HOW TO EXPRESS OUR EMOTIONS “This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

“The elements of emotional intelligence — being aware of our feelings and handling disruptive emotions well, empathizing with how others feel, and being skillful in handling our relationships — are crucial abilities for effective living. We should be teaching the basics of emotional intelligence in schools.” Daniel Goleman (2001)

Identifying emotions - in other people and in themselves - can be particularly difficult for children with special needs. They often completely miss visual cues that should let them know how others are feeling, and may respond inappropriately.

Daniel Goleman (1995) outlines five skills involved in emotional intelligence: being aware of one’s emotions; managing those emotions; motivating oneself; empathizing; relating well with others in a group.

When the adults ignore, judge or extinguish the children’s emotions, they learn: Their feelings are wrong, inappropriate, not valid. There is something inherently wrong with them because of the way they feel. They may have difficulty regulating their own emotions. They learn to ignore their feelings. They don’t learn how to deal with emotions. They don’t fully appreciate the joy inherent in being emotional.

Goals To help children with special educational needs : to learn what are the emotions in our live and how we express them; how to recognize emotions in others; to deal with there own emotions?

Definition Emotions /also called feelings /they are facts. We feel them because of what we see, hear, remember, and do. They help us to understand how important are these things for ourselves We have so many different emotions every day. And because of this every day is different for us! Whether we're sad and blue or happy and excited, we can share your feelings with other people by talking about them and show it by our face and body.

Types of emotions

My Bear Give each child a black and white bear. Ask them to listen to your questions and colour in their bears in answer to the questions. When they are finished ask the children to look at one another’s bears. Are any the same? Can they spot similarities and differences between them?

Questions for My Bear 1. Do you have any sisters or brothers? If you have a sister, colour the bear’s tummy red. If you have a brother, colour it blue. If you have both colour, the bear’s tummy purple. 2. Do you have any pets? If yes, colour the bear’s feet green. If no, colour the bear’s feet black. 3. How do you like to get about? If you prefer to ride your bike, colour the bear’s bow yellow, If you like to ride a scooter more, colour the bear’s bow pink 4. What do you like to do most, read a book or draw a picture? If you like to read a book, colour the bear’s nose grey. If you like to draw a picture, colour the bear’s feet orange. 5. Do you like summer or winter best? If you like summer best, colour the bear’s fur brown. If you like winter best, leave the bear’s fur white.

The group is standing in a circle. One of the group is in the middle of the circle and he smiles his widest, silliest smile at everyone round the circle, trying to make someone else giggle or laugh. He gets a point for everyone who can't keep a totally straight face. After a while, he uses one hand to literally "wipe" the smile off his face, and hand it to the person next to him, and on it goes. Wipe That Smile Off Your Face

Stories without Words The members of the groups try to create a story using only movements, without words. The stories may have a main topic about the situations in our live, when we are – angry, sad, happy… Each group presents their story while other groups (which represent the audience) will be asked to find the title of the story. Then the “audience” can add a new action, aiming at enhancing the story that they observe.

Let’s draw our emotions! Give each child a blank and ask them to listen to choose some emotion and draw it.

The Sculptor and the Sculpture The group is divided into pairs. One becomes the “sculptor” and the other becomes the “sculpture”. Each “sculptor” receive a word for some of emotions /angry, happy, sad…/. The “sculpture” stands neutrally and the “sculptor” gives a form/position to the “sculpture” by moving some of his/her body parts. The “sculpture” has to maintain this position by standing immovable for a while, such as moulding a sculpture by clay.

Bingo Give each group member a pen and a copy of the ‘Bingo’ sheet. In the free space on the center of the sheet, the participant write his/her own name. Explain to the participants that they are to circulate and find people who has an expiries with some of emotions in the boxes. When they find the person, they write their name in the box. One person may be written only 2 times. The first person who complete all of the boxes shouts ‘bingo’. After that everyone returns and the person must introduce the people who signed his/her sheet.

Еmotional cards Give each child a card with some emotion. The child must show to the group the same emotion and the other must find out what is in his/her card.

Give each child a emotions sheet and ask them to write the words, named the emotion on the picture.

Emotional Reading Supplies: Each student should have one item to read. This can be any item of text. Examples would be: a previous class handout with plenty of text, the text to a story, or even some article(s) from the newspaper. How to play: 1. Divide the students into groups of three or allow them to self-select. Students may sit or stand for this game. 2. Ask each group to decide who is “A,” “B” and “C.” 3. Provide the following instructions: Starting with the person who is “A,” you are going to read some selection of the (text) you have in front of you. You will begin to read it in your normal voice. After a moment, I will call out an emotion, feeling or attitude such as happy, sad, tired, sleepy. When I do so, you start to read the (text) with that emotion to your group of three. 4. Start the game, allowing a minute or two for each emotion to be practiced. Some suggested emotions or feelings would be: happy, sad, tired, aching, bored, surprised, cold, hot, afraid, unsure, giddy, satisfied, hungry, joy, worry, sympathy, shyness, condescending. Feel free to add other emotions, feelings or attitudes as you see fit. 5. Game proceeds several times around the circles.

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