Latest Issue of the MindBrainEd Think Tank + (ISSN 2434-1002) 5 MindBrainEd Bulletin V4i5 Think Tank Emotion May | Page 19

simplify it for students: We want to really notice, appreciate and enjoy the good
things in our lives.
Savoring can include remembering good things that happened – an act often related
to gratitude. Or it can be noticing good things as they happen – mindfulness. Or it
can be the anticipation of positive things yet to come. (Past, present, and future –
we’ve got a pretty good start on grammar here.)
One simple classroom activity is “5 photos: A savoring task.” As homework, I ask
students to take photos of five important things in their lives. But here’s the catch –
they can only take five pictures. They can’t, for example, take 100 pictures and
choose the best five. I want them to slow down and really think about what to take
pictures of. I want them to think about how to pose the picture. Think about lighting,
etc. In short, I want them to slow down and savor the experience. During the
following class, students work in small groups, usually of about four. They show the
pictures. Partners ask questions about those pictures. The questions have two
purposes. Asking questions is a good discourse strategy – it is a way to keep the
conversation going. But in positive psychology, asking questions about a topic like
this is called an “Active Constructive” response (Seligman, 2011). A positive,
interested question helps the speaker mentally recreate/ re-experience the positive
emotion. What is important is not more and more positive experiences. What counts
is more and more experiences of positive emotion. Taking the time to savor the good
things allows them more experiences of the positive emotion they associate with the
subjects of those pictures.
Not long ago, I was walking home from school (physical exercise is connected to
positive psychology and positive emotion, too). I passed through a park where 15-20
kids were playing. Unsupervised. It occurred to me that I am really fortunate to live
in a country where this can happen. Taking time to appreciate things we often
overlook is another good source for savoring. I tell my students the “kids in the park”
story and ask them to think about things they appreciate but often take for granted.
They write or draw their answers. Then, in pairs, they share their ideas. Again,
partners ask “active constructive” follow-up questions. This is actually quite similar
to the “Five photos” activity but takes no preparation.
In Thailand, nearly every male becomes a novice Buddhist monk, at least for a short
time. Several years ago, I learned about a temple in northern Thailand that had a
program for English speaking foreigners. They taught the dhamma (teachings of the
Buddha) in English. Days were spent with chanting, studying the dhamma, and lots
of meditation. There was also a lot of time alone for reading and other activities. I
happened to be reading a book on savoring. It occurred to me that it wouldn’t be
hard to write questions to guide the students in talking about, and savoring, positive
experiences in the past and present, and anticipating ones in the future. These are
the questions I wrote. Click HERE for a photocopiable version of the activity.