WIMS School Supports
Our WIMS School Supports series provides sets of presentations and lesson plans designed for teachers to use in the classroom to support students with transitioning back to school under the unusual and challenging circumstances of a global pandemic.
Teachers can now download and use the classroom presentation, which is accompanied by a handout for students, and includes activities and discussion points.
The first set of the series focuses on dealing with change, and empowers students to develop coping skills and prepare for times of transition and adjustment. After the presentation, students will be able to understand the impact of change and develop ways to cope with it. From start to finish, it takes approximately 30 minutes, although additional time may be given for students to take part in the discussion point. We recommend that teachers bear their students’ personalities and circumstances in mind when using the discussion point and activity accompanying the presentation.
Dealing with Change
Classroom presentation
Our classroom presentation aims to introduce students to practical tools and skills to take care of their own mental health. Play this presentation, hosted by child and adolescent psychotherapist, Dr Colman Noctor, to hear more on building resilience and self-worth, understanding relationships and dealing with comparison culture. There are lots of prompts for discussion and exercises which you can practice with your class also.
Find out more about the presentationSupports for teachers
We know that it can be difficult to manage mental health issues in school. We came together with the team at St Patrick's Mental Health Services to produce an educational film with tips and information that we hope primary school teachers and school staff will find helpful: click the icon to the right to play. We also produced an eBook just for primary teachers, which you can download below.
Read the eBook hereActivities for your classroom
T
here are lots of quick and easy activities your students can do to promote positive wellbeing and explore their mental health.
Our Wellbeing Action Calendar gives lots of great suggestions to get started.
You'll find more wellness tools and activities below too!
Download the calendar
Worry Lorry
At times such as the coronavirus outbreak, we can all feel more anxious than usual – but there are things that we can all do to help reduce that anxiety. Teachers, for example, can encourage students to take a few minutes for our Worry Lorry activity. To get started, you’ll need to download and print the activity sheet. Then, get your students to write down the things that worry them on the lorry. Invite them to think about the things that make them feel good or ease their worries, and then share these things with the lorry driver. Suggest that they focus on these positive things as they colour in the rest of the sheet, and notice how their worries are driven away!
Mindfulness exercises
Mindfulness is a practice that helps us to recognise and accept our feelings as they come up by being present in the moment and relieving tension in our minds and bodies. We have a range of mindfulness resources which teachers can practice in class with their students, from guided exercises to mindful colouring sheets. You'll find them all below!
Get the guide for our mindfulness audio exercises
Posters for your classroom
Fill your classroom and school spaces with messages of motivation and positivity to boost your students' moods and confidence. We have versions of a number of the posters available in English and Irish language versions.
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