Our project plan
The project will focus on the topic “Happiness” by developing skills related to SEL - Social and emotional learning: according to the CASEL - Collaborative for Social Emotional and Academic Learning - social emotional learning is defined as: “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” (http://www.casel.org/). This project will give children/ teens the opportunity to learn more about what makes people happy and encourage them to find ways to be happy (how they are aware of it, its factors and how they can achieve it). The project intends to empower children/ teens with self-awareness; self-management; social awareness; decision making and relationship skills, so that they feel happy, achieve successful goals and become better citizens.
Aims
The main objective of the project is to make children and teens aware of the factors which contribute for a happier, responsible and sustainable lifestyle, making them also aware of the importance of emotional learning in their lives: identifying positive and proactive attitudes which allow them to face difficulties and solve problems; giving them the opportunity to share experiences with their peers from other European regions, so that they all can improve their emotional intelligence skills and become happy and responsible citizens. The project will enable students to develop a variety of skills including: self-awareness (The ability to focus on one’s own feelings and thoughts and understand how those feelings and thoughts affect behaviour); self-management (The ability to control one’s own emotions, actions and thoughts); social awareness (the ability to be kind to other people and help them); decision making ( the ability to make healthy and responsible choices); relationship skills (The ability to communicate with peers, make friends, deal with peer pressure and manage disagreements).
eTwinning Path to Happiness
an eTwinning project about social and emotional learning
Partner schools
- Agrupamento de Escolas da Lousã, Lousã Portugal -
Teachers: Cristina Silva, Catarina Reis and Ana Paula Rodrigues,
school psychologist Gabriela Inácio;
- 3rd Gymnasium of Korinthos, Korinthos Greece
Teacher: Christina Kasinti;
- ALİAĞA GAZİ ORTAOKULU, İzmir Turkey
Teacher:Mukaddes Şahin;
- Escola Sant Miquel, Ascó Spain
Teacher: Josefina Tarragó;
- Gymnázium Vysoké Mýto, Vysoké Mýto Czech Republic
Teacher: Miroslava Borovcová;
Kėdainių "Ryto" progimnazija, Kedainiai Lithuania
Teachers: Oksana Nečajeva and Sigita Vievesienė;
- Szkoła Podstawowa nr 9 im. M. Kopernika w Dzierżoniowie, Dzierżoniów Poland - Teacher Anna Szczepaniak.
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage our emotions.
Emotional intelligence is sometimes called EQ (or EI) for short. Just as a high IQ can predict top test scores, a high EQ can predict success in social and emotional situations. EQ helps us build strong relationships, make good decisions, and deal with difficult situations."
source: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/eq.html
Mindfulness for kids and building emotional intelligence: Dealing with stress:
Activities
Our Path to happiness starts with step 1: "Breaking the ice/ Introducing the teams".
Then, in step 2 - "Brainstorming" we share our opinions: happiness smells like...; happiness sounds like...; happiness tastes like... and happiness looks like... "
Step 3 is about suggestions for a healthier and happier lifestyle;
With step 4 we exercise mindfulness;
In step 5 we focus on the activities we love most and exercise creativity.
Project achievements:
In Portugal this project is part of a group of 4 projects developed in EB n2 da Lousã school which have been recently awarded with the label “Escola Amiga da Criança / A child-friendly school “
The most important results are yet to come or have just started to arouse, as they are related to small but very significant self - awareness about how to deal with emotions and problems; small improvements in peer relationships, self- awareness about the importance of social and emotional intelligence skills development. Simple things as exercising mindfulness as becoming part of children’s routines; being kind to others, adopting safe and healthy lifestyles, helping others… As our partner from Spain – Josefina Garcia Tarragó said: “we have planted the seeds of kindness, awareness, calm... in our students”.
For more information visit our project's twinspace:
https://twinspace.etwinning.net/46486/home