Five Principles for Student Wellbeing
These principles are derived from my reading of three literature reviews and experience studying the Master’s of Teaching at Melbourne University.
1. Firm, friendly and fair
Students report that an authoritative, approachable teacher who maintains a sense of justice in the classroom is someone with whom they want to develop relationships (Cahill et al., 2014; Krane et al., 2017). Unfair behaviour management systems and intolerant disciplinary policies lead to relational complications such as favouritism and labelling, and can negatively affect the entire class (Cahill et al., 2014; Krane et al., 2017). In teaching my first class, one of the students called on me for targeting him as someone disruptive. Although it indeed appeared that way, my reason for singling him out was because I didn't know the names of the other boys he was with. Nevertheless, I was at fault for the problem and apologised to him afterwards. Krane et al. (2017) show that when teachers act negatively towards the class, such as treating students as scapegoats, the entire class becomes frightened of the teacher. It is then difficult to regain trust in the relationship.
2. Inclusion and cultural sensitivity
Barriers to learning and relationships can include language backgrounds, housing stress, resource access, community isolation, racism and cultural insensitivity (Cahill et al., 2020). Due to gender or ethnic discrimination and economic inequities, those who experience exclusion at school struggle to feel supported, safe and included (Cahill et al., 2020). The school in which I taught was a highly diverse, multicultural school with many different language and ethnic backgrounds. To recognise this diversity, the school named their House Groups the words for different colours in languages other than English. There was no evidence of racism or cultural exclusivity that I saw while on placement. I observed the extra efforts that teachers made to include those of marginalised groups, such as ordering a device from the library for a student who did not own one.
3. Social and emotional learning curricula
As a health and PE teacher candidate, SEL programs are of particular interest to me. Cahill et al. (2014) show that students who participate in rigorously designed and well-taught SEL programs display more prosocial behaviour and are less likely to engage in disruptive behaviour. The effect is dose-dependent as the greater the intensity of the program, and the longer the duration, the greater the positive response (Cahill et al., 2014). I taught a year-9 class on mental health and conducted a class discussion in the middle of the room with seats arranged in a circle. I knew that mental health is often a challenging subject for many, so I opened up about my experiences in secondary school. I was vulnerable in sharing my thoughts and stories so that the students could trust me and share something that they felt was important. Cahill et al. (2014) show that skills such as goal setting, emotion identification, conflict resolution and communication are essential in developing positive TSRs.
4. Strengths-based approach
Nested in the field of positive psychology, Cahill et al. (2014) suggest that a strength-based approach aims to view students in terms of their abilities and capacity for development. I recall my mentor teacher offering students positive feedback, framing suggestions for improvement within praise of achievements. In one PE class, the teacher told a student that they had performed the task well, making sure to throw the discus through the index finger but reinforced his initial suggestion to bend their legs to generate more power. One of the central focuses of positive psychology is in the promotion of supportive relationships and positive social norms (Cahill et al., 2014). During one particularly boisterous class, I gathered the students' attention. I explained to them that some of the class are patiently waiting for instructions, and that's what I'm looking for at this moment. Respectfully, I asked the class if they agreed with me, and we then moved forward quietly.
5. Wellbeing of the self
Krane et al. (2017) explained that teacher wellbeing has a positive influence on student wellbeing and TSRs. They describe how the simple acts of smiling and appearing happy and joyful are beneficial towards positive TSRs. My mentor teacher was a particularly happy person, often seeming quite casual, and making jokes with the class regularly. The students loved this teacher's classes as they knew they were going to have some fun as well as achieve academically. Krane et al. (2017) also discuss the impacts of stressed and depressed teachers on TSRs. The authors suggest that students are aware of, sensitive to, and influenced by teachers' emotion and demeanour. By ensuring that I have a favourable view of my school, class and subject matter, my students will be sharing many of my feelings through emotional diffusion.
These principles can be adopted by teachers and student teachers for their own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of their class. What do you think: How important is student and teacher wellbeing? Should this be compulsory learning for all student teachers? What other principles might be useful within the school?
References:
Cahill, H., Beadle, S., Farrelly, A., Forster, R., Smith, K. (2014). Building resilience in children and young people: A literature review for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/resiliencelitreview.pdf\
Cahill, H., Shlezinger, K., Romei, K., Dadvand, B., (2020). Supporting student and teacher wellbeing post-emergency. Melbourne: Youth Research Centre. Cahill et al. 2020 Support Student Wellbeing Post Emergency - final draft.pdf
Krane, V., Ness, O., Holter-Sorensen, N., Karlsson, B., & Binder, P-E. (2017). ‘You notice that there is something positive about going to school’: How kindness can promote positive teacher-student relationships in upper secondary school, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 22(4), 377-389. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2016.1202843