The "Aulas Felices" program is a positive psychological approach to education. It was developed by Ricardo Arguís, Ana P. Bolsas, Silvia Hernández, and Mª del Mar Salvador. All four authors form the SATI Team, a work team dependent on the "Juan de Lanuza" Center for Teachers & Resources, in Zaragoza. Sati means "full attention". I have had a look at their work, and I found several motivational activities which I think useful for teaching English, and that I would like to implement in my classes. Next I will note down three examples.
1. WHY DO PEOPLE EMIGRATE?
Goal - Analysing the reason/s why people emigrate from their original country to a foreign one is an interesting starting point for understanding the current worldwide inequality and injustice. Migration is a close issue for our students since there are a lot of foreign pupils in our classrooms. Therefore, we can start from our daily life.
Development - First, we'll ask our students to reflect on the possible reason/s why people decide to emigrate, and we'll brainstorm all together. We can also ask our foreign students to contribute by explaining their own experience to the rest of the class. Next, we'll deal with the vast inequality and the big injustices existing in the world. For that purpose, we'll refer to the document "Inequality & Injustice at the Present Moment".
Reflection - Finally, we'll focus on our own involvement in the aforesaid social problem: what is our commitment to the fight against world inequality & injustices? how can we make other people aware of the difficulties migrant people ought to face? how can we integrate our foreign peers into the class?
Expansion - In groups of 4 people, create a poster explaining all the information about migrations learnt during the session. All posters will be shown at the school's hall as a campaign for tolerance and integration.
Timing - A one-hour session.
Goal - Analysing the reason/s why people emigrate from their original country to a foreign one is an interesting starting point for understanding the current worldwide inequality and injustice. Migration is a close issue for our students since there are a lot of foreign pupils in our classrooms. Therefore, we can start from our daily life.
Development - First, we'll ask our students to reflect on the possible reason/s why people decide to emigrate, and we'll brainstorm all together. We can also ask our foreign students to contribute by explaining their own experience to the rest of the class. Next, we'll deal with the vast inequality and the big injustices existing in the world. For that purpose, we'll refer to the document "Inequality & Injustice at the Present Moment".
Reflection - Finally, we'll focus on our own involvement in the aforesaid social problem: what is our commitment to the fight against world inequality & injustices? how can we make other people aware of the difficulties migrant people ought to face? how can we integrate our foreign peers into the class?
Expansion - In groups of 4 people, create a poster explaining all the information about migrations learnt during the session. All posters will be shown at the school's hall as a campaign for tolerance and integration.
Timing - A one-hour session.
2. LABELS GAME
Goal - Assessing the consequences of "labelling" people according to different criteria. To learn to be more objective when dealing with other people, thus avoiding prejudices coming to the surface.
Development - First, give the students the instructions for playing the game. We pretend we are in a determined social situation. About ten students will play as volunteers and the rest will act as observers. The teacher sticks a label on each student's forehead; in the tag there's written a particular role for the student to play: expert, responsible, funny, lazy, aggressive. Students can look at the others' tags, but not at their own. Each time a student address a peer, he/she has to do it taking into account their target's given personality.
Reflection - At the end of the game, each student willl try to identify the role (label) he/she has been given, basing on the ineteractions he/she has experienced when playing. Afterwards, there will be a collective reflection on the following aspects: how have we felt during the game? what do the observers think about the development of the game? do we like the way we've been treated according to our given label? how do we usually stereotype people, and how does that awful habit negatively influences our social relationships?
Timing - 20h for playing the game; 20 minutes for reflecting.
Goal - Assessing the consequences of "labelling" people according to different criteria. To learn to be more objective when dealing with other people, thus avoiding prejudices coming to the surface.
Development - First, give the students the instructions for playing the game. We pretend we are in a determined social situation. About ten students will play as volunteers and the rest will act as observers. The teacher sticks a label on each student's forehead; in the tag there's written a particular role for the student to play: expert, responsible, funny, lazy, aggressive. Students can look at the others' tags, but not at their own. Each time a student address a peer, he/she has to do it taking into account their target's given personality.
Reflection - At the end of the game, each student willl try to identify the role (label) he/she has been given, basing on the ineteractions he/she has experienced when playing. Afterwards, there will be a collective reflection on the following aspects: how have we felt during the game? what do the observers think about the development of the game? do we like the way we've been treated according to our given label? how do we usually stereotype people, and how does that awful habit negatively influences our social relationships?
Timing - 20h for playing the game; 20 minutes for reflecting.
3. RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS
Goal: Being aware of our individual behaviour's impact on the environment.
Development: Carry out an environmental education campaign at the school. Analyse news related to ecology, responsible consumption, natural products, earth-friendly behaviour...Next, we'll design a Decalogue of 10 daily actions that help protecting the Earth. Such declaration of intent will be exhibited all over the school, and the entire educational community will be advised to follow it. Besides, students will write a letter addressed to the city hall, asking the mayor to show his/her commitment to the city's environmental health by assuming those 10 principles.
Timing - A one-hour session for designing the campaign, including the drafting of the Decalogue and the writing of the letter.
Goal: Being aware of our individual behaviour's impact on the environment.
Development: Carry out an environmental education campaign at the school. Analyse news related to ecology, responsible consumption, natural products, earth-friendly behaviour...Next, we'll design a Decalogue of 10 daily actions that help protecting the Earth. Such declaration of intent will be exhibited all over the school, and the entire educational community will be advised to follow it. Besides, students will write a letter addressed to the city hall, asking the mayor to show his/her commitment to the city's environmental health by assuming those 10 principles.
Timing - A one-hour session for designing the campaign, including the drafting of the Decalogue and the writing of the letter.
Download the Aulas Felices program here
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