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Wellbeing Space

Wellbeing Space

SUN 14 NOVEMBER

10:30 - 10:50Reducing teacher workload in England using the Department for Education workload reduction toolkit

Schools across England collaborated to design experimental and quasi-experimental studies looking at the effect of a wide range of teacher workload reduction strategies on pupil attainment, teacher wellbeing and teacher time. The school workload reduction toolkit is a set of practical resources for school leaders and teachers that aim to help reduce workload in a wide range of areas. The Department for Education first published the toolkit in July 2018. It was produced by school leaders, teachers and other sector experts; together with the Department for Education, drawing on successful workload reduction strategies undertaken by schools. In this session you will learn about the toolkit and how it had positive effects on teacher wellbeing, as well as how reducing workload in key areas (such as planning and marking) was associated with improved pupil progress.

 

Language : English

Topic : Neuroscience

Speaker:
  • Dr Richard Churches | Lead Adviser - Education Reform and Evidence Based Practice, Education Development Trust

11:05 - 11:25How to develop robust procedures for identifying students with Autism already in our mainstream schools

Studies are showing that Autism has a much higher prevalence in our mainstream schools than we have previously thought.  Louise will provide insight into her experiences over ten years in the UAE and 15 years of working across a variety of settings, supporting thousands of children a mind families.  Louise will demonstrate how students with unidentified Autism may present and provide methods to help schools can screen for  children who are flying under the radar.  The outcome of this sessions is to ensure that awareness and acceptance of Autism is increased and that support is implemented to ensure students have the outcomes they deserve.

Language : English

Topic : SEN / Gifted & Talented

Speaker:

11:40 - 12:00Positive education (Effective Communication with parents)

When we call positive education, we rely on empathy and respect for the child's feelings. The result: a peaceful relationship between parents and children! Through active and positive experience, I am going to talk about: Effective communication is key to positive partnerships with parents. Effective communication involves active listening and clear, respectful speaking. When professionals and parents share knowledge and experience, it’s good for children’s wellbeing and development. .... It is daily work, long-term work, at the expense of daily interrogation. But it pays off if we act positively!

 

Language : Arabic

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:
  • Nissrine Merhy | Educational Consultant / Trainer, Student Consultancy Services

12:15 - 12:35Building Blocks for Wellbeing in Primary Education

Join Ashley where she will share insights about improving wellbeing provision in the primary school. Wellbeing can often be touched with tokenism and this session will offer some important steps to consider when building your bespoke wellbeing plan and team. Ashley will share some valuable curriculum components you can include which can enhance the overall wellbeing of staff and students alike! 

 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:

12:50 - 13:20Education for the 21th Century: The Debate About Future Competencies

Education systems are currently facing the challenge of preparing children for a rapidly changing and unpredictable world. In addition, they have to integrate new technologies into the existing education system. Reformed education systems therefore no longer focus on the mere transmission of knowledge, but on strengthening child development and, above all, child competencies. Currently, there is a debate about which competencies will be needed in the future. In this presentation, approaches to conceptualize and implement such future competencies in the education systems of different countries will be presented and discussed.

 

Language : English

Topic : Leadership and Management

Speaker:

13:35 - 13:55Encouraging Young Learners to Read for Pleasure / Writing as a Tool for Personal Development

Storytelling is an art as old as humanity itself, and something that all cultures have in common. Reading gives confidence and allows us to communicate more freely. It creates memory pathways and enables us to remember new words. Reading helps us to understand other cultures, increases our general knowledge, expands our vocabulary, and stimulates empathy and imagination. It transforms us, opens us up to other worlds and endless possibilities, and provides us with comfort and reassurance in times of solitude or hardship. With these benefits in mind, this seminar will explore techniques that allow educators to promote reading for pleasure in the classroom; e.g. joining book clubs, introducing literacy-targeted awards, providing choice in reading material, and how to support students who struggle with their reading and writing. I will discuss the benefits of creative writing as a bridge to academic success, providing students with a key to unlocking their own imaginations.

 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:
  • Andrew MacLeod | English teacher and recently-published author, Ministry of Education / Zayed Educational Complex Dubai

14:10 - 14:30Being Present- An educator's guide to being mindful.

As hard working educators, this academic year has been one of the toughest to date, not only on our personal wellbeing, but our personal presence in the classroom and delivering lessons with the same expectations as before.

In this interactive session, we look at the brain, the importance of self-care, finding meaning, practical ways to set a routine and steps to live mindfully so we are fully present for our students and most importantly, ourselves. It starts with you.

 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:
  • Cas Germain | Life Coach and Educator, Horizon English School

14:45 - 15:05A Fireside Chat with Aysha, author of Dream Land

While exploring Dream Land, Shamma and her friend Dana meet a fairy named Ilah, who shows them her house. Ilah wakes up the two girls and they all go to the park. The ongoing storm starts to go away and Shamma is very amazed, telling Ilah that she indeed is a real fairy.

 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speakers:

15:20 - 15:40Under the radar - Autism Spectrum Disorder in Girls

Most of the knowledge and scientific base underpinning the understanding of Autism comes from research done with boys and thus skews the prevalence heavily towards them. There is a growing body of evidence that shows Autism in girls and women can present differently to conventional understanding and therefore get missed by educators as well as clinicians. Many girls with Autism therefore don't get the support they need with obvious consequences on mental health, relationships, education and occupation. This lecture shows the changing epidemiology and research that shows girls with Autism are often missed and how this can be avoided.
 
 

Language : English

Topic : SEN / Gifted & Talented

Speaker:
  • Dr. Ateeq Qureshi | Head of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Priory Wellbeing Centres

16:00 - 16:20The Role of Physical Education and Sport Developing Our Students

A talk about the growing importance of physical and sport in the modern school curriculum and why as society changes and evolves, time in physical education lessons should not be compromised.

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:
  • Niall Statham | Head of PE / SLT, Hartland International School

16:35 - 16:55Ancient Vedic techniques of healing and wellbeing through Nadam (sound)

Sound exists in the form of vibrations which are of varying frequencies. The brain is constantly emitting hundreds of vibrations every second. The more powerful your consciousness is the greater the vibrations emanating from your brain will be.

How to bring the balance and harmony to parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system through the vedic techniques which is proven from the ancient time itself, and thereby creating a balanced mental and emotional state to mankind.

 

Language : English

Topic : Neuroscience

Speaker:

MON 15 NOVEMBER

10:00 - 10:20Win-win for all - How Measuring and Managing Wellbeing will Lead to Meaningful Results for Students, Staff and the Schools

Numerous studies show the correlation between wellbeing and academic achievement for students and the thriving of organizations. Yet very few organizations or schools are equipped to measure and/or manage wellbeing. And even if certain data are available most staff is neither trained nor skilled at addressing issues related to wellbeing. This presentation explores what wellbeing is, how to measure it and most importantly how to implement a customized and effective tool to achieve the desired results. It also explores how it can be achieved to manage wellbeing despite meaning something different for different people. We will explore how the work of teachers can be more effective by working with wellbeing data from students. And lastly, how schools will benefit as a business and increase enrollment by demonstrating wellbeing management to stakeholders.
 
 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:

10:30 - 10:50Mental Health Wellbeing

This presentation will be on general mental heath well being. What is mental well being? How can we keep our self mentally resilient especially against problems like anxiety and depression. This will be a practical workshop style presentation and interactive to ensure the audience have a mix of psycho education and evidence based skills and techniques to help them deal with life effectively. The therapeutic practices that will be utilized are, Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness based skills as part of this presentation.
 
 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:

11:05 - 11:25How curiosity and attitude can lead to a resilient life

The curiosity of a child leads to so many interesting questions and activities but most importantly creates a solid base of experience on which to build a resilient life. Being curious, exploring new things, is also one of the best stress reducing strategies to deal with the complexities of life. Curiosity builds connections in our brains and increases the brain’s plasticity, which makes the brain more resistant to disease or age related damages.

 

Language : English

Topic : Leadership and Management

Speaker:

11:40 - 12:00Fostering Cooperation and Mutual Respect through Positive Discipline and Restorative Practice

With growing recognition that bullying is a complex phenomenon, influenced by multiple factors, research findings to date have understood factors in bullying/victimization within the individual, family, peer group, school and community. Many schools simply tackle bullying by hosting an anti-bullying assembly or short talks. While that might be a good start, experts agree that an annual research-based program that needs to be comprehensive and touch all the risk factors needs to be worked out by schools. Academic study integrated with discipline programs should support academic excellence. At Karachi Grammar School, Positive and Restorative Discipline curriculum (curtails anti-bullying) consists of methods that involve students in focusing on solutions instead of being recipients of punishments and rewards. Children are taught and exercise well-founded social and emotional skills to solve problems in a more positive manner. A framework for creating ‘A Climate for Learning’!

 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:
  • Siddiqa Sadiq | Facilitator -Digital Learning and Resources, Karachi Grammar School

12:15 - 12:35How to Be a Six Figure Expat Teacher

A practical session about how to develop a positive money mindset.

 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:
  • Sorcha Coyle | Founder, Sorcha Coyle Empowering Expat Teachers

13:25 - 13:45The Play-Based Behaviours of Emirati Preschool Children: Cultural Perspective into Early Childhood Education

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:

14:35 - 15:35Child Protection and Safeguarding

Child abuse or protection can be easily missed by teachers if they are not trained to be aware of the signs. We will provide a variety of solutions on how to safeguard children in your care that will be demonstrated and teachers can reflect upon which technique works for them.

 

Language : English

Topic : Leadership and Management

Speaker:
  • Zen Khan | Managing Partner, ZEN Professional Development

15:50 - 16:10Understanding and the Joys of Great Classical Painting

Describing the joys, plus the understandings of Classical Painting and Art, from the Great Tradition in European Painting.

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:

16:25 - 16:45What are the consequences of us not making our children feel loved, respected, and valued? How do we make our children feel unreservedly loved, eternally valued, and genuinely respected?

Some students have the knack for painting stunning pictures of their peers, parents, guardians, and teachers. They have a unique way of expressing their gratitude or disapproval. A student once referred to her teacher as amazing and added that he spoke to them like human beings. The utterance resonated with me. Why don't we consistently talk to each other, particularly our children, respectfully and like human beings? I will explore the consequences of not engaging with children appropriately and highlight approaches we could adopt to ensure our children feel eternally valued, genuinely respected, and unreservedly loved.

 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:

TUE 16 NOVEMBER

10:00 - 10:20Education for Flourishing - Addressing 21st Century needs

Increasing numbers of students are showing signs of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (Twenge, 2017). Unfortunately, our society tends to address mental health of students when it is already in an “ill state” or more specifically, after mental health problems like depression and anxiety have already manifested. The aim of this talk is to introduce a new paradigm of how schools can address the wellbeing needs by incorporating the six domains of flourishing as proposed by the human flourishing programme at Harvard into everyday teaching. Specifically, we will address how to integrate education for flourishing standards (based on the six domains of flourishing) and help them embed it into their existing school curriculum.
 
 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:
  • Mark Samways | Director of Wellbeing, The Free Spirit Collective

10:30 - 10:50The challenges and opportunities for early years leaders, reflection on pedagogy and best practice

The past 18 months was a very challenging time for all educators. Those in the early years had to adapt their practice in a way that had far reaching negative effects on our youngest children. This led to a conflict when the environment that providers were able to offer contradicted their beliefs and values about best practice in early childhood education. However the pandemic also highlighted the importance of good early years education for young children to ensure a good start to life. Societies and parents have come to appreciate the early years more. Now is the time to move forward in a positive way while holding what we know is right for young children at the heart of our practice. Sarah discusses the pedagogical issues that we must consider and the changes to our practice that should be reflected on to support the best outcomes for every child.

 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:
  • Dr. Sarah Rogers | Founder and CEO, Early Years Educational Services & Quest Direct

11:40 - 12:00Importance of SEL in Special Needs Education

Several research studies show that when educators engage Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in academics, it increases students' academic performance, promotes positive social behavior, and decreases conduct problems. When educators use academic programs embedded in SEL, students are successful at school and in their relationships and future careers. This talk seeks to share with educators SEL resources that can improve learning outcomes, builds confidence, motivation, improved academic performance at school, better emotional well-being, and student behavior. Engaging SEL has also become essential to support the SEN students if we are looking for any successful learning this year. Whatever model of instruction our students are receiving this year, focusing on Social-Emotional Learning can accelerate learning for SEN students. This talk will share resources and strategies to support educators in meeting SEN students’ needs.

 

Language : English

Topic : SEN / Gifted & Talented

Speaker:
  • Massrat Shaikh | Educational Psychologist, Al Ahlam Training and Higher Education Services

12:10 - 12:40Fostering Wellbeing in a Culture of Excellence

Glen and Nicki will share their leadership experiences, as Heads of high functioning schools. In these case studies they will share the mistakes they made which lead to “eureka” moments, which put well-being at the center of their thinking, leading to innovation and transformation in  this area which resulted in high staff satisfaction and greater organizational success.

They will be drawing on their knowledge of wellbeing, organizational culture and ways of working, to support mental health of teachers and students. Glen and Nicki share the understanding that happy, healthy and inspired staff are key to any successful school and some ways this can be achieved.

 

Language : English

Topic : Leadership and Management

Speakers:
  • Glen Radojkovich | Head of School Improvement - IB & British Curriculum Schools, Taaleem Education
  • Nicki Williams | Head of School Improvement (US), Taaleem School Group

12:50 - 13:10Tolerance Through Education

Sri Lanka is a country where education is delivered to students in a very traditional way. The education policies within the country changes overnight and this has caused tragic moments with in the country loosing many lives. This clearly shows that there is a huge problem in our education. Aiming these issues I started "Sri Lankan Dreams" to fix these issues and to make sure no more lives will loss in the future. Project Sri Lankan Dream started targeting all four categories Students, Society, Teachers and Education policy makers. In this speech I will discuss regarding experiences we gained from our project and as a general format how we can implement it in any country which has multicultural community and to maintain harmony among them.

 

Language : English

Topic : Wellbeing

Speaker:

13:25 - 13:45Simple methods to modify the behaviour

Alternative treatments for ADHD Simple strategies and measures that any school can take to enable the inclusion of hyperactive people within the school community and their adaptation to the educational environment.

 

Language : English

Topic : SEN / Gifted & Talented

Speaker:

14:35 - 14:55Key Changes - Managing Musical Education Expectations

Adam Laird, Head of Music at Jebel Ali School, Dubai, along with pupil performers, discusses the many challenges involved in music education in the current climate and how, with some creative thinking and embracing new technology, managing the musical expectations of school leaders can be a collaborative and exciting process.

 

Language : English

Topic : Music / Performing Arts / Sports

Speaker:

15:10 - 15:30Inclusion in Education

Inclusion is not only to accept the children of determination in our settings however its about how we will adjust the environment to support their learning and development. We will discuss all the areas needed to be covered and the role of the educators to facilitate the children’s learning and to fully include them.
 
 

Language : English

Topic : Early Years

Speaker:
  • May Zalat | Nursery Director, Blossom Nursery by Babilou Middle East
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