Lessons in Well Being

The importance of well being to how a school functions is clear, the better people feel about themselves and going to a school five days a week, the better the school works.

The process of achieving well being can be a little mysterious but techniques to access well being can be taught and ReachOut’s curriculum aligned lesson plans are designed to do just that, and they’re free if you sign up as a member.

Take ‘The Power of Reflection and Gratitude’ aimed at Years 7-12. Students are encouraged to write to themselves or someone else to reflect on what has been an unusual, stressful period due to COVID.

Students identify challenges, discuss strategies that have helped them to manage or overcome these and write strength-based reflection letters about their experiences.

Structured to be delivered in 60 minutes, the lesson starts by asking students to provide context and to acknowledge that the past few years since the COVID-19 pandemic began have been challenging. The key takeaway is that it can be beneficial for mental health and well being to reflect on challenges.

Students are asked to think about issues they have faced, write them down on Post-it notes and place them in a shared space. They then brainstorm strategies they could use for managing or overcoming each of these challenges.

Volunteers then share some of the challenges they have experienced and how they managed or overcame them before writing their letter.

The aim is that students receive a grounding in a strength-based approach to achieving well being and gain the ability to recognise personal strengths, experiences and qualities that help to overcome bumps in the road; persistence, grit, problem-solving skills, sense of humour, ability to stay calm and having a positive self-worth.

ReachOut has lessons available covering the gamut of common issues facing school aged children, teachers and parents; accessing professional help, anxiety, depression, eating disorders…

Annie Wylie, Senior Manager for Content at ReachOut says, “ReachOut’s lesson plans have been developed through extensive research, workshopping and consultations.

“We work side-by-side with teachers and education professionals to co-design lesson plans that are credible, accessible and equip students with the skills they need to manage their mental health and well being, now and in the future.

“Our lessons cover a range of mental health and well being issues. They are curriculum-mapped and designed to complement and extend the impact of a school’s existing well being program.”

Teacher well being programs and resources are an important part of what ReachOut does, equipping teachers to develop self-care plans, set boundaries and adopt ways of managing the impacts of burnout.

“Our resources are designed to encourage teachers to improve and maintain their personal well being. By encouraging teachers to prioritise their own mental health and well being, they can better support their students.”

Over 184,000 people across Australia are using ReachOut Schools to improve youth mental health and well being every year.

“Our most recent evaluation report found that the program is very effective at developing students' social and emotional learning skills to support their mental health and well being.

“Educators have also noticed an increase in their skills and confidence to support and manage student mental health and well being, and an increase in their awareness of support services for young people’s well being,” Wylie says.