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The Student Support department at ISD organized the first-ever well-being morning with our MYP5 students. The goal was to have a few hours to fully focus on student well-being through different exercises and topics. We went through specific tools they can apply in stressful situations, like tests and exams.
By Elize Burgess – Student Support Coordinator International School Delft
Check in
The day started with a “check in” of emotions and continued with a small introductory part about the various stations and the positive influence they can have. The classes were divided into 4 small groups and each group went through the different stations one-by-one.
The stations included:
1) Organization and executive functions at school: increasing awareness in work-life balance and how we spend our time on a day-to-day basis. The students went home with the overview and could adjust it during the week.
2) Talking about emotions, ways to support my peers and myself: tools to help friends who are going through a difficult time and resources we can use when we are experiencing it ourselves. The students went home with an overview about what was discussed and a comprehensive list with resources they can call on.
3) Mindfulness and dealing with stress: going through coping strategies and the benefits of mindfulness while doing a guided meditation. The students went home with links to meditation practices they can do at home.
4) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to reduce stress and anxiety: various relaxation exercises like visualization, muscle relaxation, and breathing techniques. All the exercises were linked to practice further at home.
Check Out
After all groups participated in all of the stations, the day ended by gathering all together and sharing our thoughts. Before leaving the classroom, all students did a “check out” of emotions in order for all to see the effectiveness of the well-being day.
The students were really attentive and seemed to enjoy all of the activities. The focus on well-being next to all the academic pressure has been a success and we will do something similar again later in the school year.
