Students Attitudes and Perceptions

• Understand it as a positive thing

• It is something that they can achieve (in their grasp)

• Is talked about a lot in the classroom

• “Are you being resilient” or “Are you being like Ricky Resilience” is asked from child to child, not just teacher to child

• Incidences of children asking their parents if they're being like Ricky!

• Classroom, teacher lead, conversations have revolved around resilience- positive responses and a willingness to learn about it

• You Can Do It program used in the classroom- Ricky Resilience

• they know they're being resilient when they leave their parents in the morning

• Being resilient when they leave their parents is something that they are working on

• When coping with change in their families (new babies, parents splits etc.) they 'talk' about being resilient

• If someone doesn't want to be their friend they brainstormed ways of coping with that. They could still be their friend anyway, say sorry, ignore them, not cry, tell them that we're all friends, if they hurt you tell the teacher

• Gabby-get-a-long (You can do it program) -they like and talk about Gaby often

• They do role plays with Gaby about friendships

• They have an understanding of what a friend is

• Consider everyone their ‘friend’, but have started to ‘rate’ their friends

• Choose their peers as friends, and possibly slightly older children (siblings and friends of siblings)

• Family members (parents) not seen as ‘friends’, but are seen as positive relationships in their lives

• In the process of developing friendships, switching friends etc.

• Boyfriends/girlfriends are a new, but obvious new relationship in the classroom

• Learning to be independent and confident with their friends- not NEEDING other people to be their friends, and coping when people don’t want to be their friends

• Friends are caring and sharing

• let you play with special toys

• help you if you can't read or do something

• have parties

• play games with each other

• don't hurt each other or snatch

Learning Manager Attitudes and Perceptions

• Considers herself resilient

• Leads by example

• Is a firm believer in resilience- considers it very important for everyone

• Considers it a vital part of life at any age

• Recognises that it can be encouraged in children to a greater extent, and that at some ages (like 4-5 year olds, Preps) they are not as resilient as they will be- they need to be ‘taught’ resilience

• The best way to ‘teach’ it is by example

• Resilience is a term she uses often in the classroom

• Enjoys a positive relationship with her students- is friendly with them, but not friends-still keeps her authority

• Believes that students and teachers should be friendly but you have to be careful how you treat them and let them treat you, because it’s important to maintain the power and authority

• Has a very good repore with parents- prides herself on this

• Encourages students to maintain friendships with their peers and in particular their class

• Values good relationships with everyone

• Uses activities in the class to encourage positive relationships in the class