Pupils Are Using the ‘Gift of the Gab’ to Boost Their Confidence in School

By SHARON WARD

A NEW educational technique, “Gift of the Gabs”, is having a significant impact on school pupils, raising the confidence of individuals while improving classroom discipline.

Set up by author Libby Hammond, a minister’s wife and the sister of world-famous motivational guru Rob Sieger, the programme is nearing the completion of a year-long trial in primary and secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway, and is also undergoing evaluation in schools in Glasgow.

“It teaches pupils presentation, speaking and interpersonal skills and how to value positive discipline,” says Hammond. “It enables young people to develop confident and effective communication skills.”

Feedback has been positive. Tom Snow, deputy rector of Sanquhar Academy, says it had a huge impact on some pupils.

“Two of the quieter pupils stopped me in the corridor to say they had heard I was showing another pupil’s video from the confidence building day at the assembly,” he says. “They were quite peeved, as they wanted me to show theirs.”

Hammond says teaching presentation and communication skills builds confidence and can help school-leavers enter the world of work. She adds: “It is proving particularly beneficial to those pupils who may be more challenged in social and learning skills, although individuals of all levels of capability gain from participation. The programme focuses on the ‘Four Cs’: confidence, communication skills, character and citizenship.”

Based on learning a range of soft skills – from presentation and negotiation to interpersonal and relationship abilities – evidence also shows it is engaging young people who are not in education, employment or training – a social category attracting increasing concern.

In England and Wales, councils and schools, are in discussion about its introduction from September, and meetings with Canadian schools are taking place this summer.

Delivered via downloadable worksheets that teachers integrate into the curriculum throughout the year, staff are introduced to the programme via continuous professional development at the start of the year, followed by pupils in the succeeding months.

Dr Janice Rough, who leads the Scottish Executive’s “Determined To Succeed” programme in Dumfries and Galloway, says the Executive provided funding to pioneer this approach.

“We have implemented ‘Gift of the Gabs’ with early years, primary and secondary pupils, from three to 18 years of age, and believe it has a key role to play in developing confidence within young people. We have surveyed more than 1,000 pupils, plus every teacher in all the schools using ‘Gift of the Gabs’, and the results are impressive.”

A detailed audit of the results shows 95 per cent of participants felt they had experienced an increase in their confidence, while 60 per cent of the participants felt more positive about themselves and school.

Jim Harkness, the principal teacher at Annan Academy, says: “This is our first year of involvement with ‘Gift of the Gabs’, and pupil response has been very positive. There have been perceptible improvements and an increased willingness to participate in discussions and question and answer sessions.”

(c) 2007 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.