Title: TITLE: ME…TOGETHER
Author: Utente
Last saved by: Mary

This article is © Copyright 2000 Pilgrims Ltd. The copyright owners reserve all rights to its reproduction.

Short Article 4

Me…Together

Gigliola Pagano and Claudia Bigaton

Gigliola Pagano  is a  teacher of English. She uses Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques in her classes. E-mail:  gigliolapagano@libero.it

Claudia Bigaton  is a teacher of Italian. She has worked with group dynamics.

We (Claudia and Gigliola) teach in a Junior High School in a little village in the North East of Italy. Our students range from 11 to 14 years old. Although we are in a small and quiet school we sometimes get classes that are difficult to manage, because of discipline problems, but even more frequently because of problems in group dynamics.  Meaning by that that it is hard to have them listen to each other, respect other people’s opinions and WORK TOGETHER. This year we got a particularly challenging class of 21 young lively kids with whom it is at time  impossible to carry on a lesson where they interact with each other  in a decent way, without constantly interrupting people, making nasty comments to what people are saying, fighting with each other both verbally and physically. Almost out of despair we decided we needed to DO SOMETHING to bring the class together, to have these intellectually bright students enjoy their time together rather than getting upset and anxious most of the time. What follows is a personal report – from the teachers and the students -- of what happened. 

In the following  introduction you will find our different voices speaking all at once (as it usually happens in this class!). The voices are overlapped and intertwined at times, with Claudia speaking in the left column and myself (Gigliola) speaking in the right column. The students’ voices are in the blue and red boxes. The blue boxes were the students’ thoughts about the activities, while the red boxes were the result of an activity that we called “my animal comes from afar” (see description below). The mixing of voices (at the beginning perhaps confusing and annoying) was meant to give you, the reader, the feeling of what we wanted to do: to use all the different voices and make them sing harmoniously together  – which was our outcome. This multiple auditory input also reflects the last activity “voices from my soul” (see description below).

Claudia (teacher) | Gigliola (teacher)

Last September, meeting our new class 1D we, the teachers, were about to tear out hair out in despair! The students (11 year-old kids) were certainly nice and also potentially good, with good competences but …. What a mess, how difficult to have rules respected and, above all, how difficult to be together respecting each other! 
Many of them would just talk and talk and talk, without listening to their classmates, some others would fiercely  demolish other people’s contributions … ideas such as duty, respect, tolerance, acceptance were definitely values that we had to reinforce. We needed to transform in positive resources individual  traits that were potentially negative. The challenge was: HOW???

 That’s how we thought of this project -- ME … TOGETHER – to enhance relational skills that might guide our students towards some knowledge of themselves and their mates but also to experience what it means to feel good together with other people, in a group of people.

This project was then divided into 4 meetings, from December to March; during these meetings we suggested activities for self perception (becoming a tree, for example), games to enhance trust (leading a blind-folded partner through a hurdle path) group-coordination games (like the rain domino) …  each meeting ending in a circle time of reflection with the group pulling together feelings and ideas. 

( a student)
Of all the meetings that I liked most is to trust our friends but also to earn their trust. It is difficult to earn their trust but if you get it you are more sure of yourself.

(a student)
I am a camel. I live in a huge desert.
I am sleeping near a stone: I am sleeping, but I am waking up.
I can wait: I know to refrain; I do long walks without drinking.
I believe that I will go beyond this ground,
I know I will soon find an oasis.
I will be able to find it.
I am a friendly and patient animal.

(a student)
The 3rd meeting I haven’t yet understood what laboratory it was, because the other classes were not doing it: you don’t know what you missed: unforgettable experience! My favourite meeting was  when we students of the 1^st D we had to close the eyes and take the first hand and at the end we formed a circle without leaving the hand and in silence. I was involved and for the first time we worked together. The result was a beautiful circle!!!

Certainly the most meaningful activity  being our last meeting, where the group’s feelings and emotions were brought together, the “voice of our souls”. Immersed in music, with words and bio-relaxation exercises the students revealed strong and positive aspects of themselves and the group. 

(a student)
I really was that animal. I mean that I thought I lived in it and had his ways!!!

We are now coming to the end of our school year, and it clearly appears that this is not enough, just a beginning of a long journey. But we can positively say that the atmosphere of the class has changed since then. Our journey this year will be concluded in a two-day meeting in a mountain hut, in a journey of discovery of ourselves as well of our natural environment. I hope we’ll succeed.

 (a student)
We closed eyes, put hands up and took another hand nearer, Then we opened eyes and became a circle without leaving the hands. In that moment I felt really a class!

(a student)
I am a horse and I live in the big prairie that is yellow for the dry grass.
I drink from a blue stream some fresh water.
Water is refreshing and it helps me to run free.
I know I am free and that nobody will  ever get me;
I will never be tamed.
I believe I am wild and that I can travel, exploring the earth.
I am a free animal, without a destination.

What a strange feeling, a bit dizzy, feeling unsure and yet definitely wanting to go ahead... I am in the circle about to start a journey, excited and worried, not knowing, not being familiar with that landscape. How will it go? Where would we end up? 
I can feel their trust and open-mindedness, I can feel their eyes staring and I can also feel some nervousness and resistance, maybe fear, it is difficult to stand and just listen and listen to other people, I get lost. There is some light laugh, there is a joke (why can’t they take it seriously?), we are trying to take it seriously,  to take responsibility for what I do and think … for some of us it is something new and unexpected.

Greeting each other in silence – depriving words of their power, eyes meet other eyes and some hands touch other hands – being together feels different and strange.

There is more than myself in this room, there are other people and they are walking with me, I want to be with them, not always possible, for a fraction of a second I feel good being together.

Mirrors reflect my image, how funny to see my eyes into the other’s eyes, it takes a lot of concentration. How to go outside myself , how to lose myself in a reflection …? At times I get lost in the process, I times I find the rhythm …

And the next thing I remember is being a tree, in the wood… yes, there are other trees in the wood, they enjoy the same sun and are moved by the same wind.
The trees become  an entangle of branches and arms, hands get hold of other hands and it is mysteriously easy to untangle – in silence, I find myself in a big circle, where we started from.

But the circle keeps changing, now I choose who comes next and I am chosen, I am now strong enough to choose out of rules, I am free enough to choose. Veeery difficult to trust other people, and to be trusted but I want to take care of this person and I lead him through obstacles – there is a bond, I can feel it even after my task is finished. I can take care and I can be taken care.

I am an animal now and friends cuddle me, wash me, introduce me to other people, protecting me. Here I feel strong and loved.

Another circle takes me back to the rhythm, we are as one, in a big domino of hands, feet and voices, a bit rusty. For now I can’t do much more than that.

Today there is no rationale, no explanation, again in the circle, lulled by a sweet sound, I will close my eyes, sooner or later, my feet are relaxing and I can feel my breathing, slowing down, there is a voice and another one, there is a journey, there is the music, I’m taken, I don’t know where to go, I’m here and there and nowhere.

From afar I see my animal approaching, more and more distinct I notice all the details, it is now easy to write, the ink flows, after all the voices there is just one, out of silence, I can hear my voice.

(a student)
I am an eagle. I live in the high mountains. 
I fly high  not to hit the trees: I am always absent-minded! 
I hunt for food. 
In my mountain I have a big, high nest. 
I like flying as high as possible. 
I thank mother nature for creating me and for giving me these wings 
that will never get tired.

ME … TOGETHER
1st  meeting   	
name | Short description and goals | arrangement

Warm up

Introducing the activity, sharing the goals.

“During this activity I will …..”

Sharing the goals and objectives of this activity.
Taking responsibility for my behaviour.

Sitting in a circle

Myself and the others

Greeting the others, in silence: with my hands, eyes, feet, shoulders as the dentist, the headmaster ...

Finding a new way to communicate with other people

Walking around at random

Find the others

Walk on your own, in pairs, in 4s in 6s, in 2s ...

Getting together with other people in different arrangements

Walking around at random

The tree

Guided visualisation of a tree: roots, trunk, leaves, the sun, the wind, feeling other trees around me, I belong to the wood

Feeling part of a group

Standing in the middle of the room, at random

Conclusion

Now I feel ...
Today I liked ...

Sharing ideas and feelings 
Feedback for the teachers

Sitting in a circle

2nd meeting

Warm up

“I remember...”
What do you remember of the other meeting?

Recapping what happened and how people felt during the previous meeting.
Acknowledging  the fact that people have different perceptions

Sitting in a circle

Mirrors

One in front of  the other, mirroring each other slowly – one leads, the other follows, then students swap and then again they change partners

Get into the other person’s rhythm and movements – forget about yourself. Let the other person lead you. Learn to lead the other

In pairs - standing

The rain domino

Movements are repeated in a domino effect – click, clap, stomp so that the sounds are like rain 

Individual contribution to a group achievement – group coordination
The group can achieve what the individual can’t

Standing in a circle

conclusion

Now I feel ....
Today I liked ...

Sharing ideas and feelings.
Feedback for the teachers.

Sitting in a circle

3rd meeting

Warm up

“I remember...”
What do you remember of the previous meeting?

Recapping what happened and how people felt during the previous meeting.
Acknowledging  the fact that people have different perceptions

Sitting in a circle

The circle of harmony

Eyes closet, visualise the space around you – put your hands up and grab other hands – open your eyes and without letting the hands go -- IN SILENCE -- form a circle

Physical contact with other people, at random.
Finding a common solution without words,
Feeling that the group is powerful

Standing in the middle of the class

A blind cat

Choose a partner you WANT to trust (not one you already trust). In this pair one is blind-folded. The other partner leads the blind-folded one  through the class first slowly and then faster and with obstacles in the middle. Then swap.

Feeling you have to trust someone completely for your safety – feeling someone is completely in your hands

In pairs

conclusion

Now I feel ....
Today I liked ...

Sharing ideas and feelings.
Feedback for the teachers.

Sitting in a circle

4th meeting

Warm up

Introducing the activity: background music

Setting the atmosphere of relaxation

Sitting in a circle

Voices from my soul

Teacher A: Bio-relaxation feedback
Teacher B: guided visualisation

The students simultaneously listen to this triple input: the relaxing music, the instructions for a bio-relaxation , the guided visualisation about a journey in the wood

Overloading the conscious mind with triple input and let the unconscious mind take the lead.  To silence the conscious mind.

Sitting in circle with eyes closed

My animal comes from afar

Now the students write a description of their animals following the teacher’s questions: where does it live (environment), what does it do, what actions (behaviour), what are its capabilities, its beliefs, the identity

Reach hidden parts of the identity through the metaphor of the animal.
We also noticed that students with disgraphia   problems managed to write fluently and with almost no mistakes!

Sitting in a circle

Listen to the animals speaking

The students then share and read their descriptions or part of them 

This sharing was done in  a magic atmosphere of silence full of attention and at times emotion  when we heard the different  animals speaking.

Sitting in a circle

References:
The idea of the triple input comes from In Your Hands. NLP in ELT by Jane Revell and Susan Norman,  Saffire Press.
The description of the animals comes from a seminar held by Mario Rinvolucri in Pordenone and is based on Bateson’s Logical Levels.