How Am I Doing?

Tamariki are aware of and can build on the actions we take to enhance our wellbeing.

Wellbeing and resilience are inextricably linked. Understanding our wellbeing and how to nurture and improve it means we are better equipped to manage any challenges we face. This activity encourages tamariki to think about their wellbeing and all the things they already do to care for it.

We have two wellbeing model options for this activity. If your tamariki are familiar with:

• The 5 Ways to Wellbeing, print a double-sided copy of this How Am I Doing Five Ways worksheet for each tamariki.
• Te Whare Tapa Whā, print a double-sided copy of this How Am I Doing Te Whare Tapa Whā worksheet for each tamariki.

For the first time around you might like to print page 1 as an A3 (or draw your own graph nice and large on the board) so you can show tamariki how to complete it!

While page one is best worked on in class (as it's tricky to draw), tamariki could complete page two at home – writing/drawing their answers in an exercise book, if they have misplaced their printout.

What is wellbeing?

Let tamariki know the meaning of wellbeing and perhaps write it on the board. An easy way to understand wellbeing is feeling good and functioning well.

Have a quick kōrero about this – what do you think this looks and feels like?

When we ‘check in’ with ourselves and others, we can ask: Am I feeling okay and able to do the things I need to? If the answer is ‘yes’, our wellbeing is ka pai!

We could also talk about this as our hauora.

We all have wellbeing

Reflect on the fact that everyone has hauora and wellbeing – and that we can all do things to look after it.

What might those things be? Well... we can find some really easy clues when we think about some of the times we feel healthy, happy and good! What are we doing? Who are we with? How do we feel?

The cool news is that we all know what positive haurora and wellbeing looks and feels like – and we'll already be doing some great things to look after our own wellbeing... maybe without realising it!

It’s worth getting clear about this – because if we know what’s contributing to our feeling good and functioning well, we can look to do more of it, and support it so we give ourselves a boost. This way we are the experts of our own wellbeing, and that's exactly how it should be!

Let tamariki know that just like researchers – today they are going to do their own hauora and wellbeing investigation, so they can see which wellbeing areas or pou they're all topped up in and which areas or pou could have a little more attention paid to them. You might like to explain this in terms of relying on only a few ways to support our hauora, when we need to ensure we have many ways - all four pou and our whenua support our hauora.

5 Ways to Wellbeing

Explain that they're going to each get a sheet that features the Five Ways to Wellbeing – these are the five actions that after a huge research study, were found to really boost our wellbeing. They are connect, give, be active, keep learning, and take notice. Ask tamariki what each might mean and some activities that might fit into that area (e.g. being active: playing outside at lunchtime, dancing, walking to school).

Te Whare Tapa Whā

If doing this for the first time refer to your A3 print-out or graph on the board and show tamariki how to complete it. Introduce the scale from their worksheet and plot away! We'd suggest you giving a few areas lower scores to show that it's okay to have an area you could improve in.

Reinforce that there's no right or wrong and each time they complete this graph it's likely to be different.

Then give each student a copy of the worksheet and ask them to complete their graphs.

Keep kōrero open as tamariki may have questions or want clarification around the types of things they do that contribute to them feeling good and functioning well that may not be listed, or might be slightly different from those on the sheet.

You may like to regroup before they complete side two so you can reflect on your graph and ask them – which areas you were topped up in and which areas you were a bit low in.

Give tamariki a chance to complete the second side, and colour their pictures and webs!

• Tamariki can complete this activity in the same day or over two days, but it’s a goodie for them to take home and be able to discuss with whānau. You may like to consider printing another copy and asking tamariki to do this a whānau – it’s a great reflection for us all.
• Begin to kōrero about how your mahi and activities contribute to tamariki wellbeing. Go outside to play a game – taha tinana and being active. Reading with younger tamariki – taha whānau and giving and connecting. Lunch time – challenge them to boost their taha whānau or connect AND taha wairua and take notice of what's around them…! Let wellbeing and hauora become an ordinary part of your language and way.
• Head to Fill My... Whare Tapa Whā to extend your class wellbeing knowledge and collective wellbeing thinking.

How Am I Doing is based off the creative and fun mahi of Chris Fouhy from St Patricks College, Wellington. Thanks so much for working with us – we really appreciate your mahi.

As well as this, we've extended this mahi using Tā Mason Durie's Whare Tapa Whā, inspired by Room 22 at St Martin's School, Ōtautahi.