Have you heard of the PERMA model?
I was introduced to it by the Principal of North Eastern Montessori School and MSCA board member, Janis Coffey, in her presentation on the topic of wellbeing at the MSCA Grassroots Conference last year.
Wellbeing in schools is a key area that requires attention as stress, overwhelm, anxiety, depression and burnout continue to rise in both students and teachers.
In her presentation Janis shared psychologist and educator, Martin Seligman's PERMA model that highlight the core elements that contribute to happiness and wellbeing.
P= Positive emotions
E= Engagement and flow
R= Relationships
M= Meaning
A= Accomplishment
You can read a detailed explanation of the PERMA model here.
How can we facilitate PERMA in our schools?
Janis pointed out that there are many roads to wellbeing. This struck a chord with me. There is no one size fits all and the path to wellbeing is different for each person.
When pondering this question, consider incorporating dance as one way of enriching life and enabling PERMA. Dancing can lead to experiencing positive emotions such as joy that comes with moving one's body, a connection with self and others as you move together and a sense of meaning and accomplishment when creating or learning a dance.
Think about including opportunities to dance in the classroom when planning for ways to support your students' and your own wellbeing. The upcoming Dance Workshop for Educators at the Sydney Montessori Training Centre in May could help you in taking this step.
On the theme of wellbeing, check out The School of Wellbeing Podcast by Meg Durham.
Meg was a guest on the Today Show discussing teacher burnout and teacher shortages.
I'd love to hear about your road to wellbeing! Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly via kei@montessoridance.com.au