This is a Piece of Cake!

Students use mental visualization nearly every time they read. Imagining what characters look like, picturing historical events in history and viewing the vast geography of our world. Visualization is a proven technique that can bring better understanding of what one is reading by simply employing the imagination to visualize the content in which is being read.

Why not formally teach Visualization to students as a life skill for goal setting? We took visualization practices one step further and did just that in Expressions.  Students are in the heart of our Pop Art Unit and just began a project where they will utilize math skills to construct a 3 dimensional piece of cake.  Yes, a piece of cake!  

Part of the lesson focused on where the phrase "piece of cake" came from and the concept behind what it means to say “that is a piece of cake!”  Taking the idiom one step further, we discussed things that are “a piece of cake” and the power of our brain’s influence on tasks that we perceive as easy as well as tasks that our brain perceives as hard or challenging.  

Students were asked to brainstorm personal and academic goals they have set for themselves and how their brain perceives these goals...are the goals I have set for myself going to be "a piece of cake" or do they seem unattainable? Students watched a Visualization video on the positive influence that mental imagery has on a gymnast when she is performing her bar routine. This video really "hooked" the kids and opened a great class discussion. Students were then challenged to answer these essential questions:

1. Why is it important to set goals for oneself?

2. How can forming mental images help achieve goals?

3. How can mental imagery help make positive changes?

4. How can mental imagery overcome challenges in one's life?

I asked students to select one goal to focus on from our brainstorm session and then turned off the lights in the room. Students closed their eyes, laid on the floor or put their head down on the table, and listened to my verbal prompts on breathing techniques. They were prompted to create an "I will" statement set to their goal and mentally visualizing themselves achieving their goal. Now, I knew several students would be open to this exercise, but it is still a Middle School classroom after all, so I was prepared for a few snickers and giggles. I turned on classical music and read through a series of prompts relating to breathing, visualizing themselves achieving their goal and repeating their "I will" statement. This exercise was set for ten minutes and I was absolutely stunned when NOT ONE snicker or giggle erupted throughout the entire lesson!

We ended the visualization exercise with feedback and discussed feeling and outcomes on the power of mental visualization to achieve goals. Students were amazingly positive and open to the power of positive thinking and visualizing their goals being achieved. By show of hands, all but five kids plan to continue these learned visualization techniques to help them achieve their goals, many of which relate to confidence and passing upcoming portfolio presentations! Who knew that getting students to be open to the powers of visualization and positive mental imagery would be such a Piece of Cake?!