PRATICAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE PROJECT

The practical educational activities which have been carried out during the project "Goccia-Genera" are not, when seen from the point of view of action-research, unconnected with the theoretical aspects already outlined. They are, in fact, present in each chapter because they are born and develop from the contents themselves.
It is true to say that the practical educational activities are both those planned and organized for use with the trainees themselves and the games and experiences with the children.The methodology (collecting , organising, experiments, reflecting) is similar as are the educational aims.
As our report on the project "Goccia-Genera" draws to a conclusion, we would like to underline three points:
a) relationships in education as an essential condition;
b) management of events;
c) planning according to the cycle of experience.
All three points link together the different contributions made by teachers, by trainees and in a transversal way for each point, by the children.

a) Relationships in education
An essential condition in any educational planning is the setting up and fostering of an open, serene and positive relationship. There is no need here to discuss these points further as they have already been dealt with; it will be sufficient to supply further precise examples taken from the activities carried out.
The first activity concerned simulating feeding the children. The trainees were divided in pairs (each one as adult and child) and the adults were given yoghurt and jam to offer to the so-called "children".
The adult figures in the couples were told to stand in three different positions: facing the child, behind the child and at the side of the child.
As mentioned in preceding chapters, even the posture and in a more general sense, non-verbal behaviour, influenced communication between the participants.In connection with this activity the following comments were made by the traineee teachers:
- "I felt the distance and at the same time the intrusion of the person in comparison with the space" (frontal position);
- "I wanted to play up, I felt the rigid agressive nature of the adult's hand which appeared and disappeared. I didn't want to eat, I felt an uncontrollable desire to refuse" (adult behind the child);
- "I felt a sense of harmony, calm and fulfilness. Eating was good and relaxing and after I wanted to be rocked to sleep" (side position).

It was evident that in just such ordinary moments of everyday life, an adult encourages a child's sense of independence by means of correct posture, without attracting his attention, by being aware of his gestures and behaviour; or he could block the process of independence arousing anger and aggressiveness in the child even by means of simple gestures (the adult's hand which appeared and disappeared).

We could say, therefore, in a more general way, that the way an adult behaves with a child must be guided and inspired by the expectation of the question which will come from the child who, with his genuine originality, surprises the adult. And the adult must accept being surprised by the child .The adult must, therefore, wait for the child's gestures and bring them to completion by providing adequate answers in a way which is useful for the child himself.
Mealtimes are very important moments for a small child during which he becomes aware both of himself and his growing independence and of the adult's attention and the relationship between them. For the adult, too, these are special moments; she can intervene basing her behaviour on listening, on empathy, on acceptance of the child's gestures and not intentionally distracting or helping him at all costs or worse still, subjecting him to exaggerated encouragement to eat. These are all forms of behaviour which make a child dependent and which block his desire for independence.

Another activity was based on the need for the adult to move to reach the child. The activity took the form of a simulation. The trainees were put in pairs; A acted the part of a child closed within himself who gets up to mischief, while B was the adult who had to decide what to do and how to intervene. During the discussion after the activity and before seeing the video-recording the trainees commented as follows:
(A): "I was annoyed when B made a promise that she didn't keep"
(B): "I was afraid of not knowing what to do. I knew I had to do something, but what?"
(A): "I could feel my "mother" was worried, she wanted to convince me and I was even more angry. I wanted her to look for me but I didn't want to give her any satisfaction.If she didn't look at me, I tried to attract her attention by looking at her".
Instead the following were the comments after the trainees had seen the video-recording:
"The urgent need to reach one's aim means that staying with other people and feeling togetherness with them is often neglected";
"What a lot of opportunities are missed when we don't allow others time, when we reply without giving a true answer, without listening".

An extremely precious reflection came from the text taken from the book "Psicologia funzionale del Sé " by L.Rispoli: "In a disappointed child (also in an adult who is not open to others) there grows and takes root the idea that he has been betrayed, that he can no longer have faith in others, that no-one thinks about him or understands him. The child appears to refuse his parents' help, sends them away, kicks out; but deep down in his heart is the hope that the adults will pass the "test" and that affection, interest and love will in the end be stronger than the refusal that he is expressing".

Basically, the more a child makes himself heard, the more he needs to be protected. He "feels" inside himself, it is up to the adults to help him find the way to voice his needs.The way may be difficult but it must be as free as possible of destructive and self-desctructive gestures.
In this way if Mario expressed himself at the most difficult moments by biting his class-mates just as he pleased, it was up to the teacher to show him the way, for example, by teaching him to say "no", and at the same time to support him in his most urgent needs. However it is possible to teach Mario to say "no" only after he has received "yes" many times from his teacher in the form of listening.

b) Management of the Event
Waiting for another person's question, answer and gestures means being willing to change, to change oneself, to step aside from the line to be followed. It means allowing the unexpected to enter without upsetting the other and without being turned back in a relationship.
All this is fundamental for flexible open-planning which gives due attention to the complexity of relationships and learning. This is true for children and also for adults.
One of the trainees, the youngest, did not mix with the rest of the group, talked little and did not take the initiative. After a few weeks, one day she started to speak and confessed that she felt different from the others and unprepared (as regards age and different needs). She was asked to propose something to do in and with the group, something that would make her feel that she, too, belonged to that particular context. That day the teacher changed the carefully prepared work plan and let the event take over and become the focal point for everyone.
The trainee teacher suggested dancing and the group danced, each person selecting his movements and gradually forming part of the general dance at the same time.
The event had not upset the general arrangements but had been managed leaving space for action and for comments, thus defining the meanings which emerged from the situation.
Transferring the event to the situation of the children the trainees later reflected on the importance of paying attention to requests, even to those which are less clear. When the children stay on the sidelines and do not come forward, it is important to ensure they have the places and the times to enter the group in their own way and to know how to listen to a request, reshape it and turn it into experience, both within a relationship and in terms of educational planning.

c) Planning according to the cycle of experience
"The role of a teacher is, firstly, to encourage the establishment of links between each individual and the context, setting up a communicative system that can make possible access to the "place of words"" (Lacan,1966); that is the "space" which enables symbolic changes to take place between people" (V.Severi, P.Zanelli,1990).

Open "clinical" programming which is based on a child's needs and pays attention to the phases of his growing up, has no part in a régime in which activities are proposed just for the sake of it; but is rather to be found connected with doing and developing experiences.
After have researched and worked on relationships, contact and the phases of education, the teachers and the trainees drew up a "map" of the organizational aspect of the course which we will present without further comments as it has already been explained.

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