A 'Classroom as Community' Approach to Supporting Student Well-Being and Reducing Bullying in Primary Schools

The relationship between effective teaching and learning and student wellbeing has gained increasing recognition, with various programs being developed that aim to identify and assist individual students 'at risk'. In contrast to individualised approaches, this presentation reports on a school-wide 'classroom as community' approach to wellbeing through complementary pedagogies that address the issues for children with trauma experiences. Strategies include education in emotions [1], pro-social games [2], students as wellbeing agents and parent involvement [3]. The approach uses Vygotsky's [4] notion of the socially formed mind wherein children's minds are formed in interaction with those around them [5]. Working with the whole school, the approach creates a culture enabling students to succeed in group activities [6]. Now adopted in over 50 primary classrooms in South Australia the approach is being evaluated in one school over a three-year period of implementation. Measures include attendance, academic achievement, bullying incidence, and parent satisfaction.