Keepin’ It Cool
A funny yet sensitive project promoting patience, communication and
compromise and providing practical ways to manage anger
Ms G. Jenkins Teacher, Hazelwood Junior School,
London Borough of Enfield
Keepin’ It Cool is an explosive 35 minute performance exploring conflict resolution in a sensitive yet engaging way that 8-11 year-olds will enjoy and remember. The project is the perfect complement to SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning) work in schools, and helps prepare young pupils for the transition to secondary school.
Through charismatic comedy characters and familiar situations, Keepin’ It Cool teaches young people that anger is a normal emotion – they are not alone in their anger and its okay to feel angry and to have different opinions from others, providing they deal with these feelings in a positive way.
Young people need to learn a new way of “arguing” that doesn’t end in conflict and violence but, instead, involves listening to other people’s viewpoints and discussing their differences until a compromise can be worked out.
Empathy, patience and communication are key to creating a successful outcome, and Keepin’ It Cool provides young people with tools and techniques to enable them to de-stress and deal with difficult situations in a positive manner, resolving differences before they escalate and become more serious.
Keepin’ It Cool was originally developed in collaboration with the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s (LBBD) Behaviour Support Team.
situations back to the show…Through this they have realized that it is normal to feel this way.”
Marsele Albertse, Teacher, Cann Hall Primary School,
London Borough of Waltham Forest
THE NEED
Many of the teachers we work with have expressed concerns over their pupils’ ability to respond to conflict. As with everyday life, dispute is inevitable in school and this can be more of an issue in urban schools where resources are sometimes limited and communities are more diverse.
In a recent study, 4 out of 10 seven to eleven year olds thought that ‘it’s alright to beat people up if they start it’ and 1 in 4 boys in Year 11 said they have carried a weapon to school or in the street.
As aggression and violence become more commonplace and more serious, conflict resolution and anger management has become a crucial skill for young people to learn, enabling them to handle their differences and disagreements better.
Keepin’ It Cool helps develop children as effective learners and positive members of society, by dealing with emotional issues and promoting skills that enable young people to understand another’s point of view, resolve conflict and manage worries. These skills will enable young people to grow up with the confidence that they have the tools to avoid violence and conflict and are able to effectively control their negative emotions towards others.
The project addresses all the key themes and aspects of SEAL (Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning), including getting on and falling out, relationships, self awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills.
THE SHOW
Keepin’ It Cool tells the story of three schoolchildren and their attempts to deal with the various day-to-day situations that cause them anger and upset…
Taslim, Amy and Shane are all good friends, but just sometimes, little things really get them annoyed and lead to anger and confrontation. Shayne gets frustrated that he can’t go to the Friday night disco, and storms out of class when he fails to get the mark he was hoping for; Taslim and Amy fight over a necklace; and all three start getting really irritated at the disco.
But Angerman, a new superhero from the Planet Compromise is there to save the day! Fully charged with his superpower ‘adrenalin’, and armed with a range of tactics to help them calm down, Angerman explains some real facts about anger, and teaches them how best to deal with this difficult emotion. He tells our young friends that anger is completely normal and that it’s okay to disagree, but that through understanding, respect, communication and compromise they can avoid unnecessary conflict and upset, sort out difficult situations for themselves, and most of all ‘keep it cool’!
Along the way, we meet Jonny Wilkinson and David Beckham, who show us how anger can be positively channeled on the sports field; the Strictly Come Dancing couple who totally freeze up as a result of their pent up frustration; and Doctor Who and a Cyberman who reach a truce as they come to realise that they were both chasing the same goals after all.
With songs from Nelly Furtado and Rihanna, Keepin’ it Cool is a funny and entertaining exploration into the nature of anger, giving young people both ethical and practical advice on how to come to terms with the feelings they are experiencing.
Most importantly, target students who can use this information were engaged 100% of the time!”
Mick McMahon, Teacher, Barley Lane Primary School,
London Borough of Redbridge
KEEPIN’ IT COOL TEACHES CHILDREN…
- how to manage their own anger
- how to help other people manage their anger
- that it’s okay, and its normal, to be angry sometimes
- practical techniques to enable them to deal with difficult situations in a positive manner, and resolve conflict
- that anger can be channeled into positive activity
- to resolve differences before they escalate and become more serious
- that having different opinions/views is ok. You can agree to differ, but in certain situations there is no negotiation (i.e. in school).
- the importance of empathy and understanding
I didn’t know how to control my anger, but now I do.”
Pupil, age 10, William Bellamy Junior School,
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
AT A GLANCE…
| Show length: | 35 mins (45 mins with hot-seating session) |
| Included extras: | Teachers’ resource pack |
| Optional extras: | 1 hour workshop |
| For ages: | 8 – 11 |
| School year groups: | 4 – 6 |
| Level: | Junior |
| Curriculum links and current themes: |
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they got across key messages in a highly entertaining way”
Miss Kemp, Teacher, Parkhill Junior School,
London Borough of Havering
See the “What’s On” box (left) to find out if this project is touring soon.
To receive a past evaluation report or to find out more get in touch.
