Five ways to build resilience in the classroom
Resilience is a person’s ability to face a difficult situation and bounce back. That doesn’t mean to say that resilient people won’t face challenges. Instead, building resilience trains a person to view adversity as obstacles that they can overcome.
So why do we need to be resilient? Generally speaking, building resilience creates a mindset where people can maintain or improve their mental health. It is particularly useful when helping pupils cope with the stress and anxiety of Covid-19 . It also encourages pupils to form better relationships with other students, gives them a strong sense of self, and develops their confidence.
In one survey , 83% of experts agree that building a child’s resilience could equip them with the skills and habits they need to maintain mental wellbeing into adulthood. Here are five ways you can help your students build their resilience.
Focus on strengths
Pupils often think about how they could be a better student, get better grades, be the best athlete or become the school’s top drama student. To build their resilience, encourage them to focus on their strengths instead.
Ask your students to think about what they are good at. Let them choose whether they draw a picture to express this, write an essay or simply write a list. The important part of this activity is that they focus on their own abilities, as this will help them to achieve a strong sense of self-worth.
Help students to develop social-emotional skills
Social-emotional learning is an approach to education where students are supported in developing self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making and relationship skills. This can prove particularly useful for teachers who are helping students with learning loss and behavioural support .
SEL provides students with the tools they’ll need to cope with adversity, and it can be particularly powerful if it is taught to them from a young age. A survey of headteachers found that 99% agree that social-emotional skills can be taught in the classroom, and 68% believe they are instrumental in preparing students for the working world.
Coping mechanisms
When you’re preparing your student for mock exams , you get them ready for each possible question. They won’t come across every question in the exam, but you’ll have built their knowledge and given them the confidence that they can tackle whatever comes their way. The same approach should be taken to resilience. If you prepare your students for the difficult situations, then if - or when - they arise, they’ll have the tools they need to face them head-on.
Coping mechanisms that will help children of various ages build their resilience include:
- Breathing exercises
- Creating a routine
- Playing with a classmate
- Writing down one thing to be grateful for
- Creating artwork
- Using worry stones
- Talking to a teacher
Developing coping mechanisms can also help teachers look after their wellbeing .
Label emotions
Regardless of whether you work as a primary teacher or secondary teacher, you’ll interact with students who have a hard time understanding their feelings. It’s difficult for children to build resilience and regulate challenging emotions if they can’t recognise why they are feeling a certain way.
One UCLA professor found that “affect labelling” – where a person simply labels a feeling – can reduce activity in the emotional centre of the brain . Teachers can choose from a number of emotion labelling worksheets , which help students begin to understand what the different emotions are. By giving the emotion a name, children are taking the first step towards processing their feelings.
Problem-solving
Just as with coping mechanisms, training your students to have an action plan will mean they're ready to find a solution should they face any hurdles. When building resilience, the goal is to show your students they must accept challenges and focus their energy on how they react. By teaching children problem-solving techniques, you can help them recognise they can learn from all experiences, positive and negative.
Here are some steps to get your students to follow:
- Write down the problem
- Split the problem into bite-sized chunks
- Focus on solving just one chunk at a time
Are you searching for your next teaching job?
Giving your pupils the support they need to build their resilience is one of the most important things you can do as a teacher. Resilience also happens to be one of the top supply teaching skills and an ability that all teachers will find useful throughout their career.
If you're ready to put these resilience-building techniques into action and are looking for your next job, we can help. View our primary teacher jobs , secondary teacher jobs , or browse our teaching jobs by subject.
Contact us today if you'd like to speak to a member of the team.
Sign up to posts
Related jobs
Salary
£153 - 235 per day
Location free text
Clitheroe
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
£200 - £299 per day
Sector
History
Location
Clitheroe
Description
Teacher of HistorySecondary school in Clitheroe, LancashireMonday 3rd June 2024 start dateDecember 2024 end dateFull-time, long-term positionAre you a Teacher of History seeking a long-term position f
Reference
2504HISBB7
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Lancashire SecondaryAuthor
Lancashire SecondarySalary
£75 - 85 per day
Location free text
Bournemouth
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Special Needs
Location
Bournemouth
Description
Teaching Personnel has been approached by a specialist provision in Wimborne which caters for pupils aged 6-19 with complex social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, specialising in Autism. M
Reference
JDVBYGIB
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Dorset SENAuthor
Dorset SENSalary
£12.90 - 14.00 per hour
Location free text
Hayle
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
SEND Support
Location
Cornwall
Description
We are currently recruiting for a 1:1 Teaching Assistants to work in the Hayle area.The ideal candidate will have experience with SEN and SEMH needs and have strong behaviour management skills. It is
Reference
KP 367
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Cornwall PrimaryAuthor
Cornwall PrimarySalary
£400 - 500 per week
Location free text
Northumberland
Job Type
Flexible Working
Salary
Less than £500 per week
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Northumberland
Description
We are looking for a passionate and dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our friendly and committed team. The successful candidate will work closely with teachers to support the learning and developme
Reference
SS0981T
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Tyne Tees PrimaryAuthor
Tyne Tees PrimarySalary
£12.90 - 14.00 per hour
Location free text
Chorley
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Lancashire
Description
Teaching Personnel are currently working in partnership with a fantastic primary school based in Chorley who have reached out to us to source an experienced one to one Learning Support Assistant to wo
Reference
***CGPR70400404
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Lancashire Central PrimaryAuthor
Lancashire Central PrimarySalary
£90 - 125 per day
Location free text
Rochdale
Job Type
Part Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Cover Supervisor
Location
Rochdale
Description
Cover Teacher for RochdaleAre you a passionate and confident individual looking to progress your education career? If so, then this is the role for you. A position is available for a Secondary school
Reference
789243568
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Manchester North SecondaryAuthor
Manchester North SecondarySalary
£12.90 - 14.00 per hour
Location free text
Penzance
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Penzance
Description
Teaching Personnel are currently looking for Teaching Assistants to work in the Penzance – Camborne area.We currently have schools in the Penzance to Camborne area who are looking for additional suppo
Reference
KP 265
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Cornwall PrimaryAuthor
Cornwall PrimarySalary
£90 - 125 per day
Location free text
Oldham
Job Type
Part Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
Cover Supervisor
Location
Oldham
Description
Cover Teacher for OldhamAre you a passionate and confident individual looking to progress your education career? If so, then this is the role for you. A position is available for a Secondary school co
Reference
345897
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Manchester North SecondaryAuthor
Manchester North SecondarySalary
£12.90 - 13.50 per hour
Location free text
Blackpool
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£10 - £19 per hour
Sector
Teaching Assistant
Location
Blackpool
Description
Graduate Teaching Assistant Required, Blackpool, Lancashire (FY2) Graduate Teaching Assistant Required, KS1 Opportunity, Blackpool (FY2) Experience working in KS1 beneficial but not essential Full T
Reference
SJGRD92901
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Lancashire North PrimaryAuthor
Lancashire North PrimarySalary
£120 - 150 per day
Location free text
Exeter
Job Type
Full Time
Salary
£100 - £199 per day
Sector
English
Location
Devon
Description
Are you a versatile and dedicated English Teacher seeking flexible teaching opportunities in the bustling city of Exeter? Join Teaching Personnel's team as a Cover English Teacher and embrace the dive
Reference
EX/ENGTCH/FW/24
Expiry Date
DD01YY
Author
Exeter Secondary & SENAuthor
Exeter Secondary & SENRelated posts
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD03YY
Summary
Planning for the Easter break? The Teaching Personnel payroll team wants to make sure you get paid on time. This table outlines the Easter 2024 payroll date, along with the corresponding deadline
by
Adam Davies
Teaser
Supply TeachingContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD01YY
Summary
Table of Contents 1. Why do people become supply teachers? 2. What does it take to become a supply teacher? 3. How can I find work as a supply teacher? <!-- b--> 4. How shou
by
Alex Schulte
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD01YY
Summary
Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in schools is a critical aspect of education that demands attention in 2024. According to the Department for Education, over 1.5 million pupils in England
Teaser
Multi-Academy TrustsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Laura Williams is an education leadership coach with fifteen years of leadership experience in education across business, operations, HR, finance and governance. She is a former Business Manager, CO
by
Scott Owen
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Creating a safe and nurturing environment for pupils is paramount in the age of evolving social dynamics. One issue that has gained significant attention in recent years is the distinction between
by
Adam Davies
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD11YY
Summary
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson addressed the Labour Party conference in October, where she announced plans to reform primary maths. Currently, one in four children leave primary school
Teaser
Tips and AdviceContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD10YY
Summary
Mock exams are a crucial milestone in a pupil's academic journey, serving as a practice run for the real deal. As educators, you play a pivotal role in helping pupils navigate through these trial ex
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD09YY
Summary
In the fast-moving world of education, headteachers and schools face the challenge of ensuring a continuous and reliable supply of qualified teachers. Unforeseen teacher absences due to staff sickness
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD09YY
Summary
Embarking on the journey to become an educator is both exhilarating and demanding. The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is crucial to achieving your teaching ambitions. The road ahead
Teaser
EducatorsContent Type
TP-PostsPublish date
DD08YY
Summary
Teaching is a rewarding profession that plays a crucial role in shaping our society's future. However, it comes with its challenges. The workload can be demanding, which might sometimes lead to feelin
Register with us
for a choice of classroom roles
Register today
Recent job