Schools Hold The Key To Student and Teacher Wellbeing
The greatest wellbeing challenge students are currently facing is increasing levels of anxiety and decreasing levels of engagement. These challenges are amplified for students with diverse needs, such as those with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia, as the way they engage with learning is different.
Meanwhile, teachers are grappling with high levels of burnout and stress due to increasing workloads and a decrease in resourcing due to staff shortages.
However, Awards Victoria CEO, Stephen Mason, says that schools could hold the key to resolving these challenges. In addition to explicitly teaching wellbeing skills through formal curriculums and programs, schools have access to other useful tools through which they can enhance the wellbeing of all students and teachers.
“We believe schools have a unique ability to affect a sense of belonging, accomplishment, meaning and purpose for students and for teachers, and to increase the quality and strength of their relationships,” says Stephen. “This can be done through cultivating a school culture that fosters these domains and through the delivery of a variety of non-formal education, programs and activities at the school”.
A growing need to foster wellbeing
As the field of education continues to evolve, it's clear that wellbeing has become an increasingly important priority for schools. Stephen points to a growing body of research
that highlights the connection between emotional wellbeing and learning, as well as the concerning trend of declining wellbeing (and a growing prevalence of anxiety) among young people. “Unfortunately, this trend has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted various aspects of wellbeing, particularly in the areas of mental health and belonging. The shift to remote learning disrupted schooling and, as a result, affected engagement, relationships, and other crucial domains of wellbeing that schools are well-equipped to address,” he says.
Schools play a critical role in supporting wellbeing, not only because it's linked to learning outcomes, but also because young people spend a significant amount of their time at school. “In addition, schools and teachers are uniquely positioned to teach and develop wellbeing literacy,” adds Stephen.
Giving teachers better tools to help diverse learners
Stephen believes that education systems will evolve, to make way for a more integrated and inclusive approach that can best deliver education to diverse learners. However, teachers will need additional support and the extra time required, to implement this.
“All schools, including specialist schools should have extra support and tools to deliver education to diverse learners in a way that meets their needs. We would love to see the research, theory and practice on how to best engage diverse learners become more accessible so that more educators had access to this knowledge,” comments Stephen.
Noting that all teachers want to be effective in their role, and that engagement and learning sit on a wide spectrum, schools and teachers need to adapt to a variety of needs to ensure all students get the most out of their education. “Schools can better include diverse learners by: providing teachers with professional development on the topic; by careful consideration and alignment of the types of programs and activities offered through formal and non-formal education; and utilising placemaking theory to make their spaces more inclusive,” elaborates Stephen.
Change is happening
The good news is that change is afoot, with government initiatives such as FISO already underway. Stephen expects that wellbeing will increasingly become a foundational focus for schools. “It won’t just be taught but it will be infused into all aspects of a school – in strategy, in culture, in programs and activities, and in the values of a school. It won’t just be something that sits in a corner, managed, and delivered by one person or a department. It will be a part of every teacher’s pedagogy, each classroom and the responsibility of the school community as a whole,” he adds.
Schools must take a proactive approach to promoting wellbeing in young people. “By doing so, we can ensure that they have the skills and resources necessary to thrive both personally and academically,” concludes Stephen.
Connect with Awards Victoria at the National Education Summit
Stephen will be at the National Education Summit in Melbourne from 16 to 17 June 2023, and will present the following sessions:
On 16 June 2023, he’ll explain how to build student belonging using non-formal education theory, in a presentation at the Wellbeing For Future Focused Schools Conference. Stephen will also be moderating a panel discussion, on the topic of how we can manage our own wellbeing whilst managing that of our students.
On 17 June 2023, he’ll discuss non-formal learning empowering youth in specialist schools, at the Diverse Learners Symposium.
Awards Victoria supports the Diverse Learners Symposium, and the Wellbeing For Future Focused Schools Conference. Both are taking place at the National Education Summit in Melbourne from 16 to 17 June 2023.
· The Wellbeing for Future Focused Schools Conference is focused on the wellbeing of teachers and students with a goal of developing and updating school wellbeing programs. For more information, visit https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/melbourne/wellbeing-for-future-focused-schools
· The Diverse Learners Symposium will bring educators together with the common goal of working towards making classrooms diverse and inclusive for all students, with a focus on ADHD, mental health/ anxiety and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For more information, visit https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/melbourne/diverse-learners
