in the classroom
Like a fairytale
Using fictional characters to help kids with real life problems .
By Doris Brett
In an ideal world , if we saw a child who seemed unhappy , anxious , angry or shut-down , we would ask them whether something was upsetting them . They would respond immediately - telling us how they were feeling , what had happened to make them feel like that and what , if anything , they were planning to do about it .
They would then conclude by asking for our thoughts on the matter and whether we had any advice that they could , appreciatively , take on .
We live on planet Earth , of course , and not on that other , ideal , planet . The reality we live in , is one in which children are often reluctant to talk about issues that upset them .
There are myriad reasons – embarrassment , fear , shame , guilt , to name just a few .
We , who want to help them , are often left stymied and helpless . We want to understand what is upsetting them , we want to talk about it and explore the issue and ways to deal with it , but faced with a brick wall , we are unable to .
Luckily , there is another language that children are fluent in .
A language that transcends their regular language and allows them to talk about , and explore , issues that might otherwise be too distressing . It is the language of story .
We understand stories intuitively , because our brains are attuned to metaphor and symbol , and stories speak directly to that .
We are hard-wired to look for meaning in every experience and event , and the meaning we discern , becomes the core of the story we tell ourselves about ourselves .
We are constantly creating internalised stories about who we are , and some of those may be the stories that are too difficult to talk about , but which upset us deeply .
Without being able to take these stories out into daylight , to explore and understand them , they remain fixed in the meaning we have assigned to them , and we continue to respond accordingly - whether it be with anger , shame , depression or anxiety , and whether our response is appropriate and therapeutic or the reverse .
Imagine then , that we were reading a novel , in a setting that could vary widely , from a space-station , to an enchanted forest , to a secret spy headquarters , or an ordinary school .
The protagonist has had an experience which parallels our own distressing experience . We are immediately interested . And we are not threatened – because it ’ s a story about ‘ someone else ’, not us .
That means we are free to explore it , and to use the fictional character as a proxy , to gain insight into our own issues .
There are many children ’ s novels in which emotional insights are nestled within a thrilling adventure , or magical fantasy .
The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe , for instance , contains lessons about the impact of envy and betrayal , along with themes of self-sacrifice and redemption .
The Wizard of Oz tells us of characters searching for strengths they believe they lack , and their discovery that they had them all along . Harry Potter explores the complexities of friendship , trust , and grief .
In Philomella and the Impossible Forest , my new novel for middle-grade readers , the magical challenges Philomella must face , parallel the emotional challenges in Philomella ’ s real life .
Philomella has to learn to manage anger and rejection , adjust to unwanted change , cope with failure , and discover the importance of kindness and compassion .
Reading books like these , allows not only a conversation between the reader and the book , but a conversation between two , or more , readers and the book .
These novels provide a doorway - into a fictional world , in which challenging issues can be discussed and explored , without the need for defensiveness .
Within the magical space that is a book , the reader can join the protagonist ’ s journey of emotional discovery , without feeling the sense of exposure or vulnerability that talking directly about themselves brings .
Discussions based around the hero ’ s experiences , emotions and actions can take many forms and move in many directions .
Being able to discuss the hero ’ s struggles with an understanding adult might even lead to a child feeling safe enough to share their own experiences .
But even if they are not ready to do that , they can take their insights from the book into their hearts , think about them at their own pace , and when they are ready , use them as needed in their own life . ■
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