Imagine & Reflect (Series 1 & 2 Bundle)
A Teaching Resource to Support Personal Development & SMSC Learning in the Classroom
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Imagine and Reflect is a teaching tool designed to assist mindful reflection, personal growth and deeper learning. It contains eight stand-alone units that can be used to support attainment in PSHCE, RE, Philosophy & Ethics as well as generally nurturing SMSC and character development. Using the guided imagery audio whereby pupils engage emotionally with the content, and following up with the carefully crafted open questions for reflection, teachers are finding it to be a highly effective teaching tool, often reporting being 'amazed' by results 'beyond expectations'.
"Amazing results!
Beyond what I expected."
WHO is this resource for?
Teachers with concerns over pupils'...
- inability to sit still or focus
- lack of self-esteem
- lack of motivation
- avoidance of work
- low attention-span
- poor memory
- disruptive behaviour
- attention-seeking behaviour
- lack of aspiration
- low expectations
WHAT can I expect?
"Expect to be astounded!" These are the words of a teacher giving feedback after trailing Imagine & Reflect with her Year 5 class.
Apart from those inevitable little miracles with individual pupils that I cannot predict, here are some of the general transformations you can expect to see:
expanded awareness - pupils begin to see things from a different point of view.
developing empathy - as pupils learn to imagine themselves in someone else's shoes.
emotional wellbeing - pupils enjoy using visualisation because they report feeling more calm and less anxious 'as though all my worries had gone away.'
increased creativity - pupils learn to believe in and trust their ingenuity and gain confidence in expressing their ideas in a range of different ways.
deeper learning - pupils think laterally and make connections with prior learning.
a greater sense of awe and wonder - pupils open up to experiencing something wholly other.
greater enthusiasm and enjoyment - pupils love using visualisation - 'Can we do another of those things, Miss?
HOW does it work?
Mind responds to the words and pictures we give it, and increasingly research from behavioural psychology and neuroscience is shaping how we ‘do’ education in school.
When we are deeply relaxed our brainwaves change from beta to alpha, meaning we are able to access intuitive processes and assimilate information more efficiently and creatively.
Once learners are in a relaxed state they are more easily guided in deeper learning activity.
"In making a judgement about personal development under the proposed new framework, inspectors will seek to evaluate the intent and quality of what a provider offers, but will not attempt to measure the impact of the provider's work on individual learners."
OFSTED draft framework 2019
WHY should my school buy this resource?
While Ofsted recognises that many factors affecting pupils' personal development are outside the control of the school, it is nevertheless incumbent upon schools to make quality provision for SMSC and they will be judged upon this.
We are seeing a shift in how we 'do' education. Character development and teaching the 'soft' skills becomes equally, if not more important than gaining knowledge. This shift can be seen in words and phrases used by Ofsted to describe what inspectors will be looking for when they visit schools: ie that children gain "the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life" and that "teachers create an environment that allows the learner to focus on learning."
Creating a calm classroom and incorporating times of quiet reflection within lessons allows the space necessary for deeper level processing. It also just makes for a happier classroom environment more conducive to learning, motivation and wellbeing.
WHAT do we get?
When you purchase this resource you get eight standalone units each containing:
- Guided Visualisation Scripts
- Visualisation Audio Recordings MP4
- Slideshow Presentations
- Editable Lesson Plans (Word)
- Possible Learning Outcomes
- Suggested Follow-up Activities
- Discussion Questions to prompt reflection
Most importantly, you get SIXTY MINUTES OF ONE-TO-ONE TUTORING with Jill, which can be scheduled as two 30 minute webinar sessions with the SMSC Co-ordinator or any other designated staff member. Please arrange upon purchase of the resource by emailing Jill directly at [email protected]
Your Instructor
Jill Brennan has been using stilling and guided visualisation in the primary classroom for over fifteen years. She is convinced of its effectiveness, not only to support character education but also to create a positive ethos and calm classroom environment conducive to deeper learning. Furthermore she believes that as a teaching tool it will play a key role in emerging pedagogy as the curriculum shifts to accommodate a balance between knowledge and skills. This is where this approach, supporting personal, emotional and spiritual development comes into its own. In 2009 she co-wrote “See RE - Stories from Christianity” with Mary Stone (author of Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There) - a resource for teachers published by RMEP. Jill has delivered CPD to RE and PSHCE Co-ordinators, and continues to produce material to support Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education.