Mental Wellbeing
At school, we as teachers' monitor your childrens' wellbeing; mentally.
Have a listening buddy
Students may choose a listening buddy, some one that they trust and feel comfortable expressing their feelings to. Students are provided with time to chat with their listening buddy when they seem distressed and upset. The child who is feeling emotional and the listening buddy will be provided with a comfortable and calming environment called "the chill out zone", to talk together.
Justification
Social and Emotional Learning aims to improve students individual self awareness, while also building their social skills. Students choosing a listening buddy requires them to practice either self evaluating and expressing their emotions or listening with compassion and empathy to their peers. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships which are filled with kindness, understanding, empathy and trust is essential in creating and maintaining students mental wellbeing (CASEL,2014).
Social and Emotional Learning aims to improve students individual self awareness, while also building their social skills. Students choosing a listening buddy requires them to practice either self evaluating and expressing their emotions or listening with compassion and empathy to their peers. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships which are filled with kindness, understanding, empathy and trust is essential in creating and maintaining students mental wellbeing (CASEL,2014).
Expressing emotion through the "Feeling's star".
This "Feelings Star" provides students with an opportunity to reflect on their schooling week. It encourages students to self evaluate their emotions and consider how different situations have made them feel. Through this reflection time, children are able to express themselves safely while also allowing both parents and learning managers to monitor the child's mental wellbeing. The art work is signed by both the parents and learning manager, comments can be provided in hope to build parent and learning manager communication. This provides both adult parties with the opportunities to decide whether the child's emotional art piece, needs to be discussed or investigated further.
Printable "End of week reflection Star" | |
File Size: | 56 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Monster Chart
The "Monster Chart" is enlarged, printed and laminated to be hung at the front of the classroom, in view of all children. As a class the chart is discussed and each level of emotion is explained. The circle coloured numbers from 1-5, are printed, laminated and cut out for each student to receive a copy. Throughout the day students can refer to the poster on the wall and reflect upon how they are feeling. They can then express and subtly communicate their emotions to their learning manager by silently placing the coloured number which depicts their emotions, at the top of their desk. This allows the learning manager to monitor and support the students emotions and mental wellbeing throughout the day, with little to no interruption caused during lessons.
Printable "Monster Chart" | |
File Size: | 354 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Justification
Both the "Feelings Star" and "Monster Chart" are resources which have been designed for children to acknowledge and express their emotions. Furthermore for learning managers to monitor and support students and their mental wellbeing. The Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of students mental wellbeing by stating, "Students develop personal and social capabilities as they learn to understand themselves and others. Personal and Social capabilities include students recognising and regulating emotions. Though this students learn to manage their relationships, lives work and learning more effectively" (ACARA, 2014).
Both the "Feelings Star" and "Monster Chart" are resources which have been designed for children to acknowledge and express their emotions. Furthermore for learning managers to monitor and support students and their mental wellbeing. The Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of students mental wellbeing by stating, "Students develop personal and social capabilities as they learn to understand themselves and others. Personal and Social capabilities include students recognising and regulating emotions. Though this students learn to manage their relationships, lives work and learning more effectively" (ACARA, 2014).
Wheel of Choices
The "Wheel of Choices" has been provided for students to use, as a self calming tool. When students feel overwhelmed, distressed or upset; they can use the "Wheel of Choices" to choose from various calming down strategies. This resource has been designed by Sarah Lade and Brydie Chataway; with the aim to engage students and implement an exciting aspect to an otherwise distressing situation or mood. Students can spin the arrow on the wheel and are then allowed to follow through with the action.
Students who have behaviour management plans could perhaps create their own wheel with the supervision of the classroom learning manager or parent, this would allow the student to consider their own emotions and evaluate which self calming strategies work best for them.
Students who have behaviour management plans could perhaps create their own wheel with the supervision of the classroom learning manager or parent, this would allow the student to consider their own emotions and evaluate which self calming strategies work best for them.
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Calm Down Burger
This resource is called "Calm Down Burger", it is created by the students themselves, to be used in situations where they are feeling unstable. Students use coloured pens and paper to draw and cut out different elements of a burger the buns, cheese, tomato, lettuce and more. Each element of the burger has calming strategies written on them, which the students choose for themselves. The strategies start out simple for when students are just feeling slightly overwhelmed or upset and then they progress to strategies which would be used when the student is feeling out of control.
A wonderful aspect of this resource is that it can be made flexible for each student. Students' who struggle often, may have more layers adding meat, sauce, onion or more. By allowing students to choose their own calming strategies, they are encouraged to learn to self evaluate and self regulate their emotions, thus instilling into the children, life long mental and social skills.
A wonderful aspect of this resource is that it can be made flexible for each student. Students' who struggle often, may have more layers adding meat, sauce, onion or more. By allowing students to choose their own calming strategies, they are encouraged to learn to self evaluate and self regulate their emotions, thus instilling into the children, life long mental and social skills.
Justification
Managing emotions is essential in monitoring, controlling and improving mental wellbeing. The "Wheel of Choices" and the "Calm Down Burger" allow children to learn social and emotional skills, the resources help children to control and regulate their own emotions. CASEL states that; "social and motional learning (SEL) involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions" (CASEL, 2014).
Through other resources on this website, such as; "The Monster Chart" and the "Feelings Star" children are taught to feel comfortable recognising and expressing their emotions. The "Calm Down Burger" and "Wheel of Choice" then provide students with the tools and skills necessary in regulating and taking control over these emotions, allowing the student to feel empowered, thus increasing their self-worth.
CASEL states that self managing emotions; "allows children to; feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL, 2014).
Managing emotions is essential in monitoring, controlling and improving mental wellbeing. The "Wheel of Choices" and the "Calm Down Burger" allow children to learn social and emotional skills, the resources help children to control and regulate their own emotions. CASEL states that; "social and motional learning (SEL) involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions" (CASEL, 2014).
Through other resources on this website, such as; "The Monster Chart" and the "Feelings Star" children are taught to feel comfortable recognising and expressing their emotions. The "Calm Down Burger" and "Wheel of Choice" then provide students with the tools and skills necessary in regulating and taking control over these emotions, allowing the student to feel empowered, thus increasing their self-worth.
CASEL states that self managing emotions; "allows children to; feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL, 2014).
Here are ideas, on how you can monitor your children's wellbeing at home.
- Drawing pictures
- Writing poems
- Journal Writing
- A talking circle
- Voki - Great way to encourage communication for children who struggle to express themselves verbally.
6. Video diary entries - great for technology crazed children
7. Online blogs/glogster
Communication; how we can build a stronger teacher and parent relationship.
Daily Communication Book
The sample below depicts one day; a completed resource of the book would be compiled so that children
may journal their emotions for each day of their schooling year. Students are
required to reflect on their day and then choose the emotion they feel best
represents their overall mood for the day. Once they have chosen and coloured an emotion, they are
required to justify their feelings by writing a short sentence/paragraph
explaining what happened to create these emotions. Both learning managers and parents
must read, comment and sign these pages daily.
Printable Daily Emotions Book | |
File Size: | 183 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Justification
"Home and school—everyone shares the goal of helping children learn and feel successful. Research has proven that when parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits: students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, attend school more regularly, have better behaviour, and show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school" (National Association of School Psychologists, 2014).
To monitor the mental wellbeing of children, it is essential that learning managers and parents/carers have effective and regular communication.
This resource has been designed by learning managers; Sarah Lade and Brydie Chataway, to build such a relationship. Together both parties utilise the resource to monitor student’s emotions throughout their learning day as well as gain an understanding of the students overall attitude towards themselves and their learning.
"Home and school—everyone shares the goal of helping children learn and feel successful. Research has proven that when parents and teachers work together, everyone benefits: students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, attend school more regularly, have better behaviour, and show more positive attitudes toward themselves and toward school" (National Association of School Psychologists, 2014).
To monitor the mental wellbeing of children, it is essential that learning managers and parents/carers have effective and regular communication.
This resource has been designed by learning managers; Sarah Lade and Brydie Chataway, to build such a relationship. Together both parties utilise the resource to monitor student’s emotions throughout their learning day as well as gain an understanding of the students overall attitude towards themselves and their learning.