WELLBEING
How can we promote flourishing ? Some research findings
Lilli Ganzer
One service at Sevenoaks School that students praised highly when asked about what Sevenoaks does to promote flourishing was the counselling programme . Counselling is defined as ‘ the activity of a trained person listening to someone who has a problem and giving them advice on how to deal with it ’ ( Cambridge Dictionary definition ) but , in essence , the act of listening can be carried out by anybody . Part of the appeal of a counselling service to students is not just the fact that the counsellors help them solve their problems , but that they get the feeling there is somebody that listens to their worries and , more importantly , cares .
The responses to our survey question ‘ How does Sevenoaks School promote flourishing ’ indicate how vital being able to talk to anybody , whether counsellor or teacher , is to student flourishing . Teachers are equally as important since they see students on a day to day basis and can , similar to a counsellor , listen , care and gently guide students towards activites that promote flourishing , or sources of further support . Feeling like somebody cares increases the self-confidence of students which , in turn , encourages them to step out of their comfort zone to participate in new activities such as sports and creative arts that help them thrive . Furthermore , having somebody to talk to helps students learn how to analyse and describe their emotions and thoughts , and to talk about them in a coherent manner . This increases their emotional intelligence and allows them to quickly identify and manage negative thought patterns . Below are some things students have said about their experiences :
‘ I like that I can talk to my tutor without feeling like I will get in trouble … She doesn ’ t search for solutions but just lets me talk which is really freeing .’
‘ Recently I felt very overwhelmed by exams (…) When I told my teacher they sat me down and we went through everything that I was stressed about one by one . Looking at everything in such close detail made me realise that it was in fact all very manageable (…) I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders .’
These testimonies emphasize the importance of teachers in supporting students to thrive . A good support system within a school can be a dealbreaker when it comes to the flourishing of the student body and we are very grateful for all the good listeners amongst the staff .
Involving students in research
Involving students in this project has provided a unique opportunity for the development of knowledge and skills through engagement with important research questions . Coming at a time of great uncertainty during the pandemic , for some students the project has sparked a real interest in flourishing , and led to further independent reading , thinking and reflection on ways in which their own wellbeing , as well as that of others , could find better support .
We are keen to involve students in research activities as co-researchers , and not just participants , and the apprentice model used through the project to support students to develop their research and enquiry skills has proved to be very rewarding for all involved . The insightful questions students have raised , their help in framing survey questions , the thoughtful feedback they have given through the data analysis process , and increased understanding of social science research , have added real value to the project . Working alongside teachers as research fellows has given students an interesting opportunity to see how the school is thinking about these kinds of issues , and be an important part of research-informed developments that , we hope , will have an impact at both the individual and institutional level .
The chance to work with Research Schools International / Harvard Human Flourishing Program , has also enabled all our fellows to contribute more broadly to the significant and growing knowledge base regarding student and human flourishing .
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