For Flourishing's Sake

In this episode I am delighted to introduce Lois Banks, Year 1 Lead Teacher at Crest Infant and Nursery School.

I first had the pleasure of getting to know Lois when she entered and won a competition during the launch phase of my last book, "Character Toolkit for Teachers", which I co-authored with Elizabeth Wright. I mean, how could we resist selecting this adorable tweet as the winning entry?!

So here's our competition entry @RWSuccess @esioul @Frederika_R. Your book is already helping us in the classroom but we need your CPD training to develop us even further. Please, @K98128955K and I need you 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼#charactercounts pic.twitter.com/6XOfFr1cHV

I then had the pleasure of finally visiting the school and work with staff earlier this month. The joy all staff take in learning about and delivering positive and character education in everything they do was palpable and visible everywhere!

I'll leave you to listen to Lois as she talks about their amazing community initiatives, bearing in mind how young the children are.

Here are the drawings made by the children as part of their "community litter pick" activity. Aren't they adorable?

For more information about Crest Community & Infant school, visit: http://www.crestinfants.co.uk

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

In this week's episode, I welcome a very special guest to the For Flourishing's Sake Podcast: Louise Tidmand.

I met Louise when we were both presenting at the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) World Congress in Melbourne this summer and she kindly agreed to share some of her practical wellbeing tips over lunch.

In this episode, Louise shares practical exercises related to a key aspect of positive psychology and positive education - positive relationships, with links to kindness and altruism.

Louise is a Danish "pracademic", having been a teacher for 15 years and now finishing her Ph.d. in Positive Education. Louise is the author of several educational books, games and other materials for well-being in schools. You can find her and her colleagues' resources on their UK agent's website: www.tinysponges.com

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Welcome to episode two of the For Flourishing's Sake podcast! I hope you've had a great week full of opportunities for you and your students to explore, to connect and to flourish.

Today I'm going to focus on vulnerability and in keeping with the theme - I'm warning you - this is going to be quite an intimate episode!

Sometimes things happen that make us more aware of our vulnerabilities. A few weeks ago, at the start of my holiday, I slipped on some rocks by the sea and broke my forearm in two places just above the wrist. I was immensely lucky that this happened now I've lost a vast amount of weight since last summer, as the breaks could have been much worse. I'm also very lucky that I broke my arm rather than my back or skull and that I was fitted with a fully waterproof cast so the break didn't spoil my holiday – I still enjoyed swimming and sightseeing almost unimpeded. I am immensely grateful!

But being grateful doesn't render me immune to vulnerability. The first week or so was the hardest; for the first couple of days, before the cast was fitted, I was in intense pain and needed a lot of help with everything, including going to the toilet as I couldn't manage the taking off and putting on of underwear.

Things got easier every day, but last week I suffered a full-on panic attack as my husband started to leave the house to go to work one morning and I realised we'd both forgotten about my bra situation - you see, I couldn't do up my own bra at that point! I called him at the top of my voice but he had already stepped outside. I ran downstairs and was about to open the front door when I realised I wasn't wearing anything – and my neighbours really don't need that kind of shock in the morning! In a blind panic, crying, I began banging on the front door, hoping he would see me through the partially opaque glass panel in the door, or hear me over the radio in his car. Luckily, he spotted me and came back in. He had to hold me for a few minutes as I was shaking and hyperventilating and couldn't stop crying. With his love and understanding, as he held me without judgement, and by exercising self-kindness rather than berating myself for my irrationality, with some calming meditative breathing, I came out of my panic attack pretty quickly and was able to respond more rationally to reality.

Because here's the thing: The reality was that, on that particular morning, my youngest daughter was at home so she could have helped me when she got up, but in my mind, if I couldn't get my husband's attention and help on this occasion, this could happen again after my daughter had gone back to University and I'd be stuck, bra-less, all day! I catastrophised the situation and got myself in a complete tizzy. I was dealing with a vulnerability I wasn't used to and it completely threw me off-kilter. I now have a new cast that has given me more mobility, so I can finally fully dress myself.

This incident made me think, though. It brought to mind Brené Brown and her TEDx talk on the power of vulnerability. In it, she says that whilst "vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness", it is also "the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love". I've certainly had to be more creative than usual over the past few weeks, and love has played a huge part in getting me through the challenges, but as I just mentioned, fear has played a huge part, too. Brené talks about how often we numb emotions we don't like, but that we can't selectively numb emotions. She has a point and this ties in with what I touched on in last week's episode.

Today I want to leave you with this: Reflect on your own vulnerabilities and how leaning into them rather than trying to ignore them might help you experience life to the full. I also invite you to spend 20 minutes watching Brene Brown's TEDx talk (even if you have already seen it) to remind yourself of the importance of being kind to yourself (as I had to be with myself after my panic attack) and to others who may be struggling with their own vulnerabilities, which you may not even be aware of. Your colleagues, and the children you work with, bring with them a whole range of emotions and vulnerabilities that they may be struggling with and attempting to suppress. They may, at times, behave or react in ways that seem irrational because of this. By showing them that you understand, that you can listen without judgement and that you are vulnerable, too, you can help them accept and deal with their full range of emotions so that they can experience life in the best possible way and flourish.

I look forward to our next appointment in a week's time. Until then….For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Hello! I'm so excited this day has finally come, after months of planning and looking forward to the launch of the "For Flourishing's Sake" podcast, finally, it's here!

It seems apt that, as I launch this brand new podcast filled with hope that you will find it helpful and that it will live up to the excitement so many expressed in anticipation of its launch, I should focus this episode on hope and excitement. If you are in the UK and this is the start of a new academic year for you, you may also be feeling a mixture of hope and excitement - I know I've seen much of this mix expressed on Twitter, particularly by newly-qualified teachers about to embark on their first teaching year after qualifying! I remember feeling the same way when I was a teacher! Your students are likely to feel a similar mix - they may welcome the return to school with the excitement about seeing their friends again, or as a relief from boredom during the long summer break, or even as a return to a safe haven if their home circumstances are challenging. They may be hopeful that they'll have great teachers, that they will get on with their classmates, that they will get good grades.

One of the key elements to flourishing is an awareness of and the ability to work on our character strengths. There are different schools of thought on the nature of character strengths, from the philosophical basis used by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, to the psychology-based research by the VIA Institute on Character.

According to the VIA Institute, the strength of hope is linked to our expectations about positive future events and outcomes. It is closely linked to optimism and implies that we are in control; that we can take action towards achieving our goals and desires. Psychologists talk about "explanatory style" in relation to optimism. If your explanatory style is optimistic, you tend to see events as specific to any given situation, susceptible to change, and external, whereas a person with a pessimistic explanatory style tends to perceive events as spanning across different situations, unchangeable and internal. To put this simply, take a student that does badly in a test or exam. If their explanatory style is optimistic, they'll see this as a one-off event, they may even put it down to a particularly difficult paper rather than blaming themselves for not doing enough revision, and they'll focus on being able to do better next time. Whilst of course an overly optimistic explanatory style is not always helpful - it can lead to difficulties in taking responsibility, for example - having a certain tendency towards an optimistic explanatory style tends to mean you find it easier to be hopeful. Take a moment to reflect on your natural explanatory style. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? Whichever way you lean naturally, you can still work on and make the most of your strength of hope. If you are naturally pessimistic, you may just need to work a little harder at it.

The VIA Institute don't have a character strength called 'Excitement', but they do have one called 'Zest'! Zest is characterised by a tendency to approach things with lots of energy and, yes, excitement; of having a sense of adventure about life. According to the VIA, zest is a strength closely linked to physical and mental wellbeing, and to overall levels of happiness, so it's well worth cultivating.

Today, therefore, I invite you to tune in to your sense of hope and excitement as you begin your week and possibly your new academic year. I know, because I've been there, that these are not always the most prominent emotions and thoughts you experience as a teacher when starting a new academic year or even just a new week, but while all emotions are valid and I am not asking you to ignore any emotions that make you feel less great about the days ahead, I am simply giving you a nudge to spend a bit more time focusing on those positive, feel-good emotions and character strengths: Hope and Excitement.

As you set off for work this morning, what are your hopes for today? What are you looking forward to and feeling excited about? Check in with your thoughts throughout the day and the week to actively remind yourself to focus on what has you all fired up and looking forward to the days ahead, and what positive outcomes and events you are hoping for. As you greet your students each day this week, why not ask them what they're excited about and what their hopes are for the day, the week, the year even?

Try it, and see what positive impact this deliberate focus brings… and let me know how you get on!

And…For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

Everyday Hero - 60 second version (Corporate, motivational, you tube, podcast) Music by Pond5

Hello, I'm Frederika Roberts and it is my pleasure today to welcome you to the trailer for the FOR FLOURISHING'S SAKE podcast!

For Flourishing's Sake is a podcast for teachers and school leaders. It is a five-minute Monday-morning boost of inspiration, support and practical tools to help you and your students flourish.

The actual podcast will launch in two weeks' time, on Monday 2nd September at 7am UK time. Although I'm based in the UK, the content will be relevant to teachers around the world! When I was writing my upcoming book with the working title "For Flourishing's Sake" - out in Spring 2020 - I interviewed school leaders, teachers, wellbeing leaders and practitioners from around the world and found that many of the issues you face, and the outstanding practices you implement, are similar, though of course you adapt what you do to your local culture.

This podcast is therefore not meant to be prescriptive. Who am I to tell you what to do?! It is, however, intended as a quick boost on a Monday morning, to set you up for the week with some ideas, some inspiration, some thoughts on ways to improve your own and your students' wellbeing, to help you and them flourish inside and outside of school.

Over the course of the year, I will not be the only one sharing ideas with you, though. I have a fantastic line-up of educators and experts who will be giving you their Monday morning flourishing tips! For example, when I was in Australia to present at the International Positive Psychology Association's World Congress a few weeks ago, I asked a few people to record their Monday morning boosters for you: So in the coming weeks and months, you will hear from Sha-en, a Happiness Scientist from Singapore; Christian, Executive Director of Growth Coaching International and Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology; and Louise Tidmand from Denmark, Chief Innovation Officer at the Strength Academy and PhD Candidate.

You will also hear from many of the wonderful educators I interviewed for my book, for example Rhiannon McGee, Head of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School in Australia, Fabian de Fabiani, Assistant Head Teacher at Townley Grammar School and Director of Character Education and Wellbeing at the Odyssey Trust for Education, and many more!

I will offer you my own insights, based on my experience as a former teacher, my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, my current work in schools as a speaker and trainer, including as co-founder of 'RWS | Resilience Wellbeing Success', and my research as an author in positive and character education.

So… save the date and tune in on Monday 2nd September at 7am UK time and every Monday at the same time after that for five minutes of inspiration, support and practical ideas you can implement straight away!

And if you like what you hear, please share this podcast with your friends and colleagues so we can spread its reach far and wide and all flourish together.

Until then… For Flourishing's Sake, have a great week!

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