Student Life & Learning

Positive Education & Wellbeing

Positive Education at the Rāroa Normal Intermediate is a learning community wellbeing program based on positive psychology. Positive psychology is a science of positive aspects of human life, such as happiness, well-being and flourishing.

It can be summarised in the words of its founder, Martin Seligman – ‘scientific study of optimal human functioning [that] aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive’.

Through an extensive professional development process, Rāroa has developed a wellbeing framework to guide and enable teachers and students to develop strategies to deal with the stresses of life. Through teacher understanding, modeling of positive wellbeing approaches, and deliberate acts of teaching of wellbeing, our whole learning community can flourish.

Rāroa Wellbeing Model

The Rāroa wellbeing model will provide a framework which will enable individuals to: Realise their potential, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and be able to make a positive contribution to the Rāroa learning community.

ACTIVELY INVOLVED

WHAI WĀHI

Health and activity

Make healthy decisions.

Healthy life satisfaction, ensure you are making time to enjoy your passion/s.

Be active. Have a healthy body and mind

Enjoy active engagement with others.

SKILFUL AND INQUISITIVE THINKING

MŌHIO

Learning and engagement

Take time to learn new things.

Have an active brain. Ask questions, be curious.

Have pride in your successes

Collaborate and find opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge across different networks.

PERSISTENCE

MANAWANUI

Meaning and purpose

Reflect on why you teach and work at Rāroa.

Model resilience.

Take risks, try new things and learn from your experience.

Spend time on what really matters to you and your students.

Encourage and support others.

Celebrate success, personally and professionally.

INDEPENDENT

MOTUHAKE

Taking responsibility for our own wellbeing

Take steps to improve your own wellbeing.

Understand the impact you have on others.

Understand the power of influence.

Be proactive in supporting others.

RESPECT

WHAKAUTE

Relationships/Giving

Smile.

Show interest in those around you.

Connect personally. Kia ora, good morning, hi

Show kindness.

Make an effort to interact with others.

Appreciate and celebrate diversity.

Be grateful, appreciate those around you and the things they do.

ENJOYING OURSELVES

PĀREKAREKA

Fun, joy and positivity

Recognise the people you enjoy.

Laugh and encourage fun.

Enjoy and contribute your strengths and passions.

Reflect on achievement and embrace the positive.

Be optimistic and find joy.

Research Connections

ACTIVELY INVOLVED / WHAI WĀHI

Research shows a strong correlation between physical activity and increased wellbeing, as well as lower rates of depression and anxiety. It is now viewed as essential for people of all ages and has been shown to slow age-related cognitive decline. Evidence suggests that physical activity can increase self-belief, the ability to cope with difficult situations and provide a sense of mastery. It can also have the benefit of encouraging social interactions. -Five Ways to Wellbeing (Mental Health Organisation)

SKILFUL AND INQUISITIVE / MŌHIO

Keep learning and engagement.

Learning, remaining curious, and setting goals lead to positive cognitive and social development,  improvements in self-esteem, social interaction, and more active and involved life. It has also been shown to be effective in preventing depression in later years – Five Ways to Wellbeing (Mental Health Organisation)

PERSISTENT / MANAWANUI

Meaning and purpose

To understand the greater impact of your work and why you chose to pursue that work. This will help you enjoy the tasks more and become more satisfied and happier. – Martin Seligman (PERMA)

INDEPENDENT / MOTUHAKE

Taking responsibility for our own wellbeing

Personal Responsibility is Crucial for the development of personal wellbeing. Taking personal responsibility means not blaming others for your unhappiness. It means figuring out ways in which you can be happy despite others’ (negative) behaviors and despite external circumstances. A person who has taken personal responsibility recognizes an all-important truth about happiness: your happiness depends much more on your attitude than it does on objective, external circumstances.

RESPECTFUL / WHAKAUTE

Relationships

Relationships and social connections are one of the most important aspects of life. Humans are social animals that thrive on connection, love, intimacy and strong emotional and physical interaction with other humans.- Martin Seligman (PERMA)

Giving

Volunteering and community involvement has been strongly linked with positive feelings and functioning. Helping others, sharing one’s skills and resources, and behaviours that promote a sense of purpose and team orientation have been found to help increase self-worth and produce a positive emotional effect.- Five ways to Wellbeing (Mental Health Organisation)

ENJOYING OURSELVES / PĀREKAREKA

Fun joy and positivity

This element of the model is one of the most obvious connections to happiness. Being able to focus on positive emotions is more than just smiling, it is the ability to be optimistic and view the past, present, and future in a positive perspective. This positive view of life can help you in relationships, work, and inspire you to be more creative and take more chances. In everyone’s life, there are highs and lows, focusing on the lows increase your chances of developing depression, therefore, you should focus on the high and positive aspects of life. There are also many health benefits to optimism and positivity. –  Martin Seligman (PERMA)