the programme. There is often no direct translation for a word
or concept, and when it is translated it can take on a new meaning that was not intended by
the programme developers.
.’a je..;
Pegs 16
iii)
Cultural adaptation
.
.
At this stage, attention would be directed at the content of the programme. The skills
being taught would need to be examined for relevance and appropriateness, as would each of
the activities used to facilitate life skills acquisition. Careful attention should be given to
include only the most culturally appropriate content. Other aspects of the programme may
need to be re-written to develop culturally sensitive activities.
Whether a life skills programme is to be adapted or designed, the steps for programme
development outlined in these guidelines are relevant, and may form the basis of a more
retailed strategy.
.
Management of resources for life skills education
Although it is impossible to give an estimation of the costs here, a checklist of likely
expenses is listed below:
Costs of producing life skills materials, including payment of writers and illustrators,
and costs of printing. It can be helpful to choose binding and paper quality to suit
climatic conditions: for example, plastic coated paper, although more expensive, has
been used for some life skills programmes to ensure durability of the materials.
. Costs of distributing life skills materials.
Costs of teacher training, including trainers' fees, and travel expenses for teachers and
trailers attendance at workshops.
Costs of a Life Skills Advisory Panel and Life Skills Development Group are likely
to include such things as travel to meetings, food and lodging during meetings,
secretarial support and stationary.
■
Costs of consultants for initial training. Although involving life skills consultants can
be more expensive in the early stages, it may help to reduce overall costs by helping
to organize and implement the initiative more effectively and efficiently and so
avoiding expensive mistakes.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Poge 17
Promotion costs for getting the programme launched and on-going publicity for the
programme, including costs of providing samples of the programme materials to
stimulate interest
Costs of researchers to carry out the pilot test and subsequent evaluations.
Costs of review and revision of the life skills materials and the training.
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Attracting resources for a life skills education initiative: some suggestions
Form partnerships with agencies that should support the development of life skills
education. •
Carry out publicity campaigns to encourage popular support and positive expectations
of life skills education.
)-•; Apply for funds from relevant non-governmental and international organizations,
charities and foundations, as.well as from local authorities and businesses (including
banks and insurance companies).
'
Publish reports that describe the project objectives, the scale of dissemination, pilot
test findings, and progress updates.
WHO/MNH/PSf/93.7A.Rev.2
Pegs 19
DESIGNING LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME MATERIALS
Designing life skills lessons
The acquisition of skills is based on learning through active participation. Life skills
lessons need to be designed to allow opportunities for practice of skills in a supportive
learning environment.
- Refer to the Appendix for short descriptions of life skills lessons.
.
~ • Life skills lessons are both active and experiential'. In passive learning, the teacher
passes on knowledge and the learner is the recipient of information (as in didactic teaching).
Active learning, however, engages the teacher and pupil in a dynamic process of learning by
using methods such as brainstorming, group discussion and debates. Experiental learning is
based on actual practice of what is-being taught, for example, using games and role play.
Life skills lessons use such active and experiental methods, and should also include
homework assignments that encourage pupils to extend their analysis and practice of life skills
tc their li^es at home and in their communities. Traditional children's games, often used in
life skills lessons, offer one good example of how life skills are learned through doing, and
are taught using activities that can be continued outside the classroom. For example, games
like being led blindfold around a room are used to teach trust, and whispering games, where
a message is whispered from person to person, are used to teach listening skills.
Two methods that are frequently used in life skills lessons - brainstorming and role
play - are described below.
Brainstorming is a creative technique for generating ideas and suggestions on a
particular subject Any topic can be explored using brainstorming. A question may be asked
or ah issue raised, and every one in the group is asked to give suggestions about it in very
simple terms, ideally with one word or a short phrase. In brainstorming, people just call out
what they think, there should be no need to go round the group one by one. All suggestions
would be listed - for the whole group to see. Brainstorming gives an opportunity for
everyone’s ideas to be valued and accepted without criticism. Brainstorming can be a good
technique for the life skills teacher to learn from the children how much they understand
about a subject and to see how they describe it in their own terms. It is also a very effective
way of hearing the ideas from the whole group in a limited period of time. Later in the
lesson, the various brainstorm ideas can be assessed in relation to the concepts being taught
Poga 20
Role play is the acting out of a scenario, either based on text or based on example
situations described by the teacher or students. In role play, various aspects of the same
situation can be tried out. and the students involved can be given a chance to try out the life
skills they are being taught Role play is perhaps the most important method in life skills
teaching, since the students involved can experience for themselves the use of a new skill in
different situations. Role play can be of considerable value for dealing with sensitive issues
that may cause anxiety in real encounters. The learner can observe and practice ways of
behaving in a safe, controlled environment before facing real situations.
«
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I
Evidently, these activities normally presume that the students are working together in
groups or pairs, which is often not the case in many school classrooms. Effective work in
groups will depend upon the training of life skills .educators in group, work methods and as
' group leaders. For example, for effective groupwork it can be helpful to establish rules for
group participation, and to- assign people to roles within the gropp (e.g. timekeeper and
reporte; o that everyone is considered responsible for the activities of the group. A group
leader will need to give clear instructions, and will need to know how to deal with people
who are not actively contributing to the group activities, as well as how to split large groups
into smal[ ones of 4 or 5, or into pairs.
Processing questions can be used to structure life skills lessons and to maintain
student involvement and reflection on what is being taught. Three processing questions
are:
What?
So What?
What is the lesson about?
' What have I learnt from the lesson? What thoughts and feelings did the lesson
stimulate?
Now W'hat? What can I do with what I leamed/experienced? How can I apply it to my
evervday life? ■ -.... •"•••■ i'”1' j>
v-n-r”--• •.....
s-mn-v- * «t,h'tsm wstn":
The .'.braining workshops described in •. the document Training:-■•Workshops^p®-the;.:'-^Development and Implementation of Life S kills:: ''Programmes
(WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev.l) are based on the methods that are used in life skills
education. Participating in these workshops can help those designing life skills lessons
to become familiar with the methods used.
•.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.R9V.2
Page 21
Designing a life skills education programme
/
Designing actual life skills lesson activities is usually only one part of life skills
programme design. For a broad-based life skills programme, designed to promote
psychosocial competence, and to achieve health promotion and prevention objectives, the life
/ skills lessons would need to be designed as part of a sequential and unified programme. To
’some extent, the life skills lessons would be designed to be carried out in a particular order,
with later life skills activities designed to build on the skills lessons provided earlier in the
programme. For example, the following model describes three basic levels of life skills’
lessons, which can be taught in sequence, in order to create a life skills education programme.
.. Level 1
The teaching of basic components of core life skills, practised in
relation to common everyday situations.
. Level 2
The application of life skills to relevant themes that are connected to
^various health and social problems..
t,‘
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•
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Level 3
The application of skills in relation to specific risk situations that can
dgiv^ffse' to health and social problems.
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■
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■■■.
■ ;■
'
■ ■.
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-hv; An exarhple outline of a life skills education programme, based on tides of life skills
lessons covering these three levels, is illustrated below. The model is fictional, and is only
intended to illustrate how a life skills programme can be put together to cover a broad-based J
foundation in life skills. This can be built on so that students have the opportunity to practicethe skills relevant to important health issues. The example shows 30 life skills lessons taught
over a period of 3 yean.
Year 1 (Level 1)
Year 2 (Level 2)
Year 3 (Level 3)
Self-awareness
Learning about "me as
a special person"
Self-control
My rights and
responsibilities
Empathy
Understanding bow
people are alike and
how we differ, and
learning to appreciate
the differences between
people
Avoiding prejudice
and discrimination of
people who differ
Caring of people with
AIDS
Interpersonal
relationship skills
Learning to value
relationships with
friends and family
Forming new
relationships and
surviving loss of
friendships
Seeking support and
advice from others in a
time of need
Communication
Basic verbal and non
verbal communication
skills
Assertive
communication in the
face of peer pressure
Critical thinking
Learning the basic
processes in critical
thinking
Making objective
judgements about
choices and risks
Resisting media
influence on attitudes
towards smoking and
alcohol
Creative thinking
Developing capacities
to think in creative
ways
Generating new ideas
about things that are
taken for granted
Adapting to changing
social circumstances
Decision making
Learning basic steps for
decision making
Making difficult
decisions
Decision making about
important life plans
Problem solving
Basic steps for problem
solving
Generating solutions
to difficult problems
or dilemmas
Conflict resolution'
Coping with
stress
Identifying sources of
stress
Methods for coping in
stressful situations
Coping in situations of
adversity
Coping with
emotions
Recognition of the
expression of different
emotions
Understanding how
emotions affect the
way we behave
Coping with emotional
distress
.1
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Using assertiveness to
resist pressure to do
potentially heal± :
damaging activities
(e.g. unprotected sex)
>
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 23
Designing a life skills programme for flexible implementation
The place of life skills teaching in the school curriculum can vary greatly. Life skills
have been taught in schools in the context of various educational initiatives, eg. as a pan of
comprehensive school health education, life planning education, and mental health promotion.
When the life skills programme is included, as a part of the school curriculum it may be
referred to as "integrated". Life skills have also been taught within the teaching of academic
subjects, such as the teaching of communication skills in the contextof language classes.
Taught in this way life skills education is often said to be "infused" into the existing
curriculum. Life skills education may also be implemented as an extra-curricular activity.
□
If the life skills programme can be designed so that it can be both infused into other
subjects and integrated either as a new subject, or within an existing subject, this offers
greater potential for programme success. ‘
•
•
'
*
□ - '"The materials should be appropriate for children and adolescents of ethnic minority
groups.'--Programme developers should pay attention to language usage (e.g. avoid
unnecessary colloquial expressions) and use culture-free illustrations, as far as possible.
□
. Producing the life skills programme as a loose leaf binder, or putting the lessons on
separate cards‘can be very practical, allowing the teacher to take out the lesson materials
he/she requires whilst facilitating the .lessons.
■
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An overview of a life skills teaching manual .
*•
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•
The most important material of the life skills programme is likely to be a teaching
manual, which provides detailed descriptions of each lesson. The teaching manual should
also include the following:
■
an introduction to life skills education - describing the rationale, theory, values, and
methodology;
activities to support the life skills lessons - for example, warm-up activities to help the
students feel more comfortable working in groups;
.
. ’.activities that facilitate the development of life skills, that the children can do at home
and with their families;
;
activities that facilitate the development of life skills, that may be carried out with
friends or in community projects.
" Since life skills education will be new for most teachers and trainers, the format must
be clear and concise, so that users can easily understand the approach, pedagogy and the
structure of the sessions described. For example, each of the skills lessons could be set out
using the same format, as below
i
;
Lesson purpose and goal
Learning objectives
Listing and explanation of materials needed for the lesson
Background information, helpful hints, and how the lesson is related to other lessons
or to the national curriculum
Lesson activities
a.
exploring and discovering
b.
connecting new concepts and skills
c.
practice new skills
d.
apply skills to life situations
Evaluation (processing questions)
Homework assignments
Additional resources and activities related to the lesson
Life skills programme materials to accompany the teaching manual
Life skills programmes often include a student workbook, for the child or adolescent
to use in conjunction with the skills lessons. Also, students are often asked to write about
their feelings and what they have learnt in their own personal journals. If these additional
materials are not available or affordable, all materials can be incorporated within the teaching
manual, and when required, reproduced for the children by the teacher‘on the board, or other
such visual display facilities.
Other support materials might include:
An introduction to life skills education for parents, describing the rationale and
objectives of life skills education, and providing suggestions of activities that they can
do with their children at home.
A guide to assist teachers’ work with parents. This might include an agenda for
meetings with parents, and suggestions for ways that teachers can encourage parental
support for their child’s or children’s acquisition and practice of life skills.
An introduction to life skills education for school principals, emphasizing the potential
benefits of life skills education for the institutional goals of the school, as well as the
need for review periods and on-going training for teachers once the programme is
implemented.
A leaflet describing life skills education for other teachers and for school health
personnel, school social workers etc., and for community members that should be
■ informed of the content and objectives of life skills education.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.RSV.2
Page 25
TRAINING OF LIFE SKILLS.TRAINERS
/ A\triir.ing course for life skills trainers can be developed-on 'the basis of the workshops
-^provided in the document Training Workshops for the Development and Implementation ■,-of Life Skills Programmes (WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev.l).'
‘
'
.'■'..Trained trainers could:then use or adapt the training workshops as the basis for die
training of teachers or other life skills educators.-
A cascade strategy for disseminating the training is used in many countries. This is
to say that peonle that take part in training sessions then go on to train others using the same,
or a similar, training schedule. This model is advocated in so far as trained trainers can go
- on to 1 train other teacher trainers, and so increase the availability of training resources.
Teachers/life skills educators should go through training sessions with a trained trainer. Care
has to be taken however, to maintain the quality of the training at all levels.
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; A 'The training workshops, outlined in the document WTlO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev.l,
are organized as four courses and cover the following workshop topics:
Course I
.
The Nature and Purpose of Life .Skills Education
.
The School Context for Life. Skills Education
.
1 Implementing a National/Regional/Local Strategy for Life Skills Education.
‘ ; Building a Coalition for Life Skills Education
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Course II
i
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Why Work in Groups?
.
Key Skills in Training- Part 1 ,
1 ’. 1
Key Skills in Training- Part 2
•' i
Course III
.
. Life Skills Lesson Methods and Design
Review of Resources Materials for Life Skills Education
Strategies for Developing Teaching Materials - 1
.
Strategies for Developing Teaching Materials - 2
.
Assessment and Evaluation in, Life Skills Education
‘ '
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Course IV
The Community Contribution to Life Skills Education
i
Developing Parenting Skills to Support Life Skills Education
...
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Pegs zs
Training on the basis of participatory learning in groups
Active participatory learning in groups is central to life skills teaching;, it is also the
basis for the training of life skills trainers.
During childhood and adolescence, as in adulthood, much social interaction occurs in
groups. This can be capitalized upon, and used in a structured way to provide a situation in
which me~bers can learn, share experiences and practice skills together.
The role of the trainer is to facilitate this participatory learning of the group'members,
rather than conduct lectures in a didactic style.
Participatory learning:
i
builds on the experience, opinions and knowledge of group members;
provides a creative context for exploring possibilities and defining options;
provides a source of mutual comfort and security which is important for the learning
and decision making process.
It is recognized that there are advantages of working in groups, with adults and with
young people because group work:
increases participants’ perceptions of themselves and others;
■
promotes co-operation rather than competition:
,
V •
provides opportunities for group members and their trainers/teachers to recognize and
value individual skills and enhance self-esteem;
enables participants to get to know each other better and extend relationships;
promotes listening and communication;
facilitates dealing with sensitive issues;
appears to promote tolerance and understanding of individuals and their needs;
encourages innovation and creativity.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Revi
Page 27
The place and importance of participatory learning in teacher training draws some of
its influence from adult learning theory and from research into teacher in-service training,
which suggests the following:
The adult learner has accumulated a reservoir of experience that is a substantial
resource in the learning process. The experience of the participants must be used and '
built on.
Lecturing adult professionals has little effect on their actual work practice. Even
lecturing, followed by general discussion does not tend to have much influence on
practice.
There are indications that if teachers are asked to perform practical tasks during in
service training, and if they are explicitly asked to try out new activities in their
classroom, this heightens the chance of the in-service training having an effect on
teaching methods.
The Trainer’s Guide .in document.;,WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev.l, provides more
background information for trainers, with examples of practical exercises and guidance '
to facilitate participatory training in groups.
• : '
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 29
PILOT TESTING/EVALUATING A LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME AND
' TRAINING
Once life skills programme materials and training have been developed, a small-scale
pilot test i. required, during which the life skills programme can be assessed arid necessary
revisions made before the materials are produced and distributed on a larger scale.
Pilot test evaluation is as important as developing the programme materials, because
once developed, if there is no evaluation, there may be little to show that the programme has
the potential to achieve what is expected of it. With limited resources available, few agencies
are going to spend time and money on a new initiative unless they have some proof of its
practical value. Also, mistakes or gaps in the materials may only be noticed when the
training schedule is actually put into practice with teachers or when the teacher’s manual is
used to guide lessons. This sort of problem can be anticipated, and prepared for from the
beginning with a plan to pilot test the materials. Furthermore, the pilot test evaluation can
serve as an example of ways in which the life skills programme can be assessed in the longer
term, and hence serve as a model for future evaluation.
Evaluation tools used in the "evaluation of life skills programmes include:
questionnaires given to pupils, teachers and trainers: individual and group interviews: and
assessment through observation, e.g. of the teacher conducting a life skills class.
The.'document, EifcqSkiils Education: Planning for Research (MNH/PSF/96.2.Rey.I)
provides further utarmation about’evaluation of a life skills programme. Programme
.revaluation js described, as pan of a plan’ for research as an integral part of life skil’s
^education, development, implementation and'maintenance. The appendices to the
document provide examples of research related to life skills education and descriptions
of instruments ured in life skills programme evaluation, i' < ■
V-
The number and type of schools that should be included in the pilot test depends on
the overall scale of the planned implementation of the life skills programme.
1
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>>;Eithe life • skills^programme' is destined for. wide-scale- implementation1 m a country;
inuring the pilot'^Sdschbois1 should be selec ted/to-include'_a: representative'sample of ;
Jiirbanrand roral?schbols,:'as w'ell as a' sample of the ;differenr tj^iof .schools (for.
^fecarnpleripriyatcfpublicf'single sex schools, religion or culture based schools). To be?q
sure of meaningful results of the pilot test, a minimum of 8-12 schools, involving at ■
.'least 2 teachers and 50 pupils from each school, is likely to be required.
In pilot testing a programme, the principle question will be what to evaluate. What are
the indicators of life skills programme effectiveness?
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev,2
Paga 30
What to evaluate?
Evaluation questions that- might be asked include process evaluation questions and
outcome evaluation questions, examples of which are listed below.
Process evaluation questions
,
Is the programme implemented as expected?
How well does the programme fit the socio-political, socio-economic and cultural
climate?
‘ How do teachers, trainers, and the young people themselves perceive the life skills
programme?
How do parents and community leaders perceive the programme?
How "user friendly", Le. easy to use, are the materials and training?
Arc the programme contents, and the concepts behind it, understood by the users
("users" could be the trainers, teachers and students)?
What is the potential relevance of the programme to different ethnic groups in the
country?
Do participants enjoy the life skills programme?
Does it seem relevant to the user’s needs?
Outcome evaluation questions
■ Does the programme achieve what it sets out to achieve?
e.
i.
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do the children learn life skills?
are there any indications of changes in health-related behaviour?
are their changes in indicators of mental well-being, eg. improved selfesteem and self-confidence?
Does the programme bring about other changes? Apart from the acquisition of life
skills and changes in health-related behaviour, other indicators of life skills programme
effectiveness include:
WHO/MNH/P$F/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 31
improvements in teacher-pupil relationships;
improved academic performance;
reduction in school drop-out;
improved school-family links.
Pilot test data may be compiled as a report to illustrate the value and effectiveness of
the life skills programme, and the programme’s potential. Recording the results in this way
could be important for promoting the programme, or validating it if the usefulness of life
skills education is challenged. Such a report could be distributed along with the training and
teaching manual at the phase of wider dissemination of the programme.
Evaluating/pilot testing the teacher training
All participants on training courses can be given an evaluation form (see the example
below). Feedback from each training course should be recorded, and future should be revised
as a result of such feedback.
EVALUATION SHEET
Please circle one number for each of the following questions.
■ ;
very much
/ ,
somewhat k"
Did you find the workshop(s) interesting
Did you,find the workshop® valuable?
Please write in your reply.
• , '
Which partofthe workshop(s) did youflnd themost,enjoyable,.and,.why4;b-
.What have you learned that will be of most help to you?
What additional training do you need?
WHO/MNH/PJF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 33
IMPLEMENTING A LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
Following the pilot test phase, including any necessary revisions of the training and
life skills materials, dissemination and implementation of the life skills programme can begin.
The financial resources available for printing, distribution and training will be an
important factor in determining the rate and scale of implementation of the life skills
programme. If plans are made for wide scale implementation in a country, thc'ratc and scale
of implementation will also be determined by the cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity.
Programme implementation in countries with a relatively homogeneous population may be
faster and easier. Countries with greater diversity may find it necessary to sc. priorities for
making adaptations for different ethnic and linguistic populations.
Minimum criteria for Implementing a life skills programme
. Although these guidelines focus on the implementation of life skills programmes in
schools, there may be plans for use of the programme in settings other than schools. If this
is the case, or indeed if there is concern as to the appropriateness of school settings in a
particular location, it is worth considering the following minimum criteria that should be met
for life skills education to be effective, as below.
□
The teaching of life skills requires a learning environment in which a teacher/group
leader can organize active and experiential learning activities.
□
It is important that the teacher/group leader has had training in active and experiential
teaching methods, and in facilitating the learning of life skills. He/she should be equipped
with a teaching manual that describes life skills lessons.
□
• The life skills activities should, ideally, be led by a teacher/group leader that the group
can work with over a period of time, e.g. over a one-year period.
C
The teacher/group leader should be sensitive to the capabilities and understanding of
those taking part in the life skills programme, and be able to adapt life skills lessons
accordingly.
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The life skills teaching should have continuity and sequence over time, ie. life skills
lessons should, to some extent, relate to and build upon previous lessons. One-off life skills
lessons are unlikely to be effective.
The foebs on the school in this document partly reflects these minimum criteria, since
in most countries, the schcol is the setting that is most likely to meet these criteria. The most
likely person to be able to play the role of a life skills educator is a trained teacher, although
a school psychologist, social worker, or guidance counsellor could also be trained as a life
skills educamr.
WHO/MNH/PSF/vc 7 A .x?. 3
PCQd 34
Life skills programmes are best implemented by teacicrs or'lifc skills educators that
have take" part in life skills education1 training sessions, and it may be appropriate to limit
distribution of the life skills teaching resource to teachers that have taken part in training
sessions.' To this end, it may be best to deliver the 'life skills programme materials’to training
centres, rather than directly to schools.
Monitoring the distribution of the life skills materials and training may be of value
as an indicator of the success of the life skills initiative, and such information may be of help
in securing future financial resources. Inventory systems are therefore useful, to gather
information on the destinations of the life skills education programme materials and training .
courses, and to keep track of the scale of implementation.
A dissemination strategy: Life Skills Coordinators
i
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pie following outlines a number of guidelines regarding the use of coordinators to
' facilitate the dissemination of life skills education.
1.
A network of coordinators at local or regional level (depending on the geography of
the country) should be set up, who would assist in the dissemination of programme
materials and training.
2.
Regional level coordinators would be trained as "trainers of trainers". Local level
coordinators would be trained as teacher trainers.
3.
Life skills coordinators would receive support and further training together with other
local or regional coordinators.
4.
Funding will be necessary for the posts of local and regional life skills coordinators.
In many countries this has been provided by local or national governments - thus
stressing the importance of involving key senior governmental officials, in the
development of life skills education.
5.
The experience in many countries is that the appointment of local coordinators is the
best strategy to ensure implementation and further development of life sku.s education.
There need to be people "on the ground" who will take on the day to day management
tasks, cultivate networks and offer encouragement and support. These coordinators
can offer the Training Workshops (WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7B.Rev.l) at school and local
level.
6.
Training in working with parents and involving the community should be offered as
part of the training of life skills coordinators.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 35
MAINTENANCE OF A LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
Once a Life skills programme has been developed and implemented, the Life Skills
Development Group should ensure its longer term function in order to manage the
longer term implementation and maintenance of the programme. Otherwise, the Life
. Skills Development Group should ensure that a relevant agency takes on this
. responsibility,
. .
'
<
Incorporating review periods
■
Systematic review of the use of the life skills programme will be an essential part of
ensuring its long term value. Even when a programme is securely in place and running well,
it will continue to require ongoing assessment and revision, to ensure that the life skills
programme" continues to meet the needs of young people.
Pre information generated in a review of programme implementation should be
recorded and included in periodic progress reports.
Follow-up training for teachers
Follow-up training sessions should be provided, if possible, even if the programme and
training is not changed as a result of the review periods. Teachers will require follow-up
training sessions to guide them in the longer term use of the programme, and to provide them
with an opportunity for raising questions about its content and methods.
To ensure the long term availability of the teacher training sessions, it may be helpful
to institutionalise the training, for example, by trying to make it available in teacher training
colleges.
Ongoing funding and support of the life skills programme
• The Life Skills Coordinator in each district would be responsible for active'v
promoting the programme, and ensuring that relevant groups and agencies (local authorities,
parents’ and teachers’ groups, businesses, charities, etc.) arc encouraged to provide support
and funding for the programme in the longer term. To this end, the Life Skills Coordinator
would have an overview of the life skills "network" in his/her location, and should encourage
relevant peop..- to support life skills education, for example, by inviting them to planning
meetings or by making progress reports available to them.
WHO/MNH/PS.-/93.7<Rev.2 .
s
Poqs 36
I
' !
,
.
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i
For the maintenance of a life’skills programme over time; the Life Skills Coordinator ,
could facilitate the involvement of children and adolescents in community projects, and .
projects to improve the school environment and school "climate" (or atmosphere) in ways that
support the objectives and ethos of life skills education. He/she cbuld also facilitate
communication between parents and' teachers.
Programme adaptation
/
As the programme begins to be used on a wider scale, the programme is more likely
to be used by ethnic or cultural groups other than the target population for whom it was
initially designed. If this happens, the relevance of the life skills activities may be gradually
diluted and programme effectiveness reduced. As a part of programme maintenance, it is
therefore important to consider making adaptations of the programme, as necessary. ”
i
WHO/MNH/PS7/93.7A.P9V.2
Pago 37
APPENDIX
SAMPLE LIFE SKILLS LESSONS
AND LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME LESSON TITLES AND SEQUENCE
The sample lessons described here are based on. lessons from life skills programmes
used in schools in various countries. They represent only a small pan of programmes that
they were taken from, and the lesson.descriptions have been abbreviated, so it would riot be
appropriate to copy them. They are to illustrate what life skills lessons are like, and to show
the variety of ways in which life skills can be taught using active and expert mtial teaching
methods.
. The examples of life skills programme lesson titles and sequence illustrate the ways
in which lessons have been put together to create three prevention education programmes
based on life skills.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 39
SAMPLE LIFE SKILLS LESSONS
'Steps to solutions end four questions for problem solvers'
■
1
.
•
The lesson is based on four steps to problem solving, with activities designed to help
students work through each step.
.
Who* is the problem - what happened?
1.
A short role play is used to show an argument, and the students are asked to define
what the problem is, without making judgments about who is right or wrong. The group is
asked to ccusider what effect defining a problem has on the way we perceive it.
.The group is asked to write a short play, showing an argument developing and taking
place, followed by a definition of the problem.
Problems that the children experience are introduced as examples of problems for the
class'to work on together.
2.
How does it feel?
A
A quarrel is illustrated using pole play (alternatively the role play of step 1 is
described). The group then considers each person in the role play in turn, and they write
down the feelings each person may have had, without judging how justified th-, feeling was.
,
3.
■ I
Option building
The students brainstorm to show how many possible courses of action could be taker.
to solve the problem.
4
The group looks at the list of feelings generated at step 2 and suggests what could
be done to meet the needs each feeling represents. Once something has been suggested for
each feeling, and for each person in the problem scenario, the list of options is compared to
the original problem situation, and the group put forward suggestions for an appropriate
solution.
4.
Goal setting
Finally, a plan is drawn up, composed of small steps that each person involved in the
argument could take to bring about a solution.
FROM:'
Ways and Means: An Approach to Problem Solving
(1988) The Handbook of the Kingston Friends Workshop Group.
Kingston Polytechnic, UK.
WHO/MNH/PS?/93.7A^ev.2
POQG 40
■ ■
■
fi'
•
' :.c<.’ •
•Making decisions step by step'
•
The students are asked to explore the advantages and disadvantages of different ways ■
of making decisions, such as:
by impulse;
by procrastinating, or "putting off" making a decision;
by not deciding;
by letting others make decisions for us;
■
by evaluating all choices and then deciding.
,
The teacher then tells the group that the last way - evaluating different aspects of the
situation - is the best process to use when making an important decision. And the following
model for decision making is presented.
Name the choices and alternatives involved in your decision
Step 1
Step 2
v
Gather information about the decision (considering values, goals, and list what
facts you need to know)
Step 3
List the advantages and disadvantages of each choice
Step 4
Make your decision and list your reasons for this choice
'The students go through the model for example decision making dilemmas situations,
first together and then in small groups. Then the students compare how the different groups
handled the same dilemma. The teacher asks if anyone wants to share a real dilemma that
the group could try to look at using the decision making steps.
The following questions are raised.
1.
Has anyone in the group ever made a decision that didn’t mm out well? Would the
decision making model have helped? How? Which step?
2.
How do you know if you have all the facts you need to make a decision? Who could
you talk to?
3.
Do you think you could really use this model?
FROM:
Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program
(1985) The Center for Population Options, Washington, D.C.. USA.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page
'Do your own think: Critical thinking skills'
Die teacher provides examples which contrast critical and "un-critical thinking, and
introduces the critical thinking steps, as below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Choose a subject to examine.
;
Ask questions about the subject.
Gather information to get answers to your questions.
Review the information.
' Determine how you will react.
The 'eacher uses one of the examples'given earlier to go through the critical thinking
steps. Then the students work in pairs through a worksheet on’which the students have to
show their use of the critical thinking steps.
The teacher asks the students to consider why it is so important to understand and use
''critical thinking skills in making decisions, and'to think about areas in their lives when these
skills can be applied.
A worksheet with examples of other situations in which the students can practice
applying the critical thinking steps is given as a homework assignment, and the students are
asked to write about a time when they could have done something differently, if they had
only asked a few critical questions beforehand.
FROM;
■
Skills for Adolescence: Curriculum Guide: A Programme for Ages 11-14
(1986) Quest International, USA. (TACADE version,‘printed in the UK).
WHO/MM-'A.Rev.2
PoQe 42'
’Communication ’ Skills
As an introduction, the students engage in an activity in which one student whispers
a message to another, and this is then whispered from person to person until it has gone
around the whole class. At the end, the students compare the final message to the original,
to see if it has changed.
•Students are asked to define communication, and under what conditions’effective
communication is said to have taken place.
The teacher tells the students that
communication can be verbal and non-verbal, and asks the students to say what they think.
is meant by verbal and non-verbal communication. The teacher is ready with definitions to
help the students if they cannot think of any.
:
•,
The teacher suggests that effective,communication is when verbal and non-verbal
communication are the same: difficulties arise when words contradict' our ■ nonverbal
behaviour. The teacher asks students for examples of this, and may provide some to help, ,
like:
i
.
. 1
"I always have plenty of time to talk to students after school" - and as this is said the
teacher glances at his/her watch and nervously begins packing his/her briefcase.
Three students are given cards with the words "angry", "nervous", and "content"
written on them. Each student uses non-verbal behaviour to communicate the emotion on the
card. The rest of the class rakes turns to guess the emotion that is being expressed.
Students are asked to give examples of a misunderstanding in communication that they
have experienced, and to.think about how it might have been avoided. A role play is made
up to illustrate one or more of the situations given as examples by the students. The group
is asked how the misunderstanding could have been avoided, and the suggestions are
incorporated in a new role play of the situation.
To illustrate the value of asking questions to clarify what is being said, the teacher
uses the following activity':
One student is asked to describe a figure containing different geometric shapes to the
rest of the class, who are to draw it without asking questions about it. Two of the students
then show- what shape they thought was being described. The student describes the figure
again, this time the others can ask questions. Two of the students show their drawings and
these are compared to the original, to see if this time it was easier to understand what was
being described.
FROM:
Life Skills Training: Promoting Health and Personal Development:
Teacher’s Manual
G. J. Botvin (1989) Cornell University Medical College, USA.
WHO/MNH/PST/93.7 A.Re v.2
Page A3
’Appreciating Family and Friends’
The teacher explains that when something is important to us, we say we value it
He/she asks the students to think of something that they said they valued, yet did not take
care of. The teacher then explains that we sometimes do the same in our relationships with
family and friends.
Students are asked What do you do to show that you value a friendship or a family relationship?
Wha’ makes you feel that someone does not value your relationship with him or her?
/
(Answers are put on the board for all to see).
.
' Students are divided into, groups of three or four, and they are asked .to consider
different scenarios that illustrates a bothersome Quality.that someone has. Students are asked
to think about the scenarios using several questions:'
.
1i ;
•, •
’' .
’.What are tlic positive qualities of the person? ’
1 ’
'* What quality is causing the conflict?
Is this necessarily a bad quality? When might it be a useful quality?
.
If you were in this situation, how would you handle this problem in a positive way?
Why do you think this quality bothers the person in the scenario so much?
Each group presents their scenario to the class, and describe what they would do to
resolve the relationship problem.
As a homework assignment, students are asked to describe ways in which they show
that they care for and value their family and friends, and for up to four people, they are to
write about one additional thing they could do to further demonstrate their appreciation for
that person.
FROM:
Teenage Health Teaching Modules: Strengthening Relationship? with Family
and Friends
(1991) Education Development Center, Inc.Newton. MA.. USA.
POyS —
The Uniqueness of Me'
.>
The teacher asks the children to write their names on. i large sheet, and to say what
it means and how they feel about their names.
■
I
In pairs, the children discuss their characteristics eg. physical characteristics, skills,
achievements, and also things they would like to be able to do.
Older children are asked to stick a picture of themselves into a circle drawn on a
large sheet of paper. In other circles drawn around this central pircle, the headings include:
my special things, my special people, what I can do, my favourite foods, etc. ■
,
'■
i
Younger children are asked to paint self-portraits and label it with their name. On
scrap paper the children are asked to draw.things, people and places that are special to them,
and to stick these around the edge of the self-portrait
The children are then asked whether they enjoyed the activity, and what they have
learnt about themselves. They are asked to finish the statement: "Something I discovered
about myself which makes me feel good is
"
As an activity to do at home, the children are asked to complete the statement "I am
glad that I am me because
"., ano they are to ask family members to contribute three
positive comments for inclusion.
FROM:
Skills for the Primary School Child: Promoting the Protection of Children
(1990) TACADE Salford, UK.
WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2
Page 45
'The Way I FeelTo stan, the teacher asks the group'to brainstorm the variety of feelings they kno.w of.
These arc listed, and the group discusses the list and classifies the different feelings (eg. as
mild or strong, positive or negative etc.).
" : ■ The group writes down which of the feelings they have experienced, and a different
list for those they have not.
Students look at drawings of facial expressions and they are asked to think a1 ut
what feelings are being expressed. They then compare their reactions with other children in
small groups. ‘
1
The students look at different pictures, eg. of a girl waving goodbye as a bus leaves,
and imagine a story that describes the picture, andithe feelings of the people involved.
,
- T.'r.-'r.'Students watch a short film (or hear a short story) and then discuss the mood and
? .1
; atmosphere that is created in the piete, the feelings portrayed by the characters, and the
i 1 [ ..-.-effects these feelings can have oh others.
' ‘
•
: 1
■ r •.
■
•:
Students are askeci to mime a feeling and let others guess what it is. They then role
play a situation to see how feelings may affect how we behave. ’
• •
FROM:
■
‘
Peacemaker: Module One of a Post Primary Peace Programme: Teacher’s
Book and Students’ Worksheets.
(1988) The Joint Peace Programme of the Irish Commission for Justice and
Peace and The Irish Council of Churches.
■ .7
WHO/MNH/PSF/93 ?A Set ‘
Page ii
1
‘Coping with Stress’
A situation is role played in front of the students who are asked to look for verbal and
non-verbal cues of stress.
A bully is trying to get another student to smoke drugs. The student doesn’t want to, but
doesn’t know how to deal with the situation. He'reacts by stuttering, fiddling with his clothes, <
and avoids looking at the bully.
’
1
The role play then changes and the young boy is being interviewed about the situation,
to tell the group about the other cues of stress that were not apparent to the group?; He says
he was sweating a little, his stomach hurt, his heart was pounding, and he was breathing faster
than normal In the role play, he is then reassured that lots of people feel that way when they
are in a difficult situation.
'■
The students are asked to think about a stressful situation they were in, and which they
would like to cope with better if that situation came up again. They are asked to imagine
the situation with their eyes closed, and to remain calm. Then they are to think of a time
when they did well in that kind of situation and how good they felt to have coped. They are
asked to think how they might improve on "the way they handle the situation in the future,
and rehearse this in their mind, before slowly opening their eyes.'
Students are then introduced to the value.of saying positive things to themselves
during a stressful situation.
Students are told to prepare for a situation by saying to
themselves that they can do it. They are encouraged to cope by talking themselves through
a situation by giving calm and positive instructions, focusing on what is going well, and to
praise themselves after the situation for the things they did well, however big or small
FROM:
Coping with Junior High: A Manual for Stress Management and Preventive
Intervention
S. P. Schinke and M.Y. Babel (1987) Colombia University School of Social
Work, New York, USA.
WHO/MNH/PJF/93.7A.R9V.2
Pegs 47
LIFE SKILL LESSON TITLES AND SEQUENCE
The following are examples of lesson tides and sequence of life skill's programmes
designed for the prevention of substance abuse.
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E), Ohio, USA.
One lesson is presented each week throughout a grade school semester.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
. Personal Safety Practice
Drug Use and Misuse
Consequences
Resiting Pressures to Use Drugs
Resistance Techniques
Building Self-Esteem
Assertiveness: A Response Style
Managing Stress Without Taking Drugs
Media Influences On Drug Use
Decision Making and Risk Taking
Alternatives To Drug Use
Role Modelling
Forming a Support System
Resisting Gang Pressure
■ 'DARE Summary
Taking A "Stand
Culmination
WHO/W\'H/rSF/?3.7A Pav.2
Popo 43
. ■
■
,
.
|
:
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..........
' ■>
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........
•
'
UNESCO and Government of Ghana Life Skills Alcohol and Drug Prevention
Programme (School and Youth Agency Curriculum Kjodel) ( (i ;J
.. _■
produced in consultation with Life Skills,International, USA.
First Term: Me as a Special Person (9 weeks)
’
i
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
I Am Unique
From Child to Adult
Getting Along With Others
Communicating and Listening
Making Friends
,
Sustaining and Surviving Loss of Friends
Male/Female Relationships
Stress Management
Coping Skills
'
Second Term: Me as a Social Person (9 weeks)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Critical Thinking Skills
Decision Making
Taking Responsibility for me
Negotiating Skills
Goal Setting Skills
Study Skills
Study Skills
Summing Up
Third Term: Taking Care of Myself (9 weeks)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Drugs from Good to Bad
Drug Use and Misuse
Alcohol: Use and Abuse
Tobacco
.’• ..rijuana and other Illegal Drugs
Assertiveness skills
Risk Behaviour and Characteristics of Users
It.is Okay to be Drug Free
Taking Care of Myself Resistance Skills/Assertive skills /Goal Setting
Continuation of 9.
Commitment
.
!
LIFE SKILL
01. DECISION MAKING
02. PROBLEM SOLVING
03. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
04 . INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
05. CRITICAL THINKING
06. CREATIVE THINKING
07. EMPATHY
08. SELF AWARENESS
09. COPING WITH EMOTIONS
10.
COPING WITH STRESS.
1
CHAPTER VI CQRQmiQN
The previous chapters have laid out a senes of ideas and practices that outline ways in
which theater can be used to teach life skills. Like any undertaking the manual represents a
journey of sorts. As in any journey new doors may have been opened for some readers.
Other readers may still find cause for scepticism. The feeling of scepticism, if evoked is
quite natural since what is on paper can never accurately represent the vigor and vitality of
a live theater session. Further, a person sceptical of the methods outlined here may point
out that theater is artificial and unreal. In part this criticism is true.
Yet, any one who has been to a theater performance may remember the sound of collective
laughter or their own emotional reactions to a scene or play. The person may remember
empathizing with a character on stage, or agreeing with a philosophy or point of view
expressed in the play. These reactions underscore the fact that often theater acts to
educate, inform, and ennch rather than simply entertain. Education, information, life
enrichment, and entertainment are precisely some of the positive contributions that theater
can make in today's schools.
The true test for the sceptical or otherwise resistant reader is therefore a visit to the local
theater,f dance or music performance. Some color and vivacity, some energetic activity
might be in evidence there. It is these elements that this project is attempting to introduce
in our schools. This write-up is thus like an invitation to a new type of experience. The
invitation promises much, and only those who accept it can know the true value of the
experience that lies beyond.
In summary, the aim here has been to set up an adjunct method in schools that can equip
students with skills to deal with everyday issues. Theater cannot substitute for all elements
of the school curriculum, nor is that the intention of this manual. However, the field can
certainly augment the methods of learning available to students today. One hopes the
handbook inspires not just those who are concerned about tire state of education today, but
^alsp others who are curious and open to experimenting a little.
The number of people willing to use theater or other arts in schools, can make a significant
difference. It is the difference between knowing the ceaseless confusion, fear, and anxiety
of our children, and seeing instead the light of aliveness and hope in their eyes.
n— 55
There are many games and exercises used in a theater session. Readers of this manual will
find several examples listed below. The list of exercises written below is not comprehensive.
Instead the Appendix provides a sampling of activities that fall into three categories: warm
up; mid-session; and closure. For more detailed theoretical descriptions of these three
phases, please refer to Chapter III.
r
WARM-UP EXERCISES
This section deals with the initial phase of a theater session. As mentioned in Chapter III,
the exercises detailed here act to energize the group mentally and physically. These
exercises act as a springboard that provides a stimulating initiation into the session.
[a] Walk-Freeze sequence
This is usually an excellent way to begin a session. The participants begin by walking as
they usually would in everyday life. As they walk around the room the facilitator asks
them to become aware of themselves. In particular, s/he guides them to focus on how
they are feeling, what they are thinking, and so on.
The instructions also guide them to be aware of any empty space in the room and
immediately fill up that space. Filling up the empty space while walking encourages
people to create their own rhythm, instead of following where the group goes and
bunching up with others.
Sogn the facilitator asks people to increase the pace of their walking. S/he calls “faster'
and then again after a few seconds "faster". This sequence continues till the teacher
calls out "run". At this point everyone begins to run in the space, taking care not to bump
into one another.
When everyone has run for a few seconds, the teacher suddenly calls "freeze”. At this
• point everyone needs to be absolutely still. A moment or two later. the participants are
instructed to run again and then freeze. Or they can be instructed to walk bnskly and
then freeze.
This can be repeated two or three times. The "freeze" command can be nght after
movement or a little delayed. Similarly, the “unfreeze/ move again" command can be
immediately after a “freeze" has been called or when a few seconds have elapsed.
Varying the timing of the “freeze-run/ walk briskly” command is recommended because it
sets up an unpredictable rhythm. This in turn, releases a lot of energy for the group.
Variation 1
Non-directional walking that is backwards, sideways to the left and right respectively is
added to the normal forward walking. Non-directional walking is best done after a
normal walking rhythm has been set up first. The same instructions apply as for the
pacing and freeze sequences of normal walking.
Variation 2
No pattern walking is a warm-up that again is best done after normal walking has
been initiated. In this exercise participants must walk randomly without establishing
any particular pattern such as for example just forwards or backwards. They may walk
in a circle, then a straight line, then backwards, then sideways, followed by a square,
etc. They need to walk in a way that breaks a particular walk sequence as soon as it
is set up. As before “freeze" and “unfreeze/ move" may be called by the teacher at
any time.
Variation 3
Participants are asked to imagine that there is a weight on their back and walk leaning
forward. Next they are asked to imagine that there is a weight on their stomach and to
walk leaning backward. Finally, they can be asked to lean sideways to the left or nght,
again imagining that there is a weight on the right or left of their body (the opposite
side). In each case a “freeze” can be called so that the group really gets a sense of
what carrying a weight on a part of their body feels like when they are still.
If appropriate for the level of the group, the instruction can be to imagine an emotional
weight in the same areas of the body instead of a physical weight. Or the choice of
either can be left to each person.
’ Variation 4
The group is asked to imagine walking through substances such as water, mud,
stone, syrup etc. (Regional or culturally specific substances will evoke a stronger
associative response.) “Freeze" may be called at any time during each of the
substance walks to heighten the experience of being in a particular substance.
°—55
Variation 5
The group is asked to walk while making eye contact with others and generally
increasing their awareness of people in the group.
Variation 6
Feelings such as happiness, joy, stress, anxiety, pain, anger etc. are introduced. The
group is asked to walk really experiencing and verbally-physically expressing these
feelings to another.
Variation 7: Self-awareness walks
First the group members are asked to begin walking normally, and to gam an
awareness of their normal style of walking. They can focus on the way their arms
move at their side or the way they transfer of their body weight as they move forward.
They can also focus on the rhythm set up by their feet as they or walk or on their
breath.
Next, the group members are asked to walk taking up lots of space, and afterwards
very little space. If appropnate, people can be asked to think of taking up too little and
too much space in a psychological sense as well. In both cases, they are asked to
note any differences in how they feel. For instance, does taking too much space feel
better or worse than taking up too little space.
Further, as they walk, they can be asked to remember feelings such as joy that are
generally expansive, followed by feelings of sadness, which generally feel
constrictive. Again the object here is to gain a sense of how they feel internally while
they experience these feelings.
Variation 8
Each person is instructed to imagine that there is a stnng attached to a part of their
body such as the head, shoulders, jaw, chest, stomach etc. They are asked to walk
with that part of their body leading them. For instance when they are asked to lead
with their jaw, it can be prominently thrust out. Each time, people are asked to greet
each other with “hello” or “namaste” as they pass by. The outlandishness of this
exercise again causes a great deal of comic release and sense of fun.
n— 56
As a next step, the facilitator tells the group that s/he will not be calling out instructions
about which part of the body to lead with. Instead the group is free to choose and
randomly use the various parts of the body called out earlier to lead with.
Variation 9: Walk of life
In the walk of life people are asked to imagine they are in vanous life situations such
as in a crowded bus station pushing their way through the crowd. Or they.are asked to
walk like some person they know. Alternatively, they are asked to imagine that they
are, for example, searching for a watch they have lost while walking home.
[b] Freeze
The group is instructed to move around the room as they like. At any time the teacher
can say “Freeze* and the group has to go completely still. People can only move again
after the teacher says so. A freeze, unfreeze rhythm can be set up as above, with the
instructor timing the commands unpredictably so that movement and stillness are sudden
interruptions of one another.
Variation 1
Set up a rhythm as above. Those who move after the freeze command are out. Or
those who don't move after the unfreeze command are out. This is a musical chairs
version of freeze because soon there are more people out than not. However, it isn't
necessary to continue the exercise till there are only two people left. After some
people are out, the facilitator can continue with some other activity.
Variation 2
As the group moves around the room, the facilitator calls out a number instead of
freeze. In response, the participants have to form a group of that number of people.
The ones who are left out or cannot form a group are out.
Variation 3
The teacher instructs the group to move about in any particular way. The participants
can thus be asked to move like an animal (a lion), type of person (a policeman), or
thing (a car). "Freeze” is then called out.
Variation 4
The facilitator instructs the group to move like anything that starts with an alphabet
they cal! out, like “g1 could be goat, god, girl. The teacher then calls “Freeze".
[cl Group Interaction
Group interaction based exercises are often a good follow up to a walk-freeze beginning
to a session. However, they are also, in themselves, a good individual beginning to the
class.
Fast-Speed Handshake
This is a good way to end one phase of a walk-freeze sequence. Each person in the
group is instructed to greet other people while walking, say their name, and shake
hands. Soon they are asked to increase their pace of handshake. (This can also be
initiated by the leader simply increasing his/ her speed. The group generally follows
the facilitator's lead.) The faster the exercise is done the more fun it is because many
more people can be met. At some point, if appropnate, participants can be instructed
to say their name and use both their hands to simultaneously shake hands with two
people.
Variation 1
After a certain speed of handshakes has been attained, the leader calls “freeze"
when the group has ended up in a small cluster. This is often a good prelude to the
exercise “Categorical Grouping".
Variation 2
Instead of fast speed handshakes between group members, different levels of
pacing can be introduced, including slow-motion handshakes.
Categorical Grouping
People are instructed to form quick, temporary groups based on the categones
called out by the leader. For instance, the leader may shout to the group to find
others in the room whose first letter in their first name is the same as their own.
The participants mingle about shouting their first name-first letter till everyone has
formed the appropriate clusters. Then each person in each group says their name
aloud. If the group members are new to one another this is a good way for the
group to get more familiar with each other's names.
Examples of other categories are: same astrological sign, position in birth order
(i.e. first, second, third bom child in the family), moods being experienced
presently, what feeling the participants want to leave the session with and which
parts of the body are feeling most energy at the moment
Party with Secret Roles
The facilitator places several slips of paper on the floor. Each slip has a role written
on it such as ‘Observer1, 'Trouble-maker1, 'Peace-maker1, 'Distracter', 'Avoider1 etc.
Each person picks up one of these slips and is instructed to imagine that s/he is at
a party playing the role wntten on the piece of paper. Everyone in the group is also
told to have as much interaction with one another as possible. In addition, people
are told to try their best to keep their “role" focus, and not let it slip because of any
distractions. When the “party” ends, the group sits down and guesses which
participant was playing which role.
[d] Observation and Concentration
A variety of theater exercises encourage a strong sense of focused observation. These
are often preceded by a group interaction based exercise or two, because these allow
the group time to warm up to comfortably interacting with one another.
Three Changes
Participants pair up and the entire group is asked to stand in two rows. Each member
of the dyad faces their partner. One row of people is designated to observe the
appearance of their dyadic partner. Then the “observing" row turns their back to the
"observed" row of people, while the latter make three changes to what they are
wearing.
For example, taking off a watch that was being worn, removing a bangle, rolling a
sleeve up or down etc. The “observers” are then instructed to turn and one by one
each person identifies which three aspects their respective partners have changed.
Following the identification, the roles are reversed.
i
Variation 1
Instead of only modifying their appearance on their own, participants in one row
• are allowed to freely exchange rings, glasses, watches, bindis, necklaces, belts,
.etc. The observation proceeds as before. Observations can be of what has
changed for each partner, or of what has been exchanged between people in one
row. Then, the roles are reversed.
Variation 2
Both groups simultaneously change three things. Each row turns its’ back on the
other one as the changes are made. The rows and turn and both participants
simultaneously identify the three changes.
Variation 3
More than three changes can also be made depending on the capacity of the
group to focus.
Variation 4
Instead of only having one turn each to make changes and guess, several rounds
can happen. The level of changes can become more subtle, thus increasing the
level of challenge.
Guess Who's Guilty
The group is divided in half and the members stand or sit in two rows facing one
another. One sub-group is designated as the "police detectives". They are asked to
observe the other sub-group closely and try to identify who the guilty one is in the
lineup of “suspects”.
After the teacher designates the subgroup roles s/he asks all the participants to
close their eyes and taps one person at random in the “suspects" subgroup.
Although the rest of the row is innocent, everyone including the guilty person is
asked to behave in a normal way while imagining what it would be like to be in this
role and situation.
Next, each member in the detectives subgroup makes their guess, outlining why
they think a particular person in the other row is guilty. The suspects subgroup is
asked to stay silent and neutral while this process is going.
In other words, even though only one person has been tapped, everyone in the
suspects sub-group must maintain the suspense by continuing to behave normally
even if they have been identified as the "guilty person"
-■60
When ail the detectives have reported their guesses, the person who had been
tapped eariier is asked to step forward. If a lot of participants chose someone else,
they can be asked why they didn't suspect the real guilty person. Conversely,
those who guessed correctly are asked why they didn't suspect other people. After
this the roles are reversed with the detectives becoming the suspects, and vice
versa.
Variation 1
Instead of solely observing the other subgroup, the detectives are allowed to
question the people they suspect.
Variation 2
Each person in the suspects subgroup is asked to imagine or remember a
situation in which they were actually guilty of something. They remain aware of
this event while being observed by the detectives.
Guess Who's Missing
This is best done in a fairly large group in which people are unfamiliar with one
another. Everyone closes their eyes. The facilitator taps one person on their
shoulder, who leaves the room. The rest of the people open their eyes and
identify who they think is missing. This can be repeated a few times.
Kartik Says
The facilitator gives various instructions. The participants do them only if the
instruction is prefixed by “Kartik says". If they do something the teacher tells
them and it is not prefixed by “Kartik says" they are out For example, if the
teacher says “Kartik says jump" the participants should jump. However if s/he
only says “jump'' they should ignore the instruction.
Who Started the Motion
One person leaves the room while the others stand in a circle and choose a
leader. The “leader” starts a motion which s/he continues and changes which
the others copy as closely as possible. The person who left the room returns
and tries to guess who is initiating the motion.
n— 61
The leader can change movements as many time a s/he wishes but remains
careful about not getting caught while making the changes. If the person
guessing finds who out who the leader is, the latter leaves the room and a new
leader is chosen. Alternatively, anyone can volunteer to leave the room once
the “leader'’ has been “caught’. If the person who left the room is unable to
guess correctly after several tries the leader can identify himself/ herself. As
above, a volunteer can leave the room and the game continues.
The Opposite
In this verbal game, one person is 'it' and sits in the centre. S/he is asked
questions which have to be answered in the opposite. The only responses
allowed are “yes’’ or “no". For example, the participant in the centre (a boy) is
asked “Are you a bo/’. He has to respond “no" or he is out, and someone else
sits in the centre.
Banana
Another verbal game in which one person sits in the circle as 'it'. In response to
every question asked, s/he has to give the answer "banana". For example, if the
question is “What's on your head?" the answer has to be “banana", or the
person is out and someone else takes over.
[el Mirroring
Partner Mirror
In pairs one person is asked to begin making any kind of action or movement which is
exactly copied or “mirrored" by their partner. Emphasis is placed on the leader doing
the action slowly so that s/he and the person mirronng can really gain a close
coordination in their actions. Both people need to maintain close eye contact in order
to maintain synchronicity. After a little while, the roles are reversed.
Variation 1: Flow Mirroring
After taking turns mirroring, the pairs are instructed to keep switching
between
leading and following as they mirror one another. This requires concentration and
sensitivity to subtle shifts that each person might make. No verbal communication
is made between the partners. The signal to now lead, or follow, and lead again
n._. 62.
becomes a matter of intuition and following the cues of one's own, or the other
person's, body.
Variation 2: Face Mirroring
As before, one person leads and the other follows. But the mirronng is restricted to
making various facial expressions. After a short while, the roles are reversed. •
Variation 3: Voice Mirroring
In pairs, people take turns to make loud or soft sounds, speak words in a staccato
or smooth manner etc., which their partner copies.
Variation 4: Voice and Body Mirroring
Both the voice and body are used during the mirronng. One person leads and the
other follows till the roles are reversed. This exercise often leads to a lot of
emotional expression and enjoyment.
Instructions can be given to heighten
particular expressions or to magnify certain movements dunng the exercise.
Variation 5: Mirroring Feelings
In the course of a non-verbal mirroring sequence, the facilitator introduces certain
emotions. One person begins to express these feelings, while the other person
copies them as closely as possible. The roles are then reversed. The same
procedure can be followed in a verbal mirroring interplay. Feelings can be
suggested and the participants can take turns in using their body and voice to
express these feelings which are copied by their partner.
Group Circle Mirror
The entire group stands in a circle. Generally the exercise works best if the
facilitator volunteers to begin it. S/he simultaneously does a sound and movement,
which is closely copied by the rest of the group. The person leading the group can
repeat this two or three times, while varying the volume, expressiveness, and
range of his/ her actions. Everyone needs to mirror all those vanations as closely
as possible.
After the facilitator's turn, the person next to them initiates a sound and movement,
which is again copied by everyone else. The exercise proceeds in this way till all
the participants have had a turn to lead the group.
n— 6i
Variation 1: Pass the Mime
The group stands in a circle. One person mimes (copies) something. The
person next to him/ her has to respond by repeating this mimed action
as
exactly as possible. Then this second person mimes something new which is
copied by the person adjacent to him/ her. The exercise proceeds till everyone
in the circle has had a turn.
Variation 2: Pass the Sound and Movement
The group stands in a circle as before. One person (generally the group leader)
does a sound and a movement which is mirrored only by the person next to the
facilitator. Again this mirroring can be done two or three times while the rest of
the group watches.
Subsequently, the individual who was responding to the group leader's actions,
turns to the person standing adjacent to them and does something completely
different two or three times. Again, the adjacent person mirrors them no matter
how outlandish the action, before turning to their neighbour with a different
sound and movement. The activity continues in this way till all people in the
circle have had a chance.
Variation 3: Group Free Form Minor
One person in the group is selected as the leader. S/ he moves around the
room (instead of staying in the group circle) while doing vaned movements
accompanied by words or sounds. The rest of the group copies this person
exactly. After some time, someone else takes over and is copied by the group.
MID-SESSION
This section deals with the core or middle phase of a theater activity which takes place after
the warm-up period of the session. In this phase, the theater exercises help the group
explore deeper issues and themes. More developed theater enactments can also occur
here along with discussion and feedback.
[a] Trust
In pairs one person is asked to close their eyes as the other person leads them around
the room. After a while the pair reverses and the person with the eyes closed before
"—64
open their eyes and leads the former leader who closes his/ her eyes. If the exercise is
introduced to a group already familiar with one another, blindfolds can be used instead of
asking people to close their eyes. However if the group members are becoming familiar
with each other, blindfolds can be threatening or anxiety provoking. In this case it is
preferable to have people simply close their eyes.
Variation 1
Both people in each pair are instructed to close their eyes. (Or if people in the group
have some familiarity with one another each is blindfolded.) Both make sounds
through which they have to find one another.
The Bridge Lean
In pairs, both people stretch out their arms with palms upright. Each leans on the
. other through their outstretched palms which form the point of contact. The pairs
begin by standing two-three feet apart. Gradually, in steps each pair is instructed to
move backwards while still leaning on the other person till the maximum possible
extent.
It is important to remind the participants that the aim of the exercise is to fully support
the other person and ensure that they don't fall. Once the maximum comfortable
“stretch” has been reached the dyads are instructed to move back to their positions at
the start of the exercise. This process can be repeated three or four times.
The Trust Fall
One person stands behind their partner who has his/ her back turned. The latter is
instructed to relax, close his/her eyes and slowly fall backwards. The “faller” must
keep his/ her feet firmly planted on the ground as they sway backwards. The person
standing behind, arms outstretched, gently catches their partner as they fall The
“catcher” must assume a physical posture in which, feet solidly planted on the ground,
they stand with one foot behind the other and with bent knees. This can be repeated
g few times depending on response and comfort level of the group. Next the roles of
“faller” and “catcher” are reversed and the same procedure is repeated.
Variation 1
The same exercise as above but done with three people. One person (the
“catcher”) stands in front of the "faller” while the other person (the second
n—65
"catcher") places themselves behind the "faller”. The person in the middle then
falls backward and forwards respectively and is caught by the other two in turn.
Variation 2
One person stands inside a circle made by the group with eyes closed and relaxed
body. S/he then falls backwards and forwards in any direction. The group supports
the person and then gently pushes him/her towards the centre with just enough
force to direct the central person's fall towards another area of the circle. Then the
person in the centre is replaced by someone else in the circle.
Variation 3 (for Circle Fall)
In situations in which the group has a high level of intimacy, the central person
utters sounds, or self-affirmative words as they fall. These sounds or words are
repeated by the group. As above, after some time another person takes the central
position.
[b] Emotional Expression
Exercises that introduce participants to playfully and interactively express or dramatize
their feelings to one another are very useful in energizing a session. They are also an
excellent launch pad for role playing and scene work.
Back to Back Emotional Greetings
Partners stand a few feet apart facing away from one another. The group leader calls
out a feeling, or attitudes such as happiness or sadness. In response, each person
turns and greets their partner with the emotion called out. People can be encouraged
to have a brief conversation incorporating the emotion called out.
After a few seconds, the leader instructs the pairs to go back to their onginal
positions, facing away from one another. Then another emotion is called out and the
exercise proceeds as before with both partners having a brief conversation
expressing this new feeling. The activity works best when it is fast paced and the
greetings themselves run for a few seconds at a time, especially if the participants are
getting to know one another.
n — <56
Group Sentence Greetings
All the participants mingle in the room repeating a line which expresses a particular
feeling as they meet one another. The sentence can be suggested by the group
members themselves. This gives them the chance to speak feelings that may actually
be going on for them in the moment. The sentences don't have to be long and can be
restricted to words such as “I'm hopeful" or “I’m scared", or “I’m calm" and so on.
Three or four sentences can be elicited and three or four rounds of greetings can take
place. In each round only one phrase is repeated as the group intermingles.
Tug of War
This activity is an apt prelude for the next exercise. In pairs, everyone engages in a
tug of war for one or two rounds. The back and forth nature of the tug of war is very
similar to the verbal interchange of the next exercise.
Sentence Tags
A good prelude to this exercise is for people in dyads to conduct a physical tug of war
with their partner. Sentence tags consist of a pair of opposing lines such as “Yes I
can—No you can't’. In dyads, each person chooses one portion of the tag. So, one
partner would choose to say “Yes I can" and the other person would respond “No you
can’t”. The pairs are allowed to move about freely having a “walking" conversation , or
stand still while continuously repeating only their portion of the tag.
After some time, based on the energy of the group's response to the exercise, the
roles are reversed. That is, each participant now responds by speaking the tag their
partner was repeating before. From the example above, the first person would now
say “No you can't" repeatedly to which their counterpart responds “Yes I can". Another
sentence tag can be done in the same way after this
Examples of other sentence tags are: “Yes—No"; “You can't make me—I can"; “You’re
wrong—I'm right"; "Stop it—I won't"; “I have to go—Please stay"; "Please leave—I
won’t”; “You have to—I don't want to"; “You're ready—No I'm not"; and “You know it—
No I don't".
Variation 1: The Emotional Continuum
The pairs speak their respective tags at first a normal level of just getting the
communication across. Then each person speaks and responds at a medium level
— 67
cf expressiveness. Finally, the pairs repeat their portion of the tag at the most
extreme level of expression that they are capable off. The facilitator can guide the
group through these levels two or three times in succession.
Then, the group can practice going up and down the continuum on their own. So,
they may begin softly, then build up to a loud pitch, and then come down to a
medium level. Or they may begin at a high level of expression, come down to a
medium level, and go back up to a high level. In this way the participants get an
idea of the range and depth of emotional expression. It also informs them about
their own emotional tendencies and comfort level with different feelings.
[c] Improvisation
A core element of theater is the spontaneous dialogue or action that takes place without
prior planning. Improvisation exercises are excellent launch pads for group discussions,
brain storming, journal writing, or drawing.
They evoke questions about
life issues
raised by a particular situation which has just been improvised.
Dyad Story Telling
In pairs, the group is instructed to verbally create a fictional story that has a clear
beginning, middle, and end. The first person in the dyad begins a story about the first
topic or event that comes to mind (e.g. "one day I was walking down the street when I
saw”....). The other person simply listens. After a short time, the first person stops
speaking (particularly if they can't think of anything else to say) and the partner
continues the same story. Again, when the second person feels they have run out of
ideas, they can hand back their continuation of the same story to the first person, who
again develops it further. The activity continues this way till each dyad ends their
story. Depending on time and the energy of the group, the facilitator can let the
exercise run for about 5-6 minutes.
Variation 1
After each pair completes their story in the previous exercise, they join with another
dyad. Each dyad now retells their own respective stories as the other dyad listens
(e.g. first person in first dyad begins with "one day I was walking down the road
wnen I saw...", followed by second person's continuation of this story, and so on).
When the first pair ends its story, the second dyad begins to tell their own story,
n— 6d
while the first dyad listens. The object of the exercise is to enjoy the vacations in
the story as now told to the other dyad, rather than replicate it exactly from the
previous exercise.
Variation 2
At the end of the dyad story telling activity, each dyad joins with another one, and
the four people create a new story. Each person takes turns furthenng this new
story, (after the first volunteer begins it). After some rounds of the story being
continued by all four people the activity can be ended by any of the four people.
Improvising with Properties
A few common objects are collected such as a bottle, rope, bag, shoes etc., and
placed in the centre of the group circle. Each member of the group has to go to the
centre and use any one of the objects, as anything but what they are. For example a
bottle can't be used as a bottle but can be used as a stick, or comb, or rope.
Moving the Object
The participants are divided into sub-groups. Each sub-group decides to move an
object together such as a bus, piece of luggage etc. Sounds and dialogue are
permitted as the participants improvise moving things to the end of the room, up a
flight of "stairs", onto a train, or any imaginative variation they choose.
Being moved by the Object
As above, the sub-groups improvise a situation in which they agree on an object that
is going to move them such as a tree, train, etc. Each person in the improvisation
attempts to really experience how it feels to be moved by an object. The facilitator
needs to encourage the group to let their imagination help them feel the object as it
moves them.
Filling the object
In sub-groups of three or more, the participants decide on an activity in which
tontainers are filled, emptied, and then re-filled again. For example filling a large
bucket, putting fruit in a big box, or packing clothes in a trunk. The focus here is on
experiencing the variations in weight between full and empty objects.
The Continuous Activity
Cne person volunteers to begin an activity (such as painting a wall, cooking etc.), in
the centre of a circle. Next, another group member enters (having already chosen a
specific role) and begins to interact with the first person. The former has to accept
whatever role the second person comes in with and play along.
For instance, if the person begins by painting a wall, the second person can enter and
say "lets go for a brake-its' lunch time. The first person accepts the other participant
as a co-worker and they begin to go to the dhaba. Other group members keep
entering (for instance as dhaba staff, or other customers) till everyone is in the scene.
The facilitator needs to allow for a certain amount of chaos here In exchange this
activity can release a lot of energy and excitement.
Variation 1
The first person defines a character and begins to enact his/ her role (e.g. a
classical singer). A second person enters with a defined role (e.g. an audience
member at the concert) and begins to interact with the first one. Both allow a scene
to develop till the first person leaves. The second participant bnefly carries on
playing the role of an audience member alone (s/he can also immediately change
the role to something completely different e.g. commuter on a bus). Now, a third
person enters (say as a bus conductor) and begins to interact with the second
person, etc. The entire exercise continues in this way till the last person completes
it by playing a role alone for a few moments.
Variation 2: Follow the Leader
As in the activity above, the first person defines his/ her role spontaneously and
enacts this alone for a short time. Next s/he points to a person in the group who
joins the former in their pre-defined activity. The object here is for the second
individual's role to fit into the first person’s role play. Thus when a second person
enters the scene, their role is defined by the first person.
■ For instance, the first person can play a doctor, then point to someone and say "it's
your tum for the injection". The person pointed to now comes in and plays a
patient. After the first person leaves, the second person can change their role (e g.
become a teacher). As s/he plays this new role, a third person is pointed to with the
sentence " Did you finish your homework?" The person pointed to joins the scene
70
by playing a student. The exercise continues in this way till everyone has had a
turn.
The Interview
The participants sit in a circle around one person who is in the centre. The central
person is designated as the interviewee, while the surrounding group members are
his/ her interviewers. The "interviewers" ask this person questions that s/he answers.
This is a good way for people to get to know one another in a group. The exercise can
also be incorporated into a subsequent role play such as a job search situation.
Variation 1
The person sitting in the centre of the circle pretends to be someone else. The
group asks him/ her questions to which s/he responds in accordance with the
nature of the role. For instance, the person in the centre plays the role of a
politician and responds to all questions like a politician would.
Occupational Mime
As a group all the participants have to simultaneously show or mime actions which
suggest occupations. Again, this exercise is a good precursor to role playing and
character building.
Waiting for the bus
The group is formed into pairs. With no pnor preparation each pair uses the
designated space to enact waiting for a bus. The scene can be verbal or non-verbal,
interactive or non-interactive depending on the choices made by the twosome on the
spot. The facilitator can help end the scene by announcing the arrival of the bus.
Then the next pair enacts the same situation.
Variation 1: Approaching the bus stop
This exercise is best done in small groups of 8-10 slightly older participants. Also,
« since the exercise requires individual acting with no pnor planning, it is best
introduced after the group has warmed up to various interactive theater processes.
Each group member spontaneously acts out a situation in which s/he approaches
the bus stop as a person of a certain age. The choice of age is left to the person
— 71
themselves. The facilitator needs to emphasize spontaneity by simply setting up
the location of the scene and asking for the first volunteer.
After a short enactment the facilitator announces the arrival of the bus. The
volunteer continues to play his/her age as s/he gets into the "bus" and "rides" off.
Then the next person approaches the bus stop as a person of a certain age, and
so on.
Variation 2: Waiting at the bus stop
This activity is more advanced and would work best if done after the previous two
exercises. Or it can be introduced after several weeks of group meetings in which
the participants have indicated their ability to handle more and more subtle or
complex material. Each person quietly "waits" for a bus at an imaginary bus stop
while sitting on a bench. Again the emphasis is on playing a certain age. However,
this time the participant cannot move from the bench till the bus arrives. This
exercise develops subtlety of both facial and bodily expression.
(d) Role Characterizations & Scene Work
Role playing is a central aspect of a theater session. Examples of role charactenzations
and scene work can involve a variety of life situations such as present, histoneal or future
events in the group member's lives, dealing with immediately relevant social or political
issues, enacting feelings and emotions, place based scenes etc. For role play and scene
work to happen several aspects need to be defined, namely:
•
Who are you? (what are the roles for each person);
•
What are you doing? (what is the nature of the action in the scene);
•
Why are you doing what you are doing? (provides the motivation for the
scene.
•
Where are you? (the geographic location of the scene), and
•
How is the situation resolved? (a response to this question defines the
way the scene ends).
7Z,
Using these five guidelines, many of the exercises described above can be used to
generate roles and situations which can then be enacted. Some roles and situations are
described below.
For instance, after the trust exercises the group can be sub-divided Each sub-group can
then be asked to recreate a situation in their lives in which a sense of trust was
compromised or broken.
Further after a sentence tag exercise such as "Yes I can-No you can't" two dyads (four
people) can join together and define a situation and roles. The situation of an older and
younger sibling arguing for example, can begin with this sentence tag. The other two
people can play the role of parents, aunts, grandparents etc. depending on the
imagination and expressive needs of the group.
In addition, after practicing the emotional continuum exerase, the sub-groups can be
asked to enact a situation of their choice (or be given a specific suggestion). The theme
of this situation can be the low, medium, and high intensity of people's feelings in the
scene.
Another role play can result from the dyad story telling activity. In groups of four, each,
the story of either dyad (or the story created by all four people) can be enacted in a role
play.
Some other specific exercises are also listed below.
Restaurant Scenes
Participants are divided into sub-groups of 4-5 people each. Each set of people is
asked to plan a restaurant scene. If the theater process is in early the stages, and the
group seems unsure about roles, the facilitator can lay out roles for everyone such as
waiter, customer, manager, etc. Everyone is given 5-7 (or more) minutes to plan a
scene and show it to rest of the group. Each sub-group is required to show a conflict
in the scene as they role play it.
Restaurant or similar scenes are relatively simple to enact and serve to enhance the
groups confidence level about role play. Also because they take place in "public
places" they tend to de-emphasize intense emotions which creates a sense of safety
for the group's enactments. The technique is therefore best used in the early phases
of the group's development.
75
Variation 1
Instead of letting everyone plan the scene in their own way, the facilitator can
instruct the group that the conflict in the scene has to be between the customers.
This focuses the scenes and allows the potential for more complex role play
interactions.
The Letter/ Telephone
In sub-groups of four or five people, a letter or telephone is the centre piece of any
situation the sub-group wants to create. The scene can begin with the arrival of a
letter, or if the social context is appropriate the ringing of a telephone. The scene
progresses with one or another of these beginnings as a necessary requirement of
the role play.
Variation 1: Breaking the News
In a scene between two people, the nature of their role connection to each other is
established (e.g. brother and sister, husband and wife etc.) before the role play.
Next one person chooses or is instructed to give the other a fresh piece of
information in the role play.
In order to heighten the dramatic impact, the
participant hearing the news is not told what the news will be poor to the scene
beginning. This role play variation should only be used in groups where the level of
cohesiveness and trust is at an advanced level.
Audience Suggestions
As a role play progresses, the audience is free to call out their suggestions which then
have to be incorporated into the scene. For instance, in a situation with four people,
the audience can suggest a particular emotion such as anger. The four participants
immediately have to switch to enacting anger in their role play As other emotions
such as sadness, or joy are called out, each time the actors have to incorporate those
feelings into their activity. The audience can be specifically instructed to call out
feelings that they think underlie the interacton. This helps the emotional expression of
the scene.
Family Roles
The entire group is-divided into sub-groups of 4-5 people each Each person selects a
role to play and the sub-group decides the relatonships between all the four roles.
The sub-groups plan a scene for 5-10 minutes, which is then shown to the rest of the
n--7/
group. After each role play the facilitator can engage the group in a brief discussion
about the roles the four people played, the nature of the relationships and feelings
expressed, and how the role-players felt about their roles and what happened in the
scene portrayed.
Variation 1
As in the exercise above, the group is divided into sub-groups of 4-5 people each.
But this time, the facilitator gives everyone a choice of 4-5 roles. For example the
designated roles could be mediator, observer, distracter, blamer, and attention
getter. The four or five people in each sub-group can only choose from these
designated roles. Again, some time is given for the preparation of scenes which
are then shown sequentially to the rest of the group. After each scene the teacher
can then facilitate a discussion.
The Court Trial
The group is divided into sub-sets of 6-7 people each. The sub-groups are instructed
to plan a court scene with a judge, witnesses, lawyers etc. and a specific case to be
tried. The case itself can be relevant to the immediate experiences of the group
members, or be a fictional recreation of events. After some planning, each group
presents their scene to the others. This exercise can generate a lot of excitement,
provoke discussion, and raise questions about fundamental issues such as decision
making, responsibility, the nature of authority, right and wrong etc.
Variation 1
Rather than breaking the group up into sub-groups, the entire group is enlisted to
be in the court scene. In this case, the facilitator takes a more active role in helping
to decide the roles, and also in planning the scene.
The Ideal Fantasy Place
In this activity, first sub-groups of 4-5 people are formed. Each sub-group has to
jointly come up with a situation in which their ideal fantasy place is enacted. The ideal
can focus on people’s behavior, the way feelings are experienced and expressed
interpersonally, the way people interact with one another, the kind of social, political,
or-educational system, prevalent etc. This exercise offers a group burdened by the
pressures of the outside world a respite from their concerns. The activity can end with
— 75
a discussion of how they can incorporate some of the qualities of the fantasy places
enacted into their everyday life.
CLOSURE
This section represents the last portion of a theater session. It occurs after the middle
phase of the theater activity and lays emphasis on bnnging a sense of completion to the
participants experience. Closure allows the group integration. It acts to provide an end -
point that demarcates the end of the session from the reality of people's lives afterwards. At
the end of the closure activity the group disperses.
All the exercises described here take place in a circle, unless otherwise specified.
Verbal Closure
At the end of the group the facilitator asks each person to bnefly verbalize their feelings,
or thoughts on what happened in the session. The time is set aside for listening rather
than discussion which can take place in the next session. After everyone has spoken,
the group can either disperse, or do a version of hand squeezes descnbed below.
Variation 1
Prior to each person's feedback about the session, if appropnate, everyone can join
hands and then speak. This vacation is appropnate when the group members feel
some degree of closeness and comfort amongst one another.
Passing the Hand Squeeze
The group sits in a circle and joins hands. The facilitator instructs each person to receive
a hand squeeze on for example their right side, and then squeeze the hand of the
person to their left. The facilitator can then begin the process by squeezing the hand of
the person sitting to his/her right (could be the left side too). The hand squeeze can then
go around the group 3-4 times at the same speed.
Variation 1
• Instead of maintaining the same speed, the facilitator can vary how fast the hand
squeeze goes around the circle. For instance, the facilitator can instruct the second
....and third rounds to be progressively faster, the fourth round to be really fast and the
fifth and sixth rounds to be progressively slower, while the seventh round is again
7<5
normal in its pacing. The speed increase is appropriate when the session has
released some amount of energy and excitement for the group.
On the other hand if deep emotions or experiences have come up in the session, then
the hand squeeze can be especially slow, affectionate, and supportive for 2-3 rounds.
Variation 2: The Shoulder Squeeze
Instead of doing a hand squeeze, each person places their hands on the shoulders of
the persons on either side of them. As above when one of their shoulders is
squeezed, they pass on the shoulder squeeze to the shoulder of the person next to
them.
Variation 3: Huddle Hand Squeeze
This exercise is more appropriate for groups that have achieved a reasonably strong
degree of emotional closeness. After performing a round or two of the normal hand
squeeze as detailed above, the group forms a seated huddle. Each person then
reaches out and takes the hand of someone else who is not seated next to them. This
results in interesting configurations of joined hands. Now a hand squeeze sequence is
started for 2-3 rounds. After this, the group can return to a normal circle and then
disperse.
Variation 4: The Double Direction Squeeze
This exercise is only appropriate for groups that have a good sense of orientation and
ability to deal with more complex tasks. For other groups it may prove confusing and
therefore counter productive.
Instead of a hand squeeze passed only from left to nght, the facilitator initiates a
squeeze from right to left as well. It is important that the reverse direction is only
introduced after one direction has been clearly established. Both directions now
function which can release a lot of surprise and humor in the group. The facilitator can
•then end with one clear direction established again so that the group leaves with
some sense of coherence.
Variation 5: Adding Words
In this exercise, as the participants pass on a hand squeeze to their left or right, they
also say a word that embodies their feelings or experiences in the session. It can also
n—77
represent an intention to take with them into their lives, or express an appreciation of
the group.
The Foot Tap
This exercise is again more appropriate when there has been a lighter tone to the
group's prior activities in the session. The group sits in a circle with everyone's feet in
contact. Next, in progression everyone taps the foot of the person to the right or left of
them. This can go on for 3-4 rounds or more if the group has energy for it.
Transforming the Object
Each person is instructed to mime an object in their hands and then pass it onto the next
person who receives it as is. (The object can be a comb, a flower, a book, or an
imaginative creation of the person ) Then, the second person transforms the first
person's object into something else. After bnefly defining its size, shape etc. the second
person gives the “object" to the person next to them, etc. If people feel like it they can
also add sounds or words to their creations while they are giving or receiving the object.
Variation 1: Passing the Substance
In this activity, all people pass an imaginary substance around the group. The
substance remains the same from person to person. The substance is given one
quality such as hot, cold, sticky, heavy etc. and everyone in the circle experiences the
object with that particular quality. In the next round another object with another quality
is passed from person to person. This can go on for a few rounds depending on the
energy and response of the group.
Variation 2: Transforming the Real Object
A real object such as a cap, bottle, stick etc. is passed around the group and each
person has to use the object in a different way. For example, one person may use a
bottle to drink from, another to put a letter in and cast it to sea, a third to put a flower
in it etc. A given object can be passed around the circle twice, or a second object can
be introduced for round two.
Passing a Facial Expression
This exercise is more appropriately used when the energy of the session has been quite
high and extroverted: One person in a circle makes a facial expression which srhe then
— 78
passes on to the person next to them. The other person tnes to mimic the expression as
closely as possible. Then this person passes the same expression to the person next to
them. The basic focus here is for everyone to mimic the face of the person who first
initiated the expression. After the last person in the circle mimics this initial expression,
another round begins with someone else making a new face. This face is again copied in
turn by everyone else.
Variation 1
One person in the circle begins by making a face. The person next to them first copies
this face and then transforms what they received into another expression of their own.
This new expression is passed onto the person adjacent who copies it and then
creates an original expression, etc. The activity continues till everyone has had a turn.
Pass the Gift in Mime
In a circle each person creates a gift in mime form and "gives" this to the person
adjacent. The latter receives the offering and then creates a new one which is then
handed to the next person, and so on. The gifts can be either matenal objects, or human
qualities such as courage, or feelings such as calmness.
The Machine
This activity could be used either when the session has been quite upbeat, or when a
session seems to have had a low amount of participation and energy. A person in the
group begins to create, in sound/ word and movement, an aspect of a machine. A
second person joins the first one and adds another complementary sound and
movement. The process continues in this way till everyone in the group is part of the
machine. Once everyone is part of the machine, the facilitator can let the activity
continue for a few minutes,
The Emotional Machine
In this activity everyone in the group jointly creates a machine that expresses particular
emotions. The exercise can allow a safe venting of unprocessed emotions in the group.
This is particularly relevant for those groups or people that are uncomfortable talking
about their feelings at the end of a session but are willing to express them in some other
form.
n—??
Group Poem
Group poem is best used to end those sessions in which much introspection has
occurred, or in those situations where deeper feelings have been released. One person
writes a line of an original poem on a piece of paper. This section of the piece of paper is
then folded up and passed to the adjacent person The latter writes another anginal line,
folds the section they wrote on, and passes it to the next group member etc. At the end
of the circle the completed poem can be read out aloud by a group member or the
facilitator. After the reading, the group can also come up with a title for the poem.
APPEND IX_B_SAMELE_LESSQN
The following material describes a sample lesson plan. Each part of the example deals with
a particular life skill in the warm-up, mid-session, and closure phase of a theater session.
The lesson is only one in a sequence of possible sessions that can spend several months
focusing on a particular life skill and a particular issue.
WARM-UP EXAMPLE
The following example considers how a life skill such as self-awareness is integrated into a
warm-up. The warm-up detailed here could go on for about ten minutes. Please note that
the instructions given below are broadly applicable in a range of situations. The reader
needs to adapt the spoken language and other contents according to his or her particular
situation.
The group can begin with the self-awareness walking exercise. Initially, the instructor can
say “Before I begin today's session I want to remind the group that if anyone doesn't
understand my instructions, they should not hesitate to ask me. All questions are welcome
because I want you to get the best out of today's session. What is our motto today?"
Various people respond: "Enjoyment; Learning; fun; fnendship."
The instructor takes all these suggestions and says: "Okay our motto for today is enjoyable
learning while having fun and making friends. If that sounds nght lets hear the motto from
everyone." Everyone repeats the motto. Then the session goes on.
(This is an example of building trust through joining with the group. By offering the
participants encouragement to ask questions, the teacher has reduced the sense of
hierarchy and distance that separates teacher's and students. In addition, s/he has
encouraged the group's participation immediately by asking them for suggestions about the
session motto.)
'Today's session is about the ways in which we understand and know ourselves. For
instance, a simple way to learn about ourselves is to focus on how we walk. Begin by
walking around the space as if you were walking to the bus stop or market. Focus on
walking normally without exaggeration. Keep your focus on the way your arms move, the
length of your strides and the way your body transfers its weight forward "
At this point the facilitator pauses for a moment or two as the group gets into the rtiythm of
walking. Then s/he continues: "Now begin to focus on your breath. Keep your focus on
yourself rather than on what other people are doing. Do you walk confidently or diffidently?
Do you walk slowly or quickly? Is your weight evenly distributed when you walk or do you
tend to lean more to one side or the other when you walk? Do you walk lightly or heavily?
Do you tend to look ahead or more downwards as you walk?"
Other questions that generate self -awareness of one's walking style may also be asked as
appropriate. Now the facilitator introduces another dimension to develop self-awareness
"Now walk taking up too little space. What does this feel like? Do you feel constricted or
insecure while walking like this. Do you feel like walking more quickly or slowly when you
walk taking up very little space. Does this feel more like your normal walk or does this feel
abnormal? What feelings or moods do you associate with this kind of walk?"
After the group spends a little time walking like this they can be instructed to return to their
normal walk: "Now let go of this walk and return to your normal style of walking How does it
feel to walk normally again? Is it a relief or were you quite comfortable taking up very little
space while walking?" This sequence of normal to constricted walks can be repeated again,
if appropriate. Otherwise the facilitator can go into the next section of the warm-up.
The group now goes into walking in a way that takes up a lot of space: "Begin walking now
as if the entire space was yours. Use up the entire space-really expand your body and your
arms to take up all the space you can. The aim here is to have an expanded walk without
bumping into anyone else. Are you comfortable walking like this, or are you uncomfortable
n—81
now? Do you like this feeling of expansion or do you dislike this? What feelings and moods
do you associate with this walk?"
After a brief while, the group returns to a normal walking pattern: "Return to walking
normally again. Do you like returning to your normal walk or do you prefer the earlier walk?
How do you feel now as you walk?" Depending on the level of group energy the facilitator
can ask the group to repeat the sequence of normal to expansive walks another time.
Alternatively, s/he can move onto the mid-session phase of the theater activity.
MID-SESSION EXAMPLE
The example given below continues an exploration of self-awareness as a life skill. There
are several options that are applicable to a middle phase that continues from the previous
section. The group can divide into sub-groups or dyads and have a discussion about self-
awareness. (These two options are more applicable, in all cases, within a group that has
formed some interpersonal bonds and has developed some sense of trust.)
Each person in the group can also write or draw their impressions of what they experienced
in the previous exercise. (In this case they would wnte or draw their impressions of the selfawareness walking activity.) Another option is to focus on a particular aspect of self
awareness such as feelings that a person has or their sense of trust. These aspects can be
explored through the exercise emotional greetings and blind lead walk, respectively.
All these options serve as strong avenues of learning when combined with a subsequent
group discussion of self-awareness. A group discussion that directly follows the selfawareness walking activity, is itself, a final option for the next phase of the mid-session.
With some groups, a circle discussion immediately after the self-awareness walk can be
helpful in continuing the session smoothly. For instance, younger children will generally
have a greater sense of focus in a circle discussion. They can be distractible in smaller
groups or dyads. In most situations, older children can, however, maintain their focus in a
smaller group, or dyad.
Whether the group discussion occurs before or after the other options, the focus in each
case is identical. The brainstorming and collective feedback focuses on what each
participant learnt about themselves through the previous activity (e.g. self-awareness
walking).
n—82.
Say for example the facilitator decides to poll the group for the best way to continue the
session. The mid-session phase would then continue in the following manner:
"Take a moment and find your own space. Let go of the self-awareness walk and just stand
where you are." After a pause the facilitator continues: "Now we are going to begin'
understanding what self-awareness means through a discussion. Here are some options of
what we can do. We can either have a discussion in a circle, or we can form smaller groups
or form pairs. We can also do another exercise on self-awareness. Tell me what you would
like to do."
(Here, the teacher has opened the process to the group without overburdening them with
too many confusing choices. The four choices give the group a sense of enough structure.
Fewer instructions and clear choices thus allow for clarity and create confidence in the
group through the clarity of what the options are.
However, there are no strict rules about fewer choices. Depending on the group's ability to
deal with complexity, more choices can be provided too. On the other hand, in a group that
is confused or disoriented, choice-making itself may be anxiety-provoking. In such cases,
the facilitator needs to build up the confidence of the group by allowing them to feel
comfortable with the theater activities for some length of time. The facilitator can then
introduce simple choices that allow such groups a voice in how the session proceeds.)
Let's say that the group chooses to have a discussion in a circle format in this case. The
facilitator now proceeds by asking the following questions: "Lets all sit down. We are now
going to discuss what you understood about self-awareness from the previous exercise.
Lets share what feelings, moods, ideas, or associations we had in response to the previous
exercise. The idea here is for everyone to respect other people's ideas as being equally
important as one's own. So let's make an effort to listen to the person who is speaking and
not interrupt them before they are finished".
(Here again, the teacher has laid down a clear structure that can guide the group in its next
activity. There is both a sense of freedom and of limits in these instructions. Children are
free to speak, and at the same time they need to express themselves in ways that do not
hinder other people's ideas. Activity structure that encourages free expression along with
some limits can reduce confusion and increase security for children.
— 83
Children will also appreciate a sense of freedom that has some boundaries more than the
imposition of purely rigid limits. If the instructions sound like a litany of only what can't be
done, they will resist the teacher by testing precisely to what extent they can do what is
forbidden. Much of the teacher's efforts are then focused on a power struggle that is far less
productive than facilitating a collaborative exploration of life skills.)
Once the discussion begins, the teacher can let ideas and impressions that the group has
about self awareness emerge. Depending on the situation, s/he can make notes or write the
principal ideas on a blackboard. A key aspect of the discussion is to summarize the ideas
that have emerged so far, at some regular intervals. This gives the participants a sense that
the facilitator values their ideas. It also gives the group a thread of continuity to hold onto as
the discussion continues.
A second aspect of the discussion, can subsequently focus on exploring what ideas or
knowledge the group has about specific life situations in which self-awareness can be used:
"So far you have suggested many good ideas about your expenence of self-awareness.
What I have heard so far is ...." (The facilitator summarizes the feedback.). "Now lets focus
on how you can use self awareness in your life. Can you think of any situations in which self
awareness can be used in your lives?"
(Apart from the summary of ideas, a key aspect of this response from the teacher is the
affirmation of the group’s ideas. This encourages the group to continue participating
constructively.)
Suppose, for example, a series of real life situations emerge that describe the participants
experience of self-awareness in their lives. This is an excellent platform to move into the
next portion of the mid-session phase: role play and scene-work. Typically the initial ideas
for role play and scene-work are formed in discussions such as those described above.
These activities offer an excellent tool for the group to deepen their understanding of self-
awareness and practice its use in their everyday life.
....
Yhe facilitator continues: "All of you have described very interesting examples of how you
view self awareness in your life. Now let us set up some situations in which you can
understand how to use self-awareness in your lives. Lets form some sub-groups."
(How the groups are divided depends on the nature of the group and the immediate
situation. If the group is distracted, the teacher can himself or herself actively and randomly
divide the group into smaller sections. (Pointing to one section of the class - "The four of
you are one in group", and you four are in another group, etc.) This also applies to groups
in which the teacher wants certain antagonistic participants to be in different group rather
than be together.
On the other hand, the teacher can allow a focused group to choose their own sub-groups.
Eady in the session series, this allows members to bond through their natural affiliation for
one another. The choice can increase security and allow for smoother role play planning
because the participants are dealing with others whom they are familiar with.
Another option is to give the group some responsibility in the choice-making process by
repeatedly counting in a circle from 1-4/5/6 (depending on the total number in the group).
Here each person says a number depending on their order in the circle. After everyone has
a number, the ones in the circle get together, as do the two's in the circle, and so on.
When the sub-groups are formed the facilitator says: "Now each group needs to create a
drama scene. A drama scene is a make-believe situation in which we play make-believe
roles. Sometimes these make-believe roles and situations are very real though. Is everyone
following me so far?"
-
(Here the facilitator is introducing role play to the participants. So, pausing and checking if
the group is following the Instructions is a good choice. If there Is any confusion, it can be
clarified at this point before moving on.)
The teacher continues 'Try to form a clear beginning, middle, and end to the scene. You
need to decide what role each person is going to play and where the situation is going to
take place. Is it at home, in school, in a park or elsewhere? You also need to decide what
the situation is about. Finally, you need to decide why this situation has happened and how
you are going to end the scene. I will be coming and assisting each group to set up its
scene wherever needed. But if you have any difficulty before that just call out to me. You
have about ten minutes to decide your scene. If you need more time tell me".
*(Th$ facilitator has set out the requirements of the situation which involves collaboration
and decision making in the sub-groups. While allowing for autonomy, the teacher has also
clearly indicated his or her willingness to assist any one who needs help. This acts to
encourage the group to make independent decisions while still providing a sense of security
that the facilitator is available to clear up confusion or difficulty in the decision process.
°— 85
Clear time limits are generally also helpful because they establish boundaries for the
exercise and help to maintain focus. Depending on the group situation, flexibility in the limit
set for time can be appropriate. Groups that tend to loose focus, or where the participants
are unable to cooperate, may need to have less flexible time limits.)
Next, the teacher allows time for the roles to be created and assists or clanfies confusion
wherever necessary. Then one by one the role plays can be enacted. The facilitator needs
to initiate appreciation of each scene by calling for applause from the group. Applause
raises self-esteem and creates confidence about future participation.
In addition, depending on the group, feedback of each scene can follow each enactment.
On the other hand, feedback about each enactment can follow after all the scenes are
complete. The choice depends on how much attention the participants are capable of. If
they are less attentive, brief feedback may need to occur after every scene. If their attention
span and retention is at a good level, feedback can happen after all the scenes are
complete.
Once the role play process is complete, the teacher culminates the session with the final
phase of the activity.
CLOSURE EXAMPLE
It is time for the session to close. The type of closure exercise depends on the energy of the
group, the nature of the activity just before, and the overall session goals. In the closure
phase, the facilitator can first initiate a brief discussion of the main aspects that emerged in
the role plays. This discussion can help to summarize what or how much the participants
J? 4)
now understand about self-awareness.
The group can end with this discussion. Alternatively, the teacher can choose another
closure exercise from Appendix A. Lets say the teacher chooses to maintain a thread of
more introspective continuity at the end of the group. S/he decides, for this reason, to
initiate a slow hand squeeze after the bnef verbal discussion:
"Lets slowly do an exercise called passing the hand squeeze. I am going to squeeze the
hand of the person to my right. Then they are going to squeeze the hand of the person next
to them, and so on. As you receive the squeeze and pass it onto the next person, keep your
focus on how the squeeze feels to you. Do you feel surpnsed when you receive it? Do you
— 36
like the way your hand is squeezed? Do you like receiving the squeeze more than giving it
to the person next to you?"
Other questions may be asked as needed. Once two or three rounds of the hand squeeze
exercise have occurred, the session ends. For younger children, the facilitator can also end
by having the group applaud itself. This creates a feeling of self-appreciation and energy
that the participants can take into their lives immediately after the session.
&7
&EPENDJX C. UEE S KlLLS^E S aQhJ JILLES.
DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION
1.
Personal Safety Practice
2. Drug Use and Misuse
3. Consequences
4. Resisting Pressures to Use Drugs
5. Resistance Techniques
6. Building Self-Esteem
7. Assertiveness: A Response Style
8. Managing Stress Without Taking Drugs
9. Media Influences on Drug Use
10. Decision Making and Risk Taking
11. Alternatives to Drug Use
12. Role Modeling
13. Forming a Support System
14. Resisting Gang Pressure
15. Drug Abuse Resistance Education Summary
16. Taking a Stand
17. Culmination
ALCOHOL AND DRUG PREVENTION
This program can be conducted in a sequence of 9 weeks each for three terms.
First Term: Me as a Special Person (9 weeks)
1.
I am unique
2. From child to adult
3.
Getting along with others
4. Communicating and listening
5. Making friends
’6.
Sustaining arid surviving loss of friends
7.
Male/Female relationships
APPENDIX C LIFE SKILLS LESSON TITLES
DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION
1.
Personal Safety Practice
2. Drug Use and Misuse
3. Consequences
4. Resisting Pressures to Use Drugs
5. Resistance Techniques
6. Building Self-Esteem
7. Assertiveness: A Response Style
8. Managing Stress Without Taking Drugs
9. Media Influences on Drug Use
10. Decision Making and Risk Taking
11 .Alternatives to Drug Use
12. Role Modeling
13. Forming a Support System
14. Resisting Gang Pressure
15. Drug Abuse Resistance Education Summary
16. Taking a Stand
17. Culmination
ALCOHOL AND DRUG PREVENTION
This program can be conducted in a sequence of 9 weeks each for three terms.
First Term: Me as a Special Person (9 weeks)
1.
I am unique
2. From child to adult
3. Getting along with others
4. Communicating and listening
5. Making friends
'6.
Sustaining arid surviving loss of friends
7. Male/Female relationships
18
8. How to say "no"
9. Gaining self-confidence
10. Coping with stress
11. Coping with anger
12. Responding to criticism
13. Criticizing and praising
14.
15.
16.
17.
Critical thinking skills
Decision making skills
Stages of problem solving
Coping with conflict
18. Negotiating skills
19. I'm unique
20. Teenager: A child or an adult?
21. How to start friendships
22. Sustaining friendships
23. How to end harmful friendships
24. Relationships with members of the opposite sex
25. Relating with adults
26. What are drugs?
27. Good and bad uses of drugs
28. Drug misuse and abuse
29. Tobacco
30. Alcohol
31. Drugs and other Toxic substances
32. Behaviours of drug users
33. It's okay to be drug free
34. How to be a responsible person and say "no" to drugs.
W.H.O. LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION
ORIENTATION AND PLANNING WORKSHOP
NIMHANS, BANGALORE
23-27 NOVEMBER 1998.
PRELUDE:
Life skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour, that enable individuals to deal effectively with the
demands and challenges of every-day life. There is a core set of skills that are the heart of skills-based
initiatives for the promotion of the health and well being of children and adolescents. These are:
(i)Decision making (ii)Problem solving, (iii)Creative thinking, (iv) Critical thinking, (v) Effective communication,
(vi) Interpersonal relationship skills, (vii)Self awareness, (viii)Empathy, (ix)Coping with emotions, and
(x)Coping with stress.
These skills can be provided to young people as abilities that they can acquire through learning and practice.
Well designed, tested and delivered life skills programmes can achieve much in helping children and youth to
become more responsible, healthy and resilient both during childhood and grown up adults.
Indian professionals (40) from the fields of education, health, mental health, welfare, media, national and
international organisations and NGO's met from November 23-27, 1998 at NIMHANS, Bangalore. This group
reviewed the 20 experiences of work with life skills and concluded with the following recommendations:
1.
RECOMMENDATIONS
LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION:
Life skill education is an important and an urgent need for the children in schools and out of schools
situations for the full physical, social, emotional development of potentials and competence of the
children and youth. These skills are essential to effectively master the complex challenges faced by
children as part of their own development process, the demands of studies, expectations of families and
the impact of the societal changes. The group strongly support the WHO Life Skills Education
programme for adaptation to the Indian needs, against the background of the already existing national
policies and programmes for children and youth.
2.
ADVOCACY:
The group recommended advocacy efforts at all levels and with all stakeholders on a priority basis.
3.
INDIAN SITUATION:
Reviewing the Indian initiatives in Life Skills Education, the group recognised the important initiatives at
different centres. Majority of them are pilot efforts and require further wider application. These
experiences also highlight the need for cultural and local adaptations.
4.
LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION AS PART OF CURRICUUkR ACTIVITY:
Recognising the value of LSE, the group recommends that the Life Skills Education should be integrated
into the existing curriculum of schools and should not be seen as extracurricular activity. The curriculum
and methodology need to be reviewed to facilitate integration of LSE
5.
CORE GROUP:
The group recommends core-groups at the national, state and district levels. There is a need to organize
a series of sensitisation orientation workshops for government officials, NGOs, institutional heads,
principals, and members of Directorates of Education/Public Instruction, State Councils for Education,
Research Training, District Institute for Education and Training, Technical Teacher Training Institute,
State Resource Centre, Nehru Yuva Kendras etc.
6.
INTERSECTORAL COORDINATION:
Life skills education cuts across all aspects of life. There is a need for intersectoral sensitisation,
cooperation and coordination (especially the education, welfare, health, labour and development) to
harmonise the goals of the different sectors of developmental activities.
7.
MODELS OF LSE:
There is an urgent need for the development of sustainable and replicable model of Life Skills Education
for wider implementation in different parts of the country, it is recommended that all the available
materials related to Life Skills Education need to be collected, collated, organised, translated,
documented, critically reviewed and made available to all people working with life skills education.
8.
OUT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN:
Recognising the current situation in India where a large number of children are in a wide variety of out of
school settings, there is a need to innovately meet these childrens’ Life Skill Education needs. There is
scope for sharing LSE with paraprofessionals and volunteers to reach the out of school children.
9.
PARTNERSHIP:
Simultaneous to the school and out of school initiatives, such as dissemination of written material,
workshops need to be organised. In addition, Parent Teacher Association meetings and networking
should be strengthened. The following groups are recognised as important partners in LSE movement: 4
(i)parents and family members, (ii) caregivers, (iii) peer arimr. ors/educators.
10.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION:
For wider acceptance, there is need for continuous monitoring and evaluation of the life skills education
initiatives. These efforts could lead to the development of indicators of change. Research should be
ongoing process and part of the programme implementation.
11.
MEDIA:
Recognising the strong influence of media, the group recomm '-nds the use of media for dissemination of
Life Skills Education, media-professional interaction on a continuous basis and continuous monitoring of
life Skills Education issues appearing in the media.
12.
NETWORKING OF PROFESSIONALS:
Intersectoral and multidisciplinary professional networking is an important way of advancing the
movement of Life Skill Education.Specific efforts should be made through periodic workshops, (similar to
the current one), newsletters and other means to develop a professional group with interest, commitment
and capacity to promote Life Skills Education in the country, A directory of professionals/NGO's working
in LSE and allied activities needs to be brought out.
j
13.
FOLLOW-UP:
The group has identified activities to be taken up by all the participants for the next one year and
mechanisms for networking. It was decided to meet after twelve months to review the progress.
Por,
.ffe Skills end Positive Prayonlion Programme
(Russian Programme)
<
- produced in consultation with Life Skills International, USA.
Getting Started
Establishing Rules for our Group
3.
: Listening Skills
;
■■ Various Forms of Communication ■'
p 5. : How to Start and Stop Conversations. .
Aggressive Behaviour and Assertive Behaviour
"'6.
7.
Types of Group Pressure
How, to Say "No"
;.8.
'
: 9.'
Gaining Self-confidence
10.
Coping with Stress
‘
11.
Coping with Anger
Responding to Criticism
, 12.
■ :■ 13.
Criticising and Praising
mh-A-14.
Critical Thinking Skills
Decision Making Skills
■': 15.
Stages of Problem Solving
• il6.
Coping with Conflict
.j -117.
Negotiating Skills
I’m Unique
19.
Teenager: A Child or an Adult?
■20.,
21.'
How to Start Friendships
22. . Sustaining Friendships .
How to End Harmful Friendships i,
23.
Relationships-with Members of the Opposite Sex
. 24.'
Relating with Adults
' 25..
What
are Drugs?
‘ 26.
A! 227. ■ Good and Bad Uses of Drugs
■Drug Misuse and Abuse
-WTobacco
■
’ 30.
Alcohol i
Drugs and Other Toxic Substances
31.
Behaviours of Drug Users
••■■■■ 32.
It’s Okay to be Drug Free
33.
How to be a Responsible Person and Say "No" to Drugs.
34.
. 1.
. 'J
***
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A 2 day evaluation of the health awareness program conducted by the community health
cell at Sevasadan technical training institute was carried out on the mornings of 9lh and
10"1 October. 2002 by Dr. Mani Kalliath , consultant with CHC assisted by Dr. Anant
Bhan.
On the 9lh October, 2002,2 batches of students from Seva Sadan were approached to
give their feedback about the health programs that had taken place about a year ago for 3
months in 2001.
The first batch of students was from the carpentry division. This was a group of about 15
students. The first few minutes spent in familiarizing with the students The students
remembered about most of the topics that had been covered in the program. The students
especially liked and recollected the topics of cancer, malaria, cleanliness and personal
hygiene, sexuality and condom usage. The students were of the opinion that the
knowledge that smoking and oral usage of tobacco was harmful and could cause cancers
had helped them; some of them divulged that they had stopped smoking as a result also
and were trying to influence others to slop too. However, they did not remember about
the other types of cancer besides the tobacco related ones. While a student said that he
had dealt with his pimples by avoiding oily soap and using ‘CinthoT, when asked what
caused them, he said ‘heat in the body’. The students were also concerned about
cleanliness and personal hygiene and said they endeavored to keep themselves and their
surroundings clean. The knowledge about HIV/ AIDS in terms of mode of spread,
symptoms and window period was good. However, they did not know the difference
between HIV and AIDS. They had fairly good knowledge about family planning
methods- temporary and permanent. Also they said that they had realized the importance
of discipline, friendship and helping others and how to deal with their emotional
problems. This batch of students wanted the frequency of classes to be increaseeLfrojn
ojice a week to twice a week and also the duration of course to be longer than 3 months.
Also they felt the need for training on how to deal with their family backgrounds, which
were traumatic in some cases. They also said that they preferred more audio- visual aids
as that helped them to retain more information. They felt that they could not approach
any of their teachers for personal problems but said that they trusted Brother Prabhudas
and Bro. Paulus, for the same.
The 2nd session was with the welders and turners batch. This group was less forthcoming
and very few students actually spoke. The topics that liked included sexuality, malaria,
HIV, tobacco awareness. One of the students said that he believed that sex in young age
group could cause birth defects in the child. However the students had very limited
information about family planning methods and the concept of safe period. The students
had lesser information about HIV/ AIDS compared to the first group and still had some
doubts in the topic. A group of students said that they wanted more Kannada to be used ii
the teaching. They said that there was nobody among the staff or faculty whom they
could approach for problems.
The next groups that we met were the teachers on the 10lh of October 2002. They came
across as a disinterested lot. They spoke about the adjustment problems that the students
had when they joined the institution because of their diverse backgrounds. They felt that
since 75% of the students came from a rural background, it would be better more time
given for orientation and to overcome the language barrier as it would help the students
to retain more. Also, one of them said that his students had told him that they found the
health education classes boring! Most of the teachers seemed reluctant to take up
additional responsibilities in guiding the students about the health issues. Some of them
were however ready to volunteer to be trained in the program themselves to help the
students as well as themselves and their families. Later on, we met the principal of the
institution with whom we shared about our observations. He said that he was satisfied]
with the program but expressed his inability in making this a continuous process, as ilj
would require permission from the higher ups in the organization.
We also later met the group of trainers and interacted with them. They said that they
needed more support in terms of materials including audio-visual media as they felt that
lecturing alone was not enough to sustain the interest of young boys. We also asked them
about the topics that they liked teaching. They said that the students had given them good
feedback.
ObservationsWhile the first group was qufct forthcoming and shared their opinions about the program
quiet readily, the 2nd group seemed to be governed by the politics of language based
formations where there was a leader whose opinion was paramount and hence prevented
others from sharing their thoughts. Also there was a lot of negativity in the group.
Most of the students seemed to retain only a few topics well, which would ordinarily be
. of curiosity to them such as sexuality etc. also there were lacunae- e.g. while the students
knew about H1V/AJDS, they had no knowledge about STDs. Also there opinion of
' sexuality seemed to revolve around it being as a tool for reproduction rather than
something that two consenting adults could enjoy provided if it was practiced safely.
i Similarly while the students seemed to remember the other topics, they did not seem to
I retain the important content of the topics. The teachers seemed to not be much interested
in the health awareness program and were not very forthcoming about being a part of any
initiative to try to improve the program, there being only a few exceptions. Also, the
management seemed to put the onus of conducting the program entirely on CHC not
wanting to involve much in either conduction or long-term commitment.
Suggestions1) The sessions to be shorter - 90 minutes, maybe twice a week with more audio
visual aids and also constant reinforcement of past topics to ensure more
retention.
2) The interested teachers to be trained themselves so that they could help the
students with their doubts when the CHC team is not around.
3) To take up the program as a continuous initiative with Seva Sadan rather than a
yearly contract.
4) To ensure that there is mixing of various groups of students and the problems
related to language are addressed.
5) To try to ensure structured learning- the program could run longer than 3 months.
The retention of the content of the topics and not just the topics alone to be more
important.
wuJS.
7) To maybe expose the students to some community health initiatives^
8) To try to train some peer educators from among the younger teachers and staff to
address the doubts and problems of the students.
r°
9) To organize a health check-up for all the students on a regular basis.
10) To arrange for some type of counseling for the students to address their
individual needs.
f11) The trainers to be fixed according to their topics of interest.
e
6)
,
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ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Special concerns - What to do when these characters show up?
The Speechmaker
He
wants
his
own
platform.
Pleasantly but firmly interrupt
with "I am not sure what your
question is..." or "Do you have a
specific question?”
The Intimidator
His purpose is to deflate you as
a speaker and inflate his own
importance.
Graciously expect
and accept - remain in charge.
Don't fall into the trap of the
intimidator.
(that's
an
interesting point of.view.. . ").
The Nit Picker
He is over-interested
in the
minor details.
Acknowledge his
interest but don't lose your main
focus - you can't afford the
time.
Answer briefly and move
on.
The Side-Tracker
He will try to derail you - keep
on the track - maintain focus.
(That's an interesting position,
perhaps we could discuss it after
the session...").
The Heckler
His
purpose
is
distraction,
frustration and annoyance. Don't
lose your cool, stay in control remember his purpose.
Don't let
him win (Silence may be your best
response.).
factors other than the speaker's worlds.
Suppose we are
arguing with someone-especially about something that is
"near and dear" to us.
What are we usually doing while
the other person is making his point?
Probably not
listening for
understanding. We may
be planning a
rebuttal to
what the other
person is saying,
or
formulating a question.
Remedy:
Next time you get into an argument,
stop the discussion
and institute this rule: Each person may speak up with
his own thoughts only after he has first stated the ideas
and feelings of the previous speaker. Any distortion may
be corrected immediately by the original speaker.
BARRIER 4
People listen only for factual data and want to be spared
the "details" .
Remedy:
The so-called details often are composed of principles
and the main ideal.
The facts make sense only when they
support such
principles.
To
remember dates
and
statistics is unimportant if the main point is lost.
BARRIER 5
People try
to outline everything
they hear in
a
conference or at a convention.
But in their busy efforts
to outline what's said, they hear one-third of it.
Remedy:
Be a flexible note-taker.
Within a few minutes you can
tell how well the speaker has organized his main points
and supporting facts. Adapt your note-taking system to
this pattern.
BARRIER 6
People frequently pretend to give the speaker their
undivided attention at the start of his talk. They tune
retain an attentive facial
him in or out at will,
expression.
Remedy:
Good listening is not a relaxed and passive activity at
all, say the exports. Good listening is characterized by
SOME PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN TRAINING
1,
Use
language
participants.
2.
Give permission to question.
3.
Verify (check out) all assumptions.
4.
Use a Socratic, rather than a didactic approach.
5.
Choose materials and content that have a common meaning.
6.
Avoid:
-
is
that
clear
and
inappropriate editing
ambiguity (possibility
interpretation)
are (experiences,
common
of
to
all
more than
move on
7.
Start where people
from there.
8.
Involve the learner or participant in decision-making.
9.
Use
a
positive
learner/col league/chiId
empty).
as
attitude.
partly
etc.) and
one
(See
not
the
partly
of concern and
caring
full,
10.
Practice active listening.
11.
The trainer's
and closeness.
12.
The trainer should practice supervision of participants:
role should
be one
in order for everybody to succeed,
not in order to "catch" people, or for punishment.
IV.
Feeling words that
feelings:
can be
used to
reflect the speakers
Positive
Negative
good
happy
nice
beautiful
lovely
wonderful
liked
loved
warm
friendly
satisf ied
honest
straight-forward
kind
sensitive
rej ected
unwanted
unsatisfied
annoyed
bored
f rustrated
bitter
troubled
odd
upset
low
terr if ied
agitated
mad
shocked
anxious
terrible
horrible
misunderstood
devalued
It is important to be tentative in suggesting your
perception of a person's feelings.
"That must have made
you feel very..."
This allows the speaker the option of
agreeing or disagreeing, and in so doing, s/he becomes
more clear about how s/he actually does feel.
Some additional suggestions:
A.
Remember that as a listener,
you are obligated
neither to AGREE with what the speaker says, nor to
CORRECT it.
Your role is simply to help the speaker
clarify his feelings about it.
B.
Beware of too strong reactions to what the speaker
says. If you begin attacking the person or situation
about which he is complaining,
the speaker may end
up defending what he started out complaining about.
What he needed was to clarify his feelings by
ventilating them.
However,
he ends up
triply
frustrated: first at the original situation, second,
at you, the "listener", for not listening and third,
at himself for having permitted himself
to be
manipulated into the new, even more uncomfortable
position .
COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION IS PERCEPTION
The receiver communicates, the sender utters
Perception is not logic; it is shared experience
Culture and emotions are barriers
COMMUNICATION IS DEPENDENT UPON EXPECTATIONS
The unexpected is not perceived
Ask "What does the person expect to hear"?
Sometimes you have to risk the "shock of alienation"
to break through perceptual barriers
COMMUNICATION MAKES DEMANDS
It elicits a reaction
It demands that the recipient become somebody,
something, or believe something
It appeals to motivation
It is propaganda
Negative or threatening information is suppressed.
do
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ARE DIFFERENT
INFORMATION:
Is logic, it is formal, it has no meaning
Is impersonal
The more it can be freed of emotions,
values,
expectations and perceptions,
the more valid and
reliable
it
becomes...it
becomes
increasingly
informative
COMMUNICATION:
May not 'depend on information
perhaps the most perfect communication may be
purely shared experiences without any logic
whatsoever
Downward communication
what we want to say
cannot work
- it focuses
on
It assumes that the utterer communicates
One
cannot
communicate
downward
anything
connected with understanding or motivation
this requires upward communication.
More information nay only widen the gap.
LISTENING
An ability to listen is a very important aspect of learninig.
There are many misconceptions about listeninig.
In
this
section we shall try to understand what is listenining.
I.
Def inition :
A.
B.
II.
Hearing-attentively
Paying attention
1.
Will be governed by level of interest of the
participant to the content of communication.
2.
Is more than the physical act of hearing.
3.
Active or reflective listening is looking for
the values and feelings the speaker attaches to
what is being said.
4.
It is helping the speaker to better understand
his
or her own
feelings and to be more
comfortable with them.
Most "listening" is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Hearing only.
Waiting for the other to finish.
Thinking about:
1.
What is being said
2.
When the other will stop - so that "listener"
can speak.
3.
What to say when the speaker finishes.
Being bored
III. How can you tell if someone is listening to you?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Eye contact that the listener maintains with you
during communication.
Direct small verbal responses ("yes,
hmm, uh uh")
that the listener makes during communication.
Actions by the listener such as:
1.
Nodding head
2.
Facial expressions
3.
Gestures-smiling, hand motions, etc.
4.
Posture-intent, leaning forward, etc.
Exclamations whenever your message either shocks the
listener or pleases him.
Questions
that' you could ask
in between your
communication.
("Could you explain...?
Could you
clarify..? What is your opinion about...?
Is this
How
what you mean...? What do you think about...?
does that make you feel?
What does that mean to
you?")
.
If they repeat what you have said in their own words
("If I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying
that...")
IV.
Feeling words that
f eelings:
can be
used to
reflect the speakers
Positive
Negative
good .
happy
nice
beautiful
lovely
wonderful
liked
loved
warm
friendly
satisf ied
honest
straight-forward
kind
sensitive
rejected
unwanted
unsatisfied
annoyed
bored
f rustrated
bitter
troubled
odd
upset
low
terr if ied
agitated
mad
shocked
anxious
terrible
horrible
misunderstood
devalued
It is important to be tentative in suggesting your
perception of a. person's feelings.
"That must have made
you feel very..."
This allows the speaker the option of
agreeing or disagreeing, and in so doing, s/he becomes
more clear about how s/he actually does feel.
Some additional suggestions:
A.
Remember that as a listener, you are obligated
neither to AGREE with what the speaker says, nor to
CORRECT it.
Your role is simply to help the speaker
clarify his feelings about it.
B.
Beware of too strong reactions to what the speaker
says. If you begin attacking the person or situation
about which he is complaining,
the speaker may .end
up defending what he ’started out complaining about.
What he needed was to clarify his feelings by
ventilating them.
However,
he ends up
triply
frustrated: first at the original situation, second,
at you, the "listener", for not listening and third,
at himself for having permitted himself
to be
manipulated into the new, even more uncomfortable
position.
SOME PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN TRAINING
1.
Use
language
participants.
2.
Give permission to question.
3.
Verify (check out) all assumptions.
that
clear
is
common
and
to
all
Use a Socratic, rather than a didactic approach.
5.
Choose material s and content that have a common meaning.
6.
Avoid:
inappropriate editing
ambiguity (possibility
interpretation)
of
more than
7.
Start where people
from there.
8.
Involve the learner or participant in decision-making.
9.
Use
a
positive
learner/colleague/child
empty).
are (experiences,
as
attitude.
partly
etc.) and
one
move on
(See
not
the
partly
of concern and
caring
full,
10.
Practice active listening.
11.
The trainer's
and closeness.
12.
The trainer should practice supervision of participants: ’
role should
be one
in order for everybody to succeed,
not in order to "catch" people, or for punishment.
SOME OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN TRAINING
1.
Expectations - trainer's and participants'
2.
Fears - trainer's and participants'
3.
Pre-occupation - trainer's and participants'
4.
Poor attitude - trainer's and participants'
5.
Inappropriate choice of method
6.
Lack of relevance
7.
Ambiguity
8.
Details
9.
Inability to conceptualize - difficulty to make a general
mental picture based on specific stimuli-things heard,
seen, read, or experienced in some other way.
- too many
- too few
PYRAMIDING:
A group process whereby a large amount of information can be
reduced to its most important elements.
1.
Large group brainstorms a list, individually or as a
group.
2.
Group is divided into pairs or other smaller groups.
3.
Each small group reduces large list to a smaller list,
according to a standard.
4.
Each two small groups are combined, and in each new group
their two lists are reduced to one, again, according to
a standard.
5.
Combining is continued until one final reduced list
results; sometimes it is useful to end with two final lists
to compare.
Success
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal Earl Nightingale
Success and happiness go hand in hand success is
getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you
get
EXISTENCE ALONE IS NOT SUCCESS! IT IS
A LOT MORE!
Do more than exist
Do more than touch
De more than look
Do more than read
Do more than hear
- live
- feel
- observe
- absorb
- listen
Do more than listen
- understand
Success
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal Earl Nightingale
Success and happiness go hand in hand success is
getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you
get
EXISTENCE ALONE IS NOT SUCCESS! IT IS
A LOT MORE!
Do more than hear
- live
- feel
- observe
- absorb
- listen
Do more than listen
- understand
Do more than exist
Do more than touch
De more than look
Do more than read
QUALITIES THAT MAKE A PERSCN.SUCCESSFUL
+ Desire
4 Commitment
4 Responsibility
4 Hard work
4 Character
4 Positive believing
4 Given me more than you get
4 The power of persistence
4 Pride of performance
4 Be willing to be student - be mentor
COMMON SEXUAL FRC3LEMS
1. PROBLEMS DUE TO MYT.; AND MISCONCEPTION
Semen, Masturbation, penis
Hymen, menstruation, female orgasm
2. .NHIBITED SEXUAL DESIRE
To much exposure to sex, pornography,
boredom and homosexuality
3. ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Primary:
uncommon
Secondary: filling problems
Vascular defects
diabetes mellitus
Drugs
Depression
Situational dysfunction
4. EJACULATORY DYSFUNCTION
Early, late, never
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SEVASADAN TRAINING
14/09/01
1. Difference between Health & Disease.
2. Concepts of Positive Health.
3. Dimensions of Health.
21/09/01
1.
Social Dimension of Health - > Importance of Health for themselves
and the community.
2.
Mental Health.
3.
Spiritual Dimension
4.
Determinants of health
a) Heredity
b) Environment
c) Socio-economic condition, life style
d) Health Services.
5.
Emphasis on
Immunization
Nutrition
Physical Exercise
Healthy Habits
Water Supply
Sanitation
6.
Standard of living.
7.
Quality of living
*******
Self-Awareness
Self- awareness is a remarkably difficult concept to define.
The Websters third new international dictionary, 1981
provides a working definition.
Self-awareness is an awareness of one's own personality or
individuality.
Self awareness helps us to:• delineate our ego boundaries.
• self monitor.
• Notice when we are being stretched beyond our
limits.
• Notice physical and Psychological changes.
It helps you to realize that
1. I love myself because I'm special.
2. It's OK to have different feelings.
3. I take care of my body because it's the most valuable
thing I'll ever own.
4. I'll strive to take care of my body.
Self-A wareness Management
(a) Delineate our ego boundaries.
The ego boundary is our psychological line of concept(LOC).
The LOC is the place where “I” ends and “you” begin. The
LOC demarcates which problems belong to us as opposed to
the problems of others. The LOC mediates optimum
psychological distance in relation to others; neither so close
that we are over involved nor so far detached that we are
unable to appreciate the problems of others.
(b)self monitor.
As we begin to notice our actions and reactions, we are better able to
choose certain lines of action rather than feel acted upon. We initiate
action. We begin to take responsibility for what we do.
© Notice
When we are being stretched beyond our limits. Without self awareness we
fail to notice and are “blind” to our own actions..
(b) Notice
Physical and psychological changes; If we are not particularly self aware,
we lose touch by failing to “connect” with our physical (we don’t notice
what is happening to our bodies or our physical fitness)and psychological
statcs(we don’t notice our changing moods). We tend to be more aware of
some areas of our self-awareness as compared to other areas. Selfawareness is heightened by discovery and confirmation through self observation, observation by others and in interactive observational
situations'
He can increase the depth and range of our self-awareness through
practicing(with a view to action) the self-awareness strategies
mentioned below.
• TALK/write
• SUPPORT/groups
•
Counselling
•
Uncover, challenge and replace IRRATIONAL BELIEFS
• CLARIFY values develop other assertive qualities and skills.
Sara
Paddison,
The
Hidden
Power
of
the
Heart
As you sincerely go for deeper levels of love, the results you'll have in
well-being and increased quality of life will motivate you, leading you to a
wider dimensional awareness. The results are so rewarding you can easily
develop a passion for self-management.
Robin Williams, comedian once said- you are given one streak
of madness, do not lose it.
Anonymous
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall
never cease to be amused.
Sensations
M
O
1)
E
L
Intuitions
1 houghts
heelings
-
()
F
Emotions
Fantasies
1
-------Wants/needs/i mentions
T raits
N
N
E
R
____ Talents
S
E
____ Values
L
Attitudes
F
Motives
A
W
A
R
E
N
E
S
S
------- Memories
The model of inner self-awareness above makes the process 0/
raising our self-awareness more systematic.
s
am 1 thinking?
What.am 1 sensing?
What am 1 feeling?
What am 1?
SELF-ESTEEM
♦ Self- esteem is how we feel about ourselves
♦ Our opinion of ourselves critically influence everything, from our performance at
work. our relationships and our role as a parent to our accomplishments in life.
♦ Self- esteem is a major component in determining success or failure.
Advantages of Self-esteem:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Builds strong conviction
Creates willingness to accept responsibility
Builds optimistic attitudes
Leads to better relationships and fulfilling lives.
Makes a person more sensitive to other’s needs and develop a caring attitude.
Makes a person self-motivated and ambitious
Makes a person open to new opportunities and challenges.
Improves performance and increases risk-taking ability
Helps a person give and receive both criticism and compliments tactfully and easily.
Behavior patterns of a person with poor self-esteem
•
■
*
■
■
*
•
*
•
•
■
•
•
■
■
■
They are generally gossipmongers.
They have a critical nature. They criticize as if there is a contest going on and they
have to win a prize.
The have high egos - they are arrogant - and believe they know it all.
People with low self-esteem are generally difficult to work with and for. They tear
down others to get a feeling of superiority.
They are closed minded and self-centered.
They constantly make excuses - always blaming others.
They have a fatalistic attitude - no initiative and always wailing for things to happen.
They are jealous by nature.
They are unwilling to accept positive criticism. They become defensive.
They are bored and uncomfortable when alone.
.Poor self- esteem leads to break down in decency.
People with low self - esteem don’t know where to draw the line where decency
stops and vulgarity starts. It is not unusual for people to tell jokes at social gettogether but with every drink, the jokes get dirtier and dirtier.
They don’t have genuine friends because they are not genuine themselves.
They make promises they know they are not going to keep. A person with low selfesteem would promise the moon to make a sale. Unkept promises lead to loss ol
credibility. A person with high self-esteem would prefer loss of business than loss of
credibility because they realize that one cannot put a price on one’s credibility.
Their behavior is senseless and erratic. They swing from one end of the pendulum to
another. They may be all sugar and honey today but the same people may be out to
cut your throat tomorrow. They lack balance.
They alienate people and tend to be lonely.
They are touchy in nature This is called the fragile ego. Anytime something is said.
a person with a fragile ego takes it personally and gets hunt. It leads to dejection.
Some Characteristics ofpeoples with:
High Self - Esteem
• Talk about ideas
• Caring attitude
• Humility
• Respects of Conviction
• Confidence
• Concerned about character
• Assertive
• Accepts responsibility
• Self interest
• Optimistic
• Understanding
• 'Willing to leant
• Sensitive
• Solitude
• Discuss
• Believes in self-worth
• Guided
• Discipline
• Internally driven
• Respects others
Low Self - Esteem
• Talk about people
• Critical attitude
• Arrogance
• Rebels against authority
• Goes along to get along
• Confusion
• Concerned about reputation
• Aggressive
» Blames the whole world
® Selfish
• Fatalistic
» Greedy
o Know it all
• Touchy
• Lonely
o Argue
o
Believes in net worth only
• Misguided
• Distorted sense of freedom
• Externally driven
• Looks down on others
• Remember all times are not the same. Ups and downs are part of like
• Make the best of every situation
" Keep yourself constructively occupied.
■ 'Help others less fortunate than yourself.
• Learn to get over things. Don’t brood.
• Forgive yourself and others. Don’t hold guilt or bear grudges.
■
■
•
Give yourself positive. Auto - suggestions.
Have patience
Take inventory: Make a list of all your strengths and weaknesses.
Synopsis:
I Problem Management
One definitionProblems are thinking choices which can adversely affect happiness and/or performance
unless prevented, managed or solved.
Advantages.
Ex- Prevention of Stress.
Problem management style
Ex- Rational
Problem management analysis
Grid
I. Am I checking problem solving grid?
2. Am 1 owning responsibility for the authorship of life?
3. Am 1 in touch with underlying feelings?
4. Am I using self-talk constructively?
5. Are personal rules and directives helpful or harmful?
6. Are perceptions regarding others and self-accurate?
7. Are attributions of cause accurate?
8. Are predictions realistic?
9. Am I clearly articulating goals and do they reflect self-values?
10. Am I using visualizing to best effect?
CAS1E-.
A FIVE STEP PROBLEM SOLVING FRAMEWORK
C Confront problem.
A Assess and define problem.
S Set goals and plan.
I /mplement plan.
E Evaluate the consequences of implementation.
Assessing and defining a problem shifts description to a working definition that identifies
specific ‘handles’ enabling working towards change.
Working definitions identify thinking skill strengths, weaknesses and focus on action
skill deficits sustaining and perpetuating the problem. ■
Searching for ‘handles’ problems can be prevented or managed by considering thinking
skill areas xbased on the problem analysis grid.
Working definitions are translated into statements of working goals.
l ime spent thinking problems through and planning management is time well spent.
II Decision Making
Introduction:
Life is a series of decisions. Each decision defines existence and is an act of renunciation.
Every ‘yes’ involves a ’no’.
One definitionDecision-making is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.
Decision making styles:
People possess a profile of decision-making styles rather than a single strongly
predominant style. Style alters in joint decision-making.
TypesRalional
Feelings based hyper-vigilant
Avoidant
I mpulsive
Compliant
Ethical
Joint decision making styles:
TypesCompetitive
Compliant
Collaborative
Decision making stages:
Stage 1: confronting and making the decision
Step 1: confront the decision.
Step 2: generate options and gather information about them.
Step 3: assess the predicted consequences of options.
Step 4: commit yourself to a decision
Stage 2: implementing and evaluating the decision
Step 5: plan how to implement the decision.
Step 6: implement the decision.
Step 7: assess the actual consequences of implementation.
Improving quality of decision making:
*
3
Check list1. Am I engaging in the steps of rational decision-making?
2. Am 1 owning responsibility for the authorship of my life?
3. Am I in touch with my underlying feelings?
4. Am I using self-talk constructively?
5. Are my personal rules and directive helping rather than harming me/
6. Are my perceptions accurate regarding myself and others?
7. Are my attributions of cause accurate?
8. Are my predictions realistic?
9. Am I articulating my goals clearly and do they reflect my values?
10. Am I using visualizing to best effect?
Ill
Critical thinking
Introduction
Critical Thinking is objective, rational, reason based logical left-brain, non-emotlonal
thinking. Most of the major achievements of human civilization in the last century are
due to critical thinking. Major advances in medicine & engineering have been largely
due to critical thinking. The high quality lifestyle & material prosperity in the developed
countries can be attributed to critical thinking.
Definition
Critical thinking is the process of applying conscious control and intelligent thought to
human affairs, sure that every effect has a cause and impartial scientific investigation will
reveal those causes and sufficiently determined effort will remove them.
Critical thinking errors (ctes) best illustrate the concept of critical thinking; making it
easier to say what critical thinking is consequently.
Critical Thinking Errors (CTEs)-
1.
Emotional meanings
Factual -words- suggesting- emotional- attitude critical thinking error.
2.
All and some
General -form -of correct- formulation -with -incorrect- internal -premises critical
thinking error.
3.
Logical Fallacies
Emotions- conceal- general -structure- where -steps of -argument -left out/hidden -by
multitude of- words critical thinking error.
4.
Words & Facts
A problem of words is treated as a problem of fact Critical Thinking Error.
5. The dangers of Speculation
Failure to understand the relation of words to facts by speculative thinking taking the
place of observation and interpretation of facts- critical thinking error.
6. The Meanings of Words
Structure of our language not corresponding with the structure of the factual world we
use language to describe critical thinking error.
7.
Definition and some of its difficulties
Use of definition to indicate opinions and prejudged controversies critical thinking error.
8.
Tricks of suggestion
Oratorical device of speech using repeated affirmation; a confident insistent manner of
speech and prestige to induce belief independent of soundness and truth- critical thinking
error
9. Habits of thought.
Overcoming resistance to a doubtful proposition by a preliminary statement of a few
easily accepted propositions- critical thinking error.
11. Pre-digested thinking
The use of generally accepted formulae (over simplifications) of thought as premises in
argument- critical thinking error.
12. Pitfalls in analogy
Use of a concrete illustration in order to deduce new conclusions- critical thinking error.
13. Prejudice
Opinions are badly wrong and reasoning is used to support these wrong opinions and not
to criticize them-critical thinking error.
There are 38 critical thinking errors with methods to correct them.
10.
William Harvey compared the heart to a “pump” and extended the metaphor to discover
“blood circulation". Think of a concept you are developing? What can it be compared
to? A raging river? A bud about to open? Building a house? Raising a child? Waging
war? What similarities are found?
11.
Combining unusual ideas is the core of creative thinking. What different ideas can be
combined?
12.
Each of us is caring mental maps in our heads. What fears hold you back? What fears
can you slay?
13.
Think up three captions for the illustration below?
©
14.
Ask: what resources and solutions arc right in front of me?
Don't miss the obvious.
15.
What problems are you working on that will benefit from a pause?
16.
Remember your role models. Who were your role models growing up? What advice
would they give you today? How would they motivate you? What kind of role model
are you?
17.
Do you have a clear sense of mission? “Want to” will always outperform “have to”.
Hojv can you convert ‘have to” to “want to”
18.
What can be edited out of a current project to make it better? What can be simplified?
19.
Prevention is better than cure- what potential problems can be identified and removed?
20.
What rules can be broken in solving a current problem?
21.
Work method analysis- what new tools can be adopted? What new skills can be learnt?
Whats out of date? Whats a waste of time? How can what you do be made more fun?
22.
What two amazing things can you find today?
23.
What is your number priority? What three factors make it difficult to attain? Are the
factors used as excuses? How can you go over, under, or through these obstacles?
24.
What are the two best ideas you had yesterday? Which ones did you act on? When
asking yourself these questions tomorrow, what will you say?
25.
What will you be doing one year from today? What creative things will you have
accomplished/ what goals will you have reached?
V & VI Communication and Inter-personal Skills
These two life skills are dealt with as separate entities in the WHO life skills list but in
practice it is very difficult to tease out the ingredients which go to make up one or the
other. Here, for purposes of convenience both life skills will be handled as a single unit
titled Interpersonal Communication.
This is a complex multi-dimensional topic interfacing with many different areas.
1. Self Awareness- rooted in Freud’s psychoanalytical theory of personality
development; the four facets of the Johari window.
2. Transactional analysis
3. Piaget’s theory cognitive development.
4. Tolman’s mental representation/schema theory.
5. Kohler’s Apes.
6. Kohlberg’s notion of moral development
7. Synder’s self monitoring theory of perception.
8. Carl Roger’s humanistic theory
.
9. Maslow’s motivation theory and self-actualization.
10. Dynamics of emotion and anger.
11. Attitudes and prejudices.
12. Unpopular patient.
13. Sullivan’s interpersonal theory.
14. Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
15. Learning theory,
16. Watson/Pavlov classical conditioning
17. Skinner’s operant conditioning.
18. Bandura’s social learning
19, Stress and behavior
20. Anxiety
21. Obedience, conformity and compliance.
22. Learned helplessness
23. Group formation and dynamics; roles; leadership and leadership styles.
24. Interpersonal conflict and conflict resolution.
25. Communication-core skills
26. Dimension proxemics, territoriality, gaze, touch and silence.
27. Micro skills-listening, attending and responding. The focus is therapeutic
listening.
28. A therapeutic relationship- trust, disclosure, feedback and the Johari window.
29. Assertiveness, submissiveness and aggressiveness.
30. Heron’s six-cdtegory intervention analysis.
31. Egan’s and Brammers models of helping.
32. Learning- experiential, concrete and formation of abstract concepts and
generalization.
Interpersonal communicationMicro skills:
• Listening
The art of capturing the true essence of the sender’s message.
• Attending
The art of being physically and psychologically present and in tune with what is being
said.
Therapeutic Listening:
S.L.O.R.
Activity
Sit closely facing a colleague. The colleague speaks and is listened to for 5 minutes after
which roles are reversed. Note recalling listener's role. Thoughts and feelings, listening;
behavior exhibited during listening.
Proxemics & Listening:
Establish right proxemic for a comfortable chat with a colleague. Listener constantly
gazes at speaker speaking for 5 minutes. Compare notes and explore thoughts, feelings
and behavior. Discuss emerging issues.
Gaze & Listening
Activity
Sit back to back with colleague and hold a conversation in listener and speaker roles.
Process the exercise according to concept of experiential learning.
Activity
Sit side by side with colleague and repeat activity.
Attractiveness and listening.
Activity
Imagine listening to an attractive person. Note thoughts, feelings and behavior and to
what extent listening ability is affected.
Activity
Repeat exercise imagining unattractive person is being listened to.
• Responding
Art of giving appropriate feedback to message received. Questioning; focusing, reflecting
and echoing.
Brainstorm what to disclose. Note and ask each member to select what is felt as
comfortable to disclose. Choose any three items (philosophy, culture, music, food,
relationships etc) and take turn telling each other.
• Feedback
Being told by others what you’re doing right so that you can continue to do it, and what
you’re doing wrong so you can stop it. Focus is need to know what others think of
oneself. Gives important information about self. Feedback is a mirror reflecting thoughts,
feelings and actions.
•
Johari window (dynamics between trust, disclosure, feedback and self
awareness)
Feedback ActivityReflect on situation when given feedback and note: who? How? How did you feel after?
How did you respond?
•
Assertiveness
Activity
Reflect on self and make list of positive attributes.
Heron’s six category intervention analysis
Unskilled interventionReflect on clinical or personal experiences and see if you can recognize unskilled or
degenerate interventions and raise awareness of recognition. Discuss with colleagues
action to be taken if such interventions are encountered.
Perverted interventionReflect and go through above procedure.
Prescriptive intervcntionLixercise - from clinical or personal experience list verbal and non-verbal behaviors
classed as prescriptive.
Informative interventionActivity
Reflect on clinical practice and list rationale of informative interventions.
Confronting interventionsSelf-explanatory
Supportive intervention
Work from a transcript and identify and classify interventions used. Check appropriate
use and scope for improvement.
11
Helping
List communication skills used to help clients describe-their situations. Carry out
individually and discuss findings with colleagues.
Egan’s model
Activity
List opening statements used to initiate clients teliing story. Ensure statements not too
threatening, too direct or too uncomfortable.
Workout possible answers and explore responses given on what you want to know.
.As a way of reflecting on stories ask clients to make a list of communication skills to
describe their situations. Discuss findings with coDeagues/group.
Brammers Model of Helping
Activity
List different opening statements initiating client into telling story.
Interpersonal Communication
■Related skills (relating to other areas and lifeskills >
•
•
Self-Awareness - see under Self-Awareness Life Skill.
Cognitive development: Piaget’s Theory; Tolmans mental representation/theory
Activity
Write down what you think of the following - Doctors, Nurses and Patients. Discuss with
colleagues and establish similarities and differences in ideas.
•
TA
Activity
Reflect on yourself and consider situations when you thought that you’re superior/inferior
to others; the whole human race is bad; there is good in everyone; you could do a job
better than someone else.
Feel brave enough to discuss above with colleague/group.
Activity
Reflect on some of your thoughts and list under pessimistic/optimistic thoughts. Analysis
identifies some ofthe rationale as to why you think the way you do. You may well find
that one of the contributing factors is the way you have been brought up.
•
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Activity
Do your thoughts and morals influence the way you deliver healthcare?
Synder’s self-monitoring theojy of perception
Activity
Consider the following statements as your personal reactions to different situations. Mark
down T for true and F for false against each item:
My behavior is usually an expression of my true inner feelings, attitudes and beliefs. 1
can make impromptu speeches even on topics about which I have almost no information.
I guess I put on a show to entertain or impress people.
I am not always the person 1 appear to be.
I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight face.
I may deceive people by being friendly when I really dislike them.
• Carl Rogers and Self Theory
• Maslow
• Dynamics of emotion and anger
Activity
Make a list of:
a) Physical attributes b) Roles you have in society. Whatever you come up with will
be your self-image.
Activity
Reflect on the times you experienced mixed emotions. Explore the different emotions at
play and share with someone.
Activity
Have you always expressed your true feelings? Reflect and recall when true feelings were
not expressed and establish the reason.
Activity
Reflect on times when angry and note ABC sequence.
Activity
l ist ways you behave when angry.
Activity
Think of people you know who have anger as a personality trait.
Activity
Reflect on how you deal with other people’s anger. Discuss/share.
• Attitudes and Prejudices
Definition - mental state of readiness organized through experience and exerting direct
influence on response to all objects to which it is related.
L3
Components - cognitive, affective and behavior.
Cognitive component - Activity
Make a brief statement of belief, idea of your patients. What or who do you think patients
are?
The cognitive component of your attitude basically expresses your opinions, ideas and
impressions about your patients.
Affective component - write a brief statement about your emotion/feelings about
patients. What do you feel about patients/how do patients make you feel?
Behavioral component - following on from the above two activities what action can you
take? What would or could you do for patients?
Activity
Reflect, recall and note attitudes having utilitarian/ndaptive purpose.
Reflect and recall ego defense functions of attitudes displayed.
Reflect and list things you do fitting into value - expressive function of attitude.
Try and link attitudes to principles ofCC.
Explain those listed in terms of condition, unconditioned, stimulus and response.
Choose two objects of your attitudes. Ex - religion and caste.
Values
Definition - important life goal or societal condition desired by a person.
Activity
List some values and note their special significance for you. Discuss/share.
Beliefs
Definition - statements indicating subjective probability that an object has a particular
characteristic.
Activity
Make short statements of beliefs about mental health, medical profession.
Prejudice
Definition - aversive or hostile attitude towards a person who belongs to a group simply
because he belongs to that group.
Activity
What is the nature of prejudices? List prejudices to try and recognize and acknowledge
one's own prejudices.
Are you prejudiced or not? 'f ry this simple, very common exercise.
1. Choose any group as long they are of different ethnic origin.
2. Construct social distance scale with a statement with type of relationship found
acceptable.
Ex: I would find it acceptable for a person in that group to -
Non-verbal responding
Communication and helping
® Therapeutic relationship
W.A.G.E (Warmth, Acceptance, Genuineness & Empathy)
o
Genuiness-
WYS1WYG (What You See Is What You Get)
o Trust
Belief or feeling that no harm will come from others in a relationship.
Activity
List all persons trusted and note reasons for trusting. Check characteristics of people
trusted. Compare notes with colleague.
Activity
Repeat above activity with persons not trusted.
Activity (Trust exercise)
Backward fall and catch- stand few steps away with back to colleague. Close eyes and
fall back and let colleague catch you, thus ensuring you don’t hurt self.
Forward fall and catch- similar to above except fall is forward.
Backward and forward fall and catch.
Fall in a circle- stand in middle of a circle formed by colleagues with eyes closed and
allow your self to fell or be pushed gently in all directions.
Blind walk- with eyes closed walk and allow self to be guided by colleagues.
® Disclosure
Revealing information about self.
Activity
List 20 sentences starting with; I am....
Review list and decide what is appropriate to disclose. Explore rationale for inappropriate
statements. Engage in disclosing appropriate self statements to colleague/group.
Work through stages of experiential learning process and enrich self-knowledge. Select
colleague and start with ‘my name is...’ and continue till appropriate self-statements
exhausted.
JS
Communication:
A definitionFinding a common understanding between two or more people.
Interpersonal skills:
A definitionSkills enabling effective communication between two or more people.
For purposes of convenience, communication and interpersonal skills will be jointly
considered under the heading - Interpersonal Communication.
Interpersonal communication — Core skills
Communication models:
Johnson and Jolmson; Caswell's; Shannon & Weaver's.
Dimensions of communication:
Why? How?
Verbal and non-verbal.
Activity:
Make a list of all possible non-verbal communications.
•
Proxemics & Territoriality- Inter-related observations and theories of man’s use
of space as a specialized elaboration of culture.
ActivityStand as close as possible to a colleague. Make a mental note of the degree of discomfort
felt. Create some distance between the two of you and stop when you feel comfortable
with the in-between distance.
•
Gaze: visual or looking behavior
Activity- Make a list of the people you have a tendency to look or stare at?
• Posture & Gesture
Posture- Movements involving the whole body.
Gesture- Movements confined to one or more parts of the body.
•
Touch -
Para-language
Nonverbal aspects of communication.
Silence
}G
a) visit/ reside/work in my country'
b) live in my area
c) be my neighbour/close friend
d) marry family member
•
VII
Stockwell’s concept of the unpopular patient (heart sinks)
Empathy
Definition
Activity scenario
Empathy Scale
Empathy training/enhancement
- Increasing awareness of feelings
- Retuning to emotional signals of others
Acceptance of feelings of self and others
Developing vocabularies to communicate feelings and emotions
Separating one’s feelings from those of others
Sensitive restatement by reflecting feelings of others
Metaphors and similes
Imagery
Physical sympathy: holding someone’s hand, hugging etc
Empathic awareness
VIII Self Awareness
Definition
Knowing of oneself.
Tri-dimensional concept: cognitive, affective and behavioral
lilements•
I lioughts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Feelings
Values
Beliefs
Attitudes
Prejudices
Inner conflicts
Likes and dislikes
Opinions and ideas
Perceptions and inferences
Preferences for and aversion to
Past experiences and memories
Assumptions and interpretations
Our ability to differentiate and discriminate
■
<7
•
•
•
•
Our sensitivity or resistance to stimuli
Our fears
Morals
Doubts
Model of inner self awarenessElements• Thoughts
•
Feelings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Values
Beliefs
Attitudes
Prejudices
Inner conflicts
Likes and dislikes
Opinions and ideas
•
Perceptions and inferences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Preferences for and aversion to
Past experiences and memories
Assumptions and interpretations
Our ability to differentiate and discriminate
Our sensitivity or resistance to stimuli
Our fears
Morals
Doubts
Model of inner selfawarenessJohari Window
Activity
Reflect on your thoughts, feeling and actions and identify one example in each of the
following situationsI Your behavior has influenced your thoughts
2 Your thought has influenced your behavior
3 Your behavior has influenced your feeling
4 Your feeling has influenced your behavior
5 Your feeling has influenced your thought
6 Your thought has influenced your feeling
Discuss these with a friend, colleague, partner or in a group.
Self Awareness- Deeper
Selective
Superficial
Activity
• Try and identify some things you’re superficially aware of.
• Identify some things you feel the need to be self aware of and explore its context.
• Identify some of your deeper awareness.
• Reflect on what goes on within your self and list as many factors as possible.
Find a friend to share thoughts and ideas.
* Reflect on your behavior and identify on one situation where there was in congruency
between Thoughts and behavior
Feelings and behavior
Feelings and thoughts
Discuss in pairs or small groups.
IX
•
•
•
•
Identify three things you’re conscious of in the ’here and now’.
Reflect on any day last week and note some things recalled.
Note things you didn’t know about yourself but found out from someone else.
Reflect and recall defense mechanisms used and discuss
•
List behavior, feelings, thoughts and motivation known to yourself and others.
•
Identify for yourself behavior, thoughts, feelings and motivations known to you
but not to others.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress
A definition
A transaction between the self and the environment.
I don’t think this particular lifeskill has to be elaborated upon. Plenty of information is
available in the media.
A Sample Quiz
1 How often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
O=never l=almost never 2=sometimes 3=fairly often 4=very often
2 How often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your
life?
0=never l=almost never 2=sometimes 3=fairly often 4=very often
3 I low often have you felt nervous and "stressed"?
0=never I =almost never 2=sometimes 3=sometiines 4=very often
4 How often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?
4=never 2=sometimes 3=almost never l=fairly often 0=very often
5 1 low often have you felt that things were going your way?
4=never 3=almost never 2=sometimes 1 =fairly often 0=very often
6 How often have you been able to control irritations in your life?
4-never 3=alinost never 2=sometimes l=fairly often 0=very often
7 How often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to
do?
8 I low often have you felt that you were on top of things?
4 never 3 almost never 2=sometimes 1 =fairly often 0=very often
9 How often have you been angered because of things that were outside your control?
0=never l=almost never 2=sometimes 3=fairly often 4=very often
10 How often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not
overcome them?
0=never 1-almost never 2=sometimes 3=fairly often 4=very often
How You Measure Up
Stress levels vary among individuals - compare your total score to the averages below:
AGE
18-29....14.2
30-44....13.0
45-54.... 12.6
55-64....11.9
65 & over.. 12.0
Marital Status
Widowed......................12.6
Married or living with........ 12.4
Single or never we............. 14.1
Divorced................. 14.7
Separated............. 16.6
GENDER
Men....12.1
Women.. 13.7
OJ-Cj
X
EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT
Definition
The laws of emotion based on Tridja’s work on Dutch rational philosopher Baruch
Spinoza’s book on ethics which discuss emotions® The law - of situation
of concern
of apparent reality
of closure
of care of consequence
of lightest load and the greater gain
of habituation
of affective contrast
of comparative feeling
of conservation of emotional momentum
Emotional quotient:
Quiz
l.Situation: A friend has borrowed something small, but high in sentimental
value. You've asked for your friend to return the item, but your friend hasfailed to bring it back.
Your Response:
You admit to your friend how important the item is to you and why you would like it
back, and ask your friend to return the item to you.
You end the friendship. You don't need a friend who disrespects you and your
feelings.
You let it go. Friendship is more important than material items.
You give your friend the cold shoulder until he or she returns your item.
2. Situation: Your long-term partner has ended your relationship and you
are upset because you wanted the relationship to continue.
Your Response:
You stay home every night and cry about the breakup.
You decide to make the best of it and find healthy outlets for your feelings.
You get involved with someone you don't care about just to be with someone.
You immerse yourself in many projects — maybe you won't think about it.
3.Situation: Your significant other has a habit that annoys you more and
more each day.
Your Response:
You threaten to leave the relationship if things don't change.
Live with it! You have annoying habits too.
You tell the person what annoys you and why.
You try to make a joke about it so he or she might get the hint to stop.
4. Situation: Your boss has assigned you your first big project, and the
success or failure of the project could make or break your career.
Your Response:
You get nervous and pace. Nervous energy helps fuel the process.
You push it aside, you'll get to it later.
You spend the next week planning the project out in careful detail before telling
anybody.
You take a few minutes to relax, give yourself time to think, bounce ideas off a
colleague, and decide to pursue the idea that makes you feel most confident.
5. Situation: You are walking down the street, suddenly trip, and almost
land flat on your face.
Your Response:
You get mad and curse yourself under your breath.
You regain your poise, laugh at yourself, and continue on your way.
You look around and give anyone who is looking at you a dirty look.
You turn red with embarrassment, put your head down, start walking, and hope no
one noticed.
6. Situation: You are on a first date, and you notice that your date seems to
be very uncomfortable.
Your Response:
You decide that on your next date you will plan something he/she likes to do, even if
you don't enjoy that activity.
You start to obsess that there is something wrong with you.
You make an effort to get your date involved in a conversation and find out more
about him or her.
You assume your date isn't interested in you — then start flirting with someone
across the room.
7.Situation: You find out that the promotion you were hoping for was given to someone else.
Your Response:
You lock yourself in your office and cry.
You obsess over what the other person had that you didn't and compare yourself to
him or her unmercifully.
You continue to do your best; you know the next promotion is yours.
You forget about it. You didn’t want the job that much anyway.
8. Situation: Your significant other is spending a lot of extra time at the office and acting
distant.
Your Response:
You have been so busy you haven't noticed.
You devise a plan to get your partner's attention at all costs.
You automatically assume that your partner is having an affair with a
coworker.
You talk to your partner about what is going on at work and see if
there is anything you can do to help.
9. Situation: You are hanging out with a group of friends and one of your
friends starts to make negative comments about a friend who isn't there.
Your Response:
You add a few negative comments about the friend who isn't there.
You say nothing at the moment, and later you privately talk about your feelings to
your friend who made the comment.
You tell your friend that you don't feel comfortable talking about people who aren't
there, and change the subject.
You keep quiet and beat yourself up for not saying anything to stop it.
10. Situation: Your best friend has recently broken up with someone and is
taking it hard.
Your Response:
You take him or her out for a wild night on the town to get his or her mind off the
breakup.
You start to worry about your own relationship and if you might get dumped.
You bash your friend's mate and tell your friend that he or she is better off alone.
You ask your friend what you can do to help him or her get through this.
Emotional regulation
• Flexible Planning
• Creative thinking
• Mood redirected attention
• Motivating emotions
There are six positive ways of coping with and enhancing emotional management.
1 Identification
2 Acceptance
3 Control
4 Redirection
5 Switching
6 Transmutation
SEX PERVERSION/PROBLEMS
God/Nature had made the male and female the two sexes for mutual gratification
and reproduction of their own species.
But if one derives pleasure from self-stimulation of “auto eroticism” by seeking
stimulation form an individual of the same sex or form an individual of a different
species altogether (as an animal)
or from an individual very young in age or from many individuals and that also so
many times will be deviation form the more socially or individually desirable and
healthy means of seeking gratification. Such attempts can be taken as sex
perversions.
a. Self-stimulation (masturbation)
b. Homosexuality (Sex with person of the same sex- male with male or
female with female)
c. Bestiality (sex with animals)
d. Loose promiscuous or heterosexuality consisting in prostitution
e. Rape of young children
f.
Sex relation with the daughter or son, brother sister, exhibitionism,
fornication, morbid interest in pornography literature, lewdness etc.
ADOLESCENT THE CRITICAL PHASE
Adolescent is difficult time for young people. It is a time of major physical changes including the adolescent
growth spurt in which size and shape of the body changes markedly and the differences between boys and
girls are accentuated. These years also the time when mental and psychological development take place
putting great stress on young people and those around them and influencing and affecting their
relationships with their peers and adults. Puberty is also a time of behavioral changes when reproductive
capacity is established; the sex hormones secreted during this period not only affect the tissues of the body
but also related to changes in the sexual and emotional behavior.
Adolescent has been defined by the WHO as the period of life spanning the ages between 10 and 19
years, and youth as between 15 and 24 years.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
Puberty in Girls
Age :
May begin at 10 or even earlier
puberty in boys
Usually later than girls
Curves develop and breast began to Change or thickening in the voice
grow
Hair sprouts in the pubic area and Growth of hair in the chin, face followed
under the harms
by hair on the chest and increase hair on
the body including the pubic area
Menstruation begins
There is also some development of the
genitals
Ovaries in the healthy girls body Boys experience an occasional erection,
begin to ovulate at around 11 to 14 particularly in the early morning, they may
years or earlier once every 28 days. also experience wet dreams at night
The ovum produced by the ovaries when they might involuntarily ejaculate
is released and the uterus prepares
its self for fertilization. Fertilization
occurs when a female eggs unites
with a male sperm which leads to
pregnancy. If fertilization does not
take place menstruation occurs.
All these changes are normal and natural and there is no need to be ashamed of them or frightened.
It is ignorance that is to be feared.
Nutrition and Growth spurt
Adolescence begins with pubescence which is the time for a final growth spurt in girls and boys.
This physical growth is determined by many factors genetic and hereditary, nutritional and behavioral
factors like dieting.
The rapid growth, which occurs in the adolescence, places extra demand on the nutritional requirements.
During this period more than 20% of total growth in stature and up to 50 % of adult bone mass are
achieved resulting in 50 % increasing in calcium requirements. Girls also have additional requirement of
iron up to 15 % to compensate for menstrual blood loss.
During pregnancy the need for energy and protein increases as does the nee for increase vitamins and
minerals. Some cultures favors male offspring who have given greater share of available food resulting in
malnutrition among the girls
PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES
Period of great creativity, empathy, idealism and energy and of new experiences, ideas ands skills. The
support of family members during this phase is crucial in enabling them to meet the challenges.
-
integrated and internalized sense of identify. This means drawing apart from older members of the
family developing more intense relationship with peers
taking major decision,
-
Gradual move from involvement with groups of the same sex to mixed group and sexual paring may
take palace.
-
Girls may experience romantic interest before boys, this some times leads to sexual activity depending
on the cultural background.
-
Thinking moves from concrete to abstract and being to articulate independently
-
Orientation towards future begins
-
Moral independence grows, alternative courses of action and their consequences come to be
considered
Look at educational and employment options
■
Begin to explore new interest and influences, which can mould their thinking and their ideas and
actions.
Behavioral Changes
-
Look beyond their relationship with their parents and families and begin to form more intense
relationship with their peers and adults in their communities.
Exploring sexual relationship to alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse
-
Tempted to emulate their role model characters on television and movies often with disastrous
consequences.
-
Peer pressure leads to experiment many things, sex, drop out of school, eating disorders
In all of these situations girls are at greater risk, since in most societies behavioral patterns are more
restricted for them. They may also be victims of discrimination, violence, and sexual abuse or just be
married early.
Emotion Management
Prepared by S.J.Chander
Community Health Ceil, Bangalore
INTRODUCTION
A person without an emotion is like a body without a heart. Emotion is the very
essence of being. Emotion is a very difficult construct to define. We all know what
emotion means by experiencing it but how does one explain what one means by the
term. In the English language there are 400 words for emotion. Emotions integrate
subjective experience, bodily changes, planned action and social relating Emotions
are caused by conscious or unconscious cognitive evaluations (cognitive, knowing
and perceiving) In a typical emotional experience, people are aware of an emotion
and some aspects that gave rise to it.
People may be unaware of the emotion
signal and unaware of their emotional state. Also, people may have an emotion
without realizing its cause or intensity.
TYPES OF EMOTIONS
The four basic emotions although their causes are usually known, can be
experienced causally as happiness, sadness, anger and fear.
Emotion has three
characteristics:
1. Physiological- emotion has its roots in the ancient part of the brain, buried
deep inside, in the middle of its substance. Part of the ancient brain is the
limbic system from where emotions arise.
2. Expressive- related to facial expression, vocal cues, & body movements.
3. Experiential- crucial to daily functioning as it is responsible for motivating
action.
There are eight primary emotions, they are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Acceptance
Disgust
Anticipation/Expectation
Anger
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Surprise.
Combinations of primary emotions lead to secondary emotions. Example:
Anger + anticipation= Aggressiveness,
Acceptance + joy = Love
Mixed emotion is a difficult concept to follow. In reality the way people behave
suggest elements of mixed emotion.
CONSEQUENCES OF EMOTIONS
Recent studies have revealed that the state of our emotional well-being plays an
important role in our physical health. For instance, people who are depressed are at
a higher risk of a heart attack, and those who have experienced a traumatic event
are more likely to report poor physical health, often complaining of tiredness, loss of
energy, body ache and other vague physical symptoms.
Conversely, people with positive attitudes towards life generally feel good about
themselves, are more joyous and happy about their lives. A good laugh can lift the
spirit up and can even increase the body's resistance to infections. Feeling good
about ourselves also makes us comfortable in our relationship with others.
In a moment of anger, we often say things we regret later. Unfortunately, words once
spoken can never be withdrawn. In this way, many good relationships have be
scarred, some beyond repair. Thus it is important for us to learn to manage our
emotion, particularly our anger.
"Big problems arise from small problems; the wise takes care of all his small
problems,
Thus he has no problems." - Tao
MANAGING EMOTION
Being able to manage our emotion well is crucial to our own health as well as our
ability to foster healthy relationships with others, particularly our loved ones.
Emotional maturity means being clear about the personal identity one values, being
able to recognize when that identity has been threatened or is being threatened,
recognizing and even seeking opportunities to enhance that personal identity
Thus, an effective way to manage our emotion is to quickly identify our feelings and
acknowledging them when they arise. This also makes it easier for us to recognize
the cause or trigger that give rise to the feelings. Of course, this is easier said than
done.
To be able to recognize and identify our feelings the moment they arise, we need to
practice constant self-awareness. This can be achieved through meditative practice,
journaling or self-reflection. Another method is through feedbacks from those around
us.
CONCLUSION
Often, unacknowledged feelings such as the simmer within us, and they slowly and
silently grow into full-blown anger or outbursts when we are least able to control
them. It is easier to manage minor frustrations before they become big and
unmanageable.
EMPATHY
Prepared by S.J.Chander
Community Health Cell, Bangalore
INTRODUCTION
We are created to be interdependent not independent. In a world where we are
living, more and more people are becoming individualistic without realizing life would
be unlivable if every one becomes individualistic. Life also has been given to us not
as bed of roses; each day has its joys and sorrows, ups and downs. Some times
these feeling affect our lives deeply and some of us do not have the ability to mange.
As result it affects every area of life. There are people who end their lives. Most of
the times people who go through difficult times do not expect any support from
others. Just the feeling that some one is able to understand exactly how they feel
(this is what is known as sympathy) help them overcome the situation.
Most people who go through difficult time get the support form family members,
friends and community members. Generally those who support do not realize that
the person who goes through difficult situation does not need their sympathy but
empathy. We have the natural tendency to be sympathetic but many a times it does
not help the people in difficult situation. Empathy is the ability to imagine how others
actually think and feel and communicate.
DEFINITION:
In the everyday sense of the word empathy means the ability of one person to
understand exactly how another person is feeling and experiencing his inner
subjective world at that moment in time and to transmit this emotion to the other
person such that the other person feels understood.
APPLICATION OF EMPATHY SKILS
Empathy is a skill that one can acquire by being aware and consciously making an
effort to learn may be by reflecting upon each time when one gets opportunity to help
some one in a difficult situation and find out, how well he/she has applied the steps
in empathy.
Firstly one needs to be a good listener to understand the experience of the person
who narrates his or her experience and application of critical thinking skills would be
useful in identifying what exactly the feeling of the person. Thirdly empathy needs to
be communicated both verbally and non-verbally according to the situation. Finally
application of creating thinking skills with communication skills would be helpful in
sending the message across to the person that he or she is being understood,
Empathy involves a process of being with and in another person; that is attempting
to step into another persons shoes; see the world through the other persons eyes;
laying aside our perceptions, values, meanings and perspectives as far as possible.
Empathy is frequently confused
with sympathy,
identification
and
intuition.
We need to differentiate empathy from SYMPATHY, IDENTIFICATION and
INTUITION.
Sympathy is defined as the ability to share another person's emotions or
sensations; pity or tenderness towards a sufferer, liking for each other. Without
sympathy, we can't ever really be aware of others, or of our relationship with others;
yet without empathy we'll never be able to understand why others are the way they
are, or why they do what they do, in the way that they do it.
Identification - is defined as being familiar with the situation of others, leading you
to respond from your own experience rather than frame of reference of the other.
Intuition is the power of knowledge (you just instinctively know) without learning or
reasoning.
CONCLUSION
Empathy is often harder than sympathy, because we have to make a deliberate
effort to let go of our own prejudices and assumptions: it can be very hard but it is
worth as it builds up a person.
CREATIVE THINKING SKILLS
Compiled By S.J.Chander.
Community Health cell
All the great ideas in history, all the great inventions, obviously have one thing in
common. All have come from the human brain. Just as the brain has fantastic ability
to store information, it has an equal ability to reassemble that information in new
ways: to create new ideas. An idea is a new combination of old elements. There are
no new elements: there are only new combinations.
Creative thinking skills use very different approaches. They involve a much more
relaxed, open, playful approach. This can require some risk-taking. Creative thinking
skills involve such approaches as:
❖ Looking for many possible answers rather than one
❖ Allowing yourself to make wild and crazy suggestions as well as
those that seem sensible
❖ Not judging ideas early in the process - treat all ideas as if they may
contain the seeds of something potentially useful
❖ Allowing yourself to doodle, day-dream or play with a theory or
suggestion
❖ Being aware that these approaches necessarily involve making lots
of suggestions that are unworkable and may sound silly making
mistakes
❖ Learning from what has not worked as well as what did
Creative thinking skills are as much about attitude and self-confidence as about
talent. Creativity is often less ordered, structured and predictable. As you are not
looking for 'one' answer, you are likely to come up with lots of suggestions that are
not 'right'. This can be difficult if you are more used to analytical and logical
approaches. It can also be experienced as 'risky' as the prospect of making a
mistake or not coming up with an answer is more likely.
•
an' ■ lotions
Strong emotional self-management is often needed in order to allow creative thinking
states to emerge. It is important to be able to cope with risk, confusion, disorder and
feeling that you are not progressing quickly.
thin? : ' techniques
There is no limit to ways there are of thinking creatively. Some techniques you can
begin with are:
<• Brainstorm ideas on one topic onto a large piece of paper: don't edit
these. Just write them down.
❖ Allowing yourself to play with an idea whilst you go for a walk
❖ Draw or paint a theory on paper.
❖ Ask the same question at least twenty times and give a different
answer each time.
❖ Combine some of the features of two different objects or ideas to
see if you can create several more.
❖ Change your routine. Do things a different way. Walk a different
route to college.
❖ Let your mind be influenced by new stimuli such as music you do
not usually listen to.
<• Be open to ideas when they are still new: look for ways of making
things work and pushing the idea to its limits.
❖ Ask questions such as 'what if....?' Or 'supposing....?'.
There is no limit to ways there are of thinking creatively. Some techniques you can
begin with are:
Critical Thinking
LIFE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMME
Conducted by Community Health Cell, Bangalore
Compiled by S.J. Chander
What is thinking?
Thinking is a process that happens in the following stages:
Sensation- Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Skin provide our bodies with sensations which
they pick up from the outside world. These sensations are transmitted by nerves to the
biological structures, which will translate them.
Biological-the sensations provided by the senses (eyes, ears, hands, fingers & skin,
nose, tongue) are inputted by nerves to the Brain, which then translates, decodes, and
encodes messages and sends them out through the nervous system
Psychological-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into
perceptions and reactions
Cognitive-Translations through the biological and psychological dimensions of the
thinking process of the perceptions and reactions into concepts, ideas, assumptions,
suppositions, inferences, hypotheses, questions, beliefs, premises, logical arguments,
etc...
Communications-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into verbal.
non-verbal, and written language to communicate the thoughts and ideas which were
generated.
What is Critical Thinking?
When examining the vast literature on critical thinking, various definitions of critical
thinking emerge. Here are some samples:
•
"Most formal definitions characterize critical thinking as the intentional application
of rational, higher order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, problem
recognition and problem solving, inference, and evaluation
•
"Critical thinking is thinking that assesses itself” (
•
"Critical thinking is the ability to think about one's thinking in such a way as 1. To
recognize its strengths and weaknesses and, as a result, 2. To recast the
thinking in improved form").
Critical thinking... means making reasoned judgments" (critical thinking as using
criteria to judge the quality of something, from cooking to a conclusion of a research
paper. In essence, critical thinking is a disciplined manner of thought that a person uses
to assess the validity of something (statements, news stories, arguments, research,
etc.).
CRITICAL THINKING
Critical thinking isn't just pointing out flaws and giving something a "thumbs up" or
"thumbs down". Critical thinking involves
1. Asking questions,
2. Seeking out answers,
3. Comparing options,
4. Making decisions.
It is also about keeping things in perspective and learning from experience and
practice
RATIONAL DECISION MAKING
TWO MAIN STAGES
STAGE1: CONFRONTING AND MAKING DECISION
Step 1: Confront the decision
Step 2: Generate options and gather information about them
Step 3 Assess the predicted consequences of options
Step 4: Commit yourself to a decision
STAGE2: IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATING THE DECISION.
Step 5: plan how to implement the decision
Step 6: implement the decision.
Step 7: assess the actual consequences of implementation
IMPROVING DECISION MAKING QUALITY
When making a decision you may help yourself by asking the following questions:
1. Am I engaging in the steps of rational decision-making?
2. Am I owning responsibility for the authorship of my life?
3. Am I in touch with my underlying feelings?
4. Am I using self-talk constructively?
5. Are my personal rules and directives helping rather than harming me?
6. Are my perceptions accurate regarding others and myself?
7. Are my attributions of cause accurate?
8. Are my predictions realistic?
9. Am I articulating my goals clearly and do they reflect my values?
10. Am I using visualizing to best effect?
VARIOUS LIFE SKILLS
I lie skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal
effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. The following arc the H> generic
skills. I hey arc live pairs of related skills.
('ritical Thinking:
It is the ability to analyze information and experience in an objective manner
( 'reative Thinking:
It is an ability that helps us look beyond our direct experience and address issues in a perspective
which is different from the obvious or the norm. It adds novelty and llexibihly Io the situation ol
our daily hie. Il contribute to problem solving and decision making by enabling us lo explore
.iv a liable alternatives ami v ai ions consequences of our actions or non-act ion.
Decision Making:
The process of assessing of an issue by considering all possible /available options and the effects
that different decisions might have on them.
Problem Solving:
Having made decisions about each of the options, choosing the one which suits best, following it
through even in the face of impediments ami going through the process again till a positive
outcome of the problem is achieved
Interpersonal Relationship:
It is a skill that helps us to understand our relations with relevant others ami relate in a positive
reciprocal manner with them It helps us to maintain relationships with friends ami family
members and also to be able lo end relationships constructively.
Effective Communication:
Il is an ability lo c.xpiess ourselves both verbally and non-verbally in an appropriate mannci/ I his
means being able lo express desires, opinions, fears and seek assistance and advice in limes ol
need.
Coping with Emotions:
Il is an ability, which involves recognizing emotions in others and ourselves, being aware of how
emotions inllucnce behaviors and being able to respond to emotions appropriately
Coping with Stress:
Il is an ability lo recognize the source of stress in oui lives, its effect on us and acting on ways
llial help lo control our levels of stress. ’I llis may’ involve taking action lo reduce some stress, loi
■ ■sample. ■ liaiipes in physical environment, lake action lo solve the problem and learning lo relax
Self Awareness:
I his includes our recognition of ourselves, our character, strengths and weakness. It is a pre
requisite for eflective communication, interpersonal relationship and developing empathy
Empathy:
Il is an ability lo imagine w hat life is like for another person even in a situation that we may not
be familiar with II helps us lo understand and accept others their behavioi llial mas be scry
different from ourselves
HEALTH AND LIFE SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMME
FOR THE I.T.I BOYS OF SEVASADAN
* PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
Duration : 14lh November 2003 to !9lh March, 2004 (only Fridays)
rime : 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Total Hours : 34 Hours
DATE
SL.
NO
14.1 1.2003
1
2
3
4
5
6
o
o
o
21.11.2003
o
2S.I 1.2003
o
o
°
05.12.2003
o
12.12.2003 . f
19.12.2003
®
»
7
02.01.2004
8
09.01 2004
9
10
06.02.2004
13 02 2004
11 '/
20.02.2004
i 12
27 02 2004
p
05.03.2004
12.03.2004
p3
TOPICS
«
•
•
•
®
•
°
°
®
•
»
•
•
•
°
•
•
•
Introduction
Health Promotion in adolescents using life skills
Approach
Orientation to 10 basic skills
Nutrition
Eating habits
Do
Healthy and unhealthy food
Myth and facts about food
Health and Hygiene
Decision making and problem solving skills
Boy-Girl relationship
Peer pressure - saying‘No’to tobacco and
alcohol-techniques
Gender role
Communication skills
Interpersonal relationship skills
Self awareness
Selfesteem
Communicable and non-communicable diseases
Facing failure
Coping with failure
Dealing with anger
How to improve memory power
Sensation seeking behaviors / high risk behavioi
Tobacco use
Alcohol use, effects and prevention
Myth and misconception about alcohol use
Critical and creative thinking skills
Changes in adolescent
Understanding body and mind-body inaping
Menstruation, wet drcams and masturbation
,
I
. •
i
i
15
10.03.20114
16
26.03.2004
17
02.04.2004
•
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Intercourse
Conception
Contraception
Myth and misconceptions about sex
Empathy -.HIV/AIDS
Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexual harassment and abuse A
Evaluation
_______
Methodology :
Lecturing
Group activity / group discussions
Games
1
Role play
Story telling
Questions and answers
Each sessions will contain activities.
of the above topics.
All the life skills will be promoted in the context
Linguistic - groups and Resource persons :
SI.
No
Language
Resource person
Participants
1
Kannada
No. of Boys - 2 1
2
Tamil
Mr. Prahalad / Mr.Chander/
Dr. Rajan.R. Patil
S.D.Rajendran / S..I.Chancier /
Mr.Xavier
Bro.Mathew / Mr.Navccn /
Dr. Mary Thomas
Mr. Rajan. R. Patil /
S.D.Rajendran
Malayalam
4
Hindi &
___ English
No. of Boys - 1 7
No. of Boys - 30
No. of Boys - 13
j
- Media
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