5.2 WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

The manual shows that the development of life skills requires active learning. The learner has to become actively involved in the lesson thereby participating in the discovery or acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills. It is suggested that while developing life skills promoting activities, the following points are kept in mind.

Ice Breaking

The group needs to loosen up. The learners may have been studying together for some time. They may know one another by name but may not have gone beyond that, except with close friends. The learners should be encouraged to mix in random pairs/groups. For example, each pair may tell each other something about themselves such as hobbies, dislikes, most valued childhood experience, most embarrassing moment with a teacher etc. The importance of the exercise is for the group to open up to one another. (See some of the icebreakers in Section Two of this manual).

Team Building

Most of the life skills activities require team work and sharing of sensitive feelings and ideas. It is therefore good to start with activities that build up a sense of trust, frankness and mutual respect among the learners. It is also good at this stage to encourage the learners to come up with their own ground rules that will guide the work. (Suggestions for these can be found in Section Two).

Energisers

As the lesson progresses, learners may become fatigued. Afternoon lessons can be especially tough. Develop some short activities such as the ones described in Section Two of the manual that can be used as necessary.

Methods

As stated above, it is very important to use methods that promote full participation and enjoyment of the learners, and to use a variety of methods wherever possible in order to avoid monotony. Some suggested methods can be found in Section Two.

Identifying and Prioritising Life Skills

A number of life skills have been identified and described in Section One of the manual. In Section Three, under each topic, skills that can be developed have been suggested. You may not consider all those skills to be priorities for the target audience. It is also not possible to treat all the life skills at the same time. Select and prioritise those that best suit the needs of the learners so that they can be given the depth of treatment they deserve and the learners move beyond a superficial appreciation. By identifying the needs of the target audience in terms of skills development, activities may be produced to meet them.

How to prepare an activity

You can do it yourself by following these simple guidelines.

1. Unit..........................................................

2. Rationale.....................................................

3. Unit Objectives................................................

4. Topic.........................................................

5. Specific Objectives.............................................

These objectives should be SMART.

· Specific
· Measurable
· Attainable
· Realistic
· Targetted

6. Activity

7. Life skills (behaviours) to be developed

8. Learning aids

9. Time

10. Procedure

(i)
(ii)
(iii) etc. Your topic will probably have more than one activity.

12. Learning points

13. Hints

These are points to remember so that the sessions are well arranged. Hints also caution the facilitator to be aware of factors which might hinder the achievement of targetted objectives.

14. Extension Activity

Since the development of life skills is closely linked to the way people see themselves in relation to their community, it is a good idea to encourage different forms of community service as much as possible so that students develop understanding of themselves and others and confidence to interact.