Dreams In The
Classroom
Patricia Pionke, MEd, is a
retired elementary school teacher. For the past 12 years she has
participated in several monthly dream groups, taught dreaming to
gifted children, and currently teaches classes at St. Louis
Community College and University City High School. She is also a
guest speaker at Barnes Siteman Cancer Center focusing on
"healing" with dreams.
Abstract
This proposal is a PowerPoint
program about dream education for children. It is designed to
assist teachers in enhancing classroom discussions about dreams.
The overview will cover grades nursery through high school, giving
specific dream exercises and information appropriate for each
grade level. The presentation was developed by Rosemary Watts,
Dream Educator, and is based on the work she has been doing over
the past fifteen years. Since Rosemary is unable to attend the
conference, Patricia Pionke, a retired teacher, will give the
presentation.
The
program will include a variety of materials that are appropriate
to share about dreams, separated into different grade level
sections. It will also provide activities that may be done in the
classroom to inspire interaction with the student’s dreams. This
presentation will cover the basics for teaching dream information
to students, such as:
- The science of sleep
- How to remember
dreams and understanding different dreaming styles
- A brief history of
ancient approaches to dreams
- The history of dream
catchers and how to make them
- “Dream play”
approaches
- Creative re-scripting
of a nightmare
- The use of dreams to
enhance study skills
These exercises can be applied
within a regular classroom setting, or can be incorporated into a
number of other subject specific classes, such as: art, creative
writing, drama, geography, history, religion, and the study of
world native cultures. Dream books and children’s books that
relate to dreams will be shared. Student art examples and
recommended reading will also be presented.
The
program will appeal to current teachers, teacher’s aides, parents,
adult dream educators who want to explore dream education for
children, and therapists who work with children of all ages,
pre-school through young adulthood. The materials and exercises
presented are designed to be utilized by conference attendees with
practical applications.
