HOW CAN WE PROMOTE FLOURISHING ? SOME RESEARCH FINDINGS
One finding was the importance of being listened to . When students were surveyed about what Sevenoaks does to promote flourishing , the counselling programme was widely praised . Part of the appeal of counselling to students is not just the fact that the counsellors help them solve their problems , but that they get the feeling there is somebody who listens to their worries , and cares . But the act of listening can be carried out by anybody .
Teachers are as important as the counsellors , since they see students on a day-to-day basis and can listen , care and gently guide students towards activities 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 .
Having somebody to talk to also helps students learn how to analyse and describe their emotions and thoughts . This increases their emotional intelligence and allows them quickly to identify and manage negative thought patterns . One student commented , ‘ 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 .’
Another said : ‘ I felt 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 my shoulders .’
We are very grateful for all the good listeners amongst the staff .
Lilli Ganzer , Upper Sixth
A version of this article was originally published in Innovate , the journal of Sevenoaks School ’ s Institute of Teaching and Learning , issue 3 .
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