‘Teachers are, more than ever, expected to be innovators and game changers.’ Recently, the OECD acknowledged this fact in a Coronavirus Special Edition: Back to School report. Many schools have acknowledged this and have successfully spent time addressing teachers’ wellbeing, but what about our students? What have you put in place to help them deal with this disruption?

The link between physical and emotional health and academic success is clear.

Defining wellbeing for our students and what it looks like, as we move through phases of disruption, will be an ongoing process. As educators and leaders, we know we need to help our children somehow. We've read leaflets and blogs, listened to guidance, watched webinars and searched for podcasts but what does it look like in the classroom? How do you address this practically as a whole school?

Rebecca Thomas from Cognition Education invites principals and leaders to an interactive workshop online to share with you some practical ways to make addressing wellbeing as a whole school achievable.

Using great children’s literature, props, games, thought experiments, puzzles, film and poetry, Rebecca can build your staffs’ capacity to listen and guide children of all ages through tough times they have experienced, and uncertain times ahead; increasing their resilience to make sense of our new ‘normal’. These sessions give students and teachers time to reflect on Hauora; allowing them time to reflect on how well balanced their physical, social, emotional and spiritual selves are in order to maintain happy, healthy lives as we move forward.

Evidence tells us that a strong sense of belonging, supportive teachers and supportive peers help to drive out insecurity, disconnection and despair. Together we can do this.

During this workshop designed for principals and leaders Rebecca Thomas will:

• Define wellbeing and the research behind why it matters so much right now.
• Direct you to some findings to support you in unpacking wellbeing in your school settings.
• Explain and demonstrate how a whole school approach is the best way to help our young people develop emotional resilience.
• Provide you with an insight into how to achieve a whole school program that puts our tamarikis’ wellbeing at the centre.