Positive Education & Positive Psychology at East Bentleigh Primary

So why do we want to incorporate Positive Education in what we do with kids?

• We want our children to flourish
• We want our children to explore ideas related to their well-being
• We want our children to know themselves well
• We want our children to have good relationships with others
• We want our children to feel their life has meaning and purpose
• We want our children to develop and practise skills that will be relevant for their whole life.

Positive Psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing and an applied approach to optimal functioning.

It has also been defined as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities and organisations to thrive.

Positive Psychology is grounded in the belief that we all want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within us, and to enhance our experiences of love, work, and play.

Four of the major aims of Positive Psychology:

• Rise to life’s challenges and make the most of setbacks and adversity
• Engage and relate to other people
• Find fulfilment in creativity and productivity
• Look beyond ones self and help others to find lasting meaning, satisfaction, and wisdom  (Keyes & Haidt, Flourishing: Positive Psychology and the Life Well-Lived, American Psychological Association, 2004)

Restorative Practices also support the aims of Positive Psychology and utilises the core strengths of fairness, bravery and forgiveness. Restorative Practices involve dealing with problems that arise without attributing blame and focuses on repairing the harm done rather than determining punishment. Including Positive Psychology in our curriculum will help develop the foundation on which Restorative Practices can succeed.

Staff are beginning to explore some of the concepts and activities around Positive Education. Each fortnight, in their personal time, staff will be completing an activity aimed at enhancing their understanding of positive psychology, as well as deepening their understanding of themselves and their relationships with others.

We invite you to join us in our fortnightly Positive Psychology tasks that will be printed in each newsletter and published on our Wellbeing Blog. It should be fun, perhaps enlightening and will hopefully create a shared experience we can all come together and talk about.