Wellbeing in schools. Do you know how and what to teach?

Jana Kyriakou
Aug 19
6 min read

Veronika Vesela

A major revision of the Framework Educational Programmes (FEP) is also intended to introduce an emphasis on wellbeing (a feeling of physical and mental well-being) into school teaching. The problem is that few people know exactly what “wellbeing” is and how to actually teach it. It is up to each school and kindergarten to understand wellbeing and incorporate it into their school educational programme (SEP). If you are still struggling, we will help you and your school understand wellbeing and meaningfully integrate it into teaching.

There are many definitions of wellbeing in children. We like this one: “Wellbeing is a state in which a child, in a supportive and stimulating environment, can develop his or her full physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual potential and live a fulfilling and fulfilling life together with others.” (Education Partnership 2030+)

Wellbeing is when children know who they are and where they feel comfortable.

In Australia, researchers worked extensively with 126 children (aged 8-15) from both rural and urban settings to develop indicators of wellbeing from the children’s and young people’s perspectives. The study concluded that the three main indicators of wellbeing, as defined by the children, were a positive sense of self, security and autonomy . Emotional and relational wellbeing were integral to these concepts.

Wellbeing from a children's perspective is…

Feelings of happiness, but also the ability to integrate sadness into your life and be able to cope with it.
Feeling safe in relationships.
To be a moral actor in relation to oneself, to make decisions in one's own interest and to behave well in relation to others.
To have autonomy and agency and to be able to act freely, make decisions and exercise influence, feeling safe to do so even in relationships with others.
Maintaining safety and a sense of security. Understood in relation to personal safety, a sense of security in the family, and global security.
Having a positive sense of self, including being valued by others. Having a positive self-image. Having enough time/personal space to think.
Having material resources, which was related to having enough money for a decent standard of living for the family. These needs were not perceived individually, but focused on the family having enough money.
Having a good environment and a home to be in. Young people valued open spaces where they felt safe; home as a place of safety and security; family as a place for fun and spending free time.

(Source: Childhood Wellbeing: A brief overview, 2010)

Research confirms that a happy child is a successful student. And all children should have the opportunity to experience success. School should help children learn to take care of their well-being throughout their lives. This includes the ability to work with their emotions, maintain respectful relationships, apply their strengths, plan, solve problems and manage stress. Is it too much at once, you ask? And where to start?

Be fair - start with yourself

Children learn by imitation, by watching. They cannot be “drunk” with a nice definition from a handbook for a good life. In order for us as parents, teachers and caregivers to be able to support children in their wellbeing, we must first learn to take care of our own. Now a few questions about the body - this questionnaire is commonly used in research to test mental well-being.

In the last 2 weeks:

I was cheerful and in a good mood… All the time/ Most of the time/ More than half the time/ Less than half the time/ Sometimes/ Never
I was calm and relaxed… All the time/ Most of the time/ More than half the time/ Less than half the time/ Sometimes/ Never
I was active and full of energy… All the time/ Most of the time/ More than half the time/ Less than half the time/ Sometimes/ Never
I woke up feeling refreshed and rested… All the time/ Most of the time/ More than half the time/ Less than half the time/ Sometimes/ Never
My daily life was filled with things that interested me… All the time/ Most of the time/ More than half the time/ Less than half the time/ Sometimes/ Never

(Scoring: All the time - 5/ Most of the time - 4/ More than half the time - 3/ Less than half the time - 2/ Sometimes - 1/ Never - 0

The raw score ranges from 0 to 25, with 0 being the worst and 25 being the best possible quality of life.

Source: Wellbeing test WHO-5)

We all have a “bad day” or a difficult time. No one can expect us to always have a smile on our face. Life challenges us all, and it’s our children who will appreciate our honesty and authenticity the most. But if our emotional well-being is chronically below freezing, it’s time to work on our wellbeing. Teachers whose wellbeing is at risk cannot support the wellbeing of their students. And vice versa.

Happy teacher, happy children .

As caregivers or parents, we have a responsibility not only for ourselves, but also for the children entrusted to us. The role models we set for them now will most likely shape their lives as adults.

“That's nice to say, but how are we supposed to do it with all the increasing demands and daily responsibilities?” you ask yourself.

Parents and those working with children should have the ability to empathize with the souls of children.

At least that's how modern psychology sees it. If you don't feel like studying at university or reading articles in the field of psychology isn't exactly your area of interest, don't despair. Insight into a child's psyche can be gained by regular conversations with children about their interests, concerns and needs, or simply by paying attention.

Attention is the key to perceiving oneself, one's thoughts, feelings, emotions and needs, but also one's surroundings - that is, the students and their needs. Sometimes the demands on a teacher's work commitment are compared to that of an airplane pilot - 30 children in a class and jumping from one child's needs to another, on top of that focusing on the subject being taught...on top of that all the bureaucracy, school management meetings, preparing for lessons. There is really a lot on us, we try to be the first and the last for our students, so it is no wonder that attention to ourselves and our basic needs, such as the need to pee, drink and eat, comes last. But have you ever thought about what example we are setting for our children?

In order to even begin to perceive ourselves - our needs, emotions, and feelings, as well as our surroundings, we first need to notice them.

Neglected needs and emotions, a head full of constantly swirling thoughts (what else I have to do, what I haven't done, planning, worries about the future...) mean stress for our nervous system and the whole body. Mindfulness helps reduce stress and help develop mindfulness.

Mindfulness is our natural ability to bring our attention to the present moment and perceive things fully, with friendly interest, relaxed, non-judgmental, and detached . If we develop this ability, it can reduce the stress responses of our mind and body, help us focus better, and be kinder to ourselves and our surroundings.

It is through the development of mindfulness that we contribute to the wellbeing of teachers, children, and youth.

Effectively, non-dogmatically, playfully and, most importantly, practically.

And we can also learn from children. Children are naturally good at being mindful of their bodies. They are often better in touch with their feelings and emotions than we adults. They play a lot, cry sometimes, get angry sometimes. Emotions naturally alternate with them. As they gradually grow up and socialize, they learn to suppress their emotions and accommodate their surroundings. They lose themselves and set themselves up for later stress and the associated physical and psychological problems. The common goal of educators, educators and parents should be to support children in mindfulness and help them develop this skill that we all have.

The positive results of developing mindfulness are documented by numerous scientific studies.

The advantage of mindfulness is that we can start developing it at any age. Its cultivation will always be beneficial for us. For educators, it supports stress reduction and increases self-confidence. For children, it contributes to a positive sense of self, autonomy and security. For everyone, it contributes to better emotional management, strengthening a holistic and empathetic perception of oneself and others.

Read more about mindfulness in our expert article HERE.