S1 Ep54: Wellbeing or academic success…and can we teach kindness? - Book Launch Panel 4 Part 2
For Flourishing's Sake
In the second half of the final For Flourishing's Sake book launch discussion, we discussed where the priorities should lie, between dealing with mental health and wellbeing in the context of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, or ensuring children “catch up” academically if they have fallen behind. We also had a fascinating conversation about whether kindness can be taught, and if so, how, and ended the discussion by sharing each of our dreams for the future of education.
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S1 Ep53: Wellbeing or academic success…and can we teach kindness? - Book Launch Panel 4 Part 1
For Flourishing's Sake
In this first half of the fourh For Flourishing's Sake book launch discussion, we shared our definitions of positive education, discussed whether educating for character and wellbeing are the same thing, and whether they come at the expense of academic progress. Finally, we shared our thoughts on and examples of whether Positive Education works anywhere, in any setting, with any age group.
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S1 Ep52: A whole school approach to education for good citizenship - Book Launch Panel 3 Part 2
For Flourishing's Sake
In this second half of the third For Flourishing's Sake book launch panel discussion, the panellists share their thoughts and experiences, with examples, of elements required for a whole school approach to positive education. They particularly focus on the important role that staff training and leadership play. And finally, they share how it feels when you get it right - when it goes well - and their hopes and dreams for the future of education.
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S1 Ep51: A whole school approach to education for good citizenship - Book Launch Panel 3 Part 1
For Flourishing's Sake
In this first half of the third For Flourishing's Sake book launch panel discussion, the panellists discuss their interpretation of positive education, character education and the role of wellbeing in education, particularly in relation to educating for good citizenship and promoting inclusion, diversity and social justice.
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S1 Ep50: Practical Examples of Character and Positive Education - Book Launch Panel 2 Part 2
For Flourishing's Sake
Another chance to hear part 2 of the 2nd panel of fantastic educators during the For Flourishing's Sake book launch. Panellists discussed their interpretations of a whole school approach to character and positive education, then moved onto discussing how we “catch” character and wellbeing behaviours, before progressing to a great discussion about bringing people on board that don’t understand what we’re trying to do.
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S1 Ep49: Practical Examples of Character and Positive Education - Book Launch Panel 2 Part 1
For Flourishing's Sake
Another chance to hear a panel discussion between great educators and school leaders. In this half of the discussion, the panellists shared their definitions of positive education, character education or wellbeing in education. They quickly moved on to some concrete examples of implementation in their schools, from specific staff wellbeing initiatives and their impacts, to whole school approaches and their effects on the entire school community, including parents.
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S1 Ep48: The what and how of Positive Education - Book Launch Panel 1 Part 2
For Flourishing's Sake
Today's episode features the 2nd half of the 1st panel discussion as part of the For Flourishing's Sake book launch events. Panellists discuss putting teacher wellbeing first and sharing a language for wellbeing in schools. The role of Appreciative Inquiry processes and Action Research are also touched upon to support empowering staff and creating lasting change. Panellists also address cost, and the role of Positive Education in the context of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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S1 Ep47: The what and how of Positive Education - Book Launch Panel 1 Part 1
For Flourishing's Sake
Over the coming weeks, For Flourishing's Sake will feature extended podcast episodes, where you will be able to listen to the replays of the book launch events. Today's episode is the first half of the first panel discussion.
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S1 Ep46: Positive Education - from individual happiness to the greater good
For Flourishing's Sake
Is Positive Psychology all about individualism and selfish happiness endeavours, or does it support societal flourishing and encourage us to connect with and support one another? What role do schools play in this? In this episode, I explore some of the criticisms levelled at Positive Psychology and invite you to consider the opportunity we have as educators to change the world for the better.
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S1 Ep45: Flourishing Despite Fear
For Flourishing's Sake
In this week's "For Flourishing's Sake", I share how we can flourish and thrive despite experiencing fear. Not by eliminating the fear, but by flooding our system with happy hormones from positive emotions, to counteract the negative effects of the fear. Learn to use Positive Psychology to your advantage so you can experience wellbeing even at times when you are feeling fear and uncertainty.
info_outlineWelcome to episode 26 - I can’t believe we’ve been enjoying this weekly rendez-vous for exactly half a year already! Thank you for going on this journey with me. Talking of journeys… I have just come back from Paris, where I spent two days teaching on the Positive Education module of the Anglia Ruskin University Masters’ in Applied Positive Psychology - the same Masters’ I graduated from last year and the same module I took as a student exactly two years ago. The experience was surreal, awesome and - honestly - initially absolutely terrifying.
I loved being back in Paris, and although I was there for work, I wanted to make sure I could make the most of the experience, and that’s what today’s episode is about. Although it was definitely hard work to teach at a level I hadn’t taught or trained at before, it was also an honour and a delight to teach a group of students that were very experienced and knowledgeable in Positive Education. I wanted to focus my attention on the experience itself and enjoy it as much as possible, which I did. And I wanted to enjoy the beauty of Paris, a city I love, of the French language, which I grew up with and love, and of the mouth-wateringly delicious food I know I can always find in Paris.
According to an article by Dr Davis in Psychology Today, “savoring just means that we attempt to fully feel, enjoy, and extend our positive experiences” and is “a great way to develop a long-lasting stream of positive thoughts and emotions”. According to research by Dr Barbara Fredrickson(1), maximising our experience of positive emotions is important as these trigger “upward spirals” in wellbeing. So how do you go about triggering those positive emotions and increasing your wellbeing through savouring?
One way to do it is by taking time to savour your food. So often, when we are busy with work and life in general, we eat our meals without really thinking about the food, without taking the time to truly notice its tastes and textures, perhaps watching TV at the same time, or answering messages on our phones, or talking to colleagues about work-related matters. We may even simply be mentally distracted by our busy minds. Taking the time to savour a meal from time to time is a form of mindfulness.
One day this week, set out to do something different: For one of your meals, choose a food you haven’t eaten before and want to explore, or choose to eat one of your favourite foods. Set some time aside for that meal and when you sit down with your food in front of you, before you start eating, look at the food. Observe its colours, its smell, perhaps the way the steam rises off it if the food is hot. Take in every visual and sensory detail before you start eating. Then, with each mouthful, focus on its taste, texture and temperature. Notice how these change as you chew, how each mouthful feels as you swallow it. Notice how your hunger gradually reduces and how it feels to gradually be satiated. After you have finished eating, reflect on the experience and how you feel in that moment - whether you feel comfortable, are still hungry or feel over-full, whether you feel energised or tired, and any other thoughts and feelings that may come up.
You can extend this activity by photographing your food, as this allows you to reminisce about the experience later. In fact, you can use this form of mindfulness through photography for all sorts of activities. You can capture beautiful moments by stopping to take notice, snapping a photo and later reminiscing over those moments you preserved.
"Moules et Frites" in a Parisian Brasserie
View from the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette
According to research (2), being able to savour and enjoy positive emotions derived from positive experiences improves wellbeing. Additionally, savouring has been shown to protect against depression, even reducing the likelihood of negative events causing depression (3). Reminiscing and mindful photography have also been shown to improve mood (4,5).
I hope you’ll give savouring a go, and of course this is a simple activity you can encourage your students to do, too. If you try it, get in touch and let me know what impact this has on you or your students.
As always, I look forward to catching up with you next week and, until we speak again, For Flourishing’s Sake, have a great week!
References
- Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. The American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.56.3.218
- Bryant, F. B., Smart, C. M., & King, S. P. (2005). Using the past to enhance the present: Boosting happiness through positive reminiscence. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6(3), 227–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-005-3889-4
- Ford, J., Klibert, J. J., Tarantino, N., & Lamis, D. A. (2017). Savouring and Self-compassion as Protective Factors for Depression. Stress and Health, 33(2), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2687
- Bryant, F. B., Smart, C. M., & King, S. P. (2005). Using the past to enhance the present: Boosting happiness through positive reminiscence. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6(3), 227–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-005-3889-4
- Kurtz, J. L. (2015). Seeing through New Eyes: An Experimental Investigation of the Benefits of Photography. Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences, 11, 354–358. https://doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2015.11.51
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