Mr Garry Woodford shares how a Life Skills program is teaching students to be the best version of themselves. Mr Woodford is Program Leader of Student Engagement and Wellbeing at Southern Cross Catholic College.
We know that education is often delivered in a stagnant way, and that the curriculum can often be dull and boring to our children and teenagers. This in turn can make the class feel disinterested and distracted with a lack of focus. The consequences being that children are less likely to engage with their learning and their subsequent behaviour can often be negatively affected.
Just over two years ago I had the opportunity to work with Deputy Principal, Ms Kate Mellor, to develop a program with the students and for the students of Southern Cross Catholic College. Whilst still ensuring that we align the learning experiences with the National Curriculum, Kate and I designed a course that had an immediate impact on students’ health and wellbeing, named Life Skills. Here, we thought outside the box to engage students in a class that focused on their self-awareness and soft skills. The aim to be the best version of themselves, and then to be able to be there and serve others in a greater capacity.
Life Skills, now in its third year of implementation, caters for all students, regardless of gender, culture, socioeconomic status or demographic. The program engages students and families, and we involve our parents and the wider community. From making healthy wraps as part of our nutrition lesson, to working with our neighbouring Lawn Bowls club in our community connections classes, students are encouraged to think of how they can improve their self-worth and that of their schooling community.
The program currently caters for Year 7 and Year 8 students with the common comment by the wider school community (other year levels) often asking ‘Why can’t we have Life Skills classes? Everybody should have a class like this’. Life Skills involves interactive lessons that includes, but is not limited to nutrition, movement, gratitude, emotional intelligence, empathy, mindfulness, character strengths, personality styles, resilience, conflict resolution and slight edge principles of success. We are always investigating different ways to approach information and how we can utilise these findings to look at different perspectives and improve deeper learning in our content.
The open goal I discuss with Life Skills classes is that if they finish the program and it is not rated within their top two classes, then I have failed them. I have never heard anyone say that they have not enjoyed the class. In fact, many students who have completed the course now often hassle me when walking from class to class saying ‘Can we please have Life Skills again?’
Students are promoted on what they can do in this class and are challenged to think differently. We praise and lift each other and the environment in class, whether we are in the gym or in the classroom, is safe, consistent, and predictable which allows lessons where students can flourish and support one another. The respect they learn to have for themselves and for others is truly incredible. There are never any behavioural issues in these classes. Ever.
Life Skills provides students with an energy to want to do well and attend class. It allows them to be heard and have an opinion on many life matters, including health and wellbeing. The privilege to be able to focus on these learners and have them become leaders within the school and community completely fires me up everyday when I am working alongside these students. The class is identified as ‘our’ class (not mine as the teacher) and the environment is certainly a positive and rewarding one. It is truly an enjoyable atmosphere to be in for both the students, and me.
