The theme for Mental Health Week this year is ‘My Voice Matters’. This follows on nicely from my blog last week about listening to children. This week I’d like to consider what opportunities we give children to voice their thoughts, ideas and opinions.
Do we give focused, curriculum time on this important aspect of their learning, emotional and social development?
As half term approaches for many of us, many teachers will be considering their planning and timetabling for the next half term. So, one for you to ponder:
What focused, valued time will put aside next half term, to discuss – rather than responding to ‘hands up’? Are there times for children to talk about the things that matter to them or world issues? (A discussion around issues raised on programmes such as ‘Newsround’ can often be a lively one!)
If you have half term in the next couple of weeks – enjoy! You deserve it!