“The world interacts with itself. The sky, the spirits, the earth, the physical world, the living, and the deceased all act, interact, and react in consort. One works on the other and one part cannot exist nor be explained without the other.” – The Trinity of Sin by Yusfu Turaki The notion that everyone and […]
The following are reflections on my white privilege which I posted on social media in an attempt to acknowledge and appreciate the movement #blacklivesmatter. I posted something each day for seven days, not a comfortable experience as I do not usually put myself out there. However, this movement is not about me, it is about […]
We appreciate that the concept of mindfulness is not without its critics, however, other terms could be used such a ‘seeking stillness’, ‘concentrating on our senses’, ‘concentrating on sights and sounds around us’. Mindfulness is a process of open, active, non-judgmental awareness of ones surroundings, paying attention in the present moment with openness and curiosity. […]
What are Strengths? Strengths can be defined as “a pre-existing capacity for a particular way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is authentic and energizing to the user, and enables optimal functioning, development and performance” (Linley, 2008, p.9). According to this definition, strengths are way of thinking, feeling and behaving that come naturally and easily […]
I have found that in this environment, people are more willing to listen with the intent of understanding – female participant Existing research has demonstrated that participating in OAE has a noteworthy effect on the learners’ reported social skills such as group cooperation, prosocial behaviour and communication competencies (e.g., Furman & Sibthorp, 2013; Richmond, Sibthorp, […]
Understanding Emotional Literacy: Emotional literacy (EL) is used to explain the ability to understand and express feelings, that is being able to identify, appreciate, manage and appropriately express emotions and to distinguish, comprehend and appropriately respond to the expressed emotions of others. EL is useful in developing good communication skills and enhancing our relationships with […]
SEL originates partly from Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) emotional intelligence (EI) theory (made popular by Daniel Goleman, 1997). EI refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Salovey and Mayer proposed a hierarchical model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence i.e. emotional perception, being able to a) perceive emotion, b) reason […]
There is an increasing appreciation that, in order to prepare learners for success in life, they require a holistic education that not only guarantees learning basic academic skills, but also social emotional competencies that prepare them to become responsible adults. Recent research highlights the importance of non-cognitive skills and behaviours e.g. resilience, grit, social skills […]