Learning to Listen
On 25 and 26 September, Peduli Anak held a psychology seminar for our teachers and our junior high students in Lombok. The goal was simple: to help everyone better understand our children, and each other.
On Friday, a guest psychologist led the session for teachers. On Saturday, our own Peduli Anak psychologist worked with our teenagers. Both days focused on the same topic: effective communication.
A Seminar for Teachers
On Friday, all of our primary and junior high teachers learned how to communicate effectively with children who show challenging behaviour. The way a teacher speaks and listens has a big influence on how a child responds.
The material ties closely to what teachers deal with in the classroom every day. With the right approach, they can better understand what a child is going through and respond in a calmer, more supportive way.
Teenagers Learning About Themselves
On Saturday, it was our junior high students’ turn. They learned how to communicate well with their friends, from sharing their opinions to listening to others.
Our teenagers also learned how to manage their emotions and what a healthy dating relationship looks like. These topics are becoming part of their lives at this age, so it matters that they can talk about them openly and in an age-appropriate way.
Pass the Message
To put the lessons into practice, the students played a whisper chain game in groups. The first person in each line was given a sentence to whisper to the friend in front of them, and so on, until it reached the last person.
The results varied. In some groups, the sentence had changed by the time it reached the end of the line. Others passed it along word for word. Either way, the students could see for themselves that a message only arrives intact when it is spoken clearly and listened to carefully.
Over these two days, our teachers and teenagers looked at communication from two sides. Teachers learned to be better listeners and mentors, while the students learned healthier ways to express their thoughts and feelings.
Our thanks go to the guest psychologist who shared their knowledge with our teachers, and to the Peduli Anak psychologist who guided our teenagers through Saturday’s seminar.
