Working collaboratively towards creating positive possible selves

Sarah Fletcherhttp://www.TeacherResearch.net

Positive Possible Selves (PPS)

Overview What’s the big idea of PPS? What are the basic techniques? What use might this be to my pupils? What use might this be to me? How do we know it works?

What are the potential benefits of PPS?

Combating childhood depression Nurturing personal responsibility Teaching mutual responsibilities Modeling easily transferable skills Offering support for life long learning Realizing creative, imaginative potential

What are the potential pitfalls of PPS? This is no cure all to solve every ill Participants have to want to take part Some participants find vizualisation hard Vizualisation has a “tree huggy” image If you are naturally cynical it takes longer!

It can’t work - it’s cost free, everyone can try it, it can de-stress teachers and pupils!

Who is using these PPS techniques? Pain clinics Business executives Human resources providers Cancer and chronically sick Sports coaches and athletes Students in school and university

Anyone who wants to alleviate stress!

My PPS Workbook

My Name My Class My School My Teacher My Positive Possible Self

Step One: Introduction

Who am I now? Who do I want to be? What are my dreams and targets?

Step Two: Drawing my PPS

Try drawing a stick figure What does your face look like? What’s in your thought bubble? What are you busy doing? Where are your friends? How do you feel now?

Step Three: Drawing a map

Start from you as you are now. Draw yourself on a journey to your PPS. What happens between now and then? How long will your journey take you? How will you feel along the way? Who will be alongside you?

Step Four: Overcoming problems

What is that problem on your journey? How does it feel when you look at it? Who can you discuss problems with? How might you get over the problem? How do you feel when you do? How do others feel now?

Step Five: What am I good at?

Step Six: What do I need to work on?

Step Seven: What can I change in me?

Who can help me to change for the better?

Step Nine: What am I afraid of?

How will I overcome my fears? Who will help me overcome them?

What’s my plan to reach my PPS?

Today This week This month This term

How will I record what I achieve?

Who will I share my record with?

Potential benefits of PPS Possible selves are thought to influence the

motivation process in two ways: on the one hand providing a clear goal to strive for - and to avoid if they are negative - and on the other hand by energising an individual to pursue the actions necessary for attaining a Positive Possible Self.

Fletcher, S. (2006) Mentoring Adult Learners: realising possible selves

Potential Pitfalls of PPS

Positive selves may not be ‘possible’ Timescale for realising PPS is unrealistic There is insufficient support available Pursuing the PPS becomes sidetracked The teacher does not model PPS well The pupils experience failure in PPS

How do I know PPS works?

Overcoming severe physical disablement in my 30s having been told my teaching career was at an end. I went on to get my MA, become a Head of Faculty in a new school, take on school-based mentoring for five colleagues, get a qualification in mentoring, write two books and gain a lecturer’s post at the University of Bath

(in under ten years from facing retirement)

How can technology enable PPS?

KEEP toolkit templates are easy to build web-pages for students and teachers. They enable multi-media record keeping.

Do a GOOGLE search - there are many useful sites on applying PPS in practice.

Draw photos from the web to stimulate visualisation of PPS (choose with care!)

Use email to keep in touch with pupils as they form their PPS and keep one another informed about their progress in attaining their goals.

Where can I find out more?

sjfmentor@yahoo.com

http://www.TeacherResearch.net

Click on Sarah’s Publications

http://www.StudentsResearch.net