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Unit 1: Theories, Policies & Practices JR
by JackieDetailsMore options
natural light. london college of fashion – jackie roberts
biography
hello! my name is jackie roberts and I am a psychotherapist and student counsellor in the counselling, health, and chaplaincy (chac) team, within student services at UAL. I am also a bit of a francophile and love anything french, from films, to literature, art, and style!
The majority of my work at UAL is one-to-one counselling, although I do offer workshops on Imposter Syndrome. I work with students across the whole of UAL, and I am based primarily at High Holborn and London School of Fashion. The teaching element of my work is minimal in comparison to the therapy and counselling aspect, and what is interesting and distinctive about my teaching is that it has a psychotherapeutic underpinning. The workshops are both educational and therapeutic.
In addition to being a psychotherapist and counsellor I also trained as a yoga teacher in India in 2019 and this also influences my teaching in terms of using mindfulness and meditation. As well as teaching about the theory of Imposter Syndrome, in terms of it being a psychological concept, I am also able to offer ways to overcome it from a psycho-educational stance and to offer techniques taken from mindfulness to get better in contact with emotions.
Portfolio Contents
This page comprises a portfolio of coursework for the Theories, Policies & Practices unit of the PgCert Academic Practice.
It includes:
- An RSS feed of blog posts (8 minimum) responding to unit materials and activities
- Materials for, feedback from and reflections on a microteaching session, with an image of the object(s) used.
- Documentation from three observations/reviews of teaching practice:
- One review of a peer’s practice
- One review by a peer
- One review by a tutor
- Three case studies corresponding with the Areas of Activity:
- Planning for learning (500 words)
- Teaching & supporting learning (500 words)
- Assessment & feedback (500 words)
review of peer’s practice
OB2 Peer Observation Report
Session to be observed: Portfolio preparations
Size of student group: approx. 14 students aprox
Type of activity: BA hons Bespoke Tailoring level 4 year 1 cutting and fitting
Observer: Jackie Roberts Observee: Josh Masih
Observations, suggestions, and questions
- Great initial explanation of peer observation to students, highlighted I was there to observe Josh and not the students. Made the students feel at ease.
- The students were quite quiet at the beginning, but Josh engaged them well with a friendly, relaxed but solid presence
- It was great that Josh regularly checked in with how the students were feeling, if they were understanding Josh and the language used as well as the material
- The students seemed relaxed in Josh’s presence and he regularly made jokes to lighten the mood
- It was great to reiterate to the student the progression from 1st to 2nd year in terms of design and then making
- The room was well prepared, it had lots of natural light and it was airy
Structure of the session: The structure was great. An initial presentation which was clear and to the point and also easy to follow in terms of continuity of font , with key words such as enquiry, knowledge, process being shown in nice bright colours. Josh checked in the students understanding of what was presented. A short engaging video followed with an example of a portfolio demonstrating key objectives. Then there was group work and it was really lovely to see the students share their work in small groups. Josh gave them the time and space to talk about their work in a very relaxed way and then invited other group members to give feedback before commenting on what was nice and themes to explore – this was constructive and supportive
Listening to the students: Josh really listened to the students without interrupting or forcing his opinion. He was calm and engaging and it really seemed that each individual student felt heard and valued. Josh, you’re a natural!
Understanding of the subject: It was really great observing the class as someone who, whilst has an interest in fashion, has very little understanding about the subject matter. I came away inspired and interested with a wish to learn more about such a wonderful course/trade/profession. In a relatively short space of time I learned what was expected in the portfolios in terms of objectives, also the different mediums used – Josh really highlighted that students are encouraged to play to their strengths and this will be different for everyone, whether it be drawing or digital drawing, for example. And then there were examples of student’s portfolios thus far and the themes and inspiration behind their ideas – Josh really nurtured this.
Josh worked really well co-teaching and everything just flowed between the two tutors!
Overall I thought this was a brilliant class and made me want to study fashion! I can imagine that students would go away from the day feeling engaged and inspired and importantly really clear on what they needed to do next in terms of the project in front of them and also how this Segway’s into the next year of study.
For future classes it might be useful to think about putting the other students into groups to talk about their work together whist you are giving feedback to another group. I noticed that there was a big table of students discussing their work with each other, and then there were two students sat individually by themselves on different tables. There was the potential for the two individuals to disengage, which is a shame and it was such an engaging class. This really is the only thing I can think of for future classes as I thought it was a really brilliant example of teaching for all the reasons I have given above! Well done Josh, it was great!
.
Thank you for allowing me to observe your session Josh, it was wonderful to get to see more of Mare Street and the world of bespoke tailoring!
Reflection on the observer’s comments and ideas to follow up:
Thank you, Jackie, for the observation. It is healthy to develop my practice with feedback from a peer. It was also a privilege to have you observe, knowing that your own discipline is different, for a very honest and objective view of the subject matter in session. Your evaluation of the session is appreciated.
My lived experiences as a student and then as an academic have shaped the lense through which I deliver my sessions. Having the positionality of a BAME senior lecturer, who is bi-lingual, I am happy that you have recognised my compassionate pedagogy. Which is student-oriented, with a focus on learners understanding the language utilised to communicate the prepared material with clarity. I always say to my students, that “I want you to have more answers in the scheduled structured sessions than questions” not confusion. Which empowers them to have “more questions to creatively investigate” after the session, using our environment as a springboard, having academic guidance and peer discussion, in preparation for confident exploration responding to their individual interpretation of the design brief.
I will be more mindful in the future to develop SOW’s which, will not leave any students disengaged, whilst I am conducting Feedbacks. Formulating perhaps creative exercises in smaller groups, to encourage sharing and contribution of ideas within peer groups.
review by a peer
OB2 Peer Observation Report
Session to be observed: Imposter Syndrome Workshop
Size of student group: approx. 14 students attended
Type of activity: psychotherapeutic workshop
Observer: Eleanor Rockett Observee: Jackie Roberts
Observations, suggestions, and questions
- Great initial explanation of confidentiality and how the informal workshop would work this included some notes about engagement and how students could share their ideas.
- The students were quite quiet at the beginning, but Jackie waited patiently for one of the students to start by sharing their thoughts, the silence didn’t feel awkward or pressurising which enhanced the calm nature that the session was already taking.
- It was great to ask the students more about what they wanted to achieve from the session or what they were currently concerned about, I felt like this worked to get everyone involved initially and allow the students to realise there was no right or wrong answer.
- I felt like you got the students involved in the session from the very beginning which would have really helped them to feel valued and present in what was going on.
Structure of the session: Well done for creating such a well-paced and engaging session. I thought that the structure that you worked with was very effective to introduce the definitions to the students and then follow with reflective questions so that the students are involved early on. You were very quickly able to make the students feel like the session was about them and their personal development rather than you just talking at them about imposter syndrome. I think this is something that is hard to do but you made it look easy!
Listening to the students: Jackie you are an amazing listener! It was great to see how you listen to students and then offer a fantastic, reassuring, and personable response to their thoughts. I almost felt like each of the students was in their own 121 session with you because your responses were so thorough and thoughtful.
Understanding of imposter syndrome: When I initially thought about my own understanding of imposter syndrome it was mostly rooted in things that I had seen on social media so it was great that you started by sharing a clear definition. Although this definition may have initially seemed complex you broke it down very well to contextualise it within the student experience.
Overall I thought you put on a brilliant session and that the students were very pleased with how you tackled some of their initial concerns and enlightened them about some possible work arounds. In future sessions you could think about offering alternative ways for students to share their thoughts. For example, providing a whiteboard or Padlet page that would allow students to ask a question or share something anonymously. In this session most students were confident enough to share in the chat or using their microphone, but I wouldn’t want to assume that every student is comfortable sharing this way, in that sense providing something anonymous might be beneficial.
You shared the video links with the students so that they could watch the videos in their own time or at the same time in a different tab. In some previous sessions I have experienced staff at UAL recommend that keeping students within singular tabs on their devises can support their focus on the session. I do think that your selected method of sharing the video definitely worked in this instance, but you could potentially think about alternative methods in the future. It would also be interesting to think about how you might adapt – if at all – this session for delivery in person as opposed to online.
Thank you for allowing me to observe your session Jackie, it was fantastic to get an insight into your world!
Reflection on the observer’s comments and ideas to follow up: It was so nice to read Eleanor’s comments and I was pleased to hear that she felt that I had created a well-paced and engaging session and that students got individual attention and felt comfortable to share their experience. It was reassuring to read these comments and it left me feeling proud of my work with students. I was equally as happy with Eleanor’s feedback regarding her own recommendations on what I could add to the workshop in the future – a pallet or whiteboard is a fantastic idea for students to be able to share thoughts and feelings anonymously. My only worry about this is that because it is a psychotherapeutic workshop, students share their own personal vulnerabilities and if they were to share something around risk, it would be difficult to get help and support to this person. This is an unlikely scenario but not impossible when working with mental health. I loved Eleanor’s suggestion of keeping the video within one tab in order retain focus and this is certainly something I plan to implement into future workshops. I am yet to run the workshop face to face and this is something I would like to look at in the future. Overall I am delighted with Eleanor’s complimentary feedback with suggestions for future teaching.
review by a tutor
OB2 Peer Observation Report
Session to be observed: Imposter Syndrome
Size of student group: 6
Type of activity: Online workshop 23-03-22
Observer: Tim Stephens Observee: Jackie Roberts
Observations, suggestions and questions
“Hello there, just waiting to see who is going to arrive…give it a few minutes…
[Time management and room/group management.]
[You wait patiently, without saying anything. This is interesting for the space it creates]
“We’ll give it til 5 past…after lunch, end of term…[good, clear communication..]
[You are already setting up a positive and respectful group culture, as more people arrive.]
[You repeat the message to those newly arrived. Excellent trust created. You have both the confidence not to chat and the confidence not to deviate from the basic information…so everyone feels, or will feel included.]
[Then, you act on your promise for the 5 past. Explain about latecomers.]
“I can just let them in…. for the latecomers.
St: comment in chat about student attendee
“Yes, that’s the person I’ve just admitted, thanks for that..
“So this is a workshop on IS.
“Perhaps something within the definition resonates with you. A psychotherapeutic workshop…
“Place to share…thoughts and experiences…
“Don’t have to….
“Welcome that…
“In chat and just chip in..
“Welcome to person from lobby…
“Workshop being recorded….[explained]
“Let’s get started. I’m JR…introduce…
“I really like giving this workshop….[explain, use and arts and creative industry…IS hinderances…etc]
8 mins. Intro and ettiquette slide.
[Good repetition of the key messages for group culture. Also shape of the session, the break and so on…
“We will finish no later than 4…[good boundary setting-this is the container, you psychologically and sensitively employ: how positive and transferable therapy skills are with educational ones! Wonderfully demonstrated]
[Explain more about yourself]
“I’ve introduced myself, I’d like you to introduce yourself…camera, I would invite you to…to say hello..
St: I’m D. in Photography at CSM…
“So, Alice….[you pick someone, to save the volunteering routine…however, this is also interesting..the dynamic of having been picked; was it alphabetical, was it just on yr screen view, was it a hunch..based on interaction earlier..about late student – either way she turns out to be ‘a contributing/sharing’ student-type]
St: Explains their feelings [– very honest and heartfelt, almost tearful, but certainly emotive, using strong disclosure…’palace of lies’…very interesting phrase…]
Thank you. All the things you just said are definitely part of this…thank you for sharing that Alice…[Very good ‘contact’ in your manner of communication.]
St: explain about confidence..
Thank you for sharing…
“Yvonne…[again, I presume this is a kind of turn taking for you to pick, but I’m curious how; opp. We sometimes have for sharing what we are doing and why and what role that plays as meta-communication and in power dynamics]
St: Sorry won’t turn camera on at the moment…explains relating to description…so I can recognise when I fall into negative thinking patterns…[She follows Alice’s decision in a way, this is group culture forming]
“Thank you for sharing, introducing yourself and hopefully find things you can use in practice…[Very even and fair and engaged response to all students equally..great!]
“Alice, hi, [go to message in chat… Alice again initiates to draw attention to message?]
“Welcome Timi, reads out the message intro. from this student…unfortunately on phone so not using camera..
“Great that you’re here…even tho you are on yr way home…
“Fantastic…just see Alice is typing, wait a second then get started…feel free to start typing…
St: Alice explains not typing.
“Thank you for letting me know. OK. [Absolutely Jackie, excellent attention to communication, simply on another level, above and beyond normal teaching expectations and excellent teaching as a result]
17m 2nd Slide Outline [Explains Uni context]
3rd slide…Definition
“Like someone explained in the intro. [Discrete, yet collaborative to group]
“Against evidence….if you don’t believe it yourself, you’re not going to believe it from others…
4th Slide. Reading out dictionary def.
Pause between slides.
5th Common amongst students.
“Can be this thought you are alone…
[You use the terms, ‘fraud’, ‘incompetent’, ‘destined to fail’…very powerful affective reinforcement]
[You explain its effect in career transitions.]
“There can be really successful people in academia, business etc…
6th Slide
“A form of intellectual self doubt. You explain its not an “official” syndrome…
[You explain dynamics of feeling and consequence…
“Although its not directly….[Read slide]
Stop for chat.
St: Dunning Crouger effect..? explains, in chat.
[You bring her in. She is very articulate about the explanation.
“Yes, that can often be the case…
[You explain the difference between competence and confidence…and dynamics of how people excel…going above and beyond..can be plus sides…to achieve and develop more…
“And what was the thing you said at the end, Alice [Very transparent and authentic]
St: Alice comes in…[She has a very insightful and deeply reflective knowledge and understanding of the dynamic]
You explain further…and it generates more thoughts almost as a conversation between you…
[Lovely dynamic of the emerging conversation…between the two of you..however, is it becoming exclusive..albeit subtly – some students need to feel special, how do we deal with this?]
“Does anyone else resonate with these thoughts or want to say something..[Maybe think about type and form of questions and questioning – how to engage student’s with questions…that are more than open…investigative, exploratory, propositional, does anyone feel X’, or questioning of other aspects..speculative, what would happen if…’ ]
[you pause…read out Danny in chat, thank you Danny for sharing that….write your thoughts in the chat and I’ll keeo coming back to it.
You go back to slide.
“So, in terms of thinking what to do…
7th slide Noticing. “The first thing is really noticing…awareness
[You explain the ways it can be internalized messaging in childhood…, how it can be repeated…
“Core beliefs: not good enough, not deserving, and so on…You explain and elaborate on the slides.
[This method of explaining and elaborating on the slides is your ‘chosen’ method for this part of the session…e.g. you add ‘self-sabotaging’..not on the slide…this is very interesting teaching technique as an approach…why does it appeal to you do you think?]
“So I don’t know if anyone resonates with any of that…if anyone has that feeling…you give the options of core beliefs…[Reflection on ways of questioning, cont’d]
[Pause]
“Alice..
St: Alice comes in…explains her dynamics of play and work…”I don’t know if that makes sense…
“Yes, thank you for sharing…you’re doing something you love…explain and respond…you also explain about counselling and goodness of your heart…[Again, your personal experience is you being human, available and transparent…]
Danny…wrote in the chat…”thank you for sharing that…
[You elaborate on the student’s comment…”the real work is noticing that, adding a compassionate voice…it takes time…read out TIMI’s chat..and comment…and another…Yvonne…Pattern of reading out comments from the chat and you responding; has now formalised into a communication culture….you go on to explain about reparenting…challenging the critical voice..]
”thank you for all of you for sharing with this…its so lovely you’re being supportive of each other, hugs and hearts…because everyone is deserving…
“If you can establish your core beliefs if it pops up in your mind it can be challenged…respond to lacking of love…everyone is deserving of love.. [Very deep point; of the first part of the session]
ST: [you read] Search for love in the wrong places..…decide not to follow that up…[wise decision to stay on topic? Emotional boundary again..holding a safe space?
Continue with slides…
Slide 8, the “they”…you and they…
You elaborate…their portfolio is great…[you are adding in language that you feel people will relate to…well done!]
Explain about sitting up tall, lower the pedestal…you’re equal to…explain the facts of the situation…”I got in..like everyone else…therefore logically….my work is just as good…
“So much of this happens unconsciously..not even aware of this…
You explain how to lower your gaze, and do a sensory body scan…throat, upper chest, belly…you use words like nauseous, knotted, trembling…no right or wrong…good or bad…you start to enact the self talk for this process…[This is then kind of self-interrupted…in you wanting to response – with presence- to the chat]
42m Go to chat…Alice on our own work…and the qualities about people’s work..judging one’s own or other’s work..
[Here, the method, the communicative dialogue form, with the chat results in a mismatch of delivery and topic, where the pace of each channel differs – chat is slightly slower hence ‘retrospective’ whereas recording is ‘synchronous’ and up to date- hence this creates a distraction from, or parallel narrative, or overlapping points, which the tutor will then have to re-weave and find connection]
[You again elaborate on Alice’s input and go on to give a “fantastically wonderful!” TS – on record! analogy between the messy process of feeling and experience of discomfort and the messy sketchbook. Was this pre-prepared? Seemed like a beautifully appropriate one if so and if not, either way, but also very appropriately given, or timely, in the moment, narrative response to student concerns]
You continue with reading and responding to chat messages, from Timi and others…
“Be kind and compassionate to yourself..
“You are being very supportive with eachother in sharing all this….[and you explain how them supporting each other is part of being less alone…
45m Link to the Video.
Two points:
[Is this roughly where you expected to be, time-wise? If so, GREAT time management]
[As an honorary student for the observation, I’m still left, engaged, curious and open to the body-sensing task..as it felt slightly incomplete, and wondering, could it be returned to..? Let’s discuss, or reflect, how can body-sensing be boundaried as a discrete and different type of teaching technique, rather than be subsumed into the teaching narrative, and elaborating on slides and comments: the main approach you have chosen…]
50 min. You come back.
“Any thoughts on the video…” [Role, of open questions in teaching, when and where best to use…?]
You read out comments….
“Absolutely 100%..[affirmative feedback, nice]
“As a human species we have a negative bias…we always on the look out….you explain the reading through feedback and looking for negative…etc.
“That’s really important to think about…
[Maybe a ‘teaching moment’ here to have explained that this ‘negative bias’ is a theory from..recent evolutionary biology, or positive psychology or recent social science, who were the theorists that posit this and with what evidence… otherwise we sometimes reduce academic/educational perspective..? ]
“Be mindful of that…
Reading out: There’s a part where…(Dani shares)
“Thanks you for sharing that Dani, that’s really common…to be quite neutral, not comment…here’s my work it’s not great..allow people to say what they are going to say….
“To say thank you and take it…over time that will feel more natural…
“Alice, [you are reading out her comments..]
“Powerful video..[I really wish I could see it now! maybe send me a link?! TS]
“It’s almost 3 o clock let’s have a 10 minute break to get a drink or go to the loo or just switch off..and let me know when you’re back…
“5 past. [Precise and reassuring, well done. You have a great sense of the importance of time that many educators miss]
[Very competent. Again, personal, kind and genuine, detailed closure. Specific and boundaried. You maintain a great balance and stability of presence, attention to communication, detail, appreciation, openness and authenticity and explanatory and a really competent teaching method.]
57 mins. Left session
Reflection on the observer’s comments and ideas to follow up:
I was really pleased with the observer’s comments. It was nice to hear such encouraging feedback and comments on creating a lovely dynamic, the use of silence, and good boundary setting.
I agree that an emerging dynamic was happening from quite early on with one student who shared quite openly from the outset and also took the role of the ‘helper’ in the group and also ‘supporter of others’. I was mindful at the time that it may require ‘containing’ to avoid over-sharing, which can leave the person feeling too vulnerable later on, and it can also potentially become hard for others in the group to hear.
I’m pleased that the observer picked up on the fact that I didn’t give space to the comment about ‘looking for love in the wrong places’ as I felt this was going off topic and could potentially become too personal.
I wasn’t sure if reading all of the comments from the chat was such a good idea although I was mindful that it was the only way some of the ‘quieter’ members of the group were communicating and as there was one dominant member of the group taking up a lot of space I felt this was important. This is something I might not necessarily do in future workshops.
A very useful point from the observer to have perhaps explained the theory of ‘negative bias’ and the evidence for this. This is something I am going to add to the workshop, so thank you!
‘You maintain a great balance and stability of presence, attention to communication, detail, appreciation, openness and authenticity and explanatory and a really competent teaching method’ – thank you! I am really happy with these comments, they are encouraging and kind and also constructive and helpful for me to think about my teaching style.
microteaching – object – pebbles
inspiration for the microteaching
~ i t i s a l l a b o u t l o v e ~
“people often ask me why I have spent most of my life concerned with the consequences of conflict and violence. The simple answer is, why not? The honest answer is difficult. It is about the suffering of refugees. It is about the short life of compassion, how quickly it is born and how quickly it dies. It is about the stranger to whom we owe nothing. It is how our society will be judged and how we discover our humanity. It is all about love.” Helen Bamber OBE (1925 – 2014)
transitional objects
transitional objects generally refer to objects in early child development, the physical object, such as a teddy bear or blanket is an extension of the child’s caregiver. It is a reminder of love and care and it can soothe the child when upset or away from their parent.
in therapy as in society giving something means forming an attachment. objects are fundamentally relational and act as an extension of the relationship. A physical object is given by the therapist and taken from the safe space of the consulting room into the client/patients home as a reminder and a physical representation of the safety and care of the therapeutic relationship.
microteach reflections – pebbles and stones
pebbles and stones
for the microteaching exercise I wanted to share some of my work as a psychotherapist and the topic of using objects and artefacts made me think back to my time working with asylum seekers at the Helen Bamber Foundation, whereby the founder, Helen Bamber, who was an incredibly charismatic and inspirational woman, would have a bowl of stones and pebbles in the centre of the table of her consulting room and would invite each client to choose a stone, to hold it in their hands, to feel it and to describe what it meant to them. the responses were rich in meaning and metaphor – the stones were worn down, like them, but also strong and resilient, they were both hard and solid and soft and smooth, they were of this earth, of nature and their homeland, from the sea, the farm, the mountains, the stones became an object of which to tell their story.
holding and describing the stones also acted as a grounding exercise, bringing the client out of their mental distress and into the present moment. the stones were also transitional objects – the stone representing the therapist, and the therapeutic relationship, could be taken out of the consulting room. The client would then have this tangible thing to hold, which would illicit feelings of safety they had felt with the therapist.
for the microteaching exercise I invited the members of the group to choose a stone and to work in pairs and to share with each other what came up for them, and just like the clients of the Helen Bamber Foundation rich feelings and meaning were evoked. the feedback was similar, that by holding the stone and by feeling the surface and the texture, it brought about a sense of peace and calm. It made some people think of their home countries, or where they grew up, of childhood, of identity.
I thought the exercise went well and I was happy with the aesthetic of the bowl of stones and how it was presented. for me the teaching was more contemplative and reflective and I think the group found it a calming and interesting exercise. I felt a little bit nervous before hand and on reflection I think the is because it is an emotive subject and a time in my life which is close to my heart and I think the emotion showed. due to feeling nervous I rushed through the informative bit – talking about Helen Bamber and about the use of objects in working with trauma. I had a handout with this information, which was a bit of a crutch.
next time I would like to add more thought to the pace, structure and timing and leave enough time to talk about the use of stones and pebbles in trauma work.
the micro teaching exercise made me think about my teaching style and I would say that it is more contemplative and reflective. I resonated a lot with Ike’s exercise, which I think was similar in style – using objects to illicit emotion and contemplation, and also a little with Tom’s exercise on memory.
in my work as a therapist and with students I am always advocating the power of vulnerability and by sharing our vulnerabilities we connect with others and become powerful as our authentic selves. the micro teaching exercise I experienced this first hand and I would like to embrace this more and more.
for the microteaching exercise I wanted to share some of my work as a psychotherapist and the topic of using objects and artefacts made me think back to my time working with asylum seekers at the Helen Bamber Foundation, whereby the founder, Helen Bamber, who was an incredibly charismatic and inspirational woman, would have a bowl of stones and pebbles in the centre of the table of her consulting room and would invite each client to choose a stone, to hold it in their hands, to feel it and to describe what it meant to them. the responses were rich in meaning and metaphor – the stones were worn down, like them, but also strong and resilient, they were both hard and solid and soft and sooth, they were of this earth, of nature and their homeland, from the sea, the farm, the mountains, the stones became an object of which to tell their story.
holding and describing the stones also acted as a grounding exercise, bringing the client out of their mental distress and into the present moment. the stones were also transitional objects – the stone representing the therapist, and the therapeutic relationship could be taken out of the consulting room and the client would have this tangible thing to hold to illicit the feelings of safety they had felt with the therapist.
for the microteaching exercise I invited the members of the group to choose a stone and to work in pairs and to share with each other what came up for them, and just like the clients of the Helen Bamber Foundation rich feelings and meaning were evoked. the feedback was similar, that by holding the stone and by feeling the surface and the texture, it brought about a sense of peace and calm. It made some people think of their home countries, or where they grew up, of childhood, of identity.
I thought the exercise went well and I was happy with the aesthetic of the bowl of stones and how it was presented. for me the teaching was more contemplative and reflective and I think the group found it a calming and interesting exercise. I felt a little bit nervous before hand and on reflection I think the is because it is an emotive subject and a time in my life which is close to my heart and I think the emotion showed. due to feeling nervous I rushed through the informative bit – talking about Helen Bamber and about the use of objects in working with trauma. I had a handout with this information, which was a bit of a crutch.
next time I would like to add more thought to the pace, structure and timing and leave enough time to talk about the use of stones and pebbles in trauma work.
the micro teaching exercise made me think about my teaching style and I would say that it is more contemplative and reflective. I resonated a lot with Ike’s exercise which I think was similar in style – using objects to illicit emotion and contemplation, and also a little with Tom’s exercise on memory.
in my work as a therapist and with students I am always advocating the power of vulnerability and by sharing our vulnerabilities we connect with others and become powerful as our authentic selves. the micro teaching exercise I experienced this first hand and I would like to embrace this more and more.
helen bamber obe
microteach peer feedback
Hi Jackie, very much enjoyed your microteaching. ‘Contemplative’ and ‘reflective’ describe your approach well, I think. Also illiciting emotion, memories and a sense of calmness.
I was struck by how many images and memories came flooding back when holding the stone, and how every touch yielded new sensations. Such a seemingly simple object and task, yet such rich experiences and dialogue.
I am inspired to try a less structured approach in my teaching that leaves more space for contemplation, though in my role on MA Design my sessions often have to provide intense input for students who then explore this input in self-directed study with a feedback session about a week later. I’ll have to think about how to open a space for contemplation and emotions in this framework. Thank you for sharing! Best wishes, Ulli
my response to Ulli’s feedback –
Thank you so much for your kind words, Ulli! I’m so pleased you enjoyed the exercise and that it elicited memories and emotions for you – so great to hear. And also for sharing some of your own process and practice, with best wishes, Jackie
introduction to the microteaching
20 minute ‘microteaching’: Objects and Artefacts
Pebbles and stones as transitional objects of the psychotherapeutic relationship
My first role as a psychotherapist after graduating was at a human rights foundation, the Helen Bamber Foundation, working with asylum seekers who had fled persecution in their home country to find safety and refuge in the UK.
As a psychotherapist and caseworker I worked very closely with Helen. She had an OBE for her incredible work in human rights and she was a full time clinician/therapist as well as going to charity events and public speaking.
She had a solid wooden round table in her light and spacious consulting room at the foundation on Museum Street in Bloomsbury, and in the middle of the table she had a bowl of stones and pebbles.
All of the clients were traumatised from their experiences, in their home countries, and also the asylum process in itself. During a therapy session if she could see that the client was becoming distressed or they were anxious about the wait until their next session she would invite them to take a pebble or stone from the bowl, she would ask them to describe it, how it felt, was it warm or cold, soft or rugged, what did it remind them of, and HOW did it make them feel.
This would serve two purposes, one it would help to ground them in the present moment, a distraction from their thoughts by focussing on the pebble or the stone, and two it would serve as a ‘transitional object’. Helen would invite the client to keep the pebble or stone and in times of distress to hold it and to remember the feeling of safety in that moment.
Clients would carry those pebbles and stones around in their pockets constantly. The foundation was often the only place they felt really safe and therefore were able to sleep! They would often fall asleep on the sofa in the reception and the pebbles would fall out of their pockets and we would find them down the back of the sofa.
microteach at lcc
case study 1 – planning for learning
When preparing for interactions with students, within my teaching capacity at UAL in terms of delivering psychotherapeutic workshops – as opposed to my role as student counsellor, I tend to check in with myself; how am I feeling? Energised, tired, frustrated, anxious etc. This is a useful tool I learned during my psychotherapy training (Emmy van Deurzen and Martin Adams, 2016), and the purpose of the exercise is to know what is ‘your stuff’ and what is the client’s, and in this case the students. This is achieved by doing a short meditation (Swami Vivekananda, 2018) – focusing on my breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to aid relaxation.
The purpose of doing this is to make sure that I feel grounded before delivering the workshop, in order to be fully present with the students, and be able to respond to any challenges in a calm manner. As the workshop is psychotherapeutic as well as educational, students can project their distress outwards, and it is important to be able to ‘hold’ the students distress or projection and to explore it in a responsive rather than reactive way.
When planning the workshops, we as a team look at themes students struggle with in our one to one counselling sessions and plan workshops accordingly. Themes might be ‘procrastination’, ‘anxiety’, ‘low mood’, or ‘imposter syndrome’ for example. We also have an online evaluation form where students are asked to tick which problems they are encountering and so we are aware of student need.
Each counsellor is part of an accredited body, for example I am accredited with the United Kingdom Society for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (UKCP), and abide by their code of ethics.
When planning for the workshops, as a team we think about factors such as differences in socio economic backgrounds, privilege, race and ethnicity, and neurodivergence (Jackie Roberts, November 2022). As a team we have training around such themes and utilise it in our teaching. For example, in terms of neurodiversity, (Debbie Spain, Francisco M. Musich, Susan W. White, 2022) I am mindful in my use of metaphor – metaphor greatly enriches psychotherapeutic thinking when describing emotions and so it is useful as a teaching aid. However, I am also aware that it can be difficult for someone on the autistic spectrum to understand, therefore I will clarify understanding.
One way of understanding what is working is direct student feedback throughout the workshop. I generally get good feedback; that the workshop offers the opportunity, perhaps for the first time, to see that other students feel the same and that is psychologically very rewarding to feel ‘not alone’ with a problem.
I have noticed that some people leave before the end of the workshop and I am unsure if this is just that students tend to dip in and out of online workshops, or if they are no longer engaged/satisfied. This could be a direct question in the evaluation form.
We are in the process of having a more rigorous feedback mechanism within the team. We have evaluation forms but students don’t always fill these out. A way forward could be to ask students to fill them out on the break or to give some time at the end of the workshop before they leave. (504)
Bibliography
- Emmy van Deurzen and Martin Adams (2016) Skills in Existential Psychotherapy and Counselling. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
- Swami Vivekananda (2018) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: The Essential Yoga Texts for Spiritual Enlightenment: Watkins Publishing.
- UKCP UK Council for Psychotherapy. Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
- Debbie Spain, Francisco M. Musich, Susan W. White (2022) Psychological Therapies for Adults with Autism: Oxford University Press.
- Jackie Roberts. The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook.(book review) University & College Counselling ; 10(2): 39. (volume 10, issue 2, P39)
case study 2 – teaching and supporting learning
In my interactions with students I always introduce myself and explain what I do and “why” what is my intention for running the workshop? – What I enjoy about it and where I see it can help – and therefore my enjoyment for helping students with a specific problem. For the ‘Imposter Syndrome workshop’ (Hibbard, J, 2019), I like to say how common it is and that many students struggle alone thinking that it is only them who experience this phenomenon, when in reality many conscientious students also feel like an imposter, and that actually it is quite natural to feel this way when first starting university, or a placement, or a new job as it involves learning things previously unknown and this process can be uncomfortable and leave one feeling vulnerable.
Furthermore it can leave one thinking and feeling that everyone else knows what they are doing and it is only them who do not. I try to dispel this thinking. This helps to reduce some of the shame around coming to a psychotherapeutic workshop for a specific psychological problem – it shows that it is a common theme of being human rather than something to be cured per se. The author Brene Brown talks a lot about shame and the power of vulnerability (Brown, B, 2012). It also allows students to open up and to be vulnerable and to share their experience and by doing so this connects students together in the group – allowing for a more meaningful experience.
By sharing some of my experience it gives ‘permission’ (Baker-Doyle, Kira & Gustavson, Leif, (2005). for students to share theirs. I also set the ‘therapeutic frame’ this is a framework which we are to work within as a group. I discuss confidentiality and ask that what is shared within the group stays within the group. Students are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the workshop. I detail the schedule and what time breaks will be, as well as what time we will finish.
This approach works as it is creating a safe environment for sharing and learning. This is known to work from my experience as a psychotherapist and counsellor offering one-to-one therapy, group therapy and workshops.
A challenge that I have encountered with working online is that it is easier to hide behind a screen. Some students do not have their cameras on and some are multi-tasking and doing other things at the same time as the workshop. This is happening due to the nature of online workshops and also that it feels emotionally challenging to share inner thoughts and feelings with a group.
One thing that I have tried to do to address this problem is to ask for students to turn their cameras on at the beginning when introducing themselves and then they have the choice to turn them off or on throughout the remainder of the workshop. This generally ‘breaks the ice’ and helps the group to feel more comfortable with each other.
Moving forward putting students into smaller groups to discuss certain themes is another way to allow students to connect more with the process. And also alternatively to offer the workshop face to face. (519)
Bibliography
1), Brown, B. (2012) Power of vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection and Courage. Louisville, CO, United States: Sounds True Inc.
2), Hibbard, J, (2019) The Imposter Cure. London: Aster Publishing.
3), (Baker-Doyle, Kira & Gustavson, Leif, (2005). Permission-seeking as an agentive tool for transgressive teaching: An ethnographic study of teachers organizing for curricular change. Journal of Educational Change. 17.10.1007/510833-015-9251-7
Imposter Syndrome – image from Shakula, V, (2021), Imposter Syndrome, Intro, Types, how to Overcome. Shinelearning.com
case study 3 – assessment and feedback
Throughout the Imposter Syndrome workshop I use various mechanisms to find out how students are doing (assessment) and to help them understand how they are doing (feedback). From setting the frame (Karlson, M, April 14, 2014), at the beginning I let students know that I will be checking in throughout the workshop to clarify understanding and that students are also welcomed to ‘chip in’, to offer their thoughts if something I am saying resonates with them. They can do this by putting their microphone on and sharing their thoughts, or they can write in the chat and I will periodically read through the chat during the course of the workshop.
I will also offer some insights and observations throughout the workshop to let students know how they are doing by saying things like ‘that was a very interesting point you just raised’ and then I will elaborate on what they have said. Or I might say that I really like how to group is offering support to each other in the chat after sharing fears or vulnerabilities.
At the end of each section of the workshop I ask directly if anyone has any thoughts. When students offer their thoughts I clarify my understanding. I also thank a student for sharing their experience as this validates their thoughts and feelings and also gives permission for others to share their experience.
This approach works as it is creating a safe space (Alexander, K, 2021), for learning and processing emotions. What doesn’t always work is that some students may talk/share more than others and take up too much space at the detriment of someone who might be more shy or introverted from sharing their experience and so it is important to manage this by respectfully saying we need to move on but thank you for your thoughts. If it feels appropriate to do so I might invite some of the quieter members of the group to share (if they feel comfortable doing so).
At the end of the workshop I ask students to say one thing that they will take away from the workshop and utilise in their day to day lives. This helps to provide feedback of what went well. I also notice that students appear more energised after a short film and the discussion is livelier. This could be because it offers something to relate to and it can be easier to discuss from an intellectual standpoint rather than from an emotional one.
For the future I can make sure to offer a variety of ways of offering feedback, as well as clarifying understanding I can offer research papers on the topic of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and more references for students to make a note of. I can ask how it felt to share their experience and to contrast this with how they felt at the beginning of the workshop and at the end. I can also ask students to fill out the evaluation forms at the end of the workshop before they leave. (494)
bibliography
1), (Karlson, M, April 14, 2014), The Therapeutic Frame, part 1. Psychology Today online: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/feeling-our-way/201404/the-therapeutic-frame-part-1
2, (Alexander, K, 2021), Creating a Safe Space in the Classroom: A Guide for Educators: US: Kim Alexander publishing.
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