A Simple Exercise for Supporting a Challenging Pupil

Do you have one particular student that is causing you concern and creating a negative impact on the people around them? 

Have you tried the Timeline Exercise?

This is the exercise I led the delegates through on day 2 the BSA Mental Health and Wellbeing Certificate recently in my talk on Supporting Students.

I was searching for a way to tackle the nigh-on-impossible task of measuring the intangible elements of wellbeing in schools, and from my experience as a Housemistress, I recalled the huge impact that one student could have on the world around them - if they were not in a good state, everyone else would suffer.

Therefore, I guided the delegates through a visualisation where they experienced a day in the shoes of this student and saw, heard and felt what that was like. We also considered strategies to help the student and the options ranged from empathy and time out, to being given a role of responsibility, and being heard. 

The feeling that would be experienced by the community around them was then described as “calmer, kinder and more cohesive”. 

It can feel overwhelming trying to tackle all the never-ending the issues of mental health in schools, but sometimes if we can pause, zoom in, and allow ourselves the luxury of focusing on one student at a time, the benefits can be significant and wide-spread.

I hope that helps. If you’d like to learn more about this technique, or would like me to send you the pdf., do get in touch.

And, if you’d like to learn how go guide others through similar coaching and wellbeing techniques, come and join me for our next cohort in the training academy to become a certified Education & Wellbeing Coach - you’ll learn a great amount of useful skills and tools that will help you become the go-to expert in your field of education!