[ad_1]
Part of a successful educational process is to focus on the well-being of all the people who make up an educational community; ie for the well-being of parents, teachers, administrative staff and especially children. Thinking in terms of well-being to develop educational practice and improve pedagogy is nothing new: from John Dewey to Paulo Freire, passing through María Montessori, well-being has emerged as a fundamental element of education and will continue to be so for a long time.
However, although it is a matter of course for everyone, not to say trivial, it is still difficult for us at this point to establish concrete strategies that allow us to make well-being a reality. This difficulty means that, in general, more importance is given to competitiveness, to the terrible logic of overriding the other at all costs and to the bad idea that to be someone in life you have to have a certain type of thing. If, instead of developing these anti-values, the importance of well-being were brought to the fore in any educational process, many of us would behave and think differently.
Among the numerous studies on the subject, there is one that allows us to understand in a practical way what is necessary to promote well-being. This is the work entitled Five paths for well-being (Five ways to feel good) conducted in 2008 by the New Economics Foundation. The aim of the research, based on the foundations of social psychology, was to determine what kind of individual actions promote well-being regardless of age and how the application of these actions should be viewed as a simple daily exercise. The five actions are as follows:
Connect with others – Having contact with others, no matter how superficial the relationship is, is essential to feel support and give support. Also, developing the ability to connect with other people to help each other is important for self-esteem and confidence.
Be active – In addition to what is already known about the expression “healthy mind in a healthy body” (Juvenal, Satire), physical activity and movement are obvious well-being factors. In particular, any kind of activity in this sense reduces anxiety, reduces the risk of depression and reduces the likelihood of reproducing negative thoughts.
Take note – It is about the ability to be surprised and to be attentive to what surrounds us. It is also about enjoying the present moment, trying not to make hasty judgments and just observing and listening to others. It also means knowing yourself and identifying what our needs are and knowing how to ask for them.
Keep learning – Be aware of the importance of not interrupting learning. Seeing life as a long educational process in which learning new things is synonymous with trust and optimism. In the case of children, play is the key to their learning. In the case of adults, the key lies in the ability to (re) discover new possibilities.
But – It has been proven that giving something positive to someone brings well-being. Give thanks, do a favor, have a clear sign of empathy with the other. It is not necessarily a matter of giving something material. The symbolic as an expression of affection for the other plays a central role in this action as it helps to foster a sense of community through cooperation.
I believe that including principles of this kind in pedagogical practices, as a fundamental part of the mission of educational institutions, would be beneficial for the whole community and especially for teachers and students, especially at a time like this. Taking actions such as these would not only reduce the burden of violence inherent in education, but would also set aside the heavy moralistic dichotomy that separates “good” and “evil”.
@jfcarrillog
.
[ad_2]
Source link
