Prioritising student wellbeing

Penny Lee has been teaching for more than 15 years, returning to The University of Queensland to complete a master's degree in guidance counselling. In this episode, Penny helps answer the question, "How does prioritising student wellbeing change what teachers do in classrooms?".---After listening to this episode, start hereTrauma-informed teaching strategieshttps://www.ascd.org/el/articles/trauma-informed-teaching-strategies Article outlining practical approaches to classroom interactions that support students who have experienced trauma, with a focus on safety, predictability and relationships.Relationships matter more than ruleshttps://www.edutopia.org/article/relationships-matter-more-rules/Article exploring how to establish expectations in ways that prioritise relationships. Includes practical strategies and activities to build rapport and create a safe, supportive classroom environment.Try this tomorrowStrategies to support emotional regulationeducation.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/student-wellbeing/attendance-behaviour-and-engagement/student-behaviour/behaviour-support-toolkit/teachers/Strategies_to_support_student_emotional_regulation.pdf Downloadable resource with practical, classroom-ready strategies organised into themes to support student regulation. These strategies help improve focus, engagement and readiness to learn. Grounding exercise for racing mindshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgRd1Mzhb_Q  Short Headspace video guiding a simple grounding exercise that can be used with a class or individually to calm the mind and support readiness for learning.If you want to go deeperOECD: The importance of social and emotional skillshttps://www.oecd.org/en/publications/nurturing-social-and-emotional-learning-across-the-globe_32b647d0-en.html Analysis of large-scale research demonstrating the long-term impact of social and emotional skills on academic achievement, wellbeing and life outcomes. Includes recommendations for how schools can better support these skills.Polyvagal Theory overview by Stephen Porgeshttps://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory Overview of the science of the nervous system and its role in regulation, explaining why students need to feel safe and regulated to learn effectively.