Student Well-Being: The Foundations

TL:DR – If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. First, sort out the curriculum, culture and calendar. If you’re not taking care of these first; you might be being performative with your school well-being.

There has been a noticeable *shift in education; an increased pressure on learning with an emphasis on outcomes, testing, and performance-driven teaching. This has, in no small part, led to the necessary talk with regards to well-being. How do we help staff? Students? Mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Is our policy effective in its enactment? Are our interventions working?

These are great questions to be asking and reflecting upon, but let’s take a step back for a minute. Most of the focus seems to be on what we can do in addition, the extra resources and interventions that we can provide and embed as part of the school culture. Whilst this is great, first, it’s important to examine the existing practices and “must-includes” of education to ensure they are not negatively impacting well-being.

Anything additional without ensuring the foundations are solid may have a detrimental effect on both students and staff. Students can have an increase in stress about the extra things that are expected of them in addition to keeping up with their studies; an hour of mindfulness when their EE draft is due at 4pm? Don’t be silly. Teachers will also feel this extra workload and it will take away from the core of what they are doing.

*There are a variety of reasons for this, which I’m intentionally not discussing here; let’s stick with what we can control more immediately.

You can add all the extra layers you want, but if the foundations aren’t stable, you’re not going to have a solid and effective educational structure.

I want to discuss how we can strengthen those foundational elements. My experience is from secondary schools so I speak mostly from this perspective.

Curriculum

Each department must have a well and intentionally designed curriculum. How you design and teach this will differ based on the year/grade level, the program you’re following and the students you have; you might have a wonderful interdisciplinary project to deliver for an MYP Grade 6 Science class, but you’re unlikely to design anything like that for an IBDP Grade 12 Biology class.

Is it clear and engaging?

Providing students with a clear sense of direction and purpose in their studies is crucial for reducing the stress and anxiety associated with uncertainty. This can be achieved through the establishment of clear objectives and expectations. Additionally, incorporating content that ignites interest and passion for the subject matter plays a significant role. When students find joy and enthusiasm in learning, they become more engaged, motivated, and invested in their own success. This heightened level of engagement positively influences their well-being and overall academic performance.

Is there sufficient depth for them to master?

As students progress through a carefully constructed and scaffolded curriculum, they should have the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of subject-specific concepts through planned productive struggle. This process allows them to gain confidence in their abilities and cultivate mastery and competence within the subject. As their confidence grows, it positively impacts their self-esteem, contributing to their overall well-being. By providing opportunities for students to delve deeply into topics, to struggle and thoroughly comprehend concepts, the curriculum fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This intellectual growth and the resulting sense of accomplishment further enhances their well-being.

Is it personal?

A well-designed curriculum goes beyond the differentiation of instruction/task and making space for responsive teaching to meet individual student needs. It should recognise the importance of real-world context, representation and cultural relevance. By incorporating the opportunity to inquire and explore examples, texts, and tasks that are culturally and personally appropriate to students, it will enable students to see themselves reflected in their learning experiences. This inclusivity fosters a sense of belonging, validates their identities, and enhances engagement and well-being. When students are able to relate to the curriculum on a personal and cultural level, it can promote a deeper understanding, increased empathy, and better critical thinking skills, leading to a more holistic and enriching educational journey.

Does it have opportunity for students to transfer and make connections?

It should provide students with the opportunity to transfer their learning of a concept to different situations and encourage interdisciplinary connections. By allowing students to recognise the interconnectedness of knowledge across disciplines, it promotes a holistic understanding of the world and cultivates creativity and critical thinking skills. A curriculum that emphasises transferable skills and interdisciplinary perspectives equips and prepares students with the knowledge and competencies which will help them adapt to the complexities of the real world that they will graduate into.

Is well-being embedded?

Content should also be complemented with considerations for students’ holistic well-being. A way in which this can be done is by ensuring that social-emotional learning is embedded. This could be by providing students with opportunities to discuss impacts and ethics of subject specific content from a societal perspective, helping them develop their self-awareness through reflection, or giving them space to cultivate relationships through collaborative work. This should always be in addition to the intentionally produced positive classroom environment.

School Culture

As we are often reminded, “a fish rots from the head down“, so we need to ensure that the positive culture comes from the top and is modeled by leadership at every possible turn.

Do students feel safe?

Ensuring the safety of students encompasses more than just physical security; it should encompass their emotional and psychological well-being as well.

Physical safety is often rightly a primary concern in schools. Students should feel secure and nurtured as well as protected from harm or danger. Safeguards which keep students physically safe such as emergency response plans, work towards physical safety and provide students with peace of mind which helps their well-being.

The emotional and psychological well-being of students can be attained by actively developing a supportive atmosphere that values empathy, compassion, and inclusivity. Having clear expectations for behavior, interpersonal relationships, and respect for diversity is key; these expectations should also be actively communicated to all members of the school community. By being clear and empowering students to understand and embrace the standards set, an environment of trust and psychological safety can be cultivated.

Students need to feel safe showing up as their whole-self. It is our job to create the environment which allows them to fully belong. We all have little quirks and differences, these do not affect our value as human beings and students need to be shown that explicitly.

Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.

Brené Brown

When incidents of bullying or harassment do occur the response must be swift, firm, and impartial. A zero-tolerance approach to any form of mistreatment is crucial to safeguarding students’ emotional and psychological well-being. Comprehensive and unambiguous policies that outline clear procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving such incidents should always be in place and followed. Immediate and decisive action ensure’s that a student’s educational experience is not compromised, and that those that need to be can then be held accountable. Accountability is not punishment and how this is approached is important; we are all human, we all make mistakes, we are not our mistakes and students should not have this held against them. It’s a learning experience that will hopefully help shape both parties positively.

I’m personally a huge fan of accountability and learning from an experience; I’m sure we’ve all encountered too many adults that have not and are not held accountable for their actions. Getting comfortable with this early on is a great idea.

Conflict is a natural part of human interaction and providing students with the skills to navigate disagreements and conflicts in a constructive manner through respectful communication and problem-solving will benefit them beyond their school years. Mediation, peer support and counseling can help with conflict resolution and help students develop their social-emotional skills.

Don’t be tempted to ignore or sweep things under the rug; this signals an unsafe environment, perpetuates a culture of fear and silence and can be damaging to student trust. It also prevents students from safely growing from the learning experience of conflict resolution.

Do students feel included and respected?

The culture should place a high value on diversity and actively promote inclusivity. This goes beyond tolerance and should create an environment where all students, regardless of their background, abilities, or identities, feel a genuine sense of belonging.

In an inclusive school culture each student should feel respected and valued for who they are. Instances which occur that threaten this should be addressed from a student safety perspective as above. Having policies and practices in place to prevent and address incidents of discrimination or harassment based on factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status is a must. You should send a clear message that all forms of prejudice are unacceptable.

Diversity should be celebrated as a strength rather than a source of division. Exposure to a wide range of perspectives, experiences, traditions should be actively sought out. It’s also important to explore the unique qualities and contributions that each individual brings to the community as this helps broaden our horizons and enhances our understanding of both our community and the world beyond the school.

DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) and International Mindedness of the IB are integral components of student well-being. Recognising their shared goals and values, it is highly beneficial for these teams to work together collaboratively.

Another aspect of respect is about listening to the voices of students. As humans we want to be seen, heard and valued. Ensuring that the culture of the school empowers students to have a voice and opportunities are present for them to be involved in decision-making is useful towards well-being. This can include student councils, leadership programs, and involvement in planning school activities.

Do students have high expectations and celebrate achievement?

Having high expectations for academics and behavior, along with providing support and resources is crucial. When students feel cared for by their teachers their performance improves. This caring relationship establishes trust and encourages students to seek guidance and encouragement, which in turn promotes their growth and success. It’s important to recognise and celebrate achievements, both academic and non-academic, within and outside of school. These celebrations boost students’ confidence, motivation, and pride. I’m a fan of the promotion of a growth mindset, where learning is seen as a lifelong journey for both students and educators, where we celebrate continuous improvement, encourage innovation, and embrace a culture of curiosity and intellectual exploration. Each opportunity to acknowledge a student’s success should be embraced, never skip it, it provides a surge of positive reinforcement and dopamine which make the student feel great.

Is effective communication valued?

All members of the community should engage in constructive and respectful dialogue. Communication should be open, transparent and free of ambiguity. This will help to prevent any confusion which could hinder effective collaboration towards common goals. When this is modeled by leadership it allows trust to be built and enhances the overall functioning of a school.

It is helpful for there to be regular channels for sharing information, such as newsletters, parent-teacher-student conferences, and online platforms, as it allows for consistent and timely communication.

Are the right staff recruited?

Another key aspect to student well-being lies in the teachers that you bring on board. Recruiting the right staff can be challenging, which is why having a clear idea about a potential candidates’ alignment with the vision of the school is important. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of what qualities and values make a good fit for the school.

*It’s bad form as a school to have values written on your website that you don’t actually lean into*

Whilst school culture and parental expectations play a role in the recruitment process, particularly in international and independent schools, if your goal is genuine well-being it is advisable to prioritise educators’ desire to build positive relationships with students rather than solely focusing on their academic achievements and accolades. These teachers are more likely to approach their role differently, such as adopting an approach to assessment that cultivates an environment that reduces the stress associated with summative assessments by truly buying into the learning opportunity that any mistakes provide to students.

If you’ve read this far, it is likely that you prioritise well-being, and as such, a school that does not genuinely prioritise well-being may not align with your core values. In such cases, long-term retention may be unlikely.

Safeguarding of students includes their well-being; if you’re not taking care of it, are you really succeeding in safeguarding children?

Calendar

Are you using staff briefing?

Are assessments planned?

This is particularly important if your school follows a syllabus where coursework is required, such as IB Diploma Programme, or A -Levels etc. The submission of IA’s, the EE and completion of the IO’s should be spaced through the year to allow students to learn from each and to plan their workflow accordingly. These should be planned through a primarily student-centered lens, significant crunch points where students have multiple high-stakes assessments due close together is absolutely a well-being issue and needs to be addressed. When planning it’s also important to recognise that students also need a break – don’t plan for the majority of their holidays to be spent writing essays/assignments.

Are you planning celebrations?

I mentioned this above as part of the school culture of celebrating success, this should be planned into the school calendar in various places. Recognition can take various forms, such as conversations, certificates, whole school awards, ceremonies, or exhibitions which showcase their work. Don’t have these all at the end of the year!

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