This Blog is a follow up to my previous post, my plans and reasoning for the wellbeing Curriculum (My Original Post). In short it was an attempt to give meaning and context to the subjects of PSHE, Citizenship, e-Safety. The subject is timetabled form 11.30 to 3.30 on Mondays with a break for lunch, it is my priority for the year and links to a wellbeing week in February.
The curriculum as such is a collection of learning outcomes teachers can use to build projects, activities, and lessons. They can do this in any order and are encouraged to add ideas and adapt according to the needs of the students.
After teaching 1 session I realised I had underestimated both the student’s understanding and the range of areas this subject should be covering. I was a bit stuck in e-safety and being friends mindset. It quickly became clear that I need to empower teachers and students to go deeper and explore themes across a wider area. Mindfulness, empathy, self identity, resilience, trauma, and mental health issues could and should be included. I was rapidly swimming out of my depth.
Twitter came to the rescue in the form of #ukedchat session 269. Click below for the storify
and of particular use this tweet by @mindfulpedagogy.
It is a link to an article describing how to develop mindfulness in staff practice
The theory that staff and student wellbeing is linked through a mindful school ethos. Taking time to meditate, or at least breathe and reflect
Also this tweet by Graham Andre’
@grahamandre sharing a fantastic image about how resilience promotes a healthy school
Miss D NQT then posted this link (click pic)which leads to an NHS page on mindfulness with simple ideas about how to start. Always on the look our for simple practical ideas to adapt for our students who have diagnosis of ASD, challenging behaviour, and/or communication difficulties I found this quote on the site which is a great way to start. So whilst not back to the drawing board certainly a reexamining of the content and how to be even more flexible and reactive to the students needs. Are the outcomes the problem? Should I have questions we want the students to answer about themselves and then accept where finding these answers take us? I will update soon.