Teach Primary Issue 19.5

Adrian Bethune is a part-time teacher in Aylesbury. The second edition of his book, Wellbeing in the Primary Classroom (£19, Bloomsbury), is out now. modelled for us, and when we receive feedback that helps us feel like we are making progress, we feel a sense of achievement and wellbeing. Autonomy is about our need to feel in control of important aspects of our lives. Having a sense of control is strongly related to wellbeing. Having autonomy is also crucial to managing the stress of learning new things. Stress expert Dr Elissa Epel explains in The Stress Prescription that ‘feeling ‘in control’ can reduce stress… A high sense of perceived control in life is associated with being happy, healthy and wealthy.’ Smith and Firth agree, explaining that ‘classroom environments that encourage autonomy result in greater levels of learning and performance outcomes than styles deemed to be more controlling’. See the panel on the right for and sanctions in schools. The point is, if we rely too much on them to motivate our pupils, research indicates we are barking up the wrong tree. Instead, we need to provide children with classroom environments that support their need for competence, autonomy and relatedness. Let’s take a look at these in a bit more detail: Competence is about our need to master our environment. We need to feel like we have the knowledge and skills to achieve goals that matter to us. This need is definitely fulfilled in schools through good-quality teaching. When complex tasks are broken down for us, when good learning is In practice Not sure where to start? Try these pointers to help your children develop intrinsic motivation: Rely less on house points and certificates to reward children making academic progress. Use more positive encouragement and verbal praise. These act as better motivators, because once they are taken away, the motivation remains. Give children more roles and responsibilities that help them feel in control (e.g. school council or playtime leaders). Enable student voice by asking them what they think about school, and what could be improved, and then acting on their suggestions (where appropriate, of course!). Where possible, let children have a say on what they learn in class (perhaps by voting on their next class text). Create a ‘team flag’ with your class, filled with representations of your values. Set team goals, encouraging your class to work together to achieve them. Use humour to build rapport and reduce the stress and tension of learning new things. Use ‘belonging cues’ (smiles, warm body language, fist bumps, high fives, shared rituals) that let children know they are safe, connected, and that they share a future with you. some ideas on putting this into practice. Relatedness is about our need to feel a sense of connection to others and feeling like we belong to something bigger than ourselves. Humans are a hyper-social species after all. Professor Riley at the Institute of Education has found that increasing a sense of belonging in school is associated with increased wellbeing, better attendance, improved academic outcomes and higher staff morale and motivation, too. Ultimately, fostering belonging in school is about letting your class know that they are part of your team, that they are valued, that they have an important role to play, and that you all have each other’s back. Going forward If we are to become a more evidence-informed profession, we need to ditch outdated practices that research shows are not the most effective ways to motivate children or make them happy. SDT is not a new theory, but every teacher needs to know it exists and how it can enhance their teaching practice. And, of course, SDT is not just about children. Teachers need to feel competent, connected and in control as well. Fulfilling these core human needs could even be the most effective way of solving the retention crisis. TP @adrianbethune teachappy.co.uk www.teachwire.net | 51 HE A L TH AND WE L L BE I NG S P E C I A L