Growing Positive Habits

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is designed for a small group of 4 Year 11 students with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. It focuses on building wellbeing through the THRIVE approach’s concepts of connection, curiosity, and creativity, promoting emotional regulation and positive growth without the use of role play. The lesson aligns with the PSHE Programme of Study for Key Stage 4 in the National Curriculum for England, aiming to foster self-awareness and mental wellbeing.

---

National Curriculum Links

• PSHE KS4 Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing

  • Learning Objective: To develop strategies to maintain personal mental health and wellbeing.
  • Competency: Recognise and manage emotions, develop positive relationships, resilience, and self-confidence.
  • Standard: Pupils should learn to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, maintain healthy relationships, and seek support when needed.

• Dfe statutory guidance – Personal Development in Secondary Schools (2021)

  • Emphasis on teaching mental health awareness, emotional wellbeing, and resilience-building in young people.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and understand at least three personal wellbeing habits that support mental health.
2. Practise mindful awareness and emotional regulation through creative and sensory activities.
3. Reflect on their individual experiences and express their feelings using interactive, multimodal methods.
4. Recognise the importance of positive thinking patterns and intentional habits for ongoing wellbeing.

---

Resources Needed

• Colourful sticky notes or small cards
• Whiteboard or flip chart and markers
• Printed ‘Growth Habit Cards’ with wellbeing prompts (e.g., gratitude, mindfulness, positivity, exercise)
• Mindful sensory objects (small stress balls, textured fabrics, scented objects)
• Timer or stopwatch
• 'Feelings Thermometer' printed sheets for self-monitoring emotions
• Large paper and coloured pens/pencils for personal reflection doodles

---

Lesson Outline

1. Warm-Up: Sensory Grounding (7 minutes)

• Begin with a brief sensory grounding activity inspired by THRIVE’s emphasis on connection to the present.
• Each student selects a sensory object (stress ball, scented sachet).
• Guided prompt: “Focus on this object’s texture/smell. Notice what feelings arise. Let’s pause and breathe with that awareness.”
• Facilitator models deep, slow breathing.
• Outcome: Calm, focused mindset preparing for the lesson.

2. Interactive Introduction: Wellbeing Growth Habits (10 minutes)

• Using the Growth Habit Cards, present 5 wellbeing habits (e.g., daily gratitude, noticing achievements, physical activity, mindful moments, positive self-talk).
• Discuss briefly how these contribute to mental health, referencing the National Curriculum focus on informed decisions about wellbeing.
• Students pick one habit card they feel most connected to or interested in.
• Each student writes/summarises on a sticky note how they currently apply or could apply that habit.

3. Creative Expression: Habit Mapping (12 minutes)

• On large paper, students create a “Wellbeing Map” for their chosen habit using words, doodles, colours. This solidifies understanding through creativity—key in THRIVE.
• Prompt questions:
  • “How does this habit help you feel better?”
  • “When would you do this habit in your day/week?”
  • “What positive changes could this habit bring?”
• Facilitator encourages sharing insights aloud but does not require role play, maintaining comfort and safety.

4. Reflection & Emotional Check-in: Feelings Thermometer (10 minutes)

• Each student uses the Feelings Thermometer sheet to rate how they feel before and after the creative activity (scale 1-10).
• Facilitator asks: “What habits or activities helped your mood? Could you see how this relates to managing feelings with healthy coping skills?”
• Students write or draw one word that describes their current mood or a thought about wellbeing on a sticky note, placed on the whiteboard.

5. Closing: Personal Commitment & Group Sharing (6 minutes)

• Each student states a small personal commitment related to their growth habit (e.g., “I will say thank you to myself once a day”).
• Facilitator praises all contributions, reinforcing positive self-efficacy.
• Summarise how developing simple, positive habits contributes to wellbeing over time, reflecting National Curriculum aims for resilience and emotional regulation.

---

Assessment

• Informal assessment through observation of participation and understanding during discussions and creative tasks.
• Review of the “Wellbeing Maps” for depth of personal engagement and reflection.
• Students’ Feelings Thermometer ratings provide self-reported data on emotional state progression.
• Personal commitment statements demonstrate ability to set realistic wellbeing goals.

---

Differentiation

• Visual prompts and colourful materials to support learners with literacy difficulties.
• Use of sensory objects to engage students needing calming strategies or multi-sensory input.
• Flexible options for writing or drawing to allow varied expression of ideas and emotions.

---

Additional Notes

• Maintain a calm and supportive classroom atmosphere to accommodate SEMH needs.
• Avoid pressure for sharing more than comfortable; confidentiality and respect are key.
• Encourage students to take breaks if overwhelmed, reinforcing the THRIVE principle of attunement.

---

This lesson plan provides a hands-on, sensory-enriched approach to wellbeing aligned with National Curriculum expectations, fostering self-regulation and positivity in a way that resonates with SEMH learners at Key Stage 4.