Making Transitions Easier In The New Year
11/01/2006

Ivor Smith, a partner at Aberdeen based Fifth Dimension, looks at how critical transition periods can be made easier if issues are identified and addressed early on.

As the New Year gets underway almost all of us will have made at least one New Year's resolution. As well as making personal promises, many teachers and pupils will have also set new goals at school. Setting new targets can get the New Year off to a positive start, but to avoid disappointment later in the year, it is essential that adequate mechanisms are in place to see these changes through.

Major life transitions, whether between primary and secondary school, university and work, one employer and another and even work and retirement need to be carefully managed to ensure performances don't falter.

Humour and magic may seem like a bizarre way of dealing with such big adjustments, but for the past five years Fifth Dimension has been successfully using these to demonstrate and convey important themes, topics and key learning points to both pupils with the aim of easing them through difficult periods of change.

Ivor Smith says, "Government research has shown that major changes can contribute to a dip in achievement in the early years of secondary schooling. However, this can also be said of major transitions in personal and organisational development. Not everyone deals with change in the same way. Some people take major life transitions in their stride, while others can suffer set backs and become emotional or indecisive."

Fifth Dimension offers four unique products for schools. Emphasis is placed on thinking skills, creative talents and developing the capacity for original ideas;

The Inspiration Game is a fast-paced, fun event delivered in a game show format. It uses a variety of quick fire challenges and rounds to tackle a number of important issues in an entertaining and supportive way.

The Games Master is specifically designed for students to highlight the importance of time management, organisational skills, decision-making and leadership.

The I-Zone is a fun session that is designed to encourage teamwork and build relationships both within the teams and across team boundaries. The I-Zone is ideal for helping S1's learn about their new school and supports them as they get to know each other.

The Motivation Session is an entertaining, dynamic, interactive session designed to reveal the hidden potential of students and to motivate them.

As school year groups continue to grow in size, it can be quite common for students to reach fifth or sixth year and not be mixing with peers across their year group. This can also be seen in business situations, regardless of whether an employee has just joined a company or been there for years. To help the students learn more about each other and themselves, controlled, self sufficient sessions are run to help the students work with people outside their usual social circle.

Throughout the sessions, students are reminded of the importance of planning their work, time management, creativity, communication, change management and presentation skills. They are also encouraged to look at the resources they have both within and out with their team.

These are life skills and values that are being encouraged by the government and stand pupils in good stead for future exam preparations, university applications and interviews with prospective employers. The ability to adapt to changes and confidently cope with these adjustments is a key career skill that is needed throughout life.

Ivor says, "Our transition sessions have been specifically developed in response to requests from schools who have identified gaps in their induction programmes. The transformation in some individuals during these sessions has been quite fascinating. Students who might normally be a distraction in class get stuck into the challenges, and with a wide range of activities to try out, everyone is able to show their abilities. By making the sessions fun, we also manage to maintain the students interest and encourage active participation."

"We were aware that moving from primary school to secondary school and then the step from standard to higher grades are two of the biggest transitions faced by students. As these periods can also be stressful, it's important to ensure that students are not only helped to interact with each but also have fun in the process. This helps them to have positive memories and encourages them to look forward to the changes ahead."

"Whether looking at major life transitions from an educational, personal or business perspective, it is always important for issues to be identified, communicated and addressed early on to help individuals and their fellow pupils, family or colleagues get through these turbulent times with a minimal amount of anxiety and disruption. When issues are identified early on, individuals feel more motivated, positive, calm and in control, and are far less likely to become stressed and unable to cope."

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