Keynote: Positive Psychology in Schools

Ifrequently 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

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

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

living in a transient, materialistic culture, where everything can be mass-produced, edited, enhanced and outsourced, I believe that grounding ourselves through simple, effective PP practices, we can create protective factors to buffer, bolster and build our mindset and enhance our wellbeing resources. Although the concepts of wellbeing, self-development and self-care have become commonplace vocabulary in 2021, I believe that by empowering children with an authentic awareness of how to manage and navigate through this world, we can give lifelong nourishment to their minds and bodies.

By being in touch with my own worries, fears of failure and indecision, I too have experienced bouts of anxious feelings. I cannot overlook the current reality we face, in dealing with unprecedented challenges, a global pandemic, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change. It continues to be a time of turbulence and uncertainty for all. To manage my anxieties, I began adapting strategies derived from Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness and reflective journaling and decided to use my knowledge and experiences as a transformational opportunity to grow, learn and share. From my personal and professional insights to date, I am driven to encourage individuals to explore their values and strengths, develop robust self-belief strategies and become psychologically empowered in whatever their pursuit may be. With a great interest in the human’s ‘will to find meaning’ in life, along with my developing coaching skills, I firmly believe that helping another to succeed and thrive in any area of life is one of the most incredible things I can hope to do. With this in mind, I also believe that the students at DESS are capable of anything and by implementing evidence-based strategies to support them through the highs and lows that they will equip our students with the ability to experience and accept the full range of human emotion; to draw upon their tools and resources to embrace and relish moments of joy and triumph and to understand and overcome sadness, worries or disappointments. Taking a PP approach, I endeavor to align my practice whole-heartedly with the School’s vision where we, as a community, can flourish together.