The Learning Curve Wellbeing Program

30/05/2024

Learning Curve Growth ABC

A - WELLBEING GROWTH CHALLENGE – Looking Forward - Positively Focused ~ every morning, think about what you are looking forward to most for the day ahead, no matter how small, write it down, and enjoy it when it happens. What is something that you look forward to often and why?

B - GROWTH THOUGHTS – FOMO and JOMO
The 21st century has seen the emergence of a nasty new addiction called FOMO, the Fear Of Missing Out, which is caused by overuse of social media. The non-stop images from screens have made many people totally dependent on the small feel good dopamine hits which come from seeing them endlessly flash before their eyes.

Also, the 24/7 fake postings of people’s pretend worlds, which actually have nothing at all to do with their real lives, are sucking many of us into believing that this is how we should want to live our lives. The real world doesn’t seem to stimulate some of us anymore, causing low moods, anxiety and often depression.

We just have to take a walk and see how many people are mindlessly glued to their phones, scrolling like robots. If we happen to be one of these people, we seriously need to ask ourselves, “is what we are doing going to make any kind of positive contribution or difference in our lives?” It’s not rocket science for us to work out that the answer is NO.

But there is an excellent strategy that can defeat FOMO and stop it in its tracks. It is called JOMO, the Joy Of Missing Out. It is based on us coming to the realisation that we can find real joy and happiness in not wanting to know about everything that is happening on social media, because most of it is rubbish.

Try this. Reflect on what we want for ourselves, our goals, and write down how social media is going to contribute to us achieving them. Then, write down any important or valuable information that we have learned from social media over the past week. It is highly likely that we didn’t write anything down. Social media just occupies us meaninglessly!

We don’t need to connected online every minute of the day. When we choose to turn off our phones regularly every day, we will experience the wonderful uplifting feelings which come from JOMO. Reflect, when is a time that you forgot your phone and had a great time? Let’s start enjoying the beauty and joy of our individual lives by connecting with ourselves, and not with the fake and pretend world of social media.

C – CHARACTER STRENGTHS BRAINSTORM – Curiosity
Exploring and being interested in learning more. What is one thing that you can do every day to use this character strength to build your agency in the world?

“Curiosity is a mind in search of knowledge.” Thibaut

To learn more, visit

The Learning Curve offer a range of products and resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers to support Positive Education and Student Wellbeing.

26/05/2024

Weekly Growth Challenge

Growth is a Choice – Challenge Pathways ~ all personal and skill growth come from your preparedness to leave your comfort zone to tackle challenges and your belief in your power (agency) to do this. Challenges create pathways to grow your abilities. This week, choose to make the effort ditch your comfort zone and have a crack at something that you have always wanted to try, but believed that you didn’t have the power to do. You will be rapt at week’s end! Learn more at

The Learning Curve offer a range of products and resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers to support Positive Education and Student Wellbeing.

16/05/2024

Learning Curve Wellbeing Growth ABC
A - WELLBEING GROWTH CHALLENGE – Music Magic
Creating Concerts ~ three or four times every day, spend 5 minutes listening to your favourite music, as if you were there at a concert, to give you an energy boost. What are your favourite songs that you would choose to listen to?

B - GROWTH THOUGHTS – Listening and Leadership
When Nelson Mandela was released from prison after twenty-seven years in custody, he said to the people of South Africa, “I am your servant.” He believed that his most important role was not offering his advice, but rather listening to them to be empathetic to the needs and feelings of the people.
We are all leaders in our own worlds, where family, friends and workmates are looking to us in some ways to help them deal with their everyday life issues. While many of us think that the best way for us to assist them is to jump in and offer practical advice, which may make us feel that we are needed and valued, the reality is that we are taking the responsibility for overcoming their problems away from them.
Leaders understand this. They know that the gold standard way to support the people in their lives is to listen to learn, not listen to reply. As Dad once said to me, you have two ears and one mouth, so, listen twice as much as you talk.
As well intentioned as we are to help others, our first obligation should be to give them the space and opportunity to share their experiences, feelings and thoughts. We need to curb our natural inclination to want to immediately help and interrupt, instead we should let them finish their stories and then, and only then offer our advice if we are asked.
Learning from experience and advice from others is extremely important, but it usually only works when those seeking and receiving the advice feel that they have first been listened to.
C – CHARACTER STRENGTHS BRAINSTORM – Kindness
Being generous and caring towards others. What is one thing that you can do every day to use this character strength to build your agency in the world?

“One kind act, no matter how small, sends endless ongoing ripples of kindness.” MW

To learn more, visit

The Learning Curve offer a range of products and resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers to support Positive Education and Student Wellbeing.

11/05/2024

CONSISTENT STUDENT MANAGEMENT

After recent commentary from several State Education Departments regarding reintroducing student management techniques into schools to combat inappropriate behaviours, I thought that I would contribute by sharing the student management journey that we took. While our motivation for doing so was different over 20 years ago, the process would still be effective today.

Our journey: In the early 2000’s, Professor Richard Elmore published research findings that indicated that there was more variation in learning outcomes between classes within a school, than there was variation in learning outcomes between schools. As a leadership team, we realised that we were no different, and needed to address this and that there were no quick fixes. We believed that reducing this variation within our College required more consistent learning approaches and behaviours. We did so by creating a school wide student management program, which enabled the building of consistent expectations and learning relationships in our classrooms across the College.

The student management master, Bill Rogers, led us on this journey, which resulted in more than pleasing outcomes. These included students and teachers engaging more positively together in class, a dramatic drop in inappropriate behaviour, noticeable personal and academic growth and empathetic understandings across the College community. And, we successfully accomplished our intention of reducing the variation in learning outcomes between classrooms across our College. Following is the front page of our Whole School Approach. I would encourage all schools to consider embarking on such a journey.
WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH
to
STUDENT MANAGEMENT
to
BUILD LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS

Staff responsibilities and procedures for:
• Program Aims

• Administrative Guidelines

• Positive/Encouraging Guidelines

• Consequences Guidelines

• Behavioural Guidelines

• Classroom Agreements/Expectations

• Student Code of Conduct

• The Issuing of 10, 20 & 30 minute Detentions

• The Usage of the Red Card

• Guidelines for Colleague Support Teachers

• The Usage of Detention Rooms B3 (Homework) and B5 (Discipline)

• Out of Class Student Management

• Colleague Support Timetable

• Positive Reinforcement Suggestions

• Bill Roger’s Approach to Classroom Management

• Return to Class Agreement

06/05/2024

Learning Curve Growth ABC

A - WELLBEING GROWTH CHALLENGE – Gratitude Letter
Being Thankful ~ write a letter from your heart thanking someone who really
helped you to overcome something challenging, and then give it to them. Who is someone that you can write a gratitude letter to and why?

B- FOOD for THOUGHT - The Power of a Smile
Smiling is really good for us, and it is the shortest distance between two people. Smiling actually makes us feel good, rather than feeling good makes us smile; there is a big difference.
We all possess millions of mirror neurons, which copy the intentions of people who we are with. Smiling shows friendly intentions, and it is almost impossible not to smile back at someone who smiles at us. Other people’s smiles actually reduce the control we have over our facial muscles, compelling us to smile.

Smiling is contagious and the most powerful human means of communicating friendly thoughts. More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day, and less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Children actually smile as much as 400 times per day. The power of smiling positively impacts on almost every social situation, and can transform negative thoughts into positive vibes.

Unlike ice cream, lots of smiling can actually make us healthier. Research has shown that it reduces our blood pressure, pain and stress, increases our endurance, boosts our moods and strengthens our immune systems.

Smiling is the one thing that has an amazingly positive influence in every culture and community. So, to build our state of wellbeing, let’s make the effort to smile at others, and enjoy the smile that we will receive in return. If we see someone unhappy and not smiling, let’s lend them one of our smiles.

C – CHARACTER STRENGTHS BRAINSTORM – Perseverance
Persisting through challenges to finish. What is one thing that you can do every day to use this character strength to build your agency in the world? Cheers, Mick

“Nothing you wear is more important than your smile.” Connie Stevens

To learn more, visit

The Learning Curve offer a range of products and resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers to support Positive Education and Student Wellbeing.

04/05/2024

Learning Curve Growth ABC

A - WELLBEING GROWTH CHALLENGE – Gratitude Letter
Being Thankful ~ write a letter from your heart thanking someone who really
helped you to overcome something challenging, and then give it to them. Who is someone that you can write a gratitude letter to and why?

B- FOOD for THOUGHT - The Power of a Smile
Smiling is really good for us, and it is the shortest distance between two people. Smiling actually makes us feel good, rather than feeling good makes us smile; there is a big difference.
We all possess millions of mirror neurons, which copy the intentions of people who we are with. Smiling shows friendly intentions, and it is almost impossible not to smile back at someone who smiles at us. Other people’s smiles actually reduce the control we have over our facial muscles, compelling us to smile.

Smiling is contagious and the most powerful human means of communicating friendly thoughts. More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day, and less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Children actually smile as much as 400 times per day. The power of smiling positively impacts on almost every social situation, and can transform negative thoughts into positive vibes.

Unlike ice cream, lots of smiling can actually make us healthier. Research has shown that it reduces our blood pressure, pain and stress, increases our endurance, boosts our moods and strengthens our immune systems.

Smiling is the one thing that has an amazingly positive influence in every culture and community. So, to build our state of wellbeing, let’s make the effort to smile at others, and enjoy the smile that we will receive in return. If we see someone unhappy and not smiling, let’s lend them one of our smiles.

C – CHARACTER STRENGTHS BRAINSTORM – Perseverance
Persisting through challenges to finish. What is one thing that you can do every day to use this character strength to build your agency in the world? Cheers, Mick

“Nothing you wear is more important than your smile.” Connie Stevens

To learn more, visit

The Learning Curve offer a range of products and resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers to support Positive Education and Student Wellbeing.

01/05/2024

🌟 Weekly Wellbeing Challenge 🌟
This week, let's focus on being true to ourselves and trusting our moral compass. Ignore the noise of others' opinions and follow what feels right in your heart and mind.
Here's a beautiful parable to illustrate: 'The Father, Son, and Donkey.' It reminds us that no matter what we do, there will always be critics. The key is to stay true to ourselves despite external judgment.
Let's embark on this journey of self-trust and inner strength together!

05/04/2024

Learning Curve Wellbeing ABC
A - WELLBEING CHALLENGE – What Went Well
Being Grateful ~ every day, look for and write down three good things that happened, no matter how small, you are grateful for and why they happened. What has gone well for you this week that you were grateful for?
B - FOOD for THOUGHT – Seek and Welcome Feedback
Former American President, Woodrow Wilson, once said, “I use all of the brains that I have, and any that I can borrow.” He was a wise and courageous leader, because he wasn’t afraid to hear views about what he was doing or what he had not even thought of. He was intent on personal growth.

And again, Socrates also shared, “that the secret to my wisdom is that I accept that I don’t know everything.” He was prepared to ask question after question to learn about what he couldn’t or didn’t know how to do well.

So why do so many of us struggle to accept constructive feedback about what we do, which can assist us to grow our life abilities? What stops us leaving the safety of our comfort zones to explore the amazing possibilities on offer.

Is it that we are scared of feeling that we haven’t got what it takes? Is it that we a pig headed that we know everything? It is that feedback creates more choices that confuse us, and as such we can’t make decision. Whatever the reason, it is real!

We all have our own special one of kind perspectives on life, based on our core values, dominant character strengths and upbringing. Giving and receiving feedback enables us to tap into other peoples’ invaluable insights to broaden our perspectives.

Seeking and welcoming feedback about what we are doing is the gold standard way for us to grow ourselves. Accepting this, allows us to consider perspectives that we hadn’t previously thought of, and then realise that not knowing everything is okay and a reality of life. So, when an opportunity to receive feedback occurs, recognise it and welcome it to grow ourselves.

C – CHARACTER STRENGTHS BRAINSTORM – Forgiveness
Giving others a second chance. What is one thing that you can do every day to use this character strength to build your and others’ wellbeing and agency in the world?

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B Smedes

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31/03/2024

Weekly Wellbeing Challenge

True to You – ROCK of Trust ~ when you trust yourself to be true to you, to be there for others and to be trusted by them, you are becoming a ROCK star. This week work on achieving this by choosing to focus on being reliable, being open, being confident and being kind for both yourself and others. Every day spend time reflecting on and answering the questions below as to whether you are a blossoming ROCK Star. Learn more at www.learningcurve.com.au

16/03/2024

🌟 Dive into the Wellbeing ABC Challenge! 🌟
A - Spread Joy: Share your daily moments of happiness in quick 10-second videos! Let's light up each other's days with positivity. 📸✨
B - Silence Serenity: Discover the beauty of quietude for better mental health and creativity. Take a break from the noise and embrace nature's symphony. 🍃🤫
C - Teamwork Triumph: Unleash the power of collaboration and support! Together, let's amplify our strengths and make a real difference. 💪🤝