What has been done?
At the beginning, students were asked what they knew about this disorder. What myths have they heard about it (e.g. can a person with this disorder learn and work? Is it shameful to be diagnosed with this disorder? Is it treatable? What are the stigmas in society?). A video was shown in which a girl with schizophrenia talks about her journey to recognising, accepting, treating and learning to live with the illness and her ambitious career goals. The teacher gave a brief presentation and summary of the theoretical material – according to ICD-10 – what is schizophrenia, symptoms, prevalence, causes, treatments. A discussion followed.
What kind of dl or sel skills did you cover?
DL:
- Understanding scientific, psychological and psychiatric terms (e.g. what is schizophrenia, what are the symptoms, prevalence, causes, treatment)
- Appropriate and respectful use of psychiatric terms (mental illness, schizophrenia, hallucinations, psychosis, etc.)
SEL:
- Tolerance, empathy, understanding and compassion for people with mental health problems
- To strive and achieve, to challenge themselves despite obstacles
- Active listening skills
- The ability to express their ideas and their emotions
Which authentic text did you choose?
Title: I am not a monster
Description: Cecilia McGough puts a face to schizophrenia and helps empower college students through the non-profit group Students With Schizophrenia.
Videos:
Students With Schizophrenia (psu.edu)
Author: Cecilia McGough
Which results can you expect?
Active and respectful participation in debate activities.
What do students say?
‘Everyone is unique, and you can’t ‘write-off’ or label people just because of their illness.’
‘We have to be respectful to everyone, because you never know what inner monsters that person is fighting.’