FROM THE NEWS DESSC | KEYNOTE
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY IN SCHOOLS
I
frequently reflect back, feeling grateful for the opportunity to have begun my journey at DESS back in early 2015. From the moment I entered this warm, community environment, I felt a sense of belonging and a desire to contribute to the vision and the ethos of the School. From a young age, my family upbringing has nurtured me with benefits of a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, nourishing the mind, body and spirit. As a result, I have always viewed social-emotional development as paramount in education. In my early experiences as a class teacher, I recall my fascination in exploring neuroplasticity; how the brain can form new neural pathways and change our thought patterns. I took a great interest in learning more about growth mindset, grit, and the benefits of mindfulness in the classroom. As I became involved in developing our culture of growth mindset and mindfulness throughout the School, my inherent lure toward self-development allowed me to strive and take on the role of Moral Education leader in 2017. In this role I had the opportunity to attend workshops and seminars that shone the spotlight on Positive Psychology and its value in education. Reflecting on my own prior experiences of Positive Psychology (PP) I recognise that, like many others with an interest in the pursuit of ‘happiness’, I had
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FROM THE NEWS DESSC
Sarah Curran | Wellbeing Leader, DESS been inadvertently engaging in Positive Psychology interventions for a number of years. As part of my habitual practice, I had been counting my blessings, doing random acts of kindness and grounding myself through yoga and mindfulness in attempts to find contentment and enhance my own wellbeing. The defining line between personal and professional interest in the field of PP no longer existed and I began to embody the practices I was preaching. The contours of happiness and wellbeing can differ widely for individuals and their circumstances but one of the fundamental and universally accessible resources of PP that captivated me, was the concept of Character Strengths. I refer to Character Strengths as traits which are positively valued, enabling individuals to thrive and allow them to achieve optimal psychological functioning. Once I began to explore the use of strengths in my own life, I understood the value that this could bring to the DESS community. I began to teach the students about these trait-like characteristics and created opportunities to practise using them, just as we would exercise a muscle or take the time to learn a new skill. With a thirst to learn more and solidify my knowledge of PP, I decided to pursue a path to acquire a greater, richer understanding of the field. In September last year, I embarked upon a distance learning Masters in Applied Positive Psychology
and Coaching Psychology with the University of East London. One of the many reasons I chose to do this course was to delve deeper into the scientific, evidence base behind Positive Psychology and Coaching and become more proficient in mastering the theory and techniques to further enrich the DESS community’s experience. Paying particular care and attention to mental health and wellbeing, I wanted to demystify the idea that one should exude a constant attitude of positivity and an image of poise and perfection, the unrealistic expectation that often plays constantly on the minds of many individuals, particularly in the region we are living. As we are showered with spectacularly high expectations set by social media, we often use it as a barometer against which we measure our opportunities and decisions. While
