Asleep with my eyes open...

In helping students with the third EQ of our Learning to Learn Unit, "How do I get the best out of my brain," our EAL teacher Mrs Bell read a story called Moody Cow Meditates by  Kerry Lee McLean.  In the story the main character learns to manage his anger.

Margaret then had students practise an exercise that they could use to help them do the same.

She used a jar of sparkles suspended in a solution of half water and half hand sanitiser (as we can't easily buy glycerine). She created a jar with the children so they could see it and make their own if they liked. She had gold and silver glitter as well as colours which children suggested for anger (red) and sadness (blue).

She had them sit comfortably on the floor, sounded a little gong and shook the jar. Children had to concentrate and be very aware of their breathing and watch the sparkles in the jar settle to the bottom. She played the gong again and had them sit without talking until they could no longer hear it. 

After this exercise which lasted only a few minutes, she asked how they felt.

Here are some more responses:

• Why does this thing make me calm?  And I felt that I was in no-where
• When I heard the gong, it made me slow down my thoughts and I could control myself better
• It helps me feel calm and also my body feels really relaxed and calm, it also gets all my bad thoughts.
• It makes me feel calm and tired. It just makes me forget all my thoughts and think all about glitter.  It could help me in the beginning of the day. It helps me clear my mind.
• I didn’t notice or remember anything, I thought I fell asleep with my eyes open.
• I think this is good because it helps controlling you and you have a clear mind and it makes you calm
• It was helpful because my mind just calmed down about thinking 100 different things.
• It gave me relaxation and it is a little bit helpful for me at home because of my brother.
• It helps me because all my stress was gone and I didn’t feel a thing.

Photos are my own.