Belfast Region Principals’ Meeting. Leadership for Wellbeing. 28th April 2015 Park Avenue Hotel. Mary O’Kane

On the flipchart please note the challenges which you face in your role as principal and the enablers you utilise.

Leadership for Well-being – where do we start? Mary O’Kane – Principal of St Brigid’s PS since 2001. RTU Associate since 2003.

Life in St Brigid’s PS Climate and culture of St Brigid’s pays attention to well-being, emotional intelligence, building resilience in everyone. Curriculum:- RRS, PEHAW, School Council, Peer Mediators, Playground Buddies, Reading Buddies, Eco-School, Counselling. Extra Curricular:- range of after school clubs, meet individual needs, promote interests, Staff Nights Out! PRSD. Coaching.

Resilience What is resilience? What does it mean in your school? What does it mean in your life? PAIRED ACTIVITY – 5 MINUTES List the CHALLENGES/ENABLERS when resilience is tested.

Identifying the factors of Resilience: On a Post-it list the ONE main factor that challenges your resilience in school and the enabler which helps you withstand or recover quickly …. Individual activity – 10 minutes Attach to notice board under headings: FINANCE, PEOPLE, POLICIES, PLANT, OTHERS.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back when faced with stress or pressure. Resilient people immediately look at the problem and say, “What’s the solution to that? What is this trying to teach me?”

The Resilient Leader. Our main job as a leader is fundamentally emotional. We need resilience when our leadership is challenged. Leading others is about influence. Understanding ourselves is crucial to leading others

A Definition.... Psychological resilience is defined as an individual's ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity. Stress and adversity can come in the shape of family or relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial stressors, among others. Individuals demonstrate resilience when they can face difficult experiences and rise above them with ease. Resilience is not a rare ability; in reality, it is found in the average individual and it can be learned and developed by virtually anyone. Resilience should be considered a process, rather than a trait to be had.  There is a common misconception that people who are resilient experience no negative emotions or thoughts and display optimism in all situations.  Think about your main stressor: What/Where/When/How do you Think about this issue? Does it become a WHO? How does it make you Feel? How do you Act?

Managing your thinking, your emotions and taking action are the keys. Using your three brains ~ Head, Heart, Gut? Which is strongest? Where does the stress sit in your head, your heart or your stomach?

The Key to Resilience: The empirical research shows that: More than genetics..... More than intelligence..... More than any other factor ..... It is our THINKING that determines who is resilient and who is not.

Building Resilience in School: Developing the whole school and classroom ethos. Staff EHWB and Role-modelling. Implementing an explicit SEL curriculum to develop pupil skills. Reinforcing the explicit SEL curriculum. Paying attention to emotional well-being. Promotion of a caring ethos. Development of SEL curriculum. Rewards and incentives for staff. Leadership cares.

Techniques and Strategies to Build Resilience. ABC Model: Adversity, Beliefs, Consequences. Is it ME or is it not ME? Mindset. Don’t react; respond. Resilient people see their problems as temporary. To give negative feedback:- When you ....... I feel ..... Because ......

Nurture a positive view of yourself. Fall down 7 times get up 8. Fake it till you make it. Bounce. Don’t crack! Keep things in perspective. Avoid seeing a crisis as unconquerable.

Recommendations: Hugh Russell www.thinking.ie CARECALL 08088000002 www.carecallwellbeing.com

Pay attention! Advice from the expert! Think about how you think, feel and act to stressors. Our best resource is each other. Get a critical friend. Collaboration is better than ‘healthy’ competition. When down, use everything and everyone to help you get up. Counselling.