Managing fear

                                                  GROUP  DISCUSSION  

Class                          : VIII A and B           Date:26/11/2019

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Area:  Managing Fear

Topic: Ways and Means of Managing Fear

Objectives: At the end of the Group Discussion all the students will be able to understand:

          i) What fear is

          ii) The difference between rational fear and irrational fear

          iii) The impact of fear on one’s health

          iv) The impact of fear on one’s performance

Dimensions:

          i) Meaning of fear

          ii) Need for managing fear

          iii) Impact of fear on our body

          iv) Fear and performance

                                                  Report

The class comprising 40 students was divided into four groups four days  prior to the conduct of the group discussion. They were familiarized with the topic and each group was assigned one dimension to discuss and do the presentation. A leader was also selected for each group to coordinate the activity. As per our request, a block period was allotted for the conduct of the group discussion.

On the day of the group discussion, that is , 26/11/2019, the teacher went to the class in the allotted block period and after two-three minutes of informal chat with the children they were to sit group wise. General instructions were given as to how to proceed. Each group discussed the dimension assigned to them.

FIRST GROUP ON ‘WHAT IS FEAR?’

·       An unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

·       Fear is an emotion caused by a threat perceived by a living being , which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing .

·       Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or harmful.

SECOND GROUP ON ‘NEED FOR MANAGING FEAR’

Sometimes our fear gets in our way and interferes with our daily living. Strategies for overcoming “unrealistic" fears:

1.    Get clear in your mind what it is that you're afraid of. Ask questions like, "What about that scares me?"

2.    Become aware of your self-talk. What are you saying to yourself that scares you?

3.    Exaggerate the bad consequences you fear. Begin to recognize that you were probably already exaggerating and didn't know it and that what you feared is indeed and exaggeration already.

4.    Visualize you still being afraid, but handling the situation in an acceptable manner.

5.    Gradually expose yourself to the feared situation by doing things that more and more closely approximate what you fear.

THIRD GROUP: IMPACT OF FEAR ON OUR BODY

our body releases hormones that slow or shut down functions not needed for survival (such as our digestive system) and sharpen functions that might help us survive (such as eyesight). Our heart rate increases, and blood flows to muscles so we can run faster. Our body also increases the flow of hormones to an area of the brain known as the amygdala to help us focus on the presenting danger and store it in our memory.

·       Sweating

·       Shivering

·       Faster heart beat

·       Palpitation

·       Indigestion

·       Poor eyesight

·       Slow performance

·       Broken voice

FOURTH GROUP: FEAR AND PERFORMANCE

·        Brain perceives events as negative and remembers them that way.

·       Unclear thinking

·       can interrupt processes in our brains that allow us to regulate emotions

·       Lack of confidence leads to poor performance.

·       Impulsive reaction

·       Powerlessness (physical and mental)

The group leaders ensured that all the members in their groups took active part in the discussion.  They noted down the important points for presentation. They had already downloaded some important information from the internet which they incorporated into their points for presentation.  At the end of the discussion, the group leaders were asked to sit in the chairs arranged at the front of the class and talk to the audience representing their groups.  

All the leaders did an excellent job of presenting the views of their group and they took questions from the audience and answered them very confidently and convincingly. Another three students  also spoke supplementing the presentation of their group leaders. In short , it was a new learning experience for the whole class and they enjoyed it.

                                                  REFLECTION

The conduct of the group discussion gave me a new insight into the role of the group guidance activities in teaching-learning process. All teaching-learning is not as much about transmitting information to students as  creating opportunities in the class for them to think , refer, plan , organize, interact, talk and perform. All this ultimately leads to creating and acquiring knowledge -the crux of constructivism.

Though conducting group discussion was nothing new to me , this method of organizing the activity taught me how to do it in a more structured and meaningful way which ensured the participation of the entire class.

To sum up, now I feel more confident and well-equipped to organize group discussion in my classes.

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