Emotional resilience and mindfulness are some of the buzzwords that have floated around staff rooms and teaching conferences in recent years.
But at MacKellar Primary School in Delahey, these words have become something of a mantra – and pupils, as well as their teachers, are reaping the benefits, wellbeing co-ordinator Tanya O’Brien said.
She said the school incorporated The Resilience Project into its curriculum at the beginning of the term, and has become a happier place as a result.
Pupils have never been so focused on their learning, she said.
The project was founded by teacher Hugh van Cuylenburg, and is based on complex psychological theories that have been broken down into a simple message … resilience and happiness are based on three pillars – gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.
Mr van Cuylenburg created curriculums for every school year level, in conjunction with teachers and consultants, and linked them to the national curriculum. So far, more than 130 schools have incorporated his program into daily teaching routines.
“Wellbeing is now at the centre of all learning, because they’ve realised, if the kids can’t focus on what they’re doing, or be kind or thoughtful, they can’t learn,” Ms O’Brien says.
“This is something they now do every day, and it’s really embedded in the culture of the school.
“They might do five minutes of meditation before starting class after recess, and the kids absolutely love it,” she says.
“The kids are over-stimulated with all of this technology.
“They say: ‘I get anxious and stressed’ …they’ve really welcomed it [meditation], they want it,” she said.
