Adopting a Growth Mindset to work during the pandemic…lessons from succulents
17 September 2020
Some weeks ago, the Metro South Education District (MSED) hosted a workshop with its occupational therapists, speech therapists and physiotherapists on emotional regulation and resilience during turbulent times.
A few principals of special schools within the metro also attended the workshop. The session was facilitated by Clive Cairns, Educational Psychologist at the Ottery Youth Care Centre and aimed to capacitate participants in identifying emotional dysregulation within themselves and their learners, as well as learn about body and brain-based methods for reducing this. Participants had the opportunity to explore their fears about work, and just as importantly, find healthy ways to reframe these uncomfortable feelings so as to deliver a quality service to our learners, from a source of wellness.
According to the host and MSED’s senior therapist, Warda Martin-Conrad, who also happened to be the district’s Transform to Perform (T2P) Lead Champion, the theme of the workshop was resilience. Little succulents were personalised and gifted to participants.
“Clive and I used growth mindset principles to aid participants to find ways to not only survive the fallout of the pandemic, but also discover methods to thrive,” said Martin-Conrad “not unlike succulents!”
