Imagine the most wonderful school year yet!
Let’s get our brains in gear!
Yes, the school year approaches! Maybe you need a fun video to get you up and moving after all that computer prepping. Or maybe you have a group that wants to boogie into social group (I used this animation with a young adult women’s group, and wow, we had FUN!) Perhaps your family has, or would like to start, dance night. Or maybe your next staff meeting would benefit from a mid-meeting boogie. . Check out Fancy like Dance! And then come back to read the rest of this newsletter…
Thanks Walker Hayes & Daughter!
When I first started working with movies and, later, animated videos, I thought it would mostly be about thoughts and feelings – you know, making those thought bubbles above characters’ heads, etc. And while those thought bubbles and feelings are great for our students to figure out and discuss, there is SO MUCH MORE to be gleaned from a great animation!
Over the years, as I have worked on social learning, I have realized that it’s layers and layers AND LAYERS. Social gets complicated and abstract! The more our students can understand these complicated aspects of social engagement, the better equipped they will be to become their true selves and find their path. Let’s look for a minute at just three ideas.
Often, mistakes happen within social engagement. We make mistakes, but also need to deal with the mistakes that those around us make. Mistakes become social events, sometimes small, sometimes big. Our ability to grow from and tolerate mistakes ultimately affects our happiness, as well as the happiness of those around us. The better we can cope with mistakes, the more resilient we become.
Frustration and annoyance. Very frequently occurring feelings. Similar but different feelings. Frustration arises when we encounter obstacles that prevent us from reaching our goals, while annoyment is what we feel when we are impatient or irritated by someone or something. Did you realize that, when people share their annoyances and frustrations with others (sometimes called complaining) relationships get stronger? Complaining together confirms to us that we are not alone, that we have commonalities with others. It’s the first step to finding solutions, feeling heard, and, ultimately, feeling better!
And then, there is the idea of kindness. Years ago, I realized that, while I worked on social a lot, I never really talked about kindness, even though that’s really important to me. So, I started talking about it with my social learning groups. Asking them what they thought it meant, pointing out kindnesses I noticed during sessions, etc. It felt great to include this concept in my work.
The great thing, is that we can jumpstart conversations about all these ideas (and more!) with great videos. Obviously, not every video gives an example of every social concept. Maca and Roni: Dominos is great for talking about frustration and making mistakes. But if you are looking for a video about kindness, Maca and Roni: Birthday of Dr. Albert is a better choice. Bridge by Ting Chian Tey is great for talking about competitiveness. But if you are wanting to watch a video with your social group about feeling hopeless, you probably want something like Verstault, by Steffen Kuderer.
So many concepts, so many animations! That is why I have spent time this summer compiling a resource to help clinicians pair the concept they want to work on with the BEST animation choices. I am still putting the finishing touches on it, but stay tuned because it’s coming SOON!
Use code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout for 20% off!
My tomatoes are bringing me joy! What is bringing you joy today? Take good care!
