But she didn't need to. The children had recently sharpened up theirsocial and emotional skills as part of a government programme. Thisincluded help on problem-solving from two toddler-sized puppets.
"One chap piped up, well let's see how Wally and Molly would solve thisso the teacher was able to step back and the children sorted it outthemselves," says Stuart Goodall, acting head of access and inclusion atCumbria County Council's children's services.
Goodall is unsurprised that education secretary Alan Johnson has hintedthat the Government intends to build on the Social and Emotional Aspectsof Learning (Seal) programme (Children Now, 26 July-1 August). "I don'tthink we teach children the sorts of words to describe how they'refeeling," says Goodall. "So a child might think that they're angry butin fact they might be upset, frustrated or anxious. It helps childrendevelop a vocabulary of feelings and at the same time develop their owntechniques for dealing with them."
Around 500 primary schools first piloted Seal two years ago. Last year,all schools were given access to the materials, which use a whole-schoolapproach to develop skills such as empathy, team working, perseverance,keeping motivated, working in a group and managing worries.
Goodall says after the initial pilot, by 10 schools, the council had towork hard initially to persuade more schools to take up the scheme.
However, its success in making children calmer, more empathic and ableto discuss their problems - and so able to achieve academically - hasmeant schools are now actively asking for it. As a result, 180 of thecouncil's 300 primary schools have now signed up.
Cumbria had already started to devise a "behaviour curriculum" beforeSeal started. But the box of materials has fleshed out this curriculumby providing lesson plans, ideas and back-up, says Goodall. Thematerials cover four age levels and are based on seven themes rangingfrom new beginnings to saying no to bullying. They also link toassemblies and subjects across the curriculum.
Goodall says Seal has also helped to join up working between the twoeducation divisions that cover school improvement and access, inclusionand special needs. Each contributes to a support team, staffed by aschool improvement officer, an educational psychologist and a schoolalready involved in Seal, to help clusters of schools.
The costs have been partially covered by money from the Department forEducation and Skills' Standards Fund. But the main challenge has been toget schools to also see Seal as a priority and of benefit to allchildren - not just those with behaviour problems.
Changing the name of the programme - christened "social and emotionalbehaviour" - has helped, says Goodall. But word has also spread of theprogramme's universal benefit through the "critical mass of teachers"now on board talking to their peers. In addition, says Goodall, schoolsreport that the programme slots easily into the existing curriculum andlesson plans involving no extra planning.
Goodall is now in discussions about social workers joining theprogramme.
"They run parenting classes. So there are opportunities to get socialworkers to join the support team."
This would join up work being done with parents at home with the workthe schools are doing with the child.
In the long-term, he wants children in all of Cumbria's schools tobenefit.
"It's an area that's not really been covered. There is a danger weassume children need to be taught literacy and numeracy but learnbehaviour intuitively.
If we want well-rounded, emotionally mature people, we need to put someeffort into it."
BACKGROUND: THE NEW BEGINNINGS THEME
- At foundation level, children explore and identify feelings ofhappiness, sadness, fearfulness and learn to calm themselves down andmanage fear and upset
- When older children revisit the theme, they explore managing feelingsaround doing something new
- Assemblies use music from Wagner's Ring Cycle to Cat Stevens' MorningHas Broken. A tree is created and children make leaves with positivethings on them to stick on it. Leaves with things they want to leavebehind are placed in a special bin.
