2023 Teacher Planner – Week to an opening

NAME POSITION

TOP CHARACTER STRENGTHS

EMERGENCY CONTACT AND MOBILE

INSPIRING MY BEST SELF AS A PERSON WHO MATTERS

MOBILE

What do you want 2023 to be for you:

Personally?

Professionally?

What is a choice that you need to make?

Our Learning Curve description of a healthy state of wellbeing is: feeling optimistic and hopeful for today and for your future, because you know that you are working towards building your best self

The evidence based lessons and activities align with ACARA’s HPE Curriculum for all years of schooling and the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships research for F, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12 from the Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. Teacher Lesson Guides have been created to support you in teaching every lesson/activity in all planners and journals; go the website under the Wellbeing Program tab for the individual guides.

To complement the student planners and journals, we have created a Staff Wellbeing@School Journal for you, and a Wellbeing@Work Journal for parents, to assist the adults in students’ lives to be self-determined to focus on enhancing their own wellbeing. Our Learning Curve team provides professional development for teachers, parents and leadership teams on how to best learn it, embed it and live it, to enable a healthy state of collective wellbeing across your school community.

Research clearly indicates that when both your students’ and your state of wellbeing are in a healthy state, significant personal and academic growth occurs. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding year ahead supporting your efforts. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you have any queries whatsoever.

All the best, Mick Walsh, The Learning Curve Author

CHARACTER STRENGTH WEEKS

There are eight Strengths Weeks spread throughout this planner. They provide you and your class with opportunities to practise using your strengths to build a resilient state of wellbeing. They are also fun to do at home with your family. The order of these weeks are: Curiosity, Leadership, Gratitude, Teamwork, Love of Learning, Kindness, Perseverance, Zest.

From the website www.learningcurve.com.au , download the Strengths Weeks sheets from Individual Resources/Character Strengths Weeks and the Wellbeing Awards Certificates from Individual Resources/ Wellbeing Awards.

Author, Educator and Speaker

2023 / 2024 / 2025 CALENDARS

2023 CALENDAR

2024 CALENDAR

2025 CALENDAR

“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” Steve Maraboli

2023 AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL TERMS & 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

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

*REGIONAL OBSERVANCE ONLY. **NOT A STATE WIDE HOLIDAY. +TO BE CONFIRMED. †TO BE PROCLAIMED DATES ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING. ALL HOLIDAYS ARE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT REGULATION. THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY IS LIKELY TO CHANGE ITS NAME. IT WILL BE DETERMINED BY STATE AND TERRITORY GOVERNMENTS.

“Merit and good breeding will make their way everywhere.” Lord Chesterfield

This Lesson: WHY: for you and your students to understand how PERMAH+ describes your mental and physical wellbeing. HOW: complete the lesson to learn about how healthy each of your wellbeing elements are and how can you be self-determined to grow them further.

POSITIVE EMOTION + GRATITUDE - creating positive emotions in yourself, contesting negative emotions with self-talk and being grateful for the people and what you have in your life.

Do you feel positive emotions every day to feel good?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share something you can do to create positive feelings in yourself.

Do you think about what you are grateful for each day?

Often Sometimes Not much Share special people and things that you are grateful for.

ENGAGEMENT + MINDFULNESS - connecting with yourself to be curious to learn more, noticing something different about every day and involving yourself fully in what you love doing.

Do you pay attention to what you need to pay attention to?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share a time that you were so engaged that you lost track of time.

Do you connect with yourself to notice different things?

Often Sometimes Not much Share a time that you noticed your thoughts coming and going.

RELATIONSHIPS + EMPATHY - creating and maintaining respectful relationships, showing that other people matter to you and having empathy for their needs and feelings.

Do you feel connected, protected and respected when with others?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share things that create respectful relationships.

Do you show empathy for other people’s needs and feelings?

Often Sometimes Not much Share how you show that other people matter to you.

Acknowledgement: Seligman & Peterson

“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” Glinda, Wizard of Oz

Your wellbeing is a combination of the six equally important PERMAH+ elements, and no single element on its own indicates how healthy your state of wellbeing is. They work together as a family.

MEANING + PURPOSE - finding meaning in something which is your reason for getting out of bed, and starting every day with a sense of purpose to make a positive difference to the lives of others.

Do you give of yourself for others to add meaning to your own life?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share something which means a lot to you.

Do you think about what your sense of purpose is every day?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share your purpose which drives your efforts.

ACCOMPLISHMENT + OPTIMISM - having optimism and hope for your future, writing down goals as your pathways to becoming your best self and deliberately practising to accomplish them.

Do you look at your goals to motivate you to practise?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share a goal you have written down that you are determined to achieve.

Do you put in private efforts to work towards your goals?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share how you deliberately practise to achieve your goals.

HEALTH + STRENGTHS - looking after your Big Five to be healthy, and using your strengths to be optimistic and hopeful that you are working towards becoming your best self.

Do you do the Big Five Check In to be self-aware of your health?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share which of the Big Five are going well, and not so well.

Do you deliberately focus on using your top strengths every day?

Often Sometimes Not much

Share how you can use your strengths to be healthier.

Acknowledgement: Seligman & Peterson

MOVING MINDSETS

This Lesson: WHY: for you and your students to understand what your mindset is and how it can vary from fixed to growth. HOW: use the strength bravery to stretch your efforts on more difficult tasks and write down step by step process goals.

Your mindset is about how much or how little you think that you can grow your abilities through making the effort to learn and practise new and more challenging things. There are two extremes, fixed and growth, and for different things your mindset can be different.

FIXED

WHICH STEP HAVE YOU REACHED TODAY?

Mark where your progess is about learning at school

What is something that is fixed for you?

FIXED MINDSETS: about proving yourself.

~ challenges show what you can’t do

~ choosing to not try things because it makes no difference

~ you want to prove yourself by avoiding mistakes

~ Effort = lack of ability

~ king for you is the fear to fail

~ set easy comfort zone performance goals.

What is something that is growth for you?

GROWTH MINDSETS: about improving yourself.

~ challenges enable you to stretch yourself

~ choosing to try things to grow your abilities

~ you want to improve and mistakes guide you

~ Effort = personal and academic growth

~ king for you is the courage to try

~ set challenging step by step process goals.

When have you learnt something from a mistake? What is a challenge that stretched your abilities?

Performance Goals - are set within your comfort zone and show more of a fixed mindset to prove yourself. Examples of performance goals are: “I will choose to do tasks that I know I won’t make mistakes for.” OR “I will avoid taking risks and keep learning and thinking the same way in class.”

Process Goals - are set to challenge your comfort zone and show more of a growth mindset to stretch yourself and accepting that mistakes guide what you need to learn to improve. Examples of process goals are: “I will use Thinking Tools from the website to think in better ways.” OR “I will ask more questions when I don’t understand something in class.”

Write a process goal for each of these:

Building My Learning and Thinking Skills: I will

Building My Respectful Relationships: I will

What I want to achieve for myself: I will

Acknowledgement: Dweck, Ericsson, Anderson

SELF-DETERMINATION = YOUR SELF MOTIVATION

This Lesson: WHY: for you and your students to understand that your motivation to challenge your best self comes from being self-determined, which is feeling a sense of competence, connectedness and autonomy. H0W: reflect on whether you are an intrinsically motivated person who believes that you have what it takes, who feels connected to others, and who is prepared to make self-determined choices this year.

Your thoughts: ............................................................................................................................................................................................

SELF-DETERMINATION TO BE SELF-MOTIVATED

SENSE OF COMPETENCE

You feel confident in your learning and thinking capabilities to competently master each of your subjects.

Often Sometimes Not much

When is a time that you felt a strong sense of competence?

Who can you seek help from to develop your sense of competence further? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................

SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS

You feel that you belong at school and that other people value you for who you are and think that you matter.

Often Sometimes Not much

When is a time that you felt a strong sense of connectedness? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................

What is a group that you want to feel that you belong to more, and who can you ask to help you achieve this?

SENSE OF AUTONOMY

You feel that you have choices in your life and are confident in yourself to make your own decisions.

Often Sometimes Not much

When is a time that you felt a strong sense of autonomy? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................

What are areas where you want to feel that you have more independence in your choices? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Acknowledgement: Ryan & Deci

GOALS, TARGETS, STRATEGIES, OBSTACLES, LEARN PLAN

This Lesson : WHY: for your students to write down three self-determined goals to work towards achieving this term. H0W: fill in the sections of this plan to provide themselves with a logical visual overview of their three goals and the process that they need to follow to accomplish each of them. At the start of term, mark where they think they are starting each goal from and where they realistically believe that they can reach towards accomplishing it by the end of term. Set ISMART goals.

T IMEBOUND: can move towards achieving it this term

TO LEARN AND SUPPORT: Who can help me learn what I need to?

To overcome challenges I need to learn

R EALISTIC: follow processes to make it possible

My support to learn this is

To overcome challenges I need to learn

My support to learn this is

To overcome challenges I need to learn

My support to learn this is

A CHIEVABLE: believe that I can accomplish it

M EASURABLE: step-by-step targets on the way

OBSTACLES: Possible challenges and setbacks.

STRATEGIES: Approaches and Thinking Tools I’m using well.

S PECIFIC: why I want to achieve this

Getting started strategies I used

TARGETS: Being self-determined to monitor my progress and effort.

After 2 weeks: have I set up a process to follow?

Strategies that are working for me

After 6 weeks: am I moving towards my goals?

Getting started strategies I used

After 2 weeks: have I set up a process to follow?

Strategies that are working for me

After 6 weeks: am I moving towards my goals?

Getting started strategies I used

After 2 weeks: have I set up a process to follow?

Strategies that are working for me

After 6 weeks: am I moving towards my goals?

NSPIRATIONAL: fill me with positive emotions

I

SELF-DETERMINED GOALS: My drive and motivation to challenge my best self.

Acknowledgement: Sheldon & Adams Miller

Competence: Learning Abilities –I want to become more competent at...

Connectedness: Connecting with Others –I want to connect more with...

MUSTS AND OPTIONS

This Lesson: WHY: for you and your students to understand how to prioritise by making a list of your Musts and Options. HOW: be clear on what each of these are, and particularly avoid making some of your Options, Musts. Your brain loves looking for patterns, so making a day by day list of your Musts and Options, when they are on and how long they take, will create such patterns. Prioritise your Options in order of importance and be aware of possible time wasters between your Musts and Options. There is a Musts and Options Thinking Tool on the website to also use.

MUSTS OPTIONS

This Lesson: WHY: for you and your students to practise being a ROCK Star to learn about trust and how you can be trustworthy. HOW: practise doing things that will build Reliability, Openness, Confidence and Kindness in yourself to use the ROCK of Trust well.

Having trust in yourself, in others and being trusted by them, creates clear communication lines to connect with others to be resilient to overcome challenges. You tend to trust others who have similar personalities to you. Work on becoming a Rock Star by choosing to focus on being reliable, open, confident and kind. Self-assess as to whether you are or could be a ROCK Star.

RELIABILITY

Can you trust yourself to do what your mind tells you is right for you to do? When is a time you did this?

OPENNESS

Do you believe in the person you see in the mirror and are honest with yourself? When is a time you did this?

Can other people trust you to follow through on what you say you will do? When is a time you did this?

Can other people trust you to be open, honest and welcome feedback? When is a time you did this?

CONFIDENCE

Are you confident in your abilities to do what you need to and say you will do? When is a time you did this?

KINDNESS

Are you kind to, accepting of and believe in yourself? When is a time you did this?

Can other people trust you to confidently live up to their expectations of you? When is a time you did this?

Can other people trust you to have empathy for them and show that they matter to you? When is a time you did this?

Acknowledgement: adapted from Aneil and Karen Mishra’s ROCC of Trust

“Trust yourself, and you will start to trust others.” Santosh Kalwar

TRUSTED CHAMPIONS

This Lesson: WHY: for your students to choose their Trusted Champions to support them. HOW: focus on asking family members or adults who they trust, and don’t hesitate to approach them when they need help with something. Your Trusted Champions will always be there for you to share any concerns that you have and they will never give up on you. They will stand side by side with you through tough times, and celebrate excitedly with you through good times. Everyone needs support from time to time.

CHAMPION ONE

There is always a pathway to follow to feel great again, even if your Trusted Champions help you to create one.

Name:

There is no problem which cannot be solved through trust, perseverance and courage. It all starts with you asking.

PICTURE OF YOU OR DRAW YOURSELF CHAMPION FOUR CHAMPION TWO

Name:

The reality is that nothing can be so bad or shocking that you can’t ask your Trusted Champions. They won’t judge you, just help you.

Acknowledgement: Rita Pierson

Name:

CHAMPION THREE

Name:

Are there fears you have about asking? How do you want to feel after you have shown the courage to share your concerns?

Name:

INNOVATIVE PLANNING STRATEGIES

All of the following strategies are for students to write down/journal their thoughts in the planner; use any pages in the body of the planner that are not full. Staff role playing the intent of the following lessons, both implicitly and explicitly, will see students’ mirror neurons kick in to do likewise. There is no right or wrong, just doing.

1. Staff Wellbeing Journal – to ensure that staff, teachers and principals are empowered to focus on their own wellbeing, we have created a Wellbeing@School Journal, containing evidence based lessons and activities for them to explore on a daily and weekly basis. The intention is to build their personal wellbeing by using the journal to positively prime themselves every morning and spend 10 to 15 minutes every day as their third space to connect with themselves and journal their thoughts about the PERMAH and selfdetermination questions. Feeling comfortable doing this will increase their confidence to do likewise with students using their planners.

2. Positive Priming –Fabulous First Five Minutes – begin every lesson with a question to create positive emotions. For example, What is something you have done that you are proud of? Positive Emotions broaden and build students attention and engagement by producing up to 30% more endorphins.

3. Forward Popcorn – every morning, ask students what they are looking forward to most for the day. Ask five students to share their thoughts. Ask them to take notice of the small things, like smiling more, helping a younger student, or asking more questions in class. From little things, big things grow.

4. Grateful Popcorn – every afternoon nearing the end of school, ask students what went well that they were grateful for during the day. Once again, ask them to share the little good things that they noticed. Someone said hello to me. My teacher said well done. I was asked to join in another group.

5. Other People Matter – after lunch every day, ask students to share something that they did to show other people matter, or something someone did to show that they matter. This is about building a self-awareness of the little things that really matter and add up. For example, I said hello to a new student and asked them to join our group.

6. Feeling Good Brain Chemicals – when students, teachers and parents understand what triggers the release of these, they will have the ability to experience them more often. There are both short and long term ones.

Endorphins – for short term boosts - released through exercise, physical stress, laughing, being outside in the sun, and they reduce feelings of pain. Experiencing these are great ways to start every day.

Dopamine – for short term pleasure - released through expecting rewards and doing things you enjoy, they give “natural highs” and are associated with addictions, particularly social media these days.

Serotonin – for long term moods and wellbeing – released during positive emotions, digestion and when you have feelings of being valued by others around you. Associated with feelings of connection and belonging.

Oxytocin – for long term feeling loved – released through physical touch, kindness, empathy, eye contact, social connections and feeling loved and cared for. Associated with kindness, empathy and connection.

7. Character Strengths Discovery - ask students to mark these pages with a permanent book mark. Read the page

and do a class popcorn of times they could have used each strength, or could use them. Arrange for students to complete the free strengths survey at www.viacharacter.org Ask them to fill in them top strengths in the Strengths Wheel or Backpack. Google “The Science of Character” and show students the 8 minute Tiffany Schlain video on character strengths. Ask students who have particular strengths in their wheels or backpacks to sit in groups to share how they use them.

8. Character Strengths Gallery – ask students to write their name on a sheet of A4 paper and blue tack them to the walls around the classroom. Explain that they are going to spend time writing on each of their classmates’ sheets what they think are a couple of their strengths, and Describing Yourself words that they would use to describe them. This is a wonderful class morale building and bonding activity. Allow about 15 to 20 minutes, and ask students to take down their sheets. Their faces will tell the story, and they will treasure their sheets.

9. Character Strengths In Action – while teaching and looking at situations, issues or characters, ask students which strengths could be best to use, or are being used. While they are working in class, ask them what strengths they are using. Ask what is a situation in which each of the 24 strengths could be used. Look at the Wellbeing Fitness Challenges and write down what strengths they would use for each of them.

10. Character Strengths Thinking – share with students that knowing about and talking about their strengths isn’t using them. Either individually or in small groups, ask students to choose three of their top strengths, and write down their thoughts on the following questions for each of them: What is something you can do to use it well? What is something you can do to overuse it or misuse it? What is another strength that can work well with it? What is something you can do to underuse it? Which Habit of Mind would be a good way to think for it?

11. Resilience Skills – ask students to mark these pages with a permanent book mark. Write down the seven skills and ask them when they could have used each one, or a situation that they can use it. While teaching and exploring what they are learning, ask students to share what is a resilience skill that they are using, what one a character is using and what one would be best to use in a particular situation. For the weekly PERMAH focus, ask students which skill can help them to do it well.

12. PERMAH Focus – read the WHY, the learning intention, the HOW, the ways to do it, and the DO questions to reinforce what they learned with the class. Then identify a few helpful or important things for students to take on board. Read the Teacher Lesson Guide on the website for some tips. Over the week, raise these as brain breaks, and ask students to answer one of the questions in the focus. Ask how this focus could build the particular element of PERMAH and situations where this could help them at school and at home. Ask them what would be the best strengths to use and what resilience skill could help them to use what they learned well.

13. Supporting Wellbeing Lessons – to incorporate the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships research from the Graduate School of Education at Melbourne University, ACARA’s HPE Curriculum for the different year levels and a wealth of respected researchers, an array of lessons are rotated each week, including Respectful

INNOVATIVE PLANNING STRATEGIES

Relationships, Wellbeing @School, Mindfulness Time, Resilient Me, and others. These can be done as lessons or short brain breaks.

14. Parent Newsletter Articles – to build open and transparent home-school communication lines, send home the weekly newsletter from the weekly program on the website, which explains the intent of the lessons and activities. Many parents relish knowing more about how to develop their children as happy and fully functioning young people.

15. AA Reflection – at the end of lessons across the school, ask student to think about, What did they Appreciate about the lesson, and What was an Ah ha moment in what they learned. Doing this cultivates a habit to look for the good things happening around them and to them.

16. Circle of Safety/Trusted Champions – ask students to identify four adults who they trust and they know will never give up on them. Feeling connected, respected and protected are cornerstones of enjoying a healthy state of wellbeing and feeling safe. Ask students to fill in their four trusted adults in the lesson.

17. Goal Setting – thinking about goals is not sufficient motivation to work hard towards achieving them. They need to be written down. To optimise the process of setting goals, sit down with every individual student to come up with three goals each term. For self-determined goals that generate the intrinsic motivation in students to strive for them, set one to build their learning and thinking skills, one to build healthy friendships, and one of their own choice. At the end of term, they review how far they reached towards achieving each goal from 1 to 5, what they learned along the way and how they progressed in each of their subjects.

18. Habits of Mind - ask students to mark these pages with a permanent book mark. While learning in class, when exploring topics, ask students which Habit is the best way to think. Doing this often will create students’ abilities to change how they think for different situations, an essential skill to becoming fully functioning people.

19. Self-Determination Search – explain to students that their inner motivation to do something comes from being selfdetermined. That is feeling that they have choice in doing something, they feel that they have the skills to do it, and they will feel connected to others while doing it. In small groups, ask each group to come up with three things where they feel these things. Ask each group to share their thoughts. You can extend this activity by nominating a situation and asking students to assess whether they feel self-determined to it.

20. Positive Self-Talk – flexible thinking is a key skill of resilience, particularly in contesting unhelpful negative mind chatter with I can and I will self-talk. When students are challenged with learning topics or friendship concerns, help them to create appropriate self-talk statements to change their thinking to be optimistic again. Eg. I can understand this and I will ask more questions to learn new approaches. You may also ask students which of their strengths could assist them to do this.

21. Mindful Colouring In – anxiety at school is a real thing for many students, caused by the fight or flight response to threats, whether real or perceived. The excess cortisol in them needs to be flushed out for them to feel ok again. Any activity that has control, pattern and repetition does this effectively, and colouring in is one of the best. Five minutes of mindful colouring in will settle nearly all students. For example, If students come in after lunch pumped up and

lacking attention, ask the class to colour in; you will be amazed how quickly it works. Interestingly, they start with dark colours when anxious, and change to lighter colours as they chill out. Mindful Mazes work the same way. Any activities that have repetition, control and pattern, such as knitting, are excellent mindful calming activities.

22. Big Five Check In – to raise students’ self-awareness of their health, every day ask them to self-assess and mark next to the icon how they felt positive, how they exercised, how they slept, how healthy they ate and how much water they drank. Ask them to do the check in at the end of the week by colouring in how well they thought they went for each of these.

23. Mind-Body Connections – ask students to discuss where they feel that their mind is in their body. Ask them to discuss where in their bodies they feel joy. Ask them to discuss whether their brains control how they feel about things, or whether their hearts do, or whether their gut does.

24. Character Strengths Weeks – there are eight of these spread evenly throughout the year and they are designed for classes to be creative in identifying and using activities to bring the particular strength to life. Many schools are nominating a different year level to run the activity for the whole school, or have, for example, 6’s run it for 4’s, 5’s run it for 3’s, 12’s for 10’s, 11’s for 9’s and so on. The Strengths sheets can be downloaded from the website. Encourage students’ families to do these at home too as a connecting activity for family members.

25. Best Case, Worst Case Scenarios – explain to your students that when a challenge or difficult situation arises, their most natural tendency is to think that the worst possible thing will happen. In reality though, the outcome is usually somewhere between the best and worst outcomes. As a class, brainstorm three challenges or diificult situations. In small groups, ask students to discuss what could be the worst, the best and then most probable outcome for each of the five. This activity assists students to avoid catastrophising.

26. Learning Curve Wellbeing Survey – in partnership with Resilient Youth Australia, we offer evidence based wellbeing surveys for schools to use across their year levels. Doing these enables schools to identify where they are at in creating a wellbeing culture in their community. To access them, please contact the Learning Curve Team.

27. Wellbeing Fitness Challenges – these are fun and enjoyable weekly class tasks which enable students to use their strengths and resilience skills in order to develop them to become keystone habits – these are habits that enable other habits. You can also ask students what would be the best way to think using Habits of Mind.

28. Thinking Tools – there are over 60 of these colourful higher order and interactive thinking routines on the website www. learningcurve.com.au to cultivate critical and creative thinking skills and promote a thinking curriculum.

29. Wellbeing/Student Tips – use these as brain breaks for students to share when they have used them or could use them. When you and your colleagues raise these little tips in all subjects across the curriculum, your school will be cultivating optimism and hope in your community.

30. Website Resources – There are numerous evidence based lessons, activities and resources to support your efforts in building a resilient state of wellbeing across your school community. These include resilience builders, positive behaviors for learning materials, restorative practise resources and many more valuable tools for you.

Positive Emotions + gratitude: POSITIVE EMOTIONS / SELF-GENERATING POSITIVES

Fabulous First Five Minutes – ask students when was a time that they were nearly beaten by a challenge but persevered to overcome it.

WHY: for students to: Middle – show that they are always on the lookout for opportunities to create and experience positive emotions in both themselves and others. Senior – self-assess on their usual daily ratio of positives to negatives, and then come up with little things that they can do to self-generate positive emotions in themselves.

HOW: Explain that continually self-generating positive emotions in themselves will contest and eventually overcome their unhelpful negative thoughts, such as, “I haven’t got enough time”. Share that when they choose to do this, they will experience a cascade of smiles, gratitudes and uplifting thoughts.

DO: Ask students to explore and answer the PERMAH+ questions. Middle – ask students to do the Wellbeing@School activity, Big Five Check In and Character Strength brainstorm on social-intelligence. Senior – ask students to do the Wellbeing@School activity, Big Five Check In and Study Tip. Success Criteria: students will be able to: Explain – what they can do to self-generate positive emotions in themselves. Do – choose two positive emotions that they will practise self-generating.

Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky, Fredrickson & Losada

MIDDLE PLANNER

POSITIVE EMOTIONS

of your wellbeing intentional thoughts, about how you can yourself. emotions are hope, pride, humour, day, focus your experience one of them. more you feel state of wellbeing.

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SENIOR PLANNER

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PRIORITIES / DUE DATES Monday

WHY: by understanding that 40% of your wellbeing is directly influenced by your intentional thoughts, you will be more likely to think about how you can create positive emotions in yourself.

HOW: the ten most enjoyed positive emotions are joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, humour, inspiration, awe and love. Every day, focus your thoughts on doing things to experience one of them. Your feelings will be uplifting. The more you feel them, the healthier will be your state of wellbeing.

SELF-GENERATING POSITIVES

Acknowledgement: Fredrickson & Losada

DO: which of these ten emotions do you enjoy feeling often?

WHY: by making the choice to self-generate positive emotions in yourself, you will raise the ratio of positives to negatives in your life and become more optimistic about your capacity to influence your own future. Positives broaden and build your attention and engagement, which enable you to significantly enhance the quality of what you are doing.

HOW: simple ways to self-generate positives include saying hello with a smile, looking for joy in others, feeling grateful for little things and what you have now and challenging yourself to do something out of your comfort zone.

What can you intentionally do to generate them in yourself and other students?

1.

generate them in

WELLBEING@SCHOOL

What could be benefits to your physical health, mental wellbeing, your friendships and how you learn in class, by being active and exercising outdoors daily?

Physical Health

Mental Wellbeing Relationships

Learning

WELLBEING@SCHOOL

Being kind to give of yourself in the service of others to make a positive difference to their lives, adds meaning and purpose to your own life. When is a time that you were proud of how you did this and what emotions did you feel?

Acknowledgement: ACARA 7-8 HPE

WHO DID I THANK?

Acknowledgement: Frankl & Fredrickson

WHO DID I THANK?

CHARACTER STRENGTH

Enjoy using Social-Intelligence to build your wellbeing. (page 6)

WHY: by making the choice to self-generate positive emotions in yourself, you will raise the ratio of positives to negatives in your life and become more optimistic about your capacity to influence your own future. Positives broaden and build your attention and engagement, which enable you to significantly enhance the quality of what you are doing.

PAUSING AUTOPILOT: ABC

HOW: simple ways to self-generate positives include saying hello with a smile, looking for joy in others, feeling grateful for little things and what you have now and challenging yourself to do something out of your comfort zone.

Acknowledgement: Ryan, Deci, Fredrickson & Losada

DO: what are three positive emotions that you feel when greeting and farewelling someone?

1.

2.

3.

Tuesday Wednesday

WHY: by understanding that the way determines the way you feel, and that autopilot you don’t take notice of your you will slow down to tune into them

HOW: use ABC well. When something it triggers your beliefs (B), which are about what the consequences (C) should causes your feelings. To think in healthy pause autopilot, to give yourself self-awareness time to think positively to then feel

Acknowledgement: Kabat Zinn & Baer DO: when is a time that you paused more aware of your thoughts?

What is a simple thing that you see or do every day which brings you joy and shows that you are grateful for what you have?

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 12

WELLBEING@SCHOOL

Being kind to give of yourself in the service of others to make a positive difference to their lives, adds meaning and purpose to your own life. When is a time that you were proud of how you did this and what emotions did you feel?

Acknowledgement: Frankl & Fredrickson

CHARACTER STRENGTH

Enjoy using Social-Intelligence to build your wellbeing. (page 6)

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

STUDY TIP

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2023 LC Planner SENIOR.indd 12

Where can you use ABC, to think, feel healthier and more sensible ways?

RESILIENT ME: I AM ENOUGH

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

What are two other positive things do to look on the bright side of life?

1. 2.

STUDY TIP

Acknowledgement: Rievich & Shatte

Practise using accurate your subjects. (page

WHO DID I FORGIVE?

Practise using accurate language and terminology for each of your subjects. (page 132)

2.

3.

What is a simple thing that you see or do every day which brings you joy and shows that you are grateful for what you have?

Looking on the bright side of life: you doing good to feel good, and feeling

Engagement + mindfulness: PAUSING AUTOPILOT: ABC / LIVING OR EXISTING

Fabulous First Five Minutes – ask students what is something that they can do to stop putting things off.

WHY: for students to: Middle – become more self-aware of their own thoughts coming and going by learning how to pause and take notice. Senior – leave their comfort zones by choosing to pause, take notice, be curious and explore what is happening moment by moment.

HOW: Explain that in the busyness of everyday life, it is so easy to start just existing on autopilot and not being conscious of what is happening. Share that being preoccupied by waiting for the next social media ding on their phones or just getting up every day and doing “same old” will see them not live life to its fullest.

DO: Ask students to explore and answer the PERMAH+ questions. Middle – ask students to do the Resilient Me: I Am Enough activity, Big Five Check In and Wellbeing Fitness Challenge brainstorm. Senior – ask students to do the Respectful Relationships activity, Big Five Check In and Study Tip.

Success Criteria: students will be able to: Explain – when they are on autopilot. Do – share how they can snap out of it.

MIDDLE PLANNER PAGE 14

ENGAGEMENT + MINDFULNESS PRIORITIES

PAUSING AUTOPILOT: ABC

WHY: by understanding that the way you think determines the way you feel, and that when on autopilot you don’t take notice of your thoughts, you will slow down to tune into them more.

way you think that when on your thoughts, them more. something happens (A), are your thoughts should be, which healthy ABC ways, self-awareness optimistic.

paused autopilot to be

HOW: use ABC well. When something happens (A), it triggers your beliefs (B), which are your thoughts about what the consequences (C) should be, which causes your feelings. To think in healthy ABC ways, pause autopilot, to give yourself self-awareness time to think positively to then feel optimistic.

Acknowledgement: Kabat Zinn & Baer

DO: when is a time that you paused autopilot to be more aware of your thoughts?

WHY: by choosing to leave your comfort zone to try more challenging tasks, which you could easily fail at, you will build both your self-awareness of possibilities and self-regulation to use grit to stick at them.

HOW: Oscar Wilde once said, “the rarest thing in the world is to live, most people merely exist.” The happiest people are those who choose to live and make twice as many mistakes as others, to accomplish what they set out to do. To do this, pause, take notice, be curious and explore; avoid same old.

Acknowledgement: Kabat Zinn & Baer

DO: what is something that you really want to try, which you could fail at first time? Give it a go!

Where can you use ABC, to think, feel and act in healthier and more sensible ways?

feel and act in

What is something courageous that you could do to stop yourself unconsciously doing the same old thing every day?

RESILIENT ME: I AM ENOUGH

Looking on the bright side of life: you focus on doing good to feel good, and feeling good to do good. What are two other positive things that you could do to look on the bright side of life?

ENOUGH

you focus on feeling good to do good. that you could

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

What are two self-expectations you have of yourself when creating and maintaining respectful and healthy relationships?

Acknowledgement: Rievich & Shatte

WHO DID I FORGIVE?

Acknowledgement: Kabat Zinn & Baer

SENIOR PLANNER PAGE 14

LIVING OR EXISTING?

WHY: by choosing to leave your comfort zone to try more challenging tasks, which you could easily fail at, you will build both your self-awareness of possibilities and self-regulation to use grit to stick at them.

HOW: Oscar Wilde once said, “the rarest thing in the world is to live, most people merely exist.” The happiest people are those who choose to live and make twice as many mistakes as others, to accomplish what they set out to do. To do this, pause, take notice, be curious and explore; avoid same old.

Acknowledgement: Kabat Zinn & Baer

DO: what is something that you really want to try, which you could fail at first time? Give it a go!

What is something courageous that you could do to stop yourself unconsciously doing the same old thing every day?

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

What are two self-expectations you have of yourself when creating and maintaining respectful and healthy relationships?

1.

2.

Acknowledgement: 11-12 RRRR, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

WHAT DID I FORGIVE?

WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

Acknowledgement: 11-12 RRRR, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

WHAT DID I FORGIVE?

WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE

Enjoy focusing on Thinking of Others this week to build your wellbeing (page 116).

Enjoy focusing on Thinking of Others this week to build your wellbeing (page 116).

STUDY

Water assists your brain functioning, so sip about 1.5L all day, every day.

STUDY TIP

Water assists your every day.

1.

2.

TERM: WEEK: DAY:

Wellbeing Challenge: Inspiring Your Best Self

What are you looking forward to most this week?

Consider: how well do you pause to give yourself self-awareness time when you meet someone, to practise how you want them to experience you?

Aim to talk to colleagues several times each week about the core business of learning and teaching to build morale and understanding.

PREPARATION AND FOLLOW-UP:

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Saying

REFLECTION TIME FEBRUARY 2023

Regular and deep reflection on our professional practice and encouraging honest feedback from critical friends are essential to the ongoing development of learning and teaching in our classes. Be constructive; this is a development exercise, not a judgemental one. Be creative and innovative.

CLASS DID THE CLASS ACHIEVE WHAT YOU WISHED? WHY OR WHY NOT? THINGS TO ACHIEVE/FOLLOW-UP NEXT MONTH

IDEAS BANK / ANY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED?

connect with yourself and the moment to enjoy feelings of flow and positive emotions.

MARCH 2023

March – is named after the Roman god of war and farming, Mars. The Romans were involved in many wars and much farming and both of these activities began in March each year.

“When I hear somebody say, “Life is hard” I am always tempted to ask, “compared to what?” Sydney Harris

SENSE OF PURPOSE

This Lesson: WHY: for your students to discover a purpose to strive for, which gives them meaning and drive in what they do. HOW: answer the questions in the lesson and reflect on things that mean a lot to them which give them a sense of purpose in their lives.

Japanese people call their reason for waking up every day, their ikigai. Not having a purpose in your life can lead to a lack of motivation to do what you need to do.

What is something that means a lot to you which gives you a sense of purpose in your life and why?

Look at the diagram. What is your ikigai, your reason for waking up every morning?

What do you love?

What does the world need?

What are you good at?

What jobs interest you?

What are little things you do which make a positive impact on others’ lives? And what would happen if you stopped doing them?

Who is someone you admire who has a strong sense of purpose to help other people?

Acknowledgement: Frankl & Nakanishi

REFLECTION TIME DECEMBER AND 2024

Regular reflection of professional practice and encouraging honest feedback from critical friends are both essential and beneficial to the ongoing development of learning and teaching.

At the end of each month, reflect on your teaching practice and record your thoughts below. This is a developmental exercise, not a judgemental one; be constructive.

Did you achieve what you set out to do? Why or why not?

Things that went well and why:

Things to improve on and how. Any professional development required?

Things to achieve in the future:

Things to follow up:

Ideas bank:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy

If a person is not responding, not breathing and not moving ‘get help quickly’ call 000 for an ambulance. If at any time the person starts breathing, place in recovery position (supported on their side), monitor breathing while waiting for the ambulance.

Step 1

DANGER

Check for danger to yourself, others and casualty. If unsafe, remove any danger OR remove casualty from danger.

Step 2

RESPONSE

Ask “Can you hear me?”, gently squeeze casualty’s shoulders. No response, call 000 for an ambulance – go to Step 3.

Step 3

AIRWAY

Tilt the head back and lift the chin – go to Step 4.

Step 4

BREATHING

Look for normal breathing. Not breathing – go to Step 5.

Step 5

CPR

Place your hands in the centre of chest. Push down hard 30 times, then give 2 breaths. Continue cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives. Attach AED if available.

ADULT/CHILD compressions – use two hands with fingers interlocked. INFANT compressions – use two fingers.

BREATHS – Pinch nostrils, seal your mouth over casualty’s mouth, ensure chest rises with each breath. DEFIBRILLATION – If a defibrillator is available, apply and follow voice prompts.

Stop CPR if casualty starts breathing, ambulance officers tell you to stop or you are physically unable to continue.

This information is not a substitute for training in first aid.

© St John Ambulance Australia.

LEARN FIRST AID WITH ST JOHN – CALL 1300 360 455 or visit: www.stjohn.org.au

PERSONAL HEALTH

ASTHMA FIRST AID

ASSESS

AMild? Short of breath, wheeze, cough, chest tightness. Moderate? Loud wheeze, breathing difficulty, can only speak in short sentences. Severe? Distressed, gasping for breath, difficulty speaking two words, blueness around the mouth.

IF THE PERSON HAS SEVERE ASTHMA OR IS FRIGHTENED, CALL AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY – DIAL 000.

SSIT

Sit the person upright and stay with them. Reassure calmly.

TTREAT

Treat with 6 puffs of the blue ‘reliever’ inhaler. Use a spacer, if available, for aerosol inhalers. (One puff at a time in the spacer, person to take 6 breaths each puff.)

HELP

HIf not improving after 6 minutes, call the ambulance. Continue to use blue inhaler 6 puffs (as above) every 6 minutes until help arrives.

In an emergency situation you will not overdose the person by giving them the reliever every 6 minutes.

MMONITOR

If improving after 6 minutes, keep monitoring. If necessary repeat doses of blue inhaler.

AALL OK!

When free of wheeze, cough and breathlessness, return to normal quiet activity. If symptoms recur, repeat treatment and rest. See your doctor.

Remember the Rule of Six: 6 doses of medication (one puff at a time)

6 breaths per puff

6 minute wait

ASTHMA FOUNDATION CAN HELP YOU

This chart is published for information purposes only and should not be used in place of medical advice/ treatment.

Information and education services are available from your local Asthma Foundation

1800 278 462

With thanks Asthma Foundation

“You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there.” Saying