INTRODUCTION Welcome to 2020 Learning Curve Positive Education & Wellbeing A Comprehensive Curriculum to develop resilient wellbeing and respectful relationships. The Learning Curve Curriculum has been researched and written to develop students’ and teachers’ wellbeing, resilience and respectful relationships. Accomplishing this intention involves a process of deliberately practising the weekly exercises, which are fun and interesting. Most people have about 70,000 thoughts each day. How many of these do you notice? Over 40% of what people do, are rituals and habits they do while on autopilot. The exercises in our curriculum are designed to encourage both students and you to: » Pause: turning off autopilot to be present in the moment. » Take Notice: being aware of what is happening and what you are doing. » Be Curious: learning more to respond rather than react. » Pay Attention: focusing your attention on what you need to pay attention to. » Connect Intentionally: watching your own thoughts coming and going. The Learning Curve Curriculum is based on Martin Seligman’s PERMAH model of wellbeing:
positive emotion + gratitude
MEANING + PURPOSE To identify and have a purpose in life bigger than yourself and to live meaningfully by showing other people and our planet matter.
To create and enjoy positive emotions, handle negative emotions and be grateful for how these benefit your mental and physical wellbeing, respectful relationships and personal and academic growth.
ENGAGEMENT + MINDFULNESS
ACCOMPLISHMENT + OPTIMISM
To live your life with curiosity, zest and interest by having a focus on accomplishing your goals and involving yourself fully in your passions to grow your state of wellbeing.
RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY To develop the social and emotional skills to build and maintain respectful and caring relationships with others and yourself and grow your resilience to mental health issues.
To have optimism and hope for the future by setting, striving for and accomplishing personal goals and feeling positive emotions through your efforts to deliberately practise.
For thriving and flourishing wellbeing.
HEALTH + STRENGTHS To use your strengths to develop habits which will enable your thriving mental and physical health, support your learning progress and reduce the likelihood of disease later in life.
Research shows that students who participate in rigorously designed and well taught social and emotional learning programs demonstrate more positive social behaviour, are less likely to engage in risky and disruptive behaviour and show improved academic Acknowledgement: Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne outcomes. Every school has its very own context, and the array of evidence-based exercises in the planners/journals and online at www.learningcurve.com.au provides choice for teachers to tailor what fits their particular needs. The journal/planner has four sections. They are: » Learning about what makes up your wellbeing, respectful relationships and learning skills. » Doing the weekly wellbeing builders and exercises to grow personally and academically. » Growing your wellbeing and learning skills further by doing focused resilience and study activities. » Consolidating your resilient state of wellbeing and learning capabilities. Please refer to the colour-coded index to familiarise yourself with the six elements of wellbeing of the curriculum and the topics within. Should you have any queries, feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Learning Curve team. All the best, Mick Walsh
2020 teacher user manual
Mick Walsh
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TEACHER POSITIVE EDUCATION AND WELLBEING ROAD MAP There is no silver bullet to building student or your own wellbeing. It is about regularly feeling positive emotions through connecting with other people. A confidence building way to begin, is to just do the weekly Wellbeing Reflection activity from the website.
Start slowly by looking at the next two pages which show and describe the wellbeing building activities on offer in the planners/journals and on the website. Start your wellbeing journey by choosing several which suit your school’s context.
Each week rotate the engaging wellbeing activities you do with your class, which include: » R eflecting on how you can use the weekly Character Strength in your life » U sing the character strengths to complete the Wellbeing Fitness Challenge or Strengths Booster » C ompleting the Respectful Relationships to build their resilience and wellbeing. » D oing the Mindfulness Activity for five minutes several times during the week
Road maps are only useful when you deliberately use them. To do this, the secret is to openly discuss how the activities apply to their and your own life, which at times takes courage, because you may feel vulnerable.
In the student planners/journals explore the front pages with your students. These pages explain what wellbeing is, what character strengths are, reflection activities, learning skills and goal setting and growth mindset exercises. A positive way to end each week is for you to role model completing What Went Well for things you are grateful for.
» E xploring the Thinking Tool to build new brain pathways and to slow down to think hard » S pending five minutes reflecting on the weekly Wellbeing Tip » L ooking at the Thinking Trap to learn about emotional hijacking thinking » D escribing what the quote or saying means to you.
And just for you to focus on building your own state of wellbeing, over the week apply yourself to complete: Optimism: what are you looking forward to most this week? Wellbeing Reality: research based wellbeing building ideas to try in my life. Booster: opportunities for you to DO to develop your resilience and state of wellbeing. Gratitude Journal: What went well that you are grateful for this week? These are on the bottom of page 4 of each week.
Like anything worth accomplishing in life, following this road map will take a deliberate effort on your part. Your growth mindset will enable significant personal benefits to both you and your students.
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weekly choices WEEK 1
WEEK 1
MIDDLE PLANNER
PAGE 22
SENIOR PLANNER
PAGE 22
wellbeing builder: MIDDLE – COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS SENIOR – MIRROR NEURONS WELLBEING ELEMENT: POSITIVE EMOTION + GRATITUDE
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS
MIRROR NEURONS
Wellbeing Reality: by making contact, looking for body language messages and being welcoming, you give yourself the best opportunity to make good impressions on others. 90% of communication is done through visual gestures, expressions and posture, while only 10% is through speaking, so look up from your phone to live.
Wellbeing Reality: through learning to work collaboratively with others, reading their body language and valuing them, you will give yourself wonderful opportunities to challenge your best possible self. Humans have an evolutionary need to be in tribes to survive and be happy and we all have mirror neurons, which imitate the expressions, moods and feelings of those around us. How can mirror neurons do their job when so many people have their faces buried in their phones, totally ignoring the beautiful people around them. Value in person over electronic.
The greatest single influence to living a meaningful and fulfilling life is high quality personal relationships. Nearly everything that we will achieve in life will be through people, with people and by people, so we need to develop our students’ interpersonal skills to communicate including:
Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky & Iacoboni
Our students are digital natives, who in most situations, prefer communicating with their devices rather than having face to face personal conversations with others. And because of this lack of in person interaction, many students are not learning how to read or send appropriate body language messages. They are also missing out on the magnificent feelings which come from serotonin and oxytocin, the brain chemicals released during in person communication. We all possess mirror neurons, which copy the expressions, moods and feelings of those around us, but not from electronic communication. As such, we need to create opportunities for them to experience the beauty of in person connection.
Everyone has mirror neurons, which copy the expressions and feelings of others. Use them to share happy and positive emotions with others.
LEARNING INTENTIONS: by making eye contact, looking for body language messages and being welcoming, students give themselves the best opportunity to make good impressions on others. Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Free PERMAH survey at https:// permahsurvey.com/ Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid
Discuss with a classmate – where are five places you could practise doing this every day?
Discuss with a classmate – what do you do to consciously notice others’ body language and the messages they are sending?
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When are times your mirror neurons have copied others, both good and not so good?
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Make a funny handshake greeting with your partner and discuss when are times you can use it.
Acknowledgement: Greenfield & Iacoboni
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•
using and reading positive body language messages
•
recognising inference, bias and emphasis in conversations
•
developing relationships through face to face conversations
•
learning to listen with their eyes, their ears and their hearts
•
valuing and considering other peoples’ opinions because they matter
•
being present and mindful in each and every moment.
Acknowledgement: Greenfield & Iacoboni
RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING TOOLBOX Practising keystone habits to grow students’ resilience and wellbeing.
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Last Word – you are at your very best when with other people.
OPTIMISM & HOPE
...................................................................................................... Last Word – when you see someone not smiling, lend them one of yours.
What am I looking forward to most this week?
MINDFULNESS FRIENDS’ STRENGTHS. Look at the 24 VIA character strengths and think about the top strengths you would like your friends to have and why. Who are five people you know who could have these strengths? They could be good friends.
FRIENDS’ STRENGTHS. Look at the 24 VIA character strengths and think about the top strengths you would like your friends to have and why. Who are five people you know who could have these strengths? They could be good friends.
RESILIENT MINDSET Do good to feel good, and feel good do good.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
With a classmate discuss – what does respectful mean? What are your responsibilities in having respectful relationships? Who are ten people or groups you enjoy respectful relationships with and why?
With a classmate discuss – what things do you need to do to create and maintain respectful and close relationships and what do you expect of others in your relationships?
THINKING FLEXIBLY “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” Oscar Wilde
SELF-REGULATION
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CURIOSITY to do
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CURIOSITY to do STRENGTHS
STRENGTHS SPOTTING on page 130.
www.viacharacter.org
I will believe in myself as a person who matters.
SPOTTING on page 132.
www.viacharacter.org
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Weekly element of Wellbeing Builder and content from student planners.
Page 2/4
EMPATHY & CONNECTEDNESS What kind things have I done for other people this week or they have done for me?
MINDFULNESS
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Page 1/4
WELLBEING FOCUS When have I been aware that I was copying others using mirror neurons?
MINDFUL THOUGHTS What body language do I need to practise to be welcoming to others?
SELF-BELIEF What are three good things I’ve achieved in my life?
GRATITUDE JOURNAL What things went well that I am grateful for?
“Are smiles a source of joy, or is joy a source of smiles.” MW
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Weekly overview and 9 x 10 minute wellbeing and resilience icebreakers.
WEEK 1
WEEK 1
resources and interactive PDF activities available for download to your school hub from www.learningcurve.com.au
RESPECTFUL AND RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITIES
To develop the elements of wellbeing, nurture resilient mindsets, and cultivate social-emotional skills which enable students to create and maintain respectful relationships, below are the choices you have from the website to achieve these outcomes. On page 5 of this manual, there are detailed suggestions of what you could do with your classes for each of these resources. To maintain student engagement, choose different activities to explore each week. MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Character Strength
Look at the 24 VIA character strengths and think about the top strengths you would like your friends to have and why. Who are five people you know who could have these strengths? They could be good friends.
HABITS OF MIND THINKING FLEXIBLY
In your own words, how would you describe curiosity?
How does the dictionary describe curiosity?
Describe a time or times in your life that you believe you have shown this Character Strength.
» shifting from “my way is the only way” to “perhaps another way is better”.
What are two things I will start doing to build this Character Strength
As a student at School
Wellbeing Reality:
Middle – COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS Senior – MIRROR NEURONS
Wellbeing Element: Character Strength: Strengths Booster: Wellbeing Reality Activities:
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE CURIOSITY STRENGTHS SPOTTING Middle: COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS Senior: MIRROR NEURONS (see website) Gratitude connects you to things outside of yourself, such as others and nature. Describe times you have used gratitude to connect with things outside of yourself. Acknowledgement: Seligman
The greatest single influence to living a meaningful and fulfilling life is high quality personal relationships. Nearly everything that we will achieve in life will be through people, with people and by people, so we need to develop our students’ interpersonal skills to communicate including: • using and reading positive body language messages • recognising inference, bias and emphasis in conversations • developing relationships through face to face conversations • learning to listen with their eyes, their ears and their hearts
Questions to reflect on
RECOMMENDED FOR YEARS
7&8
Your thoughts
What are your responsibilities in having a respectful relationship?
How can you recognise when others’ expectations of what a respectful relationship differs to yours?
• valuing and considering other peoples’ opinions because they matter • being present and mindful in each and every moment.
Describe a time I have been flexible in my thinking and why. Who has impressed me with his/her flexible thinking and why?
As a family member at Home
TM
Parent Newsletter
Parent Wellbeing:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
» changing my views when I receive new information
In the boxes below describe a time you have shown this Character Strength and think of two things you will start doing in your roles as a student, family and community member. Also, which of your signature strengths will benefit from this Character Strength? Describe a time/s I used this Character Strength well
SECONDARY
FRIENDS STRENGTHS
TM
curiosity
When you have a healthy state of wellbeing you enjoy thriving and respectful relationships. This means you understand your emotions, use your character strengths, have positive coping strategies, are able to solve problems, show empathy, manage stress and seek help. Normally most of your relationships will be respectful.
Our students are digital natives, who in most situations, prefer communicating with their devices rather than having face to face personal conversations with others. And because of this lack of in person interaction, many students are not learning how to read or send appropriate body language messages. They are also missing out on the magnificent feelings which come from serotonin and oxytocin, the brain chemicals released during in person communication. We all possess mirror neurons, which copy the expressions, moods and feelings of those around us, but not from electronic communication. As such, we need to create opportunities for them to experience the beauty of in person connection. Acknowledgement: Greenfield & Iacoboni
As a member of the Community Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Students, staff and parents can measure the state of their wellbeing by taking the free Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid PERMAH survey at https://permahsurvey.com
Acknowledgement VIA Institute, www.viacharacter.org
How do you show empathy and understanding for others with individual differences?
“The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen.” Ray Moody
CHARACTER STRENGTH – CURIOSITY
HABIT OF MIND – thinking flexibly
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY – FRIENDS’ STRENGTHS
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
With a classmate discuss – what does respectful mean? What are your responsibilities in having respectful relationships? Who are ten people or groups you enjoy respectful relationships with and why?
With a classmate discuss – what things do you need to do to create and maintain respectful and close relationships and what do you expect of others in your relationships?
PARENT NEWSLETTER
How are respectful relationships affected when empathy is not felt or shown?
WEEK 1 TM
MIDDLE PLANNER
Strengths Booster
PAGE 22
Just knowing what your top strengths are makes no difference to your wellbeing unless you use them. Becoming your best possible self comes from doing more difficult things which challenge your current very best. The Strengths Boosters give you opportunities to use your strengths in different ways to build your wellbeing.
strengths spotting
COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS
MIRROR NEURONS
Wellbeing Reality: by making contact, looking for body language messages and being welcoming, you give yourself the best opportunity to make good impressions on others. 90% of communication is done through visual gestures, expressions and posture, while only 10% is through speaking, so look up from your phone to live.
Wellbeing Reality: through learning to work collaboratively with others, reading their body language and valuing them, you will give yourself wonderful opportunities to challenge your best possible self. Humans have an evolutionary need to be in tribes to survive and be happy and we all have mirror neurons, which imitate the expressions, moods and feelings of those around us. How can mirror neurons do their job when so many people have their faces buried in their phones, totally ignoring the beautiful people around them. Value in person over electronic.
Everyone has mirror neurons, which copy the expressions and feelings of others. Use them to share happy and positive emotions with others.
Journal any times I see myself or others using this week’s strength and the actions I or they take.
PAGE 22
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
STUDENT
SENIOR PLANNER
Acknowledgement: Janice Atkins, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
STAFF WELLBEING KEYSTONE HABITS – doing comes before becoming
Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky & Iacoboni
Discuss with a classmate – where are five places you could practise doing this every day?
Discuss with a classmate – what do you do to consciously notice others’ body language and the messages they are sending?
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Acknowledgement: Greenfield & Iacoboni
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When are times your mirror neurons have copied others, both good and not so good?
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Make a funny handshake greeting with your partner and discuss when are times you can use it.
...................................................................................... Last Word – you are at your very best when with other people.
Optimism: What are you looking forward to most this week?
...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... Last Word – when you see someone not smiling, lend them one of yours.
MINDFULNESS FRIENDS’ STRENGTHS. Look at the 24 VIA character strengths and think about the top strengths you would like your friends to have and why. Who are five people you know who could have these strengths? They could be good friends.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – what does respectful mean? What are your responsibilities in having respectful relationships? Who are ten people or groups you enjoy respectful relationships with and why?
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CURIOSITY to do STRENGTHS SPOTTING on page 130.
www.viacharacter.org
MINDFULNESS FRIENDS’ STRENGTHS. Look at the 24 VIA character strengths and think about the top strengths you would like your friends to have and why. Who are five people you know who could have these strengths? They could be good friends.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – what things do you need to do to create and maintain respectful and close relationships and what do you expect of others in your relationships?
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CURIOSITY to do STRENGTHS SPOTTING on page 132.
www.viacharacter.org
SENIOR SECONDARY
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS – MIDDLE SECONDARY
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS – SENIOR SECONDARY
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STRENGTHS booster – strengths spotting
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TEACHER USER MANUAL
Wellbeing Reality: Looking for what is good and being grateful for it, will bring you more of the good things. The opposite is also true. Every day spend two minutes writing down three things you are grateful for, no matter how small and with no repeats. How did you feel?
TM
MIDDLE SECONDARY
Note down any issues, implications or thoughts.
reflect
TM
Wellbeing Reality – MIDDLE
No evidence, then true? Because there is no evidence or points against something, then it must be true. E.g. I’ll eat more ice cream because no-one has proved it’s not good for me.
Wellbeing Reality:
COMMUNICATING WITH OTHERS
TM
Wellbeing Reality – SENIOR Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (switch your mobile to Airplane mode)
Wellbeing Reality:
MIRROR NEURONS
Positive Emotion + gratitude
Describe a time when you have thought this way.
Why do you believe that thinking this way may have caused you to arrive at decisions which really were not logical?
Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (turn your mobile off)
Positive Emotion + gratitude Growth Mindset: When have I been aware that I was copying others using mirror neurons?
Growth Mindset: What body language do I need to practise to be welcoming to others?
Booster: Your Timeout – Have four five minute timeouts daily doing deep breathing or mindfulness activities to connect with yourself and the moment to watch your thoughts coming and going.
Self-Belief: What are three good things I’ve achieved in my life?
Character Strength: use CURIOSITY to do STRENGTHS SPOTTING
1.
What is one thing you could start doing to avoid thinking this way?
2. 3.
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share anD eXPlOre
Share your answers and reflections.
Albert Einstein
In the Share and Explore section all individuals or groups share their answers and reflections with the class. This enables all members of the class to tap into the collective intellect of the class. This may well lead to extending discussion on the topic, event or process further to create new understandings and perhaps predictions.
In the Reflect section note down any issues, implications or thoughts you or your group may have about it. There are always different points of view and ideas to examine before arriving at a thoroughly considered answer.
In the Answer section answer any questions posed on a topic, event or process. This will often involve group discussion, so it is important to listen with your eyes, your ears and your heart to add depth to your understanding.
This Thinking Strategy is designed to organise your thinking approaches in order to systematically examine and analyse a topic, event or process. It can be used individually, in small groups or as a class.
THINKING TOOL – answer, reflect, share
Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
What resilience skills, from page 36 of the planner, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
What resilience skills, from the Wellbeing Reality on page 36, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
Learning to Flourish: The best way to build your wellbeing is through doing and saying good to make a positive difference to others’ lives; doing good to feel good. Describe three times you have done this and the emotions you felt.
Thinking Flexibly: “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” Oscar Wilde Describe what it means to you in your own words.
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Answer any questions posed.
answer, reflect, share
Thinking Tool
answer
Describe a time you used this strength well.
Character Strength: use CURIOSITY to do STRENGTHS SPOTTING
What is a character strength and an emotion it could be about?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
THINKING TRAP – no evidence, then true?
WELLBEING reality – MIDDLE SECONDARY
Gratitude: What went well that you are grateful for this week?
Strengths often work together as a family. What are two other strengths which could work well with this week’s strength and why do you think that?
3.
WELLBEING reality – SENIOR SECONDARY
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Saying
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Wellbeing, Mindfulness and Resilience interactive activities on website to choose from.
Page 4/4
“The highest reward for man’s work is not what he gets for it but what he becomes of it.” John Ruskin
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Respectful Relationships and Staff Wellbeing building activities.
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respectful relationships To assist you to confidently teach Respectful Relationships Education, on the 4th page of this manual each week and on our website www.learningcurve.com.au there are teaching and learning activities which cater for P-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 1112 year levels. Following below is one of the pages from the 7-8 activities. Also, spending 10 to 15 minutes weekly completing the Resilience Builders with your classes from the website, will round out Respectful Relationships Education, as they have been created from the same underpinning social-emotional resilience research.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS Developing your Relationships + empathy by raising your self-awareness of what you should do to create and maintain respectful relationships. Other than your health, is there anything more important than the relationships you have in your life? Humans are hard wired to be at their best when working cooperatively in person with others. Every week there is a respectful relationships activity to practise to help you build and maintain respectful relationships. The three factors which underpin respectful and resilient relationships are: Connected – sharing, communicating cooperatively and openly with others. Protected – feeling emotionally and physically safe. Respected – feeling others value all of you as a person who matters. Experiencing these enables you to understand your emotions, use your character strengths, have positive coping strategies, solve problems, show empathy, manage stress and seek help. Reflect on the following and journal your thoughts: Respectful Relationships Perspectives
Your thoughts and an example to explain them
In what ways do you feel connected when with others?
In what ways do you feel protected when with others?
In what ways do you feel respected when with others?
Think of a great time you enjoyed with others. What emotions did you feel?
What are five relationships you have where you feel valued?
What are five relationships you have where you feel trusted?
Acknowledgement: Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
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strengths for relationships weeks To provide students, staff and parents with further opportunities to use their strengths to experience uplifting positive emotions, Strengths for Relationships Weeks have been created and occur in the middle of each term. The challenge over the week is for individuals and classes to enjoy focusing their energies on creating activities for and showing the suggested strength to grow all members of the school community’s wellbeing.
» Term 1: Gratitude – February 17th to 21st
» Term 2: Teamwork – June 1st to 5th
» Term 3: Kindness – August 17th to 21st
» Term 4: Leadership – October 26th to 30th
GRATITUDE FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK There are many kind things in your life that other people do to help you grow up in a healthy and happy way. Sometimes you say thank you to them and sometimes you don’t. To build other peoples’ and your wellbeing use your strengths to show Gratitude. This week make a Gratitude Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw things they are grateful for and what they said to say thank you. Make a Gratitude Wall at home for your family to write down or draw what they are grateful for this week. This Week’s Gratitudes: This week write down or draw kind things others did for you that you should be grateful for and then say thank you to them. Also, include when you saw others being grateful.
“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” Roy T. Bennett
KINDNESS FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK There is a Japanese saying which says that one kind word can warm three winters. Being kind to others and to yourself are great ways to live a full and happy life and make a difference in the world. Kind acts don’t have to be big. Sometimes a smile or saying hello are kind acts which bring warmth to others that they are grateful for. This week make a Kindness Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw kind things they did for others or kind things others did for them. Make a Kindness Wall at home for your family to write down or draw kind things you did for others or they did for you this week. This Week’s Kind Gratitudes: This week write down or draw times you were kind to others or they were kind to you that you were grateful for.
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mark Twain
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TEAMWORK FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK The warmest feelings you will have in your heart are when you are part of a group or team who achieve something together. They don’t have to be big, just things where each of you gave of yourself to share your best to achieve what you set out to do and are grateful for. This week make a Teamwork Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw things they did together to make something happen. Make a Teamwork Wall at home for your family to write down or draw what things you did as part of a team this week. This Week’s Teamwork Gratitudes: This week write down or draw times you were part of a team which achieved something you are proud of and grateful. Also, include other teams you saw this week do well.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
LEADERSHIP FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK Everyone has something special inside them to share with others to enjoy also. When you are brave and share your best to make others’ lives better, you are showing leadership. Always lookout for opportunities to show leadership. This week make a Leadership Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw times when they showed leadership to make others’ lives better. Make a Leadership Wall at home for your family to write down or draw times you show leadership this week. This Week’s Leadership Gratitudes: This week write down or draw times you showed leadership at school, at home or with friends that you are grateful for.
“A leader is someone who knows the way, goes the way, shows the way.” John Maxwell
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WEEK 9 MIDDLE PLANNER
PAGE 38
SENIOR PLANNER
PAGE 38
RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY
RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY
ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING (ACR)
SHARING GOOD NEWS
Wellbeing Reality: by using ACR when listening and responding to others sharing their good news, enables you to build trusting relationships. Through your enthusiastic listening, eye contact and welcoming body language, they know you are interested, feel you think they matter and experience the natural highs of serotonin and oxytocin. Asking them to tell you more, creates further positive feelings.
Ways of listening which spoil relationships are passive constructive, passive destructive and active destructive.
Wellbeing Reality: through listening actively and responding enthusiastically to others sharing their good news face-to-face, both them and you will feel the uplifting highs of serotonin and oxytocin. Nearly 60% of young people would prefer to send a text rather than talk face-to-face with someone in the same room. Doing this takes away their opportunity to feel a sense of belonging and social connectedness, two most powerful builders of wellbeing. When someone shares their good news story, don’t interrupt, use eye contact and ask tell me more.
Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
Discuss with a classmate – when are times you have practised ACR and tell me more?
Discuss with a classmate – what are your good news stories? Listen actively and don’t interrupt. Feel good?
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...................................................................................... Who are people who you think feel that you matter by using ACR? ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... Last Word – you can’t fake caring, so be fully present for others.
...................................................................................................... Who could you ask to share their good news stories? Were they grateful? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... Last Word – the best way to make others feel that you think they matter is through listening in person to them.
MINDFULNESS BIRDS. Walk outside and spend five minutes counting as many birds as you can and how many different types you can identify.
MINDFULNESS BIRDS. Walk outside and spend five minutes counting as many birds as you can and how many different types you can identify.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – ask your parents or grandparents what types of things caused them to become stressed or anxious when they were your age and what they did to control their emotions from strengthening? How similar are your things to theirs?
CHARACTER STRENGTH:
Use CREATIVITY to do MEDIA SEARCH on page 130. www.viacharacter.org
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – in what ways do you think showing empathy for others’ needs and feelings is an important thing to do to maintain respectful relationships? What happens when you don’t show empathy.
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CREATIVITY to do MEDIA SEARCH on page 132.
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WEEK 9 wellbeing builder: MIDDLE – active constructive responding (acr) SENIOR – sharing good news WELLBEING ELEMENT: RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY LEARNING INTENTIONS: by using ACR when listening and responding to others sharing their good news, enables students to build trusting and respectful relationships. Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Free PERMAH survey at https://permahsurvey.com/ Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid Respectful relationships are underpinned by participating in open and trusting face to face conversations with others. This involves listening intently and enthusiastically to others tell you their story, without interrupting. Welcoming body language with eye contact, open posture, interested and positive facial expressions, an inquiring tone of voice and nodding with points raised, all contribute to being there for others. Do you know when others are genuinely interested in your story? To develop students’ self-awareness of how to show empathy and build respectful relationships, they need to be provided with numerous opportunities to practise using active constructive responding in their face to face conversations with others. Simply asking another person to tell you more about a story they are sharing with fills both of you with uplifting spirals of positive emotions, which benefit your and their wellbeing. Another important aspect to emphasise with students is to aim to say five positives for every negative when having a conversation. Other ways of listening and responding which don’t build respectful relationships include: •
passive constructive: listening quietly, without any interest or enthusiasm
•
passive destructive: showing little interest to learn about their story
•
active destructive: dismissing their story with disrespectful body language and changing the subject.
Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING TOOLBOX Practising keystone habits to grow students’ resilience and wellbeing.
OPTIMISM & HOPE What am I looking forward to most this week?
RESILIENT MINDSET What are areas in my life in which I feel I have choice and independence?
SELF-REGULATION I will relax by star gazing two nights this week.
WELLBEING FOCUS When are times I have asked others to tell me more about their story?
THINKING FLEXIBLY “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Voltaire
SELF-BELIEF What are three tasks I’ve done well that I’m proud of?
EMPATHY & CONNECTEDNESS What are three strengths others and I need to use to be happy at school?
MINDFUL THOUGHTS What do I think are the main things to do to be an interested listener?
GRATITUDE JOURNAL What things went well that I am grateful for?
“Listening is the greatest compliment you can give others.” Roy Moody
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WEEK 9 resources and interactive PDF activities available for download to your school hub from www.learningcurve.com.au To develop the elements of wellbeing, nurture resilient mindsets, and cultivate social-emotional skills which enable students to create and maintain respectful relationships, below are the choices you have from the website to achieve these outcomes. On page 5 of this manual, there are detailed suggestions of what you could do with your classes for each of these resources. To maintain student engagement, choose different activities to explore each week. MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Character Strength
creativity
Walk outside and spend five minutes counting as many birds as you can and how many different types you can identify.
HABITS OF MIND FINDING HUMOUR
In your own words, how would you describe creativity?
How does the dictionary describe creativity?
» having fun and laughing increases feel good brain chemicals
Describe a time or times in your life that you believe you have shown this Character Strength.
What are two things I will start doing to build this Character Strength
Middle – ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING (ACR) Senior – SHARING GOOD NEWS
Wellbeing Element: Character Strength: Strengths Booster: Wellbeing Reality Activities:
RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY CREATIVITY MEDIA SEARCH Middle: ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING (ACR) Senior: SHARING GOOD NEWS (see website) Failing well, accepting that mistakes are part of life, forgiving yourself for making them and seeking feedback to learn new approaches to correct them are valuable skills to develop. Describe a time you have done these to succeed.
To develop students’ self-awareness of how to show empathy and build respectful relationships, they need to be provided with numerous opportunities to practise using active constructive responding in their face to face conversations with others. Simply asking another person to tell you more about a story they are sharing with fills both of you with uplifting spirals of positive emotions, which benefit your and their wellbeing. Another important aspect to emphasise with students is to aim to say five positives for every negative when having a conversation. Other ways of listening and responding which don’t build respectful relationships include:
Describe a time I have had fun learning and why. Who has impressed me with him/her having fun in a positive way?
As a family member at Home
Wellbeing Reality:
Respectful relationships are underpinned by participating in open and trusting face to face conversations with others. This involves listening intently and enthusiastically to others tell you their story, without interrupting. Welcoming body language with eye contact, open posture, interested and positive facial expressions, an inquiring tone of voice and nodding with points raised, all contribute to being there for others. Do you know when others are genuinely interested in your story?
» appreciating others’ jokes and humour boosts my creativity.
As a student at School
TM
Parent Newsletter
Parent Wellbeing:
» laughing at myself and with others; not at them
In the boxes below describe a time you have shown this Character Strength and think of two things you will start doing in your roles as a student, family and community member. Also, which of your signature strengths will benefit from this Character Strength? Describe a time/s I used this Character Strength well
SECONDARY
birds
TM
• passive constructive: listening quietly, without any interest or enthusiasm. • passive destructive: showing disregard to learn about their story. • active destructive: dismissing their story with disrespectful body language and changing the subject. Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
As a member of the Community Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Students, staff and parents can measure the state of their wellbeing by taking the free PERMAH survey at https://permahsurvey.com Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid
Acknowledgement VIA Institute, www.viacharacter.org
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
CHARACTER STRENGTH – CREATIVITY
HABIT OF MIND – finding humour
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY – BIRDS
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS
With a classmate discuss – ask your parents or grandparents what types of things caused them to become stressed or anxious when they were your age and what they did to control their emotions from strengthening? How similar are your things to theirs?
With a classmate discuss – in what ways do you think showing empathy for others’ needs and feelings is an important thing to do to maintain respectful relationships? What happens when you don’t show empathy.
PARENT NEWSLETTER
WEEK 9 TM
MIDDLE PLANNER
Strengths Booster
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RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY
STUDENT
ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING (ACR)
Just knowing what your top strengths are makes no difference to your wellbeing unless you use them. Becoming your best possible self comes from doing more difficult things which challenge your current very best. The Strengths Boosters give you opportunities to use your strengths in different ways to build your wellbeing.
Wellbeing Reality: by using ACR when listening and responding to others sharing their good news, enables you to build trusting relationships. Through your enthusiastic listening, eye contact and welcoming body language, they know you are interested, feel you think they matter and experience the natural highs of serotonin and oxytocin. Asking them to tell you more, creates further positive feelings.
media search
Ways of listening which spoil relationships are passive constructive, passive destructive and active destructive.
Every day I will select one of my strengths to look for people using those strengths on the news, in newspaper and in magazine stories.
SENIOR PLANNER
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RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY SHARING GOOD NEWS Wellbeing Reality: through listening actively and responding enthusiastically to others sharing their good news face-to-face, both them and you will feel the uplifting highs of serotonin and oxytocin. Nearly 60% of young people would prefer to send a text rather than talk face-to-face with someone in the same room. Doing this takes away their opportunity to feel a sense of belonging and social connectedness, two most powerful builders of wellbeing. When someone shares their good news story, don’t interrupt, use eye contact and ask tell me more.
Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
Acknowledgement: Gable, Gonzaga & Strachman
Discuss with a classmate – when are times you have practised ACR and tell me more?
Discuss with a classmate – what are your good news stories? Listen actively and don’t interrupt. Feel good?
......................................................................................
......................................................................................................
...................................................................................... Who are people who you think feel that you matter by using ACR? ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... Last Word – you can’t fake caring, so be fully present for others.
...................................................................................................... Who could you ask to share their good news stories? Were they grateful? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... Last Word – the best way to make others feel that you think they matter is through listening in person to them.
MINDFULNESS BIRDS. Walk outside and spend five minutes counting as many birds as you can and how many different types you can identify.
MINDFULNESS BIRDS. Walk outside and spend five minutes counting as many birds as you can and how many different types you can identify.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – ask your parents or grandparents what types of things caused them to become stressed or anxious when they were your age and what they did to control their emotions from strengthening? How similar are your things to theirs?
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CREATIVITY to do
MEDIA SEARCH on page 130.
www.viacharacter.org
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS With a classmate discuss – in what ways do you think showing empathy for others’ needs and feelings is an important thing to do to maintain respectful relationships? What happens when you don’t show empathy.
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use CREATIVITY to do MEDIA SEARCH on page 132.
www.viacharacter.org
SENIOR SECONDARY
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS – MIDDLE SECONDARY
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS – SENIOR SECONDARY
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STRENGTHS booster – media search
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MIDDLE SECONDARY
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Wellbeing Reality – MIDDLE
True all together? BY GROUP...
BY GROUP...
BY GROUP...
BY GROUP...
A number of things or people have similar qualities, so it is assumed they will be good together.
Wellbeing Reality:
ACTIVE CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONDING (ACR)
E.g. they are a talented group of players, so their team will be fantastic. Describe a time when you have thought this way.
Why do you believe that thinking this way may have caused you to arrive at decisions which really were not logical?
TM
Wellbeing Reality – SENIOR Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (switch your mobile to Airplane mode)
Wellbeing Reality:
SHARING GOOD NEWS
Relationships + empathy
Relationships + empathy
Growth Mindset: What do I think are the main things to do to be an interested listener?
Growth Mindset: When are times I have asked others to tell me more about their story?
Character Strength: use CREATIVITY to do MEDIA SEARCH
Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (turn your mobile off)
Self-Belief: What are three tasks I’ve done well that I’m proud of? 1.
What is one thing you could start doing to avoid thinking this way?
2. 3.
BY YOU... looking back at what was investigated and what was discovered, are the conclusions and generalisations reasonable? Write down three reasons why you think this.
Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
ASSESS:
THINKING TOOL – discover, conclude, generalise, assess
What resilience skills, from the Wellbeing Reality on page 36, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
Theodore Roosevelt
GENERALISE:
Revisit the original situation, event or piece of work to assess and test whether your conclusions and generalisations are reasonable and write down three reasons why you think this in the Assess row.
After combining all of your conclusions, write down any elements they have in common, which are your generalisations, in the Generalise row.
Write your findings in the Discover row and conclusions in the Conclude row.
Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
BY YOU... after looking at the conclusions as a group, write down any elements they have in common, which are your generalisations.
BY YOU... based on the findings what are reasonable conclusions to make?
CONCLUDE:
Whether as an individual or in small or large groups, an important critical thinking process to follow after investigating a situation, event or piece of work is to make reasonable conclusions based on what you discovered.
DISCOVER, CONCLUDE, GENERALISE, ASSESS
Thinking Tool
DISCOVER:
after investigating, what was uncovered and found out?
BY YOU...
Describe a time you used this strength well.
Thinking Flexibly: “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” Voltaire Describe what it means to you in your own words.
What is a character strength and an emotion it could be about?
THINKING TRAP – true all together?
What resilience skills, from page 36 of the planner, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
Learning to Flourish: Failing well, accepting that mistakes are part of life, forgiving yourself for making them and then learning new approaches from your mistakes are valuable skills to develop in yourself. Describe a time you have done these and pushed through to succeed.
Character Strength: use CREATIVITY to do MEDIA SEARCH Strengths often work together as a family. What are two other strengths which could work well with this week’s strength and why do you think that?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
WELLBEING REALITY MIDDLE SECONDARY
WELLBEING REALITY SENIOR SECONDARY
“He who never made a mistake, never made a discovery.” Samuel Smiles
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WEEK 9 RESPECTFUL AND RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITIES A sense of connectedness or belonging to school and to family is the single most important protective factor for young people. When they have a healthy state of wellbeing, they enjoy resilient and respectful relationships. This enables them to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and express empathy, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, develop resilience to deal with change, manage stress, seek help and contribute to social cohesion.
RECOMMENDED FOR ALL YEARS
Following are the components of social-emotional resilience which underpin resilient and respectful relationships. For senior students, the components have been adjusted and are on the right. 1. EMOTIONAL LITERACY 2. PERSONAL STRENGTHS 3. POSITIVE COPING 4. PROBLEM SOLVING 5. STRESS MANAGEMENT
1. CHALLENGE, OPPORTUNITY AND PERSONAL STRENGTHS 2. GOAL SETTING AND TIME MANAGEMENT 3. POSITIVE SELF-TALK 4. STRESS MANAGEMENT
6. HELP-SEEKING
5. SAFER SOCIALISING
7. GENDER AND IDENTITY currently being developed
6. HELP SEEKING AND PEER SUPPORT
8. POSITIVE GENDER RELATIONS currently being developed
7. GENDER AND IDENTITY currently being developed 8. POSITIVE GENDER RELATIONS currently being developed
Activities for 7&8, 9&10 and 11&12 for each of the above components are provided for you to work with students each week. Acknowledgement: Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
STAFF WELLBEING KEYSTONE HABITS – doing comes before becoming Optimism: What are you looking forward to most this week?
Wellbeing Reality: There are many choices in life, and 40% of your wellbeing is influenced by the choices you make. The first choice you have is to choose from the opportunities on offer to you. Are you making choices for a brighter future to live optimistically, or are you merely existing, being pulled along by others choices?
Booster: Strengths Spotting – Journaling any times you see yourself or others using this week’s strength, Creativity, and the actions you or they take.
Gratitude: What went well that you are grateful for this week?
“Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” John F Kennedy
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WEEK 19 MIDDLE PLANNER
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SENIOR PLANNER
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POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS
POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Wellbeing Reality: by being able to self-generate positive emotions in yourself, you will maintain a healthy state of wellbeing. To do this try focusing on five positives for every negative, by being grateful for little things, being open to show your feelings, enjoying respectful relationships, being kind, having personal timeouts and looking forward to events. Contest negative thinking by being with nature, applying your strengths, mindfully thinking about loved ones, writing gratitude letters and journals, sending kind texts, savouring special times and setting personal goals.
Wellbeing Reality: through consciously seeking to have about four positive thoughts, words or actions for every negative one, your state of wellbeing will be thriving and flourishing. The number of positives to negatives is called the Losada ratio and less than 4 to 1 means that you will be struggling. Unfortunately, in Western society, the ratio is about 2 to 1.
Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
Discuss with a classmate – what are three of the above strategies that work for you and why? ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... When are times you deliberately self-generated positive emotions? ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... Last Word – positive emotions broaden and build your life.
TEAMWORK WEEK This week have fun and make a special difference to other peoples’ lives by creating activities to use the strength TEAMWORK to grow relationships with your family, friends and school community.
CHARACTER STRENGTH:
Use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS on page 130. www.viacharacter.org
Positive emotions broaden your attention and build your engagement to be more creative and alive. Create plenty of them by showing gratitude and empathy and being kind and forgiving. Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
Discuss with a classmate – what do you believe would be your ratio of positives to negatives on a typical day? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... To increase your ratio, what are ten positive things you can deliberately do every day to accomplish this? ...................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... Last Word – to live life create positives, to exist do nothing.
TEAMWORK WEEK This week have fun and make a special difference to other peoples’ lives by creating activities to use the strength TEAMWORK to grow relationships with your family, friends and school community.
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS on page 132.
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WEEK 19 wellbeing builder: MIDDLE – CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS SENIOR – POSITIVE EMOTIONS WELLBEING ELEMENT: POSITIVE EMOTION + GRATITUDE LEARNING INTENTIONS: by being able to self-generate positive emotions in themselves, students will maintain a healthy state of wellbeing. Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Free PERMAH survey at https://permahsurvey.com/ Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid This is Teamwork Week, where students and their classes are encouraged to work together to accomplish something they value. As Barbara Fredrickson, an expert in the field of emotions, once said, “Positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times.” So, teaching students how to self-generate positive emotions will benefit their wellbeing. Self-generate is them doing challenging things to feel fulfilled. Some include: • Every term self-assessing by doing:
» How are your elements of wellbeing growing?
» How they progressed towards achieving their three goals.
» Setting three new goals for next the term.
• Focusing on five positives for every negative, being grateful for little good things happening, accepting their full range of emotions, enjoying respectful relationships, being kind, having personal timeouts, looking forward to several things every day, contesting negative thinking, being with nature, applying their strengths, turning off their devices 4 times for 30 minutes daily, mindfully thinking about loved ones, writing gratitude letters and journals, sending kind texts, savouring special times, trying new and challenging interests and making a deliberate effort to meet new people. Positive emotions don’t come from thinking about them, they come from people doing positive things. Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
RESILIENCE AND WELLBEING TOOLBOX Practising keystone habits to grow students’ resilience and wellbeing.
OPTIMISM & HOPE What am I looking forward to most this week?
RESILIENT MINDSET Am I reliable, open, generous and caring?
SELF-REGULATION I will spend five minutes each day looking at old photos on my mobile.
WELLBEING FOCUS I will count the number of my positive thoughts to negative ones this week.
THINKING FLEXIBLY “Positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times.” Barbara Fredrickson
SELF-BELIEF What are three good decisions I have made recently?
EMPATHY & CONNECTEDNESS When are times I was open-minded when listening to others?
MINDFUL THOUGHTS How does having respectful relationships create positive emotions in me?
GRATITUDE JOURNAL What things went well that I am grateful for?
“Positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times.” Barbara Fredrickson
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WEEK 19 resources and interactive PDF activities available for download to your school hub from www.learningcurve.com.au To develop the elements of wellbeing, nurture resilient mindsets, and cultivate social-emotional skills which enable students to create and maintain respectful relationships, below are the choices you have from the website to achieve these outcomes. On page 5 of this manual, there are detailed suggestions of what you could do with your classes for each of these resources. To maintain student engagement, choose different activities to explore each week.
Character Strength
TEAMWORK FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK
SECONDARY
TM
TM
The warmest feelings you will have in your heart are when you are part of a group or team who achieve something together. They don’t have to be big, just things where each of you gave of yourself to share your best to achieve what you set out to do and are grateful for. This week make a Teamwork Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw things they did together to make something happen. Make a Teamwork Wall at home for your family to write down or draw what things you did as part of a team this week.
Parent Newsletter
teamwork
HABITS OF MIND TAKING RESPONSIBLE RISKS
In your own words, how would you describe teamwork?
How does the dictionary describe teamwork?
Describe a time or times in your life that you believe you have shown this Character Strength.
Describe a time/s I used this Character Strength well As a student at School
Self-generate means them doing challenging things to feel fulfilled. Some include: • How are your elements of wellbeing growing? • How they progressed towards achieving their three goals. • Setting three new goals for next the term. » Focusing on five positives for every negative, being grateful for little good things happening, accepting their full range of emotions, enjoying respectful relationships, being kind, having personal timeouts, looking forward to several things every day, contesting negative thinking, being with nature, applying their strengths, turning off their devices 4 times for 30 minutes daily, mindfully thinking about loved ones, writing gratitude letters and journals, sending kind texts, savouring special times, trying new and challenging interests and making a deliberate effort to meet new people. Positive emotions don’t come from thinking about them, they come from doing positive things. Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
Describe a time I have taken risks in my learning and why. Who has impressed me with his/her willingness to welcome learning challenges and why?
As a member of the Community
This Week’s Teamwork Gratitudes: This week write down or draw times you were part of a team which achieved something you are proud of and grateful. Also, include other teams you saw this week do well.
» Every term self-assessing by doing:
» not thinking “I’ll look stupid” or “I don’t want to be wrong.” As a family member at Home
POSITIVE EMOTION + GRATITUDE TEAMWORK STRUGGLE STRENGTHS Middle: CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS Senior: POSITIVE EMOTIONS (see website) A skill of social-emotional resilience is seeking help when you need it by reaching out to the right people. Describe a time you have done this and how you could do it more often. Acknowledgement: Rievich & Shatte
As Barbara Fredrickson, an expert in the field of emotions, once said, “Positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times.” So, teaching students how to self-generate positive emotions will benefit their wellbeing.
» taking learning risks to build my wellbeing and feel fulfilled
What are two things I will start doing to build this Character Strength
Middle – CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS Senior – POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Wellbeing Element: Character Strength: Strengths Booster: Wellbeing Reality Activities: Parent Wellbeing:
» leaving my comfort zone to welcome challenges
In the boxes below describe a time you have shown this Character Strength and think of two things you will start doing in your roles as a student, family and community member. Also, which of your signature strengths will benefit from this Character Strength?
Wellbeing Reality:
STRENGTHS FOR RELATIONSHIPS: TEAMWORK WEEK This is Teamwork Week, where students and their classes are encouraged to work together to accomplish something they value.
Wellbeing Measurement Tool: Students, staff and parents can measure the state of their wellbeing by taking the free PERMAH survey at https://permahsurvey.com Acknowledgement and thanks: Dr Peggy Kern & Michelle McQuaid
Acknowledgement VIA Institute, www.viacharacter.org
“You can be whatever type of person you choose to be. Your habits, your behaviours, your responses, are all your choice.” P.K. Shaw
HABIT OF MIND – taking responsible risks
PARENT NEWSLETTER
STRENGTH FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK – TEAMWORK
www.viacharacter.org
CHARACTER STRENGTH: Use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS on page 132.
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STRENGTHS booster – struggle strengths
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TEACHER USER MANUAL
THINKING TOOL – mottos
TM
Wellbeing Reality – MIDDLE Wellbeing Reality:
CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Thinking that what may happen will be so bad that it will be unbearable. E.g. I won’t be able to stand it if I don’t get picked in the team.
Describe a time when you have thought this way.
Why do you believe that thinking this way may have caused you to arrive at decisions which really were not logical?
What is one thing you could start doing to avoid thinking this way?
Jack Welch
combined how
This week have fun and make a special difference to other peoples’ lives by creating activities to use the strength TEAMWORK to grow relationships with your family, friends and school community.
How will you build these actions together into habits you do easily and often?
TEAMWORK WEEK
How will you build these actions into habits you do easily and often?
Last Word – to live life create positives, to exist do nothing.
how
......................................................................................................
Believing the worst.
“Control your destiny or someone else will.”
CHARACTER STRENGTH:
Use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS on page 130.
What actions do you think you have to do together to live up to the motto?
This week have fun and make a special difference to other peoples’ lives by creating activities to use the strength TEAMWORK to grow relationships with your family, friends and school community.
......................................................................................................
Nearly every business and organisation has a motto; wonder if they ever discuss what they have to do on a daily basis to live up to it.
TEAMWORK WEEK
To increase your ratio, what are ten positive things you can deliberately do every day to accomplish this?
In threes, reflect on and discuss what each of you have entered to come up with a combined view for each of the sections.
Last Word – positive emotions broaden and build your life.
......................................................................................................
Think about how you are going to build these actions in habits you do easily and often. Enter them in the How section.
......................................................................................
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•
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Think about what actions you have to do to live up to the motto and enter them in the Actions section.
When are times you deliberately self-generated positive emotions?
Discuss with a classmate – what do you believe would be your ratio of positives to negatives on a typical day?
•
......................................................................................
Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
•
......................................................................................
Positive emotions broaden your attention and build your engagement to be more creative and alive. Create plenty of them by showing gratitude and empathy and being kind and forgiving.
Look at any motto such as your School Motto. Think about what it means to you and write it in the Meaning section.
Discuss with a classmate – what are three of the above strategies that work for you and why?
combined actions
Wellbeing Reality: through consciously seeking to have about four positive thoughts, words or actions for every negative one, your state of wellbeing will be thriving and flourishing. The number of positives to negatives is called the Losada ratio and less than 4 to 1 means that you will be struggling. Unfortunately, in Western society, the ratio is about 2 to 1.
Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Branigan
What actions do you think you have to do to live up to the motto?
Wellbeing Reality: by being able to self-generate positive emotions in yourself, you will maintain a healthy state of wellbeing. To do this try focusing on five positives for every negative, by being grateful for little things, being open to show your feelings, enjoying respectful relationships, being kind, having personal timeouts and looking forward to events. Contest negative thinking by being with nature, applying your strengths, mindfully thinking about loved ones, writing gratitude letters and journals, sending kind texts, savouring special times and setting personal goals.
What does the motto mean to you together?
POSITIVE EMOTIONS
combined meaning
CREATING POSITIVE EMOTIONS
What does the motto mean to you?
I will look for stories where people have had to dig deep to overcome setbacks and challenges and write down strengths they used.
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POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
meaning
struggle strengths
SENIOR PLANNER
mottos
Just knowing what your top strengths are makes no difference to your wellbeing unless you use them. Becoming your best possible self comes from doing more difficult things which challenge your current very best. The Strengths Boosters give you opportunities to use your strengths in different ways to build your wellbeing.
PAGE 60
POSITIVE EMOTIONS + GRATITUDE
Thinking Tool
MIDDLE PLANNER
STUDENT
actions
WEEK 19 TM
Strengths Booster
If you choose your School Motto, this would be an excellent activity for every student in the school to do.
TM
CHARACTER STRENGTH – TEAMWORK
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
THINKING TRAP – believing the worst
TM
Wellbeing Reality – SENIOR Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (switch your mobile to Airplane mode)
Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (turn your mobile off)
Wellbeing Reality:
POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Positive Emotion + gratitude
Positive Emotion + gratitude
Growth Mindset: How does having respectful relationships create positive emotions in me?
Growth Mindset: I will count the number of my positive thoughts to negative ones this week.
Character Strength: use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS
Self-Belief: What are three good decisions I have made recently? 1. 2. 3.
Describe a time you used this strength well. Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
Respectful Relationships: What thoughts did you have about this week’s respectful relationships topic?
What resilience skills, from page 36 of the planner, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
What resilience skills, from the Wellbeing Reality on page 36, could you use to think about this week’s topic?
Learning to Flourish: A component of social-emotional resilience is seeking help when you need it. Describe a time you have done this and how you could do it more often.
Thinking Flexibly: “Positive emotions don’t just make us feel good, they transform our minds, our bodies and our ability to bounce back from hard times.” Barbara Fredrickson. Describe what it means to you in your own words.
What is a character strength and an emotion it could be about?
Character Strength: use TEAMWORK to do STRUGGLE STRENGTHS Strengths often work together as a family. What are two other strengths which could work well with this week’s strength and why do you think that?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
Gratitude Journal: What went well that you were grateful for?
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WELLBEING reality MIDDLE SECONDARY
WELLBEING reality SENIOR SECONDARY “Success is getting a little better every day.” Saying
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WEEK 19 RESPECTFUL AND RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITIES
RECOMMENDED FOR ALL YEARS
TEAMWORK FOR RELATIONSHIPS WEEK The warmest feelings you will have in your heart are when you are part of a group or team who achieve something together. They don’t have to be big, just things where each of you gave of yourself to share your best to achieve what you set out to do and are grateful for. This week make a Teamwork Wall in your classroom for your class to write down or draw things they did together to make something happen. Make a Teamwork Wall at home for your family to write down or draw what things you did as part of a team this week.
This Week’s Teamwork Gratitudes: This week write down or draw times you were part of a team which achieved something you are proud of and grateful for. Also, include other teams you saw this week do well.
Acknowledgement: Janice Atkins, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
STAFF WELLBEING KEYSTONE HABITS – doing comes before becoming Optimism: What are you looking forward to most this week?
Wellbeing Reality: The reality is that most things you worry about never happen. A preoccupation with these shadows has an adverse effect on your wellbeing. For one of your worries, think of the best case outcome and then the worst case. The actual outcome will nearly always be in between them. Worth trying?
Booster: Grateful Pics – Take a daily photo on your mobile of something you are grateful for to create an album of gratitudes for this week.
Gratitude: What went well that you are grateful for this week?
“There are none who are as deaf as those who do not want to hear.” Barry Leventtal
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