Harnessing student and teacher Emotional Intelligence. Transforming relationships, focus, attainment - bringing life to life.

CoolFire can play a central innovative role in raising academic attainment across all sectors by significantly improving behaviour, greater student focus and motivation and transforming the teacher-student relationship. CoolFire also works with teachers to promote calmly managed classrooms as opposed to a potential series of reactive events that can often unwittingly escalate situations. By focussing on a range of personal development techniques, teachers become far more personally and professionally effective through a dramatic reduction in stress levels and a calm centered approach that will avoid their emotive "buttons" being continually pushed.

Using a mix of dynamic techniques such as visualisation, breathing, movement and more, CoolFire enables each student to harness their emotional Intelligence - to use their emotions effectively to become still and focused - managing their own and others’ behaviour. The fun and lively workshops seek to bring together the frequently conflicting forces of mind, body and feelings through making connections with underlying, often hidden, feelings. Instead of being driven by overwhelming feelings that a student has no connection with, they can begin to make calm, conscious choices. This is then re-inforced by the CoolFire PowerPack - a set of mix-and-match short exercises that can be used on a daily basis by the class teacher to embed longer-term practices of mindful calmness and focus. The 11 Phase 3 lesson formats can then be used by the teacher to enable students to exploreand work with underlying emotions/feelings and perhaps negative patterns that are proving disruptive. We deliver training and active on-site support for Phases 2 and 3 - including working alongside teachers in the classroom. The entire programme is flexible with the choice of progressing through each phase. Each phase is tailored as closely as possible to each school's needs and there is no obligation to commission the entire programme - though this will provide the greatest benefits.

Teachers and Heads have constantly remarked on how quickly the CoolFire workshops had a positive impact on whole classes - but particularly “hard-to-reach” students and those with a history of challenging behaviour - how much calmer and centred they became - and how this began to influence their perspective on the relationship with their teacher and peers - and on their newfound approach to focus and concentration. This in turn has had a positive effect on all aspects of both students academic performance and personal relationships.

CoolFire has also been tailored and adapted to work with identified smaller groups - for example: Transition (Year 6-7); Looked After Children; ranges of emotional/behavourial issues. These have also had visible results in Southend schools with CoolFire being directly credited with transforming school refusers into regular, happy school attendees.

CoolFire : Connect for all school staff features "Creating Calm" - the Phase 1 practical 90 minute wellbeing workshop for teachers and all school staff that provides practical tools for calmer classroom management and personal development that can be literally used the next day. At the same time, the workshop becomes its own sanctuary where staff can actually experience very deep calm and stillness. Creating Calm forms the first phase of the staff 3-phase programme - "CoolFire : Connect". I have also staged Creating Calm in many venues throughout the UK for ATL - the teaching union and for NASUWT as part of their NQT programme - and at 3 annual conferences.

Problem

Each person is more than mind. Every action is triggered by a thought. But every thought is rooted in an emotion. Education systems virtually ignore two vital factors - emotions and the body - in personal - and therefore - academic development. Sanctions impose obedience and “progress” on students who are often reacting to emotional forces they are disconnected from. If ignored, such forces become needs that subconsciously drive perspective, decisions and all relationships - frequently resulting in negative behaviour, wider disengagement and a huge waste of potential and opportunity. Each student. Each Community. Each country. “Only connect...”

Solution

“To be sensitised to others - become sensitised to yourself...” - CoolFire makes an immediate dynamic impact. A mix of therapeutic techniques including breathing, visualisation, bio-energetics, psychosynthesis - and more - enables students (age 7-13) to become aware of mind, body and emotions and start to consciously use - and change - their energy and feelings at any given time - transforming negative thoughts into positive action. By becoming the cause not the effect of their actions, students begin to make calm, conscious choices that transform relationships in all life scenarios - not only with teachers and peers but wider family and friends. The need for sanctions evaporates resulting in greater concentration, focus, motivation and attainment.

Example

CoolFire - a 3-Phase modular programme. Schools select 1,2 or all 3 tailored modules to their needs. Phase 1: Introductory CoolFire Workshop - Flexible 70-90 minutes Theme: Students discover choice and techniques in using and directing their emotions and energy. Like a drama workshop - students experience energetic exercises releasing tension and clearing mind, body and feelings. Also a sense of profound sense of stillness and energised calm in groups, pairs and individually. Transforms negative feelings into positive energy. Phase 2: CoolFire PowerPack Extends/embeds techniques of Phase 1 - daily brief tutor-time “mix-match” exercises combining breathing, visualisation, physical exercises, “Creating Change”. Teacher/pastoral staff delivered - through 1-day training + support. PowerLog - student’s own journal of emotional journey. Teachers notice many positive emotional/empathetic changes within 2 weeks. Phase 3: 11 In-depth Lesson formats - easily curriculum integrated Teacher delivered - training + support. Easy-to-follow lesson plans Includes Psycho-synthesis techniques to enable students to identify and actively resolve emotional issues - expanding empathy, focus, motivation, confidence CoolFire PowerLog Measurable outcomes - Phases 2/ 3 - Goodmans Scale/Outcome Star Also - workshops - identified groups; Looked After Children; Transition Phase Also - CoolFire : Connect - 3-phase programme - teachers/school staff

Marketplace

I’m aware of three emerging UK organisations who are not direct competitors, but offering specific practices or approaches based on developed infrastructures that could block access to CoolFire take-up. In each case, the CoolFire approach goes much deeper to actually effect sustainable change in students and/or staff. PackCards: Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in schools as organisations and use in staff recruitment. T’ai Chi - Exercises to promote learning. Mindfulness: Various forms - based on Buddhist philosophy. CoolFire combines aspects of Mindfulness in a wider therapeutical mix that enables in-depth 1:1 work with students.