2023 Custom Teacher Planner

PERSONAL DETAILS:

Name:

Position:

Mobile: Email:

School Address: Postcode:

School Postal Address:

School Telephone: School Fax:

School Email:

School Web Address:

Emergency Contact: Mobile:

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

After social connectedness, teacher wellbeing is the next most influential factor in building student wellbeing. As such, weekly activities have been created to develop teacher wellbeing in a section called Teacher Wellbeing Fitness Challenges

The evidence based research from eminent Positive Psychology scientists, such as Barbara Fredrickson, Angela Duckworth and Marty Seligman, has shown that it is the frequency of positive emotions, not their intensity, which builds our wellbeing; there is no silver bullet quick fix.

Research has also indicated that a rigorous whole school approach to boosting student and teacher wellbeing yields the best outcomes when integrated into all subjects across the curriculum.

The Learning Curve Positive Education program consists an extensive array of evidence based activities and tools to provide opportunities for students to self-assess, self-report by journaling and then set process self-expectations. As Seligman puts it, “hunting the good stuff” on a daily basis. Neuroscience has taught us about mirror neurons which imitate the expressions and behaviours of those around us. As such, it is almost impossible for us as teachers not to also do this when exploring the program with students, thus building our own wellbeing.

It is important to be clear on what a growth mindset actually is. It is understanding and believing that by students lifting their efforts to learn new approaches and then trying them, they can grow their brains’ abilities in all areas of their lives. This also applies to our lives and we are the providers of the new approaches for students. Neuroscience research supports the plasticity of the brain to change through our experiences.

The mindful use of character strengths to cultivate growth mindsets and wellbeing is what we strive to do; we have a liaison with the Values In Action (VIA) Institute and you can access their free Character Strengths’ Survey at www. viacharacter.org.

The Learning Curve elements of wellbeing are a combination of Seligman’s PERMA model and UNESCO’s Foundations of Wellbeing and are all equally important. They combine to determine our state of wellbeing. They are, Strengths and Emotions, Relationships and Optimism, Positive Engagement, Skills and Achievement, Exercise and Health, Meaning and purpose.

Any feedback to develop our program is more than welcomed, thanks, Mick

Mick Walsh

2023 calendar

2025

Australian School Terms & Public Holidays – 2023

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS SCHOOL TERMS

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: – www.det.act.gov.au

Monday 30 January (New students)

Tuesday 31 January (Continuing Students) to Thursday 6 April

Monday 24 April to Friday 30 June

Monday 17 July to Friday 22 September

Monday 9 October to Friday 15 December

NEW SOUTH WALES: – www.education.nsw.edu.au

Friday 27 January to Thursday 6 April

Monday 24 April to Friday 30 June

Monday 17 July to Friday 22 September

Monday 9 October to Tuesday 19 December

VICTORIA: – www. education.vic.gov.au

Monday 30 January to Thursday 6 April

Monday 24 April to Friday 23 June

Monday 10 July to Friday 15 September

Monday 2 October to Wednesday 20 December

QUEENSLAND: – www.education.qld.gov.au

Monday 23 January to Friday 31 March

Monday 17 April to Friday 23 June

Monday 10 July to Friday 15 September

Tuesday 3 October to Friday 8 December

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: – www.education.sa.gov.au

Monday 30 January to Friday 14 April

Monday 1 May to Friday 7 July

Monday 24 July to Friday 29 September

Monday 16 October to Friday 15 December

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: – www.det.wa.edu.au

Wednesday 1 February to Thursday 6 April

Monday 24 April to Friday 30 June

Monday 17 July to Friday 22 September

Monday 9 October to Thursday 14 December

NORTHERN TERRITORY: – www.det.nt.gov.au

Tuesday 31 January to Thursday 6 April

Monday 17 April to Friday 23 June

Tuesday 18 July to Friday 22 September

Monday 9 October to Friday 15 December

TASMANIA: – www.education.tas.gov.au

Wednesday 8 February to Wednesday 5 April

Wednesday 26 April to Friday 7 July

Tuesday 25 July to Friday 29 September

Monday 16 October to Thursday 21 December

year planner – 2023

january february march april may june

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

positive education

WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE? - strengthening your Skills and Achievement element of wellbeing

You have individual “best” ways to learn and do things. To discover your preferred style tick the boxes below for the ones that you believe best describe you. When you have finished there may be ticks in every column but there is likely to be one with more. This corresponds to your preferred learning style.

WHAT YOU PREFER TO DO TASK VISUAL AUDITORY KINAESTHETIC

When talking about an issue in class

When beginning an assignment or project

Imagine pictures

Look for mental patterns

Don’t like too much listening and talking

Draw a flowchart of things to be done

Draw idea maps to make connections

Use colours and different fonts

When meeting other people

Have trouble remembering names

Remember their faces

Remember and picture where you last met

Listen closely to what is said

Think about your opinion on it

Keen to talk about it

Want it explained clearly to you

Ask questions to make sure you understand

Brainstorm what you know in lists

Remember their names

Remember things about them

Don’t remember their faces as much

When solving a problem

Draw a picture of it’s parts

Use idea maps to see connections

Draw a flowchart of the what if’s

When trying to keep your mind on the job in class

Often daydream about things

Picture what you have to do Watch others in class and what’s happening

When having problems using the computer

Look at the “Help” menu

Watch others do it

Open more screens to work out your problems

Listen to and discuss approaches with others

Write out your plan

Write a list of what if’s

Listen for changes in voice tones

Ask yourself questions about what you know

Listen to the different noises and conversation

Ask someone else for help

Get frustrated because the computer can’t talk

Read the instruction book

When putting something together

Look at the diagrams of each part

Look at the instructions for what to do

Picture the finished article when you have assembled it

Ask someone how to do it

Read the instructions on assembling it

Assemble it with someone else

MY

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING STYLE IS:

Select the Thinking Tools from the website which you think best suit you.

Look at others body language

Want to end talking and start doing

Like playing roles

Start immediately Plan as you go

Make changes to what you have done on the way

Remember what you did when you last met

Think about what you can do this time

Think about good places to go

See possible solutions immediately

Try things rather than planning

Use trial and error

Get distracted by the movement around you

Play with pens, books, items etc

Wriggle and look around the room

Keep trying to do it

Don’t read the instructions fully

Give up and don’t use the computer

Just start putting it together

Don’t look at the instructions until something goes wrong

Get frustrated and give up.

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF THINKING? - developing your Skills and Achievement element of wellbeing

There are a number of levels that peoples’ thinking can be at from simple remembering to designing and creating new ideas and connections. Understand how your thinking looks at each level and the things you do at each level. Try to “push” your thinking to climb up through the levels to build stronger brain pathways. There are fantastic things on offer upstairs!

The levels of thinking (Taxonomy) were created by Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s and re-jigged by Lorin Anderson during the 1990s.

Tick the levels that you believe you think at most of the time.

Level

DESIGNING (Evaluation)

Top Floor

What does it mean?

From all of your research and what you have learnt create your own new ideas and connections; original personal plans, patterns and visions.

What are two things I will start doing?

EVALUATING (Synthesis)

Floor 4

Weighing up and valuing ideas, solutions, methods, using evidence to compare, make judgements on what you have found; making your own informed assessments.

What are two things I will start doing?

ANALYSING (Analysis)

Floor 3

Looking for the “what ifs” and searching for patterns and connections between the parts. Seeing implications and differences; viewing the individual pieces of the problem.

What are two things I will start doing?

APPLYING (Application)

Floor 2

Using what you have learnt by applying it to new situations and problems. Adapting information to fit; going beyond the data.

What are two things I will start doing?

UNDERSTANDING (Comprehension)

Floor 1

Understanding what the information is saying and what it means. Seeing the different parts in a problem; being able to view the issue for what it is.

What are two things I will start doing?

REMEMBERING (Knowledge)

Ground Floor

Being able to remember the information you need or being able to collect the required data; finding what you need to know.

What are two things I will start doing?

Acknowledgement: Benjamin Bloom, Lorin Anderson

Words describing your thinking

Invent, Forecast, Predict, Create, Devise Compose

Questions you may consider

Predict what might happen if... Devise a new way to... Create a solution to...

Justify, Verify, Validate, Assess, Judge, Conclude

Why is this idea better than...?

Judge the merit of... Verify the value of...

Relate, Identify, Interpret, Compare, Distinguish, Contrast

Why did this happen?

How does the issue impact on...?

What is the problem with... and why?

Modify, Convert, Adapt, Apply, Demonstrate, Show

Describe, Compile, Discuss, Explain, Summarise, Interpret

Describe how you would... Modify the process to...

Demonstrate how you would...

Making a summary of...

Describe in your own words...

Explain why...

Collect, Assemble, List, Graph, Remember, Retrieve

What data you need to...? How will I find the information?

What gaps are in my knowledge?

SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT

FAST BRAIN PATHWAYS

Wellbeing Bank: to build my Positive Engagement by understanding how my brain is always changing. After every experience, your brain rewires itself:

• to create new or strengthen existing brain pathways

• this is called neuroplasticity and continues throughout your life.

In your brain there are millions of nerve cells called neurons:

• they connect to form brain pathways

• they process and send information

• electric messages travel down these pathways from neuron to neuron to create your every thought, word and action

• practising something strengthens neuron connections

• the stronger these connections, the faster and more automatically messages travel

• which creates your habits

• describe how you currently practise to build fast brain pathways.

PRIORITISING

Wellbeing Bank: to strengthen my Skills and Achievement by learning to prioritise effectiviely. Doing the things that you need to do in a logical order:

• to ensure they get done on time, doesn’t just happen

• you have to organise them in order of importance and urgency

• this is called prioritising, which is a valuable enterprise skill

• describe how you currently prioritise what you need to do.

An excellent thinking tool to use to learn how to prioritise is:

• Musts and Options on the website

• it enables you to create a list of what you need to do and when you’ll do them.

Musts: are things you have no choice in – family responsibilities, school, and part-time jobs.

Options: are things that you have a choice in – texting, TV, videos, socialising, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Kik. Put them in order of importance.

> See Musts and Options in Thinking Tools on website.

To develop positive habits make them easy to do. To avoid negative habits, make them difficult to do. If it takes longer than 20 seconds to do, you won’t do them.

> Complete Wellbeing Reflection sheet on website.

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to develop fast brain pathways?

> Complete Wellbeing Reflection sheet on website.

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to learn how to prioritise well?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Effort. Think of a word for each letter of the word EFFORT which would describe what effort is for you.

RESILIENCE BUILDER

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Little children’s emotions are very simple, such as glad, mad, sad. For your age group, emotions are more complex (as there can be more than one emotion occurring or being felt at the same time). For example, you may be very excited about what you are doing, but scared of what might go wrong. From the ‘List of Emotions’ select five pairs of emotions which often occur together and the situations involved.

My Life. Reflect on how you want your life to be and the top five things that you want for yourself, that make you excited, and when you want them to happen. WHAT

WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

Social and emotional distress tends to increase as young people enter teens. Why do you think this happens and what skills do you think you need to develop to cope with this situation capably? It is important to talk these issues over with someone you trust. Who would you feel confident turning to for help to discuss any issues and why? If you can’t think of anyone, ask your teacher for other ways to get help in this situation. Would writing a letter to give to someone you trust make it easier to express your feelings?

WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1. 2. 3.

1.

2.

1.

2.

MEANING AND PURPOSE SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT

ORGANISING TIME

My Wellbeing Bank: Develop Skills and Achievement by sensibly organising my time. Organising your time is planning how you will use the 168 hours you are given each week. How often do you run out of time? To avoid being “time poor” you have to understand where your time goes.

To do this use the Time Understandings Thinking Tool from the website for three typical days, 72 hours. List everything you do from when you rise till when you go to bed. How much time do you spend?:

sleeping ______ eating ______ dressing ______

travelling ______ at school ______ home study ______

sport/exercise ______ TV/DVDs ______ Internet ______

facebook/Instagram/Kik ______ part time job ______ hobbies ______ socialising ______ other ______

Total ______ Nothing Time = 72 – Total = ______

Use your top five strengths to complete the number of home learning sessions you need to do every week. Be aware; make a list of time wasters to put up in your bedroom.

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to organise my time better?

OWNING YOUR TIME

Wellbeing Bank: to add to my Meaning and Purpose by taking ownership of my time to create a Personal Timetable.

Taking responsibility for how you use your time:

• provides you with a meaning and purpose for what you do

• your Personal Timetable is a contract with yourself, which

• organises you to avoid time wasters

• enables you to practise building fast brain pathways

• describe how do you currently organise your time.

See sample timetable (on website) for ideas and the number of home learning sessions. Put in:

• your musts and options on blank timetable

• when you will do your learning sessions

• revising for 10 minutes in each subject weekly

• one hour daily for exercise

• a copy on the fridge for your parents.

Home Learning sessions strengthen your brain pathways:

• set something to achieve in each one

• put when to begin and end in your phone

• finish with a 5 minute revision.

> See Timetable sheets on website.

> Complete Wellbeing Reflection sheet on website.

ACTIONS

What are two things I will start doing to create and follow a Personal Timetable? 1. 2.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Acts of Kindness. Think of two or three acts of kindness you will do for someone else for each day of the week. Could be smiling, saying hello, helping in some way, opening the door for them ...

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Look at the ‘List of Emotions’ on the website. What are five emotions you think you need to keep under control in order to act and learn positively. Why?

WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

MINDFULNESS

ACTIVITY

Holiday. You are going on a holiday to Hawaii, name ten articles of clothing you would take and what you would need to organise.

RESILIENCE BUILDER

In your teens, emotions can also strengthen to become more intense. With a friend, describe five situations which can cause your emotions to increase in intensity from mild to very strong. List the emotions as they become more intense; for example, happy, delighted, ecstatic from the List of Emotions on the website.

WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?

1.

2.

Take several deep breaths when feeling tense or stressed.

ATTENDANCE RECORDS & NOTES

YEAR PLANNER – 2024

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE

YEAR PLANNER – 2024

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER