It turned out to be that I was accepted and very soon,
I began to feel guilty for not suffering at all. Actually, I cherished every
single moment of my being at University, doing research, having contact and
discussions with knowledgeable people, and learning, learning a lot. So if you
ask me what my story has to do with Positive Psychology, I will tell you that
it is the very essence of this area
of Psychology. Learning cannot and
should never ever be related to
suffering. Learning is discovering, expanding, flourishing. Then let´s see how Positive Psychology may be applied
to EFL teaching and learning. Below, I will suggest three exercises I have already carried out with success, and I
invite you to try with your own classes.
Gratitude
Research shows that gratitude can be trained and increased. Interventions may result in a
positive state of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, and
energy. So I got my teen students into a circle to discuss the idea of
Thanksgiving. Not everyone actually knew how and when it had begun and what
individuals did in such a celebration. After showing them a video from YouTube,
I asked each one to write a short paragraph about a person who has had a
positive impact on their lives and who they were thankful to. When they had
finished, I asked volunteers to telephone the person they had written about and
to read the exact words on the paper. That´s when the magic occurred. There was
a lot of emotion and tears involved. One of the girls preferred to write about
a peer who was present in class. As she
read her beautiful and revealing statement, the whole class was involved in a
unique and memorable exercise.
What
went well ? Living positive education.
General well-being—how much positive emotion, how much
meaning in life our students have is fundamental for the generation of success.
Learning to value must start early and can be practiced in any educational
environment. Students should have opportunities to speak about themselves and
to open their souls and hearts to others. It provides synergy among class
members a sense of togetherness, engagement and happiness. Finally, teachers
should bear in mind that academic success is not only
a function of academic knowledge or cognitive processing.
Success is a function of the connections to self, others, and the world that
shapes our brain.
The magic ball-making compliments
Students should be standing in a circle.
Then, the teacher should start and throw the ball at a student and make a
genuine compliment at him/her. The students would carry on with the activity
until everyone has had the chance to throw the ball and hear impressions and compliments.
The activity involves emotional strength, when students recognize the
relationships, and applaud personal accomplishment.
So dear teacher, remember that teaching in
joyful and supportive ways is the best means to learning. Thus, I am here to
invite you to try differently and practice the conditions that nurture
strengths that enable students to self-regulate. I invite you to assure
students can find their own meaning in learning and distinguish between achievement
and accomplishment. Build your
students capacity to flourish.
