Rule of THUMB
The entire program revolves around the easy-to-remember Rule Of THUMB:
This is a child friendly version of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day BUT teach a man to fish and you feed his family for a lifetime.
Students are encouraged to make helping a habit. But why stop there? We then introduce them to the idea that every problem has a cause, and treating the cause of a problem is more effective than just treating the symptoms.
They learn that, as individuals or in groups, they have the power to effect change.
- On a personal level this could be a problem with a friend or a teacher. A relationship could be saved by refraining from saying or doing one silly little thing.
- On a school level they could show compassion and console a bullied friend. This is a good thing but by putting their heads together they could collectively make a real dent in the problem of school bullying.
- On a community level they could engage in the problem of food for homeless people, maybe raise some money to donate. What if instead they used that money to start a school vegie patch and provided an ongoing supply of fresh food.
- On a global level they could flick off a few light switches or with some clever thinking, they could elevate your school as a role model for young eco-warriors.
THUMB is about giving students the tools to make a difference.
The THUMB show first helps students to unearth and then build on their own inner strengths as reflected in the
Nine Values For Australian Schooling.
It then offers schools and their students an avenue to put these values into action, to be able to live and experience the messages contained in the THUMB shows and, maybe, positively affect the life of others.
This helps students to:
- develop their sense of social awareness
- improve their problem solving abilities
- experience the life enriching feeling of responsibility.
The thumbs up sign is such a commonly used non-verbal gesture that is encountered almost daily. The hope is that as students go on to be adults, this hand signal will be synonymous with the Rule of THUMB and will continually trigger the positive behaviour patterns they will now carry with them for the rest of their lives.
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