Creating Compassionate Communities

Each school is a community in itself; from the staff, to the students and families, a school is the village it takes to raise a child. In each community, every individual is important, valuable and part of a wider environment that relies on each member to do their part. 

That being said, to create a successful and effective community, wellbeing is key. 

No - we are not just talking about the students, but of the entire school community, from the principals to managers, teachers to ancillary and support staff, students and families, and groundskeepers to cleaners. 

So, what does a compassionate community look like?

Shared responsibility for wellbeing creates an environment where everyone in the community looks out for each other and are compassionate, empathetic and in touch with each other’s needs.

But, how can we begin to change our community for the better? 

Personal wellbeing actually has a direct effect on community wellbeing, which is why you should start with yourself, however, a whole school approach to wellbeing is crucial in the long run. Trainable skills can be developed to create a culture of compassion, connection, and empathy to allow room for all involved to thrive. 

Here are seven ways to develop and maintain wellbeing across your learning environment:

IDENTIFY, ASSESS AND STRATEGISE

Information is all around you. Start taking notes from meetings, focus groups, discussions, surveys and feedback, and take advantage of the resources around you - we’re talking about teachers, students, parents and any other community members that might be of help. Together, discuss what could improve your schools approach to health and wellbeing, and create a plan that tailors to your schools individual needs. 

COMMIT TO POSITIVE WELLBEING

Just creating a plan with no action will most definitely lead you nowhere. Getting the community involved and motivated to change is part and parcel of evolving as a school. Start by informing them of the strategy and allow for feedback and contributions. 

Be aware that you may think you know what is best for your community, but they might have different ideas too, so be open to hearing and considering those. Keep in mind that this should ultimately be a collaborative effort. 

SPREAD THE WORD

If your staff or students are doing great things to promote wellbeing and compassion, tell the world about it! Contact the media, put it in the newsletter, display photos of it. This modelling of good practice goes a long way to allowing people to lead by example. Regardless of age, status or experience, everyone enjoys being rewarded for a job well done. So make sure you spread the word about your compassionate community and watch the compassion become contagious.

EVALUATE

Take time to evaluate the plan. Is it working? What isn’t working? What has been very successful. Avoid dropping strategies that aren’t 100% successful, try new ways of approaching them. These might have been ideas from within the community, so approach them again to see if those ideas can be improved upon. A hivemind can create wonderful things. Keep evaluating and adapting. Cultures change with times and what suits the community now might not suit in three years’ time.

TRAIN AND UPSKILL

We should never stop learning and developing. In order to keep your compassionate community at the forefront of ideas and education, keep upskilling. Allow principals, teachers, staff, students and families access to training and development. They can feedback their learning to the community and share new ideas and ambitions. Courses like Life Skills Group’s ‘Mindfulness in Action’ helps to develop self-awareness, focus and empathy, which are vital skills for a community committed to wellbeing.

LEAD THE WAY

So, lead by example, showing those around you that you care about your community. It is well known that positive actions inspire others to do the same, so start with the power you have that lies in your actions. Show others your commitment to a compassionate community by inviting them to observe wellbeing in practice. This will reward the efforts of the people involved in making a successful community and also spread the word to others. Continue to develop strategies and plans for wellbeing to ensure you are at the top of your game and consistently looking out for the school community.

MAINTAIN THE COMPASSION

Celebrate successes and work on unsuccessful measures, but don’t let the dust settle on that strategy! As mentioned earlier, communities change and so do their needs. Therefore, there remains a need for constant updating and focussing on plans, feedback, discussion and strategies.

Living in a compassionate community will ensure wellbeing is enhanced, learning is more enjoyable, productivity is improved and retention rates are good. There is no downside to investing in wellbeing. It’s a step towards a positive future for the whole community.