Sharing Good Practice
Initiatives promoting well being
at GEMS Modern Academy
L-R: Student, Sharanya Iyer and Ms. J Patel,
Head of Art Department at GEMS Modern
Academy at their table at What Works.
The Flow painting.
O
n September 28, 2015, the
KHDA held the first of several
What Works Conferences.
Throughout the halls of the
conference, the theme of happiness
and well being was heavily promoted
by students and exhibitors. Teach UAE
Magazine had a quick conversation
with the Head of Art at the GEMS
Modern Academy (GMA) and one of
her capable students, who shared a
few of the initiatives that their school
has in place to promote well being on
the campus.
Senior student, Sharanya Iyer was first
to explain the display items that reflect
social outreach programmes at GMA.
The first programme I would like to
speak about is our Child For Child
Programme (CFC). CFC caters to
children with special needs such as
autism and other disabilities. Each
Saturday or alternate Saturday, senior
students come to school to assist
special needs students with the aim of
ensuring that they have a happy day.
This is done via a number of activities
such as dancing, singing and sports
activities among others.
The second initiative is CSL, which is
a peer-mentoring programme. Again
this involves students from the senior
school who use their value education
period (40-45 minutes each week)
to mentor students of junior class es,
usually kindergarten or primary level.
These students are also children with
special needs. The senior students
consult with the teacher to find out
the areas in which the student being
mentored needs help. The senior
student then uses the time to engage
with the student. This is done to help
the student to progress to the same
level as other members of the class.
The third initiative is PALS, a
programme designed to equip the
school’s support staff with basic skills.
Courses include computer studies,
Mathematics and English. The PALS
programme is also conducted by
senior students, who are keen at
getting the support staff to a level
at which they can function optimally
without being disadvantaged.
Head of Art Department, Ms.
Jignyasa Patel
Art can be a great way to relax. Art
making is healing in itself, and the
creative process is an extension of the
individuality. Contacting with colours
is therapeutic. Getting your body
involved and moving around can help
release emotion, as you are painting/
doodling.
Kandinsky and Andy Warhol as the
starting point, the art making process
involved painting/doodling usually
under the effect of many unconscious
parameters including an individual’s
personality, current mood and other
variables.
Expressive art is spontaneous art
and it employs the principle of
synchronicity. Creation without preplanning clears out unconscious
psychological patterns we are unaware
of. Spontaneous imagery is often
“wider” than words.
With educators, the school day has
many challenges. This can impact the
way the teacher functions and interacts
with the students. Art provides us with
an outlet of release. The process is
transformative for everyone.
Our teachers selected the colours
they wanted to use and painted and in
some instances doodled. It was a huge
collaborative process among over
100 to 150 teachers, which took place
within two hours.
The Flow painting demonstrates and
helps explore personality dynamics,
feelings and emotions by spontaneous
strokes using different colours.
The Flow Painting
Inspired by the works of Wassily
Class Time
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Nov - Dec 2015
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