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Time

5-10 minutes, plus prep and discussion

Level

Intermediate

Material

Photocopies, access to technology

Purpose

To provide an opportunity to note what makes something inspiring and how different people can be inspired in different ways

  • Each day a student is responsible for providing a source of inspiration for the class, like sharing a quote OR a YouTube video (under two minutes) OR an Instagram post (these must be previewed and approved before sharing with the class).
  • Discuss the concept of “inspiration” with the group when introducing the practice and arrange a schedule outlining when each student will contribute.
  • Provide opportunities for students to use technology to research and find inspirational quotes.
  • It can be helpful to discuss the concept of inspiration since it might mean different things to different groups (e.g., spoken word poetry, visual images, organization techniques, puppies).
  • Create a class calendar for students to sign up on in pairs for the two- to three-minute presentations so they can explore and share sources of inspiration together.

School life can be busy and stressful for intermediate students. Taking a few minutes each day to pause and reflect can be helpful for stress management (Chambers, Gullone, & Allen, 2009). Sharing student views about inspiring content can help to create a positive emotional climate in the classroom that models caring behaviour and honours diverse views (Rivers, Brackett, Reyes, Elbertson, & Salovey, 2013).

Chambers, R., Gullone, E., & Allen, N. B. (2009). Mindful emotion regulation: An integrative review. Clinical Psychology Review. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2009.06.005

Rivers, S. E., Brackett, M. A., Reyes, M. R., Elbertson, N. A., & Salovey, P. (2013). Improving the Social and Emotional Climate of Classrooms: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the RULER Approach. Prevention Science, 14(1), 77-87. doi:10.1007/s11121-012-0305-2