Damian, a fifth grader at Franklin Elementary, works on Aunt Sally and then holds up a rug that the students made for President Obama.
As a child did you have a favorite grandparent, aunt/uncle, or perhaps a neighbor to go to when life was overwhelming or you were frustrated, angry or upset?
For Franklin Elementary students in the Emotional/Behavioral Disability (EBD) program, they have Aunt Sally, a hundred-year-old weaving loom.
What started as an idea, a hunch, provided greater benefits than EBD teacher Julia Frascona and art teacher Sara Wilda had hoped for. Frascona and Wilda submitted a grant titled “The Rhythmic Loom: Weaving Art & Emotional Well-Being.”
The overall program was based on brain research which shows that rhythmic, kinesthetic activities strengthen and fine-tune a child’s ability to more effectively learn reading and math concepts. In addition, creating beautiful things and moving the body rhythmically increases one’s sense of well-being.
Students in the EBD program have been identified as needing support of emotional and behavioral management.
These students may be easily frustrated, have difficulty controlling their anger, and may express their feelings physically and verbally. They are often challenged with social and emotional issues that interfere with academic achievement and social interactions.
The objectives of the Rhythmic Loom project are for the students to:
- Improve social skills, anger management and academic performance.
- Develop positive peer relationships by teaching rag rug weaving to non-special education students.
- Develop a positive self identity as productive and contributing members of their school.
- Gain appreciation of other’s belongings and artistic expression.
When the grant was awarded, Frascona and Wilda searched for a loom and fortunately came across a 100-plus-year-old loom that would be placed in the EBD classroom.
The loom was named Aunt Sally. Students are never sent to Aunt Sally as a punishment or as a reward. Instead some students have a set amount of time that they weave on the loom each day, and the loom is always available for whenever a student may need to visit with Aunt Sally.
According to Frascona and Wilda, the transformation in the students is incredible. While the objectives they had hoped to meet were achieved, more significantly they found that just the act of weaving had a profound impact. After weaving, children are calmer, more centered and better able to concentrate on tasks such as math and reading.
“The best part about this project is that we’ve seen Aunt Sally help change the EBD students’ perceptions of themselves and how others perceive them,” said Frascona.
“The students see themselves as people who make beautiful things.”
All the rag rugs that are made on Aunt Sally are given away. This is another critical element to this project. The students choose teachers or school staff that they wish to give rugs to at the end of each year. They have also made a rug for each member of the Obama family, including the puppy, Bo.
Since EBD students are often viewed negatively and as noncontributing members at their school, they tend to have low self-worth.The opportunity for EBD students to give gifts to others helps to change their self identity, how they view themselves in their school and in their families, and how others view them.
Thanks to Frascona and Wilda, the Appleton Education Foundation for funding the grant, and those who have supported the Rhythmic Loom project, Franklin Elementary students have Aunt Sally, a hundred-year-old loom, that still has wisdom to share in the 21st century.