Understanding Emotional Well-being

Understanding Emotional Well-being: Building a Wellness-Ready School

In line with the school’s commitment to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment, a workshop on Understanding Emotional Well-being: Building a Wellness-Ready School was conducted for teachers. The session deepened awareness of students’ emotional needs, early signs of distress, and practical classroom strategies to promote mental wellness.

 Objectives

• Familiarise teachers with emotional well-being and its determinants
• Build skills to identify early warning signs and behavioural concerns
• Introduce psychosocial first aid (PFA) strategies
• Promote whole-school practices based on empathy, safety, and proactive support

 Key Highlights

1. Understanding Emotional Well-being – Components, influencing factors, and links to academic engagement and classroom behaviour.
2. Changing Student Experiences – Contemporary stressors such as digital overload, peer pressure, academic expectations, and identity concerns.
3. Early Identification – Indicators of emotional distress and the need for objective observation and timely reporting.
4. Recognise–Respond–Refer (PFA) Framework
   1. Recognise behavioural, emotional, or social signs of concern
   1. Respond with empathy and active listening
   1. Refer cases promptly to the counsellor
5. Building a Wellness-Ready School – Encouraging open communication, predictable routines, dignity and respect, and collaboration among teachers, counsellors, and school leadership.

Outcome

Teachers gained:

• Improved understanding of student emotional needs
• Greater confidence in identifying concerns
• Practical skills for sensitive intervention
• Reinforced commitment to building emotionally safe classrooms

 Conclusion

The workshop strengthened whole-school efforts toward mental wellness and equipped teachers to contribute actively to an emotionally secure and student-centred school environment.