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. Look at the next page, and to start SIMPLY and SLOWLY, only choose one or two of the activities from the planners/journals or on the website each week. Doing the Wellbeing Builder Reflection is an easy way to begin.
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 character strengths to complete the Wellbeing Fitness Challenge or Strengths Booster C ompleting the Resilience Builder to build respectful relationships
Vary which activities you choose to maintain student engagement. The secret to building both student and your own wellbeing is to openly discuss how the activities apply to your own life, which at times takes courage.
Explore with your students pages 1–21 in the student planner, which are about learning about self and what things create and make up your wellbeing. A positive way to end each week is for both students and yourself to reflect back on the week for things which you were grateful for. Then complete What Went Well and Why?
D oing the Mindfulness Activity for five minutes several times during the week 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: Reflection: research based wellbeing building ideas to try in my life. Three Joys: what are the three things I am looking forward to most this week? Strengths Booster: journal about..................................... Wellbeing Fitness Challenge: how did I............................ Acts of Kindness: what kind things did I do for others or them for me? Gratitudes: what am I grateful for this week?
These are on the bottom of page 4 of each week.
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weekly choices WEEK 1
WEEK 1
MIDDLE PLANNER
PAGE 22
SENIOR PLANNER
STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS
STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE
FAST AND SLOW TRACK RESPONSES
Wellbeing Bank: to develop my Strengths and Emotions by being aware of my feelings. When you experience something which may be disturbing, your eyes send a message to your amygdala, which is the part of your brain which naturally creates your feelings and how strong they AMYGDALA are. Your brain’s response to the message may be either fight, flight or freeze. Fight is to stand up to a perceived threat. Flight is to not deal with or ignore it. Freeze is to be overcome and overwhelmed. Your amygdala is well developed and is often called the primitive brain. The good decision-making part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, also receives the message, but doesn’t process it as quickly. Which means that your fight, flight or freeze feelings can control your thoughts, words and actions. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing, so give it time to make good choices. When you feel fight, flight or freeze, STOP and breathe deeply for a minute before you speak or act. Describe how you currently control your feelings. ..........................................................................................
Wellbeing Bank: to boost my Strengths and Emotions through regulating my emotional responses. Having the ability to self-regulate the intensity of your emotions and how you respond to situations are gateways to personal and academic growth. There are essentially two ways you respond, those being fast and slow AMYGDALA track. They are also sometimes described as downstairs and upstairs responses. Fast track responses are when the primitive part of your brain, the amygdala, which strengthens emotions, is in control. Your thinking becomes hijacked by your emotions, resulting in fast unconscious fight, flight or freeze responses and poor decision making. Others also find it more difficult to understand you. (Google rider and the elephant to learn more.) Slow track responses are when the good decision making part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, which regulates your emotions, is in control. Your thinking is more rational and you analyse, problem solve and understand experiences. Describe how you currently self-regulate your emotions.
wellbeing builder: MIDDLE – fight, flight or freeze SENIOR – fast and slow track responses WELLBEING ELEMENT: STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS Students’ thinking is influenced by two competing parts of their brains, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is the unconscious part which generates emotions. It is well developed in students and causes the fight, flight or freeze reactions, depending on the intensity of the positive or negative emotions produced (also called fast track responses). The prefrontal cortex is the conscious rational part which controls the intensity of their emotions to make better decisions (also called slow track responses). It not fully developed till they reach their early twenties, meaning their responses to what they experience may vary considerably. When their amygdalas are in charge of their feelings, good decision-making is difficult; often called emotional hijacking. The key is to raise their self-awareness of this, so that they are able to self-regulate their emotions. Cultivate this by: initiating discussions about positive, negative, mixed and hidden emotions and their intensity helping them create their own positive coping and self-calming strategies to reduce emotional intensity exploring common thinking traps each week (see website) learning how to use assertive and positive self-talk to combat hijacking doing Mindfulness Activities each week to distract their amygdala to put their prefrontal cortex back in charge (see website) Acknowledgement: Canon & Cherry
conversation starters with students Each week choose at least two icebreaker activities (below) to grow resilient wellbeing and respectful relationships.
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weekly check in
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Being able to keep your finger on the pulse of your emotions, will assist you to understand the connections between your thoughts, feelings and actions.
> Website: Thinking Traps, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
Acknowledgement: Daniel Siegel
MIND AND HEART CALMER Journal – What kind things have I done for other people this week or they have done for me?
Journal – What am I looking forward to most this week?
> Website: Thinking Traps, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to be more aware to self-regulate my emotions by using the slow track?
1.
1.
2.
2.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
SELF KIND AFFIRMATION
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Five Senses – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
Five Senses – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
RESILIENCE BUILDER
RESILIENCE BUILDER
Since the beginning of time, when we humans have looked at something, our main focus has been to look for what is wrong with it. From now on, let’s start looking for what’s right with things. Look around your classroom and come up with ten good things about it.
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
1.
1.
2.
THREE FOR ME
Discuss – “By constant selfdiscipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” Grenville Kleiser
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS
RESILIENT MINDSET
Journal – What emotions did I feel this week and why did I feel them?
2. Character Strength
3.
SAYING
Do – I will believe in myself as a person who matters.
Throughout Years 9 and 10 you have had to build your skills in preparation for Years 11 and 12. With a friend brainstorm ten challenging situations you will need to overcome to inspire your best possible self to shine in the senior years. Who could you ask to assist you for each of them and what emotions could you feel?
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
Reflect – Do good to feel good and feel good doing good.
3.
SELF-REGULATION
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
www.vi achara cter.org
STRENGTHS' BOOSTER
ASSERTIVE CHOICE Journal – What do I choose to do this week?
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to be aware of my feelings and fight, flight or freeze?
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STRENGTHS SPOTTING (see pages 8-9)
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2019 teacher user manual
Weekly element of Wellbeing Builder and content from student planners.
Page 2/4
Journal – What are three good things I’ve achieved in my life?
weekly check OUT Journal – What went well that I am grateful for, why did they happen and how can I make them happen again?
“By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” Grenville Kleiser
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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.
TM
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT 1
THINKING FLEXIBLY
Describe a time/s I used this Character Strength well
See
Middle – FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE Senior – FAST AND SLOW TRACK RESPONSES
Wellbeing Element: Character Strength: Strengths Booster: Wellbeing Reflection Activities:
STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS SELF-REGULATION STRENGTHS SPOTTING Middle – FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE, Senior – FAST AND SLOW TRACK RESPONSES (see website) The best way to build your wellbeing and personal growth is through contributing to make a positive difference to others’ lives; doing good to feel good and feeling good to do good. Describe three times you have done this and the emotions you felt.
Parent Wellbeing:
Being able to change your mind when you receive new information. Sometimes the information may cause you to contradict your opinions and consider other options.
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 Builder:
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT 2
How does the dictionary describe self-regulation?
Describe a time or times in your life that you believe you have shown this Character Strength.
Hear
• The prefrontal cortex is the conscious rational part which controls the intensity of their emotions to make better decisions (also called slow track responses). It not fully developed till they reach their early twenties, meaning their responses to what they experience may vary considerably.
Smell
When their amygdalas are in charge of their feelings, good decision-making is difficult; often called emotional hijacking. The key is to raise their self-awareness of this, so that they are able to self-regulate their emotions. Cultivate this by: • initiating discussions about positive, negative, mixed and hidden emotions and their intensity • helping them create their own positive coping and self-calming strategies to reduce emotional intensity • exploring common thinking traps each week (see website) • learning how to use assertive and positive self-talk to combat hijacking • doing Mindfulness Activities each week to distract their amygdala to put their prefrontal cortex back in charge (see website).
• in what different ways did I think? • who has impressed me with his/her flexible thinking and why?
Touch
As a member of the Community
“By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” Grenville Kleiser
HABIT OF MIND – thinking flexibly
RESILIENCE BUILDER
RESILIENCE BUILDER
Since the beginning of time, when we humans have looked at something, our main focus has been to look for what is wrong with it. From now on, let’s start looking for what’s right with things. Look around your classroom and come up with ten good things about it.
Throughout Years 9 and 10 you have had to build your skills in preparation for Years 11 and 12. With a friend brainstorm ten challenging situations you will need to overcome to inspire your best possible self to shine in the senior years. Who could you ask to assist you for each of them and what emotions could you feel?
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY – five senses
MIDDLE PLANNER
PAGE 22
SENIOR PLANNER
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.
FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE
FAST AND SLOW TRACK RESPONSES
Wellbeing Bank: to develop my Strengths and Emotions by being aware of my feelings. When you experience something which may be disturbing, your eyes send a message to your amygdala, which is the part of your brain which naturally creates your feelings and how strong they AMYGDALA are. Your brain’s response to the message may be either fight, flight or freeze. Fight is to stand up to a perceived threat. Flight is to not deal with or ignore it. Freeze is to be overcome and overwhelmed. Your amygdala is well developed and is often called the primitive brain. The good decision-making part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, also receives the message, but doesn’t process it as quickly. Which means that your fight, flight or freeze feelings can control your thoughts, words and actions. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing, so give it time to make good choices. When you feel fight, flight or freeze, STOP and breathe deeply for a minute before you speak or act. Describe how you currently control your feelings. ..........................................................................................
Wellbeing Bank: to boost my Strengths and Emotions through regulating my emotional responses. Having the ability to self-regulate the intensity of your emotions and how you respond to situations are gateways to personal and academic growth. There are essentially two ways you respond, those being fast and slow AMYGDALA track. They are also sometimes
Your thoughts
What are your responsibilities in having a respectful relationship?
Acknowledgement: Janice Atkins, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
............................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................ Being able to keep your finger on the pulse of your emotions, will assist you to understand the connections between your thoughts, feelings and actions. Acknowledgement: Daniel Siegel
> Website: Thinking Traps, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to be aware of my feelings and fight, flight or freeze?
What are two things I will start doing to be more aware to self-regulate my emotions by using the slow track?
1.
1.
2.
2.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Five Senses – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
staff wellbeing activities
Five Senses – think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
RESILIENCE BUILDER
RESILIENCE BUILDER
Since the beginning of time, when we humans have looked at something, our main focus has been to look for what is wrong with it. From now on, let’s start looking for what’s right with things. Look around your classroom and come up with ten good things about it.
Throughout Years 9 and 10 you have had to build your skills in preparation for Years 11 and 12. With a friend brainstorm ten challenging situations you will need to overcome to inspire your best possible self to shine in the senior years. Who could you ask to assist you for each of them and what emotions could you feel?
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
Please share these weekly wellbeing building activities with all of your staff.
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
1.
1.
2.
2. Character Strength
3.
STRENGTHS' BOOSTER
3.
SELF-REGULATION
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
www.viacharacter.org
STRENGTHS SPOTTING (see pages 8-9)
18
STRENGTHS booster – strengths spotting
How are respectful relationships affected when empathy is not felt or shown?
described as downstairs and upstairs responses. Fast track responses are when the primitive part of your brain, the amygdala, which strengthens emotions, is in control. Your thinking becomes hijacked by your emotions, resulting in fast unconscious fight, flight or freeze responses and poor decision making. Others also find it more difficult to understand you. (Google rider and the elephant to learn more.) Slow track responses are when the good decision making part of your brain, the prefrontal cortex, which regulates your emotions, is in control. Your thinking is more rational and you analyse, problem solve and understand experiences. Describe how you currently self-regulate your emotions.
> Website: Thinking Traps, Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
Resilience Builder – Senior Secondary
PAGE 22
STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS
STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS
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RESILIENCE BUILDER – SENIOR SECONDARY
Questions to reflect on
How do you show empathy and understanding for others with individual differences?
WEEK 1 TM
Strengths Booster
STUDENT
Journal any times I see myself or others using this week’s strength and the actions I or they take.
2019 teacher user manual
TEACHER USER MANUAL
Knowing and talking about what are the right things to do to build your wellbeing, is not doing them. To inspire your best possible self to shine through, make a deliberate choice to do what follows and devote the time to purposefully journal your thoughts. Then focus on making your thoughts become your actions and your actions become your habits. Give yourself permission to be human. Breathing deeply and purposefully while focusing on something, is a powerful way to change the way we feel. I will make a list of five achievements I am proud of in my life. Every morning concentrating on each of them in turn, I will breathe deeply for 30 seconds. How did I feel?
Reflection:
TM
RESILIENCE BUILDER – MIDDLE SECONDARY
Respectful relationships can be threatened by risk taking, not prepared to seek help, body image, anxiety, eating disorders and not accepting people with individual differences.
PARENT NEWSLETTER
strengths spotting
Resilience Builder – Middle Secondary
Respected – feeling others value all of you.
How can you recognise when others’ expectations of what a respectful relationship differs to yours?
Taste
Acknowledgement VIA Institute, www.viacharacter.org
CHARACTER STRENGTH – self-regulation
Connected – sharing and communicating equally and openly with others.
• The amygdala is the unconscious part which generates emotions. It is well developed in students and causes the fight, flight or freeze reactions, depending on the intensity of the positive or negative emotions produced (also called fast track responses).
Ask yourself the following questions: • when have I been flexible in my thinking and why?
As a family member at Home
7&8
The three factors which underpin respectful and resilient relationships are:
Students’ thinking is influenced by two competing parts of their brains, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.
Being able to shift in your thinking from “your 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
TM
Parent Newsletter
Think of two of your greatest achievements and describe what you experienced for each of your five senses.
HABIT OF MIND
In your own words, how would you describe self-regulation?
SECONDARY
five senses
TM
Habits of Mind
self-regulation
RECOMMENDED FOR YEARS
Protected – feeling emotionally and physically safe.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Character Strength
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.
TM
Note down any issues, implications or thoughts.
reflect
TM
No evidence, then true?
Wellbeing Builder Reflection – MIDDLE
Wellbeing Builder Reflection – SENIOR
Because there is no evidence or points against something, then it must be true.
WELLBEING BUILDER – IN CHARGE OF YOUR FEELINGS
WELLBEING BUILDER – FAST AND SLOW TRACK RESPONSES
E.g. I’ll eat more ice cream because no-one has proved it’s not good for me.
Growth Mindset – What are two new things you learned from this week’s Wellbeing Builder that you could use to build your STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS?
Why do you believe that thinking this way may have caused you to arrive at decisions which really were not logical?
1.
2. Mind and Heart Calmers – What kind things have I done for other people this week or they have done for me?
Three for Me – What are three good things I’ve achieved in my life?
Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (mobile on flight mode or off).
1. 2. 3. Strengths Spotting – SELF-REGULATION. Describe a time you used this strength well.
4
Share your answers and reflections.
share anD eXPlOre
What are the three things I am looking forward to most this week?
Valued Strengths:
I will journal what strengths I value in others as friends or colleagues. Are they similar to my own strengths?
Acts of Kindness:
What did I do this week which made a positive difference to others’ lives?
Gratitudes:
What are good things that happened this week and how can I make them happen again?
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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. Resilience Builder – What resilience skills (see p.48 of the planner) would you need to use for this week’s Resilience Builder?
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What thoughts did you have about this week’s Resilience Builder?
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.
Who is someone you have seen use this strength well and what did they do?
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Answer any questions posed.
answer
answer, reflect, share
Thinking Tool
20
Three Joys:
Resilience Builder – What resilience skills (see p.48 of the planner) would you need to use for this week’s resilience builder? What could you do to develop these resilience skills in yourself?
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2. Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (device on flight mode or off).
What is one thing you could start doing to avoid thinking this way?
THINKING TOOL – answer, reflect, share
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Growth Mindset – What are two new things you learned from this week’s Wellbeing Builder that you could use to build your STRENGTHS AND EMOTIONS?
1.
Describe a time when you have thought this way.
Strengths in Action – SELF-REGULATION 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?
Wise Words – “By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” Grenville Kleiser Describe what it means to you in your own words.
Describe a time you used this strength well and what actions you took.
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What is a character strength and an emotion it could be about?
What Went Well This Week? – What are three good things that happened that you were grateful for?
What Went Well This Week? – What are three good things that happened that you were grateful for?
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
THINKING TRAP – no evidence, then true?
WELLBEING BUILDER REFLECTION MIDDLE
3.
WELLBEING BUILDER REFLECTION SENIOR
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Saying
2019 teacher user manual
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.
2019 teacher user manual
using the teacher manual Each week consists of four pages. Page 1 – these are the Wellbeing Builders from the Learning Curve student planners each week. P age 2 – this is an explanation of why the Wellbeing Builder enhances both students’ and your state of wellbeing and a collection of 10 minute icebreaker wellbeing and resilience building activities for you to choose from. P age 3 – shows images of the wellbeing and resilience interactive pdf resources available on our website for you to choose from each week. See below for explanations of each of these resources for your information. P age 4 – these are respectful relationships building activities to develop students’ social-emotional resilience skills. There is an indication what year/s these particular activities are recommended for, but can be implemented across all secondary year levels. There are also staff wellbeing activities on the bottom half of the page. Mix it up by varying the activities you do. Students are able to journal their thoughts for the activities on the left hand page of their planner/journals or online.
overview of online resources provided each week CHARACTER STRENGTH
habit of mind
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
parent newsletter
Discuss and journal positive actions they could do for the Character Strength at school, at home and in the community.
Discuss with students in what situations this Habit of Mind be the most suitable way to guide their thinking.
To connect with themselves and the present moment, ask students to do the Mindfulness Activity in class for ten minutes and then practise it daily during the week.
To build home-school wellbeing and respectful relationships, the weekly newsletter explains to parents the reasons supporting each activity.
As a class, look in the media for events that are occurring this week or characters in class text books where people are using this particular strength.
Ask, for which strengths would they think this way? They can explore it further using the Exploring Habits of Mind Thinking Tool.
Ask them to journal, either in their planners or online, how they felt before, during and after the activity.
It enables them to actively be involved in their children’s social-emotional resilience development.
RESILIENCE BUILDER
STRENGTH BOOSTER
THINKING TOOL
THINKING TRAP
Ask students to do the Middle or Senior Resilience Builder to cultivate respectful relationships.
Discuss the Strengths Booster and brainstorm strengths they could use to meet it.
Ask them to journal their thoughts, what resilience skills they used (see page 48 of the planners), the emotions they felt (see Feelings and Emotions) and the strengths they used (see Character Strengths).
To show resilient mindsets, ask them to journal what actions they could do using the strengths they identified and the emotions they felt.
Brainstorm with students subjects in which they could use this Thinking Tool and what they could do to use it well.
Discuss the Thinking Trap to raise their self-awareness of possible ways their thinking could be hijacked by their emotions.
Doing this will create new brain pathways and develop their creative and critical thinking abilities.
Ask them to journal their thoughts about times they may have fallen into this way of thinking.
wellbeing builder
WELLBEING BUILDER REFLECTION
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE
WHAT WENT WELL REFLECTION
Ask students to do the Middle or Senior Wellbeing Builder Reflection Activity online.
Discuss the Wellbeing Fitness Challenge and brainstorm what they could do to meet it.
This will build their selfawareness of their state of wellbeing by them learning more about this week’s Wellbeing Builder and also experience uplifting positive emotions.
To show resilient mindsets, ask them to journal what they learned, the actions they took during the week for the challenge and the strengths they used.
Explore the Wellbeing Builder as to how students could apply the messages contained in it in their lives. To show growth mindsets, ask them to journal two positive actions they could start doing to add to the particular element of wellbeing being focused on each week.
2019 teacher user manual
At the end of every week ask students to reflect on what well, what things they were grateful for, why they happened and how they can make them happen again. Focus on the little good things like smiles, because from little things big things grow.
5
WEEK 8 MIDDLE PLANNER
PAGE 36
SENIOR PLANNER
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT HOME BRAIN PATTERNING
HOME BRAIN PATTERNS
Wellbeing Bank: to increase my Positive Engagement by creating home learning patterns for my brain. Your brain thrives on looking for patterns and regularly using a home learning area will create patterns for it, making getting started much easier. Describe where you currently do your home learning.
Wellbeing Bank: to strengthen my Positive Engagement through having a home study area to provide patterns for my brain. By creating and using a particular area to study at home, you are building strong positive patterns of behavior for your brain and making your deliberate practice more effective. Your effort is multiplied and your engagement and attention are broadened. Describe where you currently study at home.
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Discuss with your parents setting up an area with as many of the following conditions as possible: • low lighting; bright lighting stresses your eyes • comfortable seating, warm and well-ventilated • quiet and away from TV • neat and tidy • colourful posters of your goals; colours stimulate your brain. In your learning area wear warm loose fitting clothes and socks, sip water, move your arms and legs to maintain blood flow and don’t listen to heavy beat music ... your brain tunes into the beats. Don’t study on your bed! Your brain relates bed to sleep – not learning – and it will disturb your sleeping patterns. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
Beneficial features include: low lighting; brightness stresses your eyes comfortable seating, warm and well ventilated minimal noise, distractions and interruptions neat, tidy and well-resourced with colourful posters on the walls showing your goals, key points, quotations and formulae for your subjects. Colour stimulates your brain. When using your study area keep yourself warm with socks and loosely fitting clothes and move your body to maintain blood flow to your brain. Drink warm milk or soup and sip water while studying, as it assists brain functioning and have snacks ready to graze on. If you like music while studying make it soft, because heavy beat music distracts your brain from study. Avoid studying in bed, your brain relates bed to sleep. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
ACTIONS
ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to create and use a home learning area?
What are two things I will start doing to create and use a home study area?
1.
1.
2.
2.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Dream Holiday – if you could go anywhere for the holiday of your dreams, where would it be, why would it be so special, what things would you do and how would you feel?
Dream Holiday – if you could go anywhere for the holiday of your dreams, where would it be, why would it be so special, what things would you do and how would you feel?
RESILIENCE BUILDER
RESILIENCE BUILDER
With two friends, for each of the following come up with two things your class can do to – show respect for different opinions, encourage others to join in, build trust in each other, work with different groups.
The two main issues for students your age are study problems and coping with stress. Setting process self-expectations focus you on doing little things often to keep you moving in the right direction. For each of your three goals set two process selfexpectations you will keep doing; reset them every two weeks.
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
Character Strength
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE FEEL GOOD MENU (see pages 10-11)
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PERSEVERANCE
ww w.v iac har act er.o
rg
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HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK? 2019 teacher user manual
WEEK 8 wellbeing builder: MIDDLE – home brain patterning SENIOR – home brain patterns WELLBEING ELEMENT: POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT Extending students’ learning beyond the classroom, builds their independence, brain pathways and growth mindsets to explore and learn; one of these learning environments is at home. An area predominantly used for study is highly desirable. Over time their brains will build patterns that associate that place with study, thus creating habits and reducing barriers to getting started. Also, plenty of colour in this area stimulates students’ brains. Many families find space a problem and a special study area very difficult to provide. In these cases, the best scenario is to create as many of the features for an efficient learning/ study area as possible, including well lit, quiet, warm and comfortable, a copy of their Personal Timetable and a Forward Planner on the wall. It also needs to be well resourced with stationery and a computer, away from distractions, especially TV and loud music and mobiles on flight mode. Quiet rhythmic music can actually enhance learning. Studying in front of the TV is a total waste of time, because their brains’ attention cannot compete with the brightness, noise and movement on the screen. Studying in bed is ineffective, because the brain relates bed to sleep, not study.
Acknowledgement: Duhigg & Walsh
conversation starters with students Each week choose at least two icebreaker activities (below) to grow resilient wellbeing and respectful relationships.
weekly check in
MIND AND HEART CALMER
Journal – What am I looking forward to most this week?
Journal – What could I do to relax if I was feeling tense?
SELF KIND AFFIRMATION
SAYING
Do – I will spend time every day outside with mother nature.
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS Journal – What emotions did I feel this week and why did I feel them?
Discuss – “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
RESILIENT MINDSET Reflect – What are areas in my life in which I feel confident in my abilities?
ASSERTIVE CHOICE Journal – What do I choose to do this week?
THREE FOR ME Journal – Who are three people I would like to meet?
weekly check OUT Journal – What went well that I am grateful for, why did they happen and how can I make them happen again?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
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WEEK 8 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
TM
Habits of Mind
perseverance
If you could go anywhere for the holiday of your dreams, where would it be, why would it be so special, what things would you do and how would you feel?
HABIT OF MIND
In your own words, how would you describe perseverance?
SECONDARY
dream holiday
TM
How does the dictionary describe perseverance?
CREATING, IMAGINING, INNOVATING
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
What are two things I will start doing to build this Character Strength
Middle – HOME BRAIN PATTERNING Senior – HOME BRAIN PATTERNS
Wellbeing Element: Character Strength: Wellbeing Fitness Challenge: Wellbeing Reflection Activities:
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT PERSEVERANCE FEEL GOOD MENU Middle – HOME BRAIN PATTERNING, Senior – HOME BRAIN PATTERNS (see website) The greatest predictor of success by a large margin in nearly every field, is the relationship between you and your colleagues. Describe your relationship with each of your colleagues and one thing you could do to enhance your connectedness with each of them.
Extending students’ learning beyond the classroom, builds their independence, brain pathways and growth mindsets to explore and learn, and one of these learning environments is at home. An area predominantly used for study is highly desirable. Over time their brains will build patterns that associate that place with study, thus creating habits and reducing barriers to getting started. Also, plenty of colour in this area stimulates students’ brains.
Being willing to take risks with your thinking and avoiding statement such as “I can’t”, “I’m not”, “I wish”; try a different way.
Many families find space a problem and a special study area very difficult to provide. In these cases, the best scenario is to create as many of the features for an efficient learning/ study area as possible, including well lit, quiet, warm and comfortable, a copy of their Personal Timetable and a Forward Planner on the wall. It also needs to be well resourced with stationery and a computer, away from distractions, especially TV and loud music and mobiles on flight mode. Quiet rhythmic music can actually enhance learning.
Being open to advice and seeking feedback to improve your approach and thinking.
As a student at School
Wellbeing Builder:
Parent Wellbeing:
Being able and prepared to look at problems and situations from many different angles.
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?
TM
Parent Newsletter
Studying in front of the TV is a total waste of time, because their brains’ attention cannot compete with the brightness, noise and movement on the screen. Studying in bed is ineffective, because the brain relates bed to sleep, not study.
Ask yourself the following questions: • when have I been creative in my thinking and how? • when do I imagine and create things in class and how?
As a family member at Home
• who has impressed me with his/her creativity and why? As a member of the Community
Acknowledgement VIA Institute, www.viacharacter.org
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
HABIT OF MIND – creating, imagining, innovating
PARENT NEWSLETTER
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY – dream holiday
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Character Strength
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE
PERSEVERANCE
HOW DID YOU FEEL THIS WEEK?
www.viachar acter.org
FEEL GOOD MENU (see pages 10-11)
Resilience Builder – Middle Secondary
RESILIENCE BUILDER – MIDDLE SECONDARY
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Resilience Builder – Senior Secondary
2019 teacher user manual
THINKING TOOL – event: cause, effect
TEACHER USER MANUAL
RESILIENCE BUILDER – SENIOR SECONDARY
Henry Miller
The two main issues for students your age are study problems and coping with stress. Setting process self-expectations focus you on doing little things often to keep you moving in the right direction. For each of your three goals set two process selfexpectations you will keep doing; reset them every two weeks.
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
“One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.”
RESILIENCE BUILDER
WHAT WENT WELL THIS WEEK AND WHY?
Share your thoughts with a classmate and add to each other’s lists
Work with different groups...
With two friends, for each of the following come up with two things your class can do to – show respect for different opinions, encourage others to join in, build trust in each other, work with different groups.
In the Effect section, write down what were the effects on people and other things because the event happened
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Dream Holiday – if you could go anywhere for the holiday of your dreams, where would it be, why would it be so special, what things would you do and how would you feel?
RESILIENCE BUILDER
In the Cause section, give the reasons why you think it happened
2.
MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY
Dream Holiday – if you could go anywhere for the holiday of your dreams, where would it be, why would it be so special, what things would you do and how would you feel?
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In the Event section, describe the event or situation you are looking at
What are two things I will start doing to create and use a home study area?
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ACTIONS
What are two things I will start doing to create and use a home learning area?
a number of effects on people and other things because it happened
ACTIONS
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Beneficial features include: low lighting; brightness stresses your eyes comfortable seating, warm and well ventilated minimal noise, distractions and interruptions neat, tidy and well-resourced with colourful posters on the walls showing your goals, key points, quotations and formulae for your subjects. Colour stimulates your brain. When using your study area keep yourself warm with socks and loosely fitting clothes and move your body to maintain blood flow to your brain. Drink warm milk or soup and sip water while studying, as it assists brain functioning and have snacks ready to graze on. If you like music while studying make it soft, because heavy beat music distracts your brain from study. Avoid studying in bed, your brain relates bed to sleep. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
a number of causes which made it happen
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Discuss with your parents setting up an area with as many of the following conditions as possible: • low lighting; bright lighting stresses your eyes • comfortable seating, warm and well-ventilated • quiet and away from TV • neat and tidy • colourful posters of your goals; colours stimulate your brain. In your learning area wear warm loose fitting clothes and socks, sip water, move your arms and legs to maintain blood flow and don’t listen to heavy beat music ... your brain tunes into the beats. Don’t study on your bed! Your brain relates bed to sleep – not learning – and it will disturb your sleeping patterns. > Website: Wellbeing Builder Reflection.
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Wellbeing Bank: to strengthen my Positive Engagement through having a home study area to provide patterns for my brain. By creating and using a particular area to study at home, you are building strong positive patterns of behavior for your brain and making your deliberate practice more effective. Your effort is multiplied and your engagement and attention are broadened. Describe where you currently study at home.
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HOME BRAIN PATTERNS
Wellbeing Bank: to increase my Positive Engagement by creating home learning patterns for my brain. Your brain thrives on looking for patterns and regularly using a home learning area will create patterns for it, making getting started much easier. Describe where you currently do your home learning.
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Build trust in each other...
effects
HOME BRAIN PATTERNING
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Encourage others to join in...
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POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT
Every event or situation you look at would have had
SENIOR PLANNER
Give the reasons you believe led to the event occurring.
PAGE 36
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT
causes
MIDDLE PLANNER
In your own words, describe the event that occurred.
Show respect for different opinions...
WEEK 8
event
The two main issues for students your age are study problems and coping with stress. Setting process selfexpectations focus you on doing little things often to keep you moving in the right direction. For each of your three goals set two process self-expectations you will keep doing; reset them every two weeks.
event: cause, effect
RESILIENCE BUILDER
With two friends, for each of the following come up with two things your class can do to... show respect for different opinions, encourage others to join in, build trust in each other and work with different groups.
Thinking Tool
RESILIENCE BUILDER
Say how people were affected by the event.
TM
CHARACTER STRENGTH – perseverance
TM TM
TM
Minimising the positives.
Wellbeing Builder Reflection – MIDDLE
Wellbeing Builder Reflection – SENIOR
Is not appreciating the achievements of others and valuing them as ordinary.
WELLBEING BUILDER – HOME BRAIN PATTERNING
WELLBEING BUILDER – HOME BRAIN PATTERNS
E.g. what’s so special about that, it’s what everyone does.
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?
Growth Mindset – What are two new things you learned from this week’s Wellbeing Builder that you could use to build your POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT?
Growth Mindset – What are two new things you learned from this week’s Wellbeing Builder that you could use to build your POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT?
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2. Mind and Heart Calmers – What could I do to relax if I was feeling tense?
2. Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (device on flight mode or off).
Three for Me – What are three responsibilities I’ve taken I’m proud of?
Wellbeing Fitness Challenge
STUDENT Neuroscience has shown that with every new experience you have, your brain changes and that you can grow your brain’s abilities in all areas of your life. Just as you boost your physical fitness by regularly working out, the wellbeing fitness challenges stretch your abilities to grow your wellbeing.
Mindful Colouring – enjoy time just being you (mobile on flight mode or off).
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feel good menu
2. 3. Strengths Spotting – PERSEVERANCE. Describe a time you used this strength well.
What is one thing you could start doing to avoid thinking this way?
Delicious Feelings – making a list of my ten best of best feel good activities and choosing to do one every day to thrive and flourish.
Resilience Builder – What resilience skills (see p.48 of the planner) would you need to use for this week’s resilience builder? What could you do to develop these resilience skills in yourself?
Who is someone you have seen use this strength well and what did they do?
Resilience Builder – What resilience skills (see p.48 of the planner) would you need to use for this week’s Resilience Builder?
Learning to Flourish – The greatest predictor of your success at school by a large margin, is the relationship between you and your teachers. Describe your relationship with each of your teachers and one thing you could do to enhance your connectedness with each of them.
What thoughts did you have about this week’s Resilience Builder?
Wise Words – “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi Describe what it means to you in your own words.
Strengths in Action – PERSEVERANCE 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?
Describe a time you used this strength well and what actions you took. What is a character strength and an emotion it could be about?
THINKING TRAP – minimising the positives
What Went Well This Week? – What are three good things that happened that you were grateful for?
What Went Well This Week? – What are three good things that happened that you were grateful for?
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WELLBEING BUILDER REFLECTION MIDDLE
WELLBEING BUILDER REFLECTION SENIOR
WELLBEING FITNESS CHALLENGE – feel good menu
“We make a living by what we get; we live by what we give.” Sir Winston Churchill
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2019 teacher user manual
WEEK 8 RESPECTFUL AND RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITIES 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.
RECOMMENDED FOR YEARS
7&8
The three factors which underpin respectful and resilient relationships are: Connected – sharing and communicating equally and openly with others. Protected – feeling emotionally and physically safe. Respected – feeling others value all of you. Respectful relationships can be threatened by risk taking, not prepared to seek help, body image, anxiety, eating disorders and not accepting people with individual differences.
Questions to reflect on
Your thoughts
What could you do if you knew a friend was in an unsafe relationship, but made you promise to keep it secret? How have phones changed what affects respectful relationships for you? What could you do if you found your friends were texting inappropriate images and putting pressure on you to join in? What could be the possible consequences in the future if you were to participate in texting inappropriate images? Acknowledgement: Janice Atkins, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
staff wellbeing activities Please share these weekly wellbeing building activities with all of your staff. Knowing and talking about what are the right things to do to build your wellbeing, is not doing them. To inspire your best possible self to shine through, make a deliberate choice to do what follows and devote the time to purposefully journal your thoughts. Then focus on making your thoughts become your actions and your actions become your habits. Give yourself permission to be human. Reflection: Breathing deeply and purposefully while focusing on something, is a powerful way to change the way we feel. I will make a list of five achievements I am proud of in my life. Every morning concentrating on each of them in turn, I will breathe deeply for 30 seconds. How did I feel?
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Three Joys:
What are the three things I am looking forward to most this week?
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Valued strengths:
I will journal what strengths I value in others as friends or colleagues. Are they similar to my own strengths?
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Acts of Kindness:
What kind things did others do for me this week?
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Gratitudes:
What are good things that happened this week and how can I make them happen again?
.................................................................................................................................................................... “I have learned more from my mistakes than from my successes.” Sir Humphrey Davy
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