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‘Freedom to Wonder’. Developing Children’s Spirituality: Reflections on Practice. Heather Black Accredited Trainer, Godly Play UK www.godlyplay.org.uk. Our Context. North Ormesby a community close to the centre of Middlesbrough Population approx. 4,500 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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‘Freedom to Wonder’Developing Children’s Spirituality:
Reflections on Practice
Heather BlackAccredited Trainer, Godly Play UK
www.godlyplay.org.uk
Our ContextNorth Ormesby a community close to the centre
of Middlesbrough
Population approx. 4,500
North Ormesby Community Primary School, approx. 200 pupils
St Alphonsus RC Primary School, approx. 230 pupils
Reflections on Practice
• Five years working with local community primary school
• Sept 2009/10 a year-long longitudinal study for MA Dissertation, Durham University
• Three years of supporting local RC primary school
• Four years working with local special needs school
In the beginning….There was nothing! Something was created
Sowing some seeds
Key findings
Wondering
Respect for others
Understanding that others may see things differently
Inner peace
Ability to concentrate
Ability to work independently and discover for themselves
School RE Coordinator
Pilot study with a Year 2 class over two terms
Benefits were seen across the curriculum
The weekly sessionsTuesday afternoons for 1.5 hours
All sessions in Godly Play room at Holy Trinity Church
Lead by accredited Godly Play leader with support from class teacher
Year 2 class, mainly white, almost all have little or no experience of church or the bible, one or two children from other faiths each year
The weekly sessions• Crossing the threshold
• Building the circle
• Sharing the story
• Wondering together
• Freedom to wonder
• Sharing a feast
• Saying goodbye
Creating space to wonder
Creating space to wonder“I wish I could live here all the time”
“I’m not ready to go in yet, can I go to the back and get ready again?”
“I love looking out at the garden and watching the water”
“I can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd all the time when I am here.”
You are special and you are welcome
The Good Shepherd knows each of his sheep by name
Nurturing the call to relate to ourselves, to others and to God
Sharing the storyThe focus is on the story and the ability of the
narrative ‘to speak’
The significance of the artifacts
The attention of the children
Sharing the story from the heart
Wondering together
Which part of the story do you like the best?
Which part of the story is most important?
Where are you in the story, or what part of the story is about you?
If there is any part of the story we can leave out and still have everything we need?
Four key questions that help to develop
wondering
I wonder……
Wondering togetherI wonder…..
Creating a space to discover together
Being attentive to the children in that moment
Being prepared to go to places you didn’t expect!
Being comfortable with maybe not knowing
Wondering becomes a way of being with children
Wondering together Making meaning with the
story of the Exile
The chain is like a prison
I think a prison can be anywhere, my dad was in the army in the Gulf and it was like that for him
My grandad has a prison in his bungalow (grandma had recently died and now Granddad was housebound)
Wondering together Exploring what is truly
precious
“The pearl of great price is a home, because if you have ever not had a home, that is what the pearl is.”
Wondering together I wonder where the joy (of
Easter) comes from?
“I think the happiness of Jesus being born and the sadness of Jesus dying is all mixed together to make the joy of Easter.”
I wonder which of the disciples was the most important?
“Judas…. because if he hadn’t betrayed Jesus would Jesus still have died for us?”
Wondering togetherI wonder where the 10 best ways (commandments) are kept today?
“In our hearts”
“They are kept in love”
Freedom to wonder Time, space and
resources to continue wondering
Freedom to choose their own work
The community of the circle
Sharing a feast
Learning to listen and respect each other
A community of grace
A taste of a spiritual feast
Shared reflections
“For me its giving the children the time and space to become aware that there is a spiritual dimension to their lives.”
Teacher Community Primary School
Shared reflections
“The awe and wonder element is something that reaches far into other areas, the class keep ‘wondering' all the time in science.”
Teacher Community Primary School
Shared reflections
“I have learnt more about the children in my class on Tuesday afternoons than in all the rest of the week”
Teacher Community Primary School
Shared reflections
“I am so looking forward to this school year with the opportunity to bring the children over to 'Godly play' it certainly alters the whole dynamics of a class.”
Current Year 2 teacher Community Primary School
Shared reflections
“What I have learnt is that it is OK to not have all the answers. Godly Play is for the children, they have the answers inside and can usually explain it a lot better than I could!”
Teacher RC Primary School
Shared reflections
“The impact on the school has been amazing. Our Ofsted inspection report commented that ‘what goes on inside the Godly Play room is remarkable.’”
RE Coordinator RC Primary School
Shared reflections
“We knew the stories because our teachers had taught them and read them from the bible, but now they are our stories”
Year 6 pupils RC Primary School
With thanks toNorth Ormesby Community Primary School
St Alphonsus RC Primary School
Holy Trinity Parish Church, North Ormesby www.trinitycentre.org
Godly Play UK
The Diocese of York
Diocese of York