“What do I value the most in others?” is unlikely a question that a teenager would contemplate in the middle of a school day. However, it is one that a mind seeking to discover its unique self or to find a community of kindred spirits should answer to.
A young mind is known to be lost as much as it is known to seek. To seek meaning, for a place, for a path, for a direction, for a community, for the self. The need to discover oneself emerges strong in the teenage years and guides our life journey until our mid-20s or even beyond. It is a turbulent time of discomfort, imitation, self-doubt, and questioning. If we are lucky to get the right guidance, someone who poses the right questions, we might arrive at the discovery of ourselves earlier. Once we have the self with us, equipped with knowledge of who we are and what matters most to us, we can better navigate this chaotic world.
As a teacher of socio-emotional development at Klaipėda Varpas Gymnasium in Lithuania, I work with teenagers in exploring various angles of emotional intelligence and its tools to help them find confidence and the necessary support against modern-day uncertainty. I hold a sense of responsibility for my student’s well-being. At times, I find myself at a loss of words or with a question stuck in my throat, as I am afraid to come across too intrusive or confrontational to minds that are more sensitive than others. Frankly, a classroom setting can be rather sterile, and a lesson too short to open up the right way.
Recently, I have had a chance to explore a different format of conversation and soul-searching with my students. The Bloomerang game brings to the classroom a playful, gentle approach to look within by asking the right questions and providing subtle guidance to reflect and discover your true colors, to find the answers that are unique to YOU.
What I loved the most about the game is how it opened up the players to explore and share their inner worlds, as we all moved to respond to the same questions. Bloomerang facilitated an atmosphere of playful yet intimate reflection on the self and how it connects to others and the world.
As the game unfolded, the young minds opened up inwards to see and outwards to express. I noticed students’ voices become more reassured of themselves. Some students articulated themselves with ease and certainty I had never heard before.
As an educator, I wonder how magical it would be to have the Bloomerang Game as a tool for career education or emotional development across all schools. It could aid in exploring themes of personal empowerment, facilitate career guidance and support students in making life-defining decisions by playfully connecting with their value base and inner voice.
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