What are the steps in setting up the Centre for Wellbeing & Positive Education? The first term focused on staff wellbeing. In Term 2, there will be a parents’ evening to discuss what is happening. “This is a key part of what we are doing,’’ says John. “We want parental support for this initiative, so it’s a relationship between school, students, and their families. We want everyone to understand what wellbeing looks like, with everyone living and flourishing in life, with greater resilience. We need people to understand that, yes, life can be hard, but that’s okay when you have the tools to manage and deal with this.
“If we can teach students about wellbeing, help them understand and manage their emotions, foster and grow positive relationships, find meaning and purpose, we give them the tools to build resilience, grit and optimism, and flourish throughout their lives.” JohnQuinn
“If people understand their own strengths and what they are able to do, they can change a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.’’ “We want teachers looking for the good stuff in the classroom and thinking about what they reward and the words they use to do this. Do we only reward academic excellence? Of course we don’t want to stop doing that, but we also need to acknowledge the boy who doesn’t get Excellence, but who has shown other qualities such as perseverance, leadership, commitment or a great work ethic. These are qualities we can reward. “Schools can sometimes cater for students at either end of the spectrum, but those in the middle can lose out. If we can get boys leaving school fully aware of their strengths and how to use them, we can help them be fully engaged.’’
College Issue 32 2017
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