NSPI Conference
1st March 2014
‘Optimising achievement through a whole school
approach to Emotional Health and Wellbeing’
SHAUNA CATHCART
BACKGROUND
‘Optimising Learning through whole-school
Emotional Health and Wellbeing (EHWB)’
Regional Training Unit (RTU)
Belfast
An Introduction to the Framework Materials
An introduction to the
framework materials:
‘Optimising learning through
a whole-school approach to
EHWB’
Getting our thinking right!
RESEARCH WHAT WORKS?
PRINCIPLES INFORMING DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING MATERIALS
• Whole school approach
• ‘informed support’ and on-going involvement of school Leaders
• Shared understanding of What it is?/How it works?/potential
benefits
• Strategic Importance-Integral part of school improvement and
development planning
• Link with other areas of curriculum-Pastoral care/Citizenship
• Co-ordinator or EHWB team /steering committee appointed
• On-going programme of staff development
• Parents/Families aware /involved in whole school approach.
SOME MORE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS-:
• Ice-berg Model
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Successful ChangeTheory
The iceberg model
Explicit Programme for pupil
skills and curriculum
reinforcement
Teacher skills (and ability to act as
role models)
ETHOS
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
The Change Curve
Resistance
Emotional Response
Adjustment
Shock
Loss of Control
Discovery
Exploration
Worried
Low Morale
T i m e
based on work by Kubler-Ross
Successful CHANGE: The four ingredients
Vision
+ Skills
+
Incentives
+
Resources
=
Change
+ Skills
+
Incentives
+
Resources
=
Confusion
Vision
+
+
incentives
+
Resources
=
Anxiety
Vision
+ Skills
+
+
Resources
=
Resistance
Vision
+ Skills
+
=
Frustration
incentives
+
Adapted by Richard Vila, Bayridge Consortium Inc. from for Knoster, T. (1991)
10
What promotes EHWB in schools?
•
•
•
•
•
A whole-school approach to
helping children achieve EHWB,
including the ability to develop
the social, emotional and
behavioural skills that underpin
effective learning
positive behaviour
good relationships
employability
success in its broadest sense.
A four-part model for promoting
EHWB in schools
A Positive Ethos –
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
Staff EHWB and
Role-modelling
A structured &
progressive explicit
curriculum to teach
the skills of social
and emotional
learning (SEL)
Reinforcing the
SEL skills across
the curriculum
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Element 1: A positive ethos
Key characteristics of a Positive Ethos
- Relationships
- Language
- Environment
 Physical
 Social
 Emotional
Staff EHWB and
Role-modelling
A Positive Ethos –
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
A structured &
progressive explicit
curriculum to teach
the skills of social
and emotional
learning (SEL)
Reinforcing the
SEL skills across
the curriculum
12
Element 1: A Positive Ethos
Relationships
A Positive Ethos
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
The quality of teacher-student
relationship has been shown to be
one of the most significant factors
influencing student-learning
outcomes
(Cornelius-White (2007),Hatie (2009),Rowe (2001)
People don’t care
how much you know
until they know how
much you care…
John C. Maxwell
13
Element 1: A Positive Ethos
Language
A Positive Ethos
Relationships,
Words can heal or hurt, and
it only takes a few seconds to
prove this neurological fact’
Newberg & Waldman (2102)
Language &
Environment
A warm smile is the universal language
of kindness
William A. Ward
14
Element 1: A Positive Ethos
Environment
A Positive Ethos
Relationships,
Language &
 Physical
 Social
 Emotional
Environment
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Element 2: Staff modelling
A Positive Ethos –
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
A structured &
progressive explicit
curriculum to teach
the skills of social
and emotional
learning (SEL)
Staff EHWB and
Role-modelling
Reinforcing the
SEL skills across
the curriculum
The way (children) are treated
and the examples they are set by
their peers and by adults (are)
almost certainly the strongest
influences on how they will treat
others, their environment, and
develop respect for themselves.
Sir Jim Rose, CBE
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Staff cannot be role models unless their own
EHWB is attended to and their own social
and emotional skills developed
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ELEMENT 3: An explicit curriculum to teach the skills
of social and emotional learning (SEL)
• The evidence demonstrates that the
skills of SEL will not be simply
‘caught’. They need to be explicitly
taught through a structured and
progressive curriculum
• What are the key areas of social and
emotional learning? One model:
– Self awareness and self-valuing
– Managing our feelings
– Motivation
– Empathy
– Social skills
(within each area , there are a
number of sub-skills)
A Positive Ethos –
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
A structured &
progressive explicit
curriculum to teach
the skills of social
and emotional
learning (SEL)
Staff EHWB and
Role-modelling
Reinforcing the
SEL skills across
the curriculum
18
Element 4: Reinforcement
A Positive Ethos –
Relationships,
Language &
Environment
A structured &
progressive explicit
curriculum to teach
the skills of social
and emotional
learning (SEL)
Isn’t it enough to just
teach the skills?
Staff EHWB and
Role-modelling
If you are wearing a
watch, take it off and
place it on the other
wrist…..
Reinforcing the
SEL skills across
the curriculum
19
The neuroscience of Behaviour change
20
Session 2: What’s EHWB got to do with
education?
21
Why do we need to teach these skills? 3 driving
forces that won’t go away…
1. Employers’ needs
2. Links between learning,
attainment and social and
emotional skills
3. Demands on young
people in a changing
society
Employers are looking for more than
just technical skills and knowledge
of a degree discipline. They
particularly value skills such as
communication, team working and
problem solving. Job applicants who
can demonstrate that they have
developed these skills will have a
real advantage.
Digby Jones, Director-General, Confederation
of British Industry
22
1. Employers’ needs
CBI LEARNING TO GROW
EDUCATION AND SKILLS SURVEY
2012 (in partnership with PEARSON)
23
How do EHWB and SEL link to other
Educational agendas?
WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
24
SEL Improves Academic Outcomes
• 23% increase in skills
• 9% improvement in attitudes about self, others and
school
• 9% improvement in pro-social behaviour
• 9% reduction in problem behaviours
• 10% reduction in emotional distress
• 11% increase in standardised achievement test
scores (maths and reading)
Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D. & Dy mnicki, A.B. (submitted for publication). The
effects of school based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review.
Why does EHWB impact on attainment?
• A positive, safe environment with nurturing affirming relationships is proven to
promotes student motivation, engagement with learning and achievement
• More teaching and learning time is available as behaviours that interfere with
learning are decreased. (e.g. less peer disagreements/ reduced incidences of
poorly managed anger)
• SEL skills are ‘gateway’ skills for learning:
– Promotes deeper understanding of subject matter
(e.g. perspective-taking & problem solving)
– Helps students learn well with others
– Promotes Increased responsibility
– Develops improved persistence & resilience
– Helps students effectively manage feelings associated with learning
– Decrease behaviours that interfere with learning.
• Pupils are better able to manage the social and emotional aspects of cognitive
26
tasks
Demands on young people in
a changing society
In a school of 1000 pupils
there are likely to be:
•
•
50 with depression
10 affected by eating
disorders
• 100 experiencing
‘significant distress’
• 10-20 with obsessive
compulsive disorder
• 5-10 attempting suicide
(Green et al, 2005)
N. I CONTEXT
• 10-20% pupils experiencing EHWB
Difficulties
• 7-18% 10/11yr olds reported feeling
lonely, sad, not enjoying life
• 21% 12-13yr olds reported being
bullied 2/3 times per month
(Centre For Effective Education ,Queen’s
University, Belfast, 2011)
27
Society has changed…
Issues facing our young people :
- Drug culture
- Body image (media ‘role-models’)
- Choices around sexual behaviour
- Obesity issues
- Social media and other technologies
- Other?
28
What do we need to do to become an
EHWB/SEL promoting school?
What works? Evidence based success factors:
• Support from Principal
• Critical mass of staff understanding/supporting rationale for
undertaking the work
• Clear, negotiated vision for what trying to achieve
• Careful strategic planning to build on what is already going
on in the school and ’make it your own’
• Whole school approach
• Staff development and EHWB
29
An Introduction to the Framework Materials
An introduction to the
framework materials:
‘Optimising learning through
a whole-school approach to
EHWB and SEL’
What will we be doing? An introduction
to The Framework and materials
It can be helpful to think of
change as happening in
phases
• Pre-commitment/
awareness (Phase 1)
• Innovation (Phase 2)
• Implementation (Phase
3)
• Institutionalisation
(Phase 4)
31
The Framework:
Phase 1
It will generally take 3-5
years for a change to
become institutionalised
(part of ‘the way we do
things around here’)
Fullan, 2007
© RTU and Barnardos
32
The Framework:
Phase 2
33
The Framework:
Phase 3
34
The Framework:
Phase 4
35
Our own EHWB matters!
• Achievement of pupils
linked to staff EHWB
• The importance of
promoting pupil
EHWB. Can we do it
if our own EHWB is
not good?
Stress
 A major impact on the
EHWB of staff in our
schools
 Staff EHWB directly
impacts upon pupil
EHWMB
What impacts on our stress levels in school ?
What impacts on our stress
levels in school?
What impacts on our stress levels in school?
There are factors at three levels that
impact on stress levels within schools.
These are:
• LEVEL 1: Leadership and
management styles
• LEVEL 2: The extent to which the
community culture supports us
in feeling safe , valued, and
connected (that we belong).
• LEVEL 3: Our personal work-life
balance and actions we take to
promote our own EHWB
Level 2: Community Culture
How can we as a
school community
promote
• Feelings of emotional
security and safety?
• A sense of belonging?
• A sense of being cared
for and valued by
others?
Level 2: Community Culture: Case study
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
½ Day INSET on staff EHWB
Training in conflict management
A staff room to relax in…
Staff meetings start with refreshments, a minute to
prepare, a check-in and end with a compliment.
Feelings check in
Shared lunches
Birthday treats
Buddy system
Staff car valeting
Ironing service
Indian head-massage!
Team-building opportunities (SEL activities for staff!)
Personal work life balance/What we can
do for ourselves
What can we do?
• We need to recognise when we are becoming
stressed. Don’t leave it too late!
• Identify the sources of our stress- Handout (Internal
and external stressors)– keep a stress diary.
• Take stock and make changes to our lives –e.g.
use the ‘wheel of life’
• Learn from research on happiness!
• Get help
Psychological Fitness
E +R=O
Are you getting the changes you want?
If you regularly rest your mind upon worries, self-criticism
and anger then your brain will gradually take the shape-will
develop neural structures and dynamics of –anxiety,- low
sense of worth ,and prickly reactivity to others.
On the other hand ,- if you regularly rest your mind upon,for example,- noticing you’re all right,- right now,- seeing
the good in yourself,- and letting go-three of the practices
in this book-then your bran will gradually take the shape of
calm strength,- self-confidence,- and inner peace (pg 3)
Rick Hanson- ‘Just ONE thing’
Making changes:
Using the ‘wheel of life’
The Wheel of Life
Ask yourself
What do I want?
What am I not paying attention
to in my life right now?
What is the easiest first step I
can take in the direction I want?
What does research on happiness
tell us about minimising stress?
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•
•
•
•
•
Reframe negative thoughts
Build in ‘me time’ to your
busy schedule
Seek and build a ‘selfesteem team’
Practice ‘random acts of
kindness
Take ‘golden moments’
(e.g. one minute
meditations/ simple
relaxation strategies)
Keep a ‘gratitude journal’
What does research on happiness tell
us about minimising stress?
Reframe your negative thoughts
(your internal commentary)
Are your thoughts stopping
you in your tracks?
Get going again!
Reframe those negative thoughts!
I CAN’T do this
I am NOT good enough
I CAN’T cope
This job is TOO MUCH for me
Everyone else is BETTER
THAN ME
I CAN do this
I am GOOD ENOUGH
I am doing the best I can
I am STRONG and I can deal
with this
This too will pass.
I am CALM and RELAXED
Your Choices?