Skills for Effective Learning in School Supporting Emotional Health and Wellbeing

One of the five books in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Teacher Toolkit, this practical resource focuses on the topic of ‘Skills for Learning’. The book offers research-driven, practical strategies, resources and lesson plans to support educators and health professionals. This is a resource book for practitioners looking to have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the children and young people in their care; both now and in the future. Chapters span key topics including Metacognition, Learning Dimensions, Problem Solving and Cognitive Strategies. A complete toolkit for teachers and counsellors, this book offers: • Easy to follow and flexible lesson plans that can be adapted and personalised for use in lessons or smaller groups or 1:1 work • Resources that are linked to the PSHE and Wellbeing curriculum for KS1, KS2 and KS3 • New research, ‘Circles for Learning’, where the introduction of baby observation into the classroom by a teacher is used to understand and develop self-awareness, skills for learning, relationships, neuroscience and awareness of others • Sections on the development of key skills in communication, skills for learning, collaboration, empathy and self-confidence • Learning links, learning objectives and reflection questions. Offering research-driven, practical strategies and lesson plans, Skills for Effective Learning in School is an essential resource book for educators and health professionals looking to have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the children in their care; both now and in the future.

Metacognition Thinking about Thinking Planning our Project Monitoring our Learning Reviewing our Work Learning Dimensions Curiosity: A wish to know and find out and dig beneath the surface. Exploring Questions Part 1 Exploring Questions Part 2 Exploring Questions Part 3 The Why Ladder Risk Friendly Climate New Words Changing and Learning: A sense of getting better at learning over time and of growing and changing and adapting as a learner in the whole of life Milestones Different Ways of Learning My Learning Toolkit/What are my Learning Strategies Look what I Can do Now! Learning Relationships: Learning with and from others, and also being able to manage without them. Create an Advert to Celebrate Who You Are. The Build A Brain Team Challenge What is Team Work Skills for Collaboration Constructive Feedback Meaning Making: Making connections and seeing that learning matters to me. Before Baby Arrives Lets Relax Thinking Chains Everything That Had To Happen to Make This. Strategic Awareness: A sense of myself as someone who learns and changes over time. What is Learning? My Learning Strategies The Emotions of Learning Performance and My Learning Zone Resilience: The ability to keep going to develop my own learning, to stick it out and get what I want and need to keep growing and learning. What is Resilience? Resilience and Persistence Be Your Own Life Coach Stress Management Self-Talk The Best Mistake I Ever Made Creativity: Risk taking, playfulness, imagination and intuition. My Little Book of Ideas Think Up A Storm Ready Steady Make a Game Good Luck Bad Luck Problem Solving Problem Solving Part 1 Problem Solving Part 2 Problem Solving Part 3 What Should I do? Cognitive Strategies Memorisation Mind Maps Revision

Alison Waterhouse has worked in mainstream, special education and the independent sector for the past 30 years, specialising in working with children with AEN including Mental Health and Wellbeing. She has set up and developed an Independent Therapeutic Special School, developed a role as Teacher in Charge of the Social and Emotional Wellbeing of the Whole School Community and has been an Inclusion Manager and Deputy Head in mainstream schools. She now works as an Independent Educational Consultant for SEN and Wellbeing, is involved in staff training and has her own Educational Psychotherapy practice. Alison works with children who are referred due to difficulties with self-esteem, anger, anxiety, depression and other Mental Health needs as well as children with learning differences. Alison is developing the ‘Circles for Learning’ Project in schools and has already undertaken a Primary Research Project and is now working on a Secondary Research Project. The resources were put together to support staff with these projects.