IES Schools SA Tag

The students have put in great effort to create stories that take the reader on an adventure while in the comfort of their own home. Some of the stories involve action and heroism while others revolve around emotion, tugging on the strings of our hearts, leaving the reader with a soft and warm feeling. Other learners have chosen a more humorous path in their story, which has left readers feeling joyful and giggling.

We hope you enjoy reading some of the examples included here.

Erin Hierse
Year 2 Teacher

Teenagers are at high risk for depression and anxiety. They know what we want to hear, and that is what they often give us. Teens know the buzzwords, and talking about their emotions can be wrongly impacted by their preconceived ideas about what they think we want to hear.

Teens who are good with words can use them as a disguise rather than a method of self-discovery. Furthermore, for other adolescents, discussing feelings may be frightening or uncomfortable. The creative process does not allow for that kind of manipulation to happen. Creative arts get teens out of their heads and into their bodies. The teen brain is wired for creativity. Consequently, creative expression is a natural fit to support thriving in adolescents. Creativity is part of building one’s identity. In addition, it supports brain development. Being creative even reduces anxiety. It makes us happier. Creativity and teen mental health go hand in hand.

The act of doing something creative employs various parts of the brain. That is why being creative enhances connectivity in the brain. Connectivity refers to the relationships between different areas of the brain. A study published in 2014 suggests that people with artistic training have improved connectivity between the two hemispheres of their brains. Creative arts, including music and visual art go beyond the rational mind, tapping into our most authentic self. Adolescents, in particular, are attracted to making symbols and graphic depictions. Therefore, they are more attracted to using art as language than to verbal questioning.”

Creativity help teens develop what is known as divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is a process of generating creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. The creative experience produces a natural “high”. Simply viewing art and listening to music stimulates the brain to release dopamine, the “pleasure chemical”. This is the same chemical that is triggered when we fall in love.

Actively making art or music has a similar effect. In addition, it induces a state of flow, a term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This flow describes the experience of being completely absorbed in an activity. It means participating in a reality that is different from that of everyday life. As a result, experiences of flow are the key to sustainable happiness. Teenagers ascribe ‘happiness’ to their moods when they are able to engage in flow activities that stretch their skills and makes them feel alive and proud. Creativity, in particular, produces flow. Moreover, unplugged creative activities for teenagers offer both flow and a mini digital detox.

Creative arts prepares teens to be creative in other areas of life. It comes into play as teens learn new ways of relating to their past, present and new approaches to dealing with pain, trauma, or difficult relationships.

Riaan Vosloo
High School Art and Design Teacher

The Oxford Dictionary defines the term “resilience” as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness”.

This week, the Year 5 classes eagerly started prepping and practicing for their virtual oral presentations about their experiences of distance learning. They have quickly adapted to a different way of answering questions in the form of interactive Google Slides and Google Docs assignments. We have been performing experiments on shadows and mirrors at home, and are marveled at how much science can be done using nothing but ordinary household items!

If we take a look at the circumstances in which majority of the world currently finds itself, it is safe to say that we have all been exposed to a fair share of both difficulties and toughness over the past number of weeks. While observing how commendably the Year 5 students have been able to adapt to this uncertain and unstable situation, something beautiful has caught my eye; The Resilience of Education.

Before we could learn about shadows, periscopes, factors and multiples, we were faced with the challenge of teaching ourselves how to navigate through a new digital world in which this learning was to take place. A tremendous amount of pressure is placed on students, parents and teachers to not only ensure the schoolwork has been adequately done, but to do so without the support, structure and comfort of their daily school routines.

The Year 5 students have very quickly proven that no matter what obstacles or setbacks we are faced with, determination and hard work will always prevail. They have taken the bull by the horns and, in some instances, taught me a thing or two. Education could never be confined to the idea of only an educator providing insight and information to a student. If there is one thing that this lockdown has taught me it is that, even in a time of isolation and social distancing, there is so much we can learn from each other – no matter our age or title.

I could not be prouder to be a part of a community who has taken the unknown and, through strength and resolution, created an environment full of unity, understanding and bucket loads of support. We may have no classroom, no school desks, no whiteboards or projectors, but as long as we have eager minds – ready to learn – education and will always be possible.

Robyn Pieters
Year 5 Teacher