Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) Training
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Outline:
Day 1 - Raising Emotional Literacy Awareness; Emotional Literacy in Schools ; The ELSA Project: An Introduction for ELSAs and Line Managers
Day 2 - Building Resilience and Self-esteem Part 1: Relationships
Day 3 - Building Resilience and Self-esteem Part 2: Motivation and Confidence
Day 4 - Managing Emotions; Social and Friendship Skills
Day 5 - Supporting Children Through Loss, Bereavement & Family Break Up; The Use of Story in ELSA Work
Day 6 - Active Listening and Reflective Conversations; group to choose e.g.: The Use of Puppets in ELSA Work, supporting emotional literacy needs in pupils with Autism, embedding ELSA in schools.
Description:
The course will involve powerpoint presentations as well as opportunities for discussion and practical activities. Each TA will be issued with the practical text Emotional Wellbeing: an Introductory Handbook and they will be sign-posted to other resources. It is also anticipated that TAs will begin to try out some of the things they have learned between sessions so they can provide feedback and gain support throughout the course.
Outcome:
Following the 6 full days of training the TAs will be able to begin their role as an ELSA. This will involve planning and delivering individualised programmes of support for individual children and small groups to develop their emotional literacy. Programmes will target the following skills in children and young people:
- awareness of own and other people’s emotions
- development of an increased range of emotional vocabulary
- raised feelings of confidence, motivation and self-efficacy
- management of stress, grief, anger and conflict
- development of social interaction skills
- development of ability to initiate and maintain friendships
ELSA’s will receive ongoing half termly group supervision (6 sessions a year) so that they are able to continue to practice as an ELSA. Supervision will include problem solving as well as the sharing of good practice and opportunities for CPD.
