Hear from expert speakers on wellbeing and resilience at GESS Dubai 2021

Our Wellbeing Hub at the show will feature local and international expert speakers delivering engaging talks on strategies to safeguard your wellbeing as well as that of your staff and students. Here are just four examples of inspiring sessions from the Wellbeing Hub not to be missed!

Building student's mental toughness and curiosity to enhance emotional and academic resilience

Speaker: Dr. Gilda Scarfe, CEO and Founder, Positive Ed Ltd.

Synopsis: In the face of an increasingly volatile, uncertain complex and ambiguous world, education can make the difference as to whether young people embrace the challenges they are confronted or whether they are defeated by them. A Mental Toughness programme for Key Stage 3 (age 11 to 14) was developed with the intent to promote and increase wellbeing, optimism, engagement and mental toughness in students. This study tracks the psychological wellbeing and mental toughness of secondary school students who participated in the pilot with very promising outcomes.

Being Present- An educator's guide to being mindful

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

Synopsis: 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.

What are the consequences of us not making our children feel loved, respected, and valued?

Speaker: Hugh Robinson, Business Teacher, Al Qeyam Boys' School

Synopsis: 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.

Well-being in schools - A whole school approach

Speaker: Tania Davidson, Director of Boarding and Enrichment, Queen Margarets School

Synopsis: "Experts have called for a significant and urgent increase in resources to support the mental health of young people in schools after a study uncovered a 'perfect storm' of increased need and decreased provision" University of Manchester 12th February 2018 - The presentation will examine a whole-school approach to wellbeing and how schools can nurture students Emotional Health by providing them with the tools to keep themselves emotionally healthy. Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health issues are top of every school leaders' agenda. This has become even more necessary in the context of a global pandemic, which has seen a 300% increase in disordered eating behaviours along with an increase in mental health concerns in young people. School Leaders must equip students to keep themselves mentally healthy, whilst also identifying and signposting when a decline in mental health is identified and they must look to global examples of best practices to achieve this.

Keep your eyes peeled for further announcements as we roll out our free-to-attend CPD accredited conference programme in the coming days.