Colourful teaching
Category:
24 / 06 / 2008 | Author: dnorris
Colourful Teaching
Who would have thought that the classroom colour-scheme would affect learning but it does. What’s more it needs to, because 1 in 10 children in the U.K have a mental health disorder.
British young people are involved in more violence, drug taking and binge drinking than any other European teenagers. G.P’s prescribe anti-depressants to 40,000 children in the U.K. and Britain, despite its affluence paradoxically comes out bottom of the world happiness league.
There have been many explanations for this and most centre around insecurity, lack of status, lack of achievement and lack of any autonomy in what is happening to them.
The buzz word in terms of a solution is good self esteem, because from that springs appropriate behaviour, more self confidence, greater motivation, and subsequently faster learning.
So where does the colour of the wallpaper come into this.
Kaleidoscope Colour Therapists are beginning to link colour association to patterns of learning. They believe that by visualising a colour the brain will quickly trigger the response the child associates with that colour, and that will provide a vehicle for expression where words can be too tangled up in emotions.
Some colours make you feel safe, calm and relaxed. Turquoise is a relaxing colour; orange is a happy colour, red a fun colour and blue breeds confidence. Some colours put you in the right frame of mind to build consistent ground rules that are shared by all, others take away the fear of failure.
The most quoted example is that of pale blue which is said to have a calming influence in a hyper charged pupil.
Other tools in the armoury of creating a positive learning atmosphere where negativity predominates is to introduce mirrors to enhance the light and music to alter the mood. These along with the feelings of well being help to release opioids and dopamine in the brain. These are so called feel good chemicals.
All of the emphasis on self esteem may not appeal to traditional teachers but the responses from teachers who have absorbed the philosophy into their teaching have reported a good response.
39% of pupils were calmer, more enthusiastic and willing to attempt work in the classroom; 44% showed an improved willingness to work and co-operate with other children; 56% were able to do group work and contribute in a positive way; 61% were able to ask for help rather than sit on the back row employing avoidance strategies and 67% improved in their relationships with fellow pupils at school.
Children explained it more simply. One said that working with colours helped him because he didn’t hit people when they annoyed him.
Parents also noticed the difference. One thought that the colour integrated teaching scheme was the main reason for her daughter wanting to come to school again.
The scheme often includes just one room in a school and one designated teacher to teach children with a mental health disorder.
It is an interesting development in a system that relies less and less on placing children with mental health issues in separate schools and although in its early stages of development it really is worth heeding the old words of wisdom ...watch this space.
