Staff CPD Talks

Research shows that well-being in schools starts with the staff.
The field of Positive Psychology, the science of well-being, can provide school staff with many skills and strategies to help nurture well-being and resilience, at both whole-school and personal levels.

A whole school approach is vital for nurturing well-being in schools.

This talk will offer some practical ideas for a whole-school approach to well-being for both staff and students, with reference to the 2018 Well-Being Policy Statement & Framework for Practice from the Department of Education.

We need to equip our students with the skills they need to flourish and thrive, despite the difficulties and obstacles of life.

The field of Positive Psychology, which is the science of well-being, can offer us many approaches and ideas for nurturing students’ resilience, through a combination of support and skills.

This talk explores insights and research on resilience, as well as 8 practical resilience skills.

Emotional regulation is the process of consciously managing emotions, to achieve personal growth, fulfilment and goal satisfaction (Mayer & Salovey, 1997).

It is a key skill for well-being and resilience in young people and is also vital in order for them to develop their potential in many other areas, including academic success.

This talk explores emotional regulation and provides practical strategies for teachers to support the development of this skill in students.

Anxiety can have different symptoms, and usually causes distress to young people and limits their experiences.

It’s helpful to know that there are many things that teachers can do to help, including striking a balance between support and empowerment.

This talk will outline the protective factors in supporting young people, as well as offering several evidence-based coping strategies.

Self-compassion is vital for well-being, mental health and resilience. When we treat ourselves with self-compassion, it means we treat ourselves with the same kindness as we would show to a good friend.

Benefits include lower levels of anxiety and depression as well as greater
levels of well-being and happiness (Neff, 2003).

Many students lack self-compassion and are very critical of themselves and judge themselves very harshly, especially at times of disappointment or failure. They are also faced with increasing pressures, and our modern culture bombards them with often unattainable standards, which can often make them feel that they aren’t quite good enough by comparison.

This can lead to decreased levels of confidence, mental health and self-worth. Learning to practise self-compassion is vital from an early age as an antidote to these pressures.

This talk explores the concept of self-compassion as well as providing practical suggestions for nurturing it in students.

Well-being and mental health are the essential foundations to help students to flourish and reach their potential.

Now, with the added challenges that students have faced over the last 2
years, it is more important than ever for us to nurture their well-being and mental health and put it at the heart of our teaching.

This talk outlines many practical ways for teachers to do this in day-to day classroom life.

A combination of support and skills is essential, with an emphasis on building positive relationships, supporting emotional regulation, enhancing positivity and promoting healthy, helpful thinking.

‘Self- belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure’ – Albert Bandura

The beliefs that we have in our own abilities, known as self-efficacy beliefs, play a powerful role in our resilience, well-being and growth towards reaching our potential.

There are many ways to increase self-efficacy, including developing a growth mindset (Dweck, 2012).

Growth mindset is the understanding that our talents and abilities are not fixed, but that they can be developed through effort, practice and persistence.

This talk explores both concepts and show how they are linked, as well as providing practical suggestions for developing self-efficacy and growth mindset, both in ourselves and in our students.