Fortitude
6-year-old
WHAT
IS
FORTITUDE
Fortitude
/ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd/
noun
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courage in pain or adversity.
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strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.
Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues. It is commonly called courage; however, it is different from what we often think of. Fortitude is always reasoned and reasonable. A person of fortitude practices patience when meeting obstacles.
Fortitude allows us to overcome our fear and remain resilient in the face of obstacles.
IMPORTANCE
OF
FORTITUDE
Teaching children about fortitude which consists of courage and perseverance, can help children develop into strong and resilient individuals.
Cultivating the value of fortitude in children at the age of 6 years old can benefit them with smoother transitions after preschool. Additionally, fortitude will teach children how to overcome their fear and remain resilient in the face of future obstacles and challenges.
GUIDANCE
AS A
TEACHING
TECHNIQUE
As guidance is more than getting children to do what we want them to do today; it is helping them to become everything they can become for all of their tomorrows (Hearron & Hildebrand, 2012).
It is beneficial for 6 years old children to be able to comprehend and understand the importance behind the value of fortitude.
According to Hearron and Hildebrand (2012), guidance is everything adults deliberately say and do either directly or indirectly to influence children’s behaviour, with the goal of helping the children to become well-adjusted, self-directed and productive beings.
WAYS TO INSTILL FORTITUDE IN SCHOOL
ROUP
Teaching Fortitude in Large Group
FORTITUDE KNOT (Do you have fortitude?)
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Teacher to facilitate The Human Knot game. The teacher to invite children to form a circle in a small group of 3-5 people.
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Steps to facilitate The Human Knot game:
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Teacher to instruct that they have to raise their left hand, and reach out to the person opposite them.
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Then repeat with the right hand.
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Ensure that nobody is holding the same person with both hands.
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Teacher to let children know that they have to break out from the knot without letting go of their friend’s hand.
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The end goal of the game is that everyone will have to form a circle eventually.
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If children are noticed to have struggles and difficulties, the teacher guide children using verbal guidance of positive encouragement as well as facilitate problem-solving techniques.
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The game can be repeated by increasing the number of people in the group.
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FORTITUDE SEAT (How can you display fortitude?)
2. After the game. The teacher to ask children what have been displayed during the game.
3. Possible answers:
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Displaying the courage to continue playing
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Communicating with friends
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Playing together with friends
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Working together to solve a problem.
4. Teacher to reinforce the idea of displaying fortitude when facing a challenging task.
5. Teacher to then invites children to the ‘fortitude seat’ where they will be questioned on difficult situations they have been in and how they displayed fortitude in those situations.
Through these 2 activities; ‘Fortitude Knot’ and ‘Fortitude Seat’ the teacher is teaching children fortitude through a combination of direct guidance and play. At the same time, while guiding children through the activities, the teacher is teaching fortitude through affective, physical and verbal guidance.
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Affective Guidance: Providing words of encouragement when children are observed to be giving up.
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Physical guidance: Leading children to preserve through the game.
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Verbal guidance: provide positive direction as well as teach problem-solving techniques during the game.
NDIVIDUAL
FORTITUDE IS IN YOU!
The teacher to create a fortitude toolkit, ‘Fortitude is in you!’ to aid children when they lack the courage and strength to continue doing an activity. This kit serves as non-verbal, direct guidance to the children in times of giving up. Alongside the kit, the teacher will provide affective guidance in the form of verbal encouragement and feedback to help children preserve with his task.
Teaching Fortitude in Individual
OUTINE/
TRANSITION
(1) FORTITUDE HOTLINE
Transition - while waiting for the next class or routine:
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Teacher to tell children to play a game; broken telephone - ‘fortitude hotline’
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Teacher can start the game by telling children a sentence with words that they need to work on. E.g tongue twisters.
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As the game is played with challenging words, and children might struggle with the game and may not get it right.
Teacher to provide direct verbal guidance through affective and verbal guidance. Teacher to provide words of encouragement while reinforcing the value of fortitude as well as positive guidance.
Teaching Fortitude During Routine or Transitions
Teaching Fortitude During Routine or Transitions
(2) FORTITUDE PUPPET
Additionally, as part of providing direct guidance, teachers need to be able to facilitate positive behaviour, anticipate challenges as well as responding to them (Hearron & Hildebrand, 2012).
Hence, educators can use transitions time to anticipate the challenges that children may face and brainstorm for solutions together.
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Teacher to use puppets to tell stories while moving from locations to locations.
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At the end of the story, the puppet will face a problem.
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Children have to think of ways that they can help the puppet solve the problem.
Story examples:
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Yesterday, I was doing a math question that I have never done before. It was really hard and I did not know how to do it. I did not want to get the answer wrong so I did not want to continue doing it. However, I do not think it is the right thing to do. Can you all tell me what I can do instead?
Through this process, children come together to listen to possible challenges they might face in the future and brainstorm ways they can face these problems. The teacher will act as a facilitator to encourage discussions and provide affective and verbal guidance to cultivate this value in them.
As part of indirect guidance, establishing an environment that serves as a 3rd teacher (Hearron & Hildebrand, 2012).
NVIRONMENT
FORTITUDE HERO
Teacher to encourage and facilitate fortitude to take place in the classroom. The teacher to set up a Superhero board - ‘I am a superhero!’ and place it in the classroom.
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Teacher to introduce the superhero board to the class.
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Discuss with children how superhero show courage and resilience when they are fighting off the bad guys.
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Teacher to provide children craft materials in the classroom.
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During their free time, children are to draw a superhero of themselves, and draw or write how they displayed fortitude during the day or the past week.
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Teacher to help them paste it up to the superhero board.
FORTITUDE TREE
Teacher to make a tree out of cardboard for children and place it in the classroom.
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Teacher to facilitate a discussion with children regarding what they think fortitude is or what can be done that display the act of fortitude.
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Children to the traits discussed onto paper apple cutouts.
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Teacher to attach them on the tree.
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Children are then encouraged to add or remove the fortitude apples each day, based on what fortitude traits they have demonstrated that particular day or week.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
STORYBOOKS
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Courage by Bernard Waber
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Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes
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Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade
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The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
SONGS
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All About Courage!