Picture This....

Photo: Barbara Gini

I have always enjoyed taking and looking at photos. My favorite gift from childhood was the Kodak110 camera that 'Santa' got me one year. Being a young girl, I took pictures of everything-including my toes and those candid close-ups of my brother sleeping. (Sorry Bobby! )  Years later, I even worked as a children's photographer. (I still prefer candid shots over 'posed' photos.)

I still love to take and look at photos of the outdoors and of kids. I snapped this one at left with my cell phone yesterday while I was out walking. I just wanted to take it all in: the breeze, the quietness of the road & the incredible brilliant blue sky that is not quite captured in this photo. Its as inspiring to look at as when I was actually there, and its now my new screen saver.

There are personal reasons why we love to look at photos: (memories, nostalgia, art, inspiration ) and also biological: our brains are wired for pictures.

What gets your attention most on social networks? A post with words or one with a picture?  (Most of us will agree that we will click on a photo before we click on a link. ) More than 25% of our brains are used for visual processing. (That's more than for any other of our senses.) We will remember 85% of what we see externally (or visualize internally) making images the most efficient way for us to take in information.

We can use this knowledge to our advantage, not only to improve learning but also for reducing stress and increasing productivity.

From where you are sitting right now, what do you see? (Other than this article.)  Is it bright, pleasant and inspiring or is it chaotic and dark? Whatever you see is what is what you are taking in and processing all day long. Its like downloading this program all day into your brain. This visual 'noise' can be as draining & distracting as auditory noise.

Keep this in mind when setting up a classroom, therapy room, office space for yourself or a study & play spaces for kids. The more visually calm, inspiring & pleasing the space, the less stressed the occupants will feel and the more learning, productive work or fun will take place.

There are a variety of ways to make a space more visually engaging and it depends on the individual's preferences. What do you like to look at? What do your students or kids like to look at? Be sure to include more of those things in your working & learning spaces. If its not possible, take a photo (or find one) of something you like to look at. Frame it and place it on your desk or on your wall so you can see it often.

Educators can design a more inspiring learning space for students by making a few simple changes. One is to minimize visual distractors by putting away or covering everything unnecessary. Another is to pay attention to what the students are looking at all day-a white (or black) board? Not too motivating. Be sure to include a few (not too many) visually interesting and inspiring images or cartoons in and around the area they look at most.  Change them every so often. Using more images and less lecture in your lessons, keeps children engaged and interested for longer durations.

In another article I will be outlining more tips on designing a visually calm & engaging classroom environment. But for now, make some small changes in what you are seeing and notice the difference.


Want to learn more about how to improve visual processing? Read: Eye-Mazing!

You also might like: Spring Themed Guided Imagery (self-calming & stress management for kids)

Too Book a Sensory Solutions™ (Yoga Based Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom) professional development workshop, contact: barbara@bodylogique.com


* We welcome your comments and insights!


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