From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

HAPPINESS CONFERENCE LOOKS AT WELLBEING IN SCHOOLS AND HAPPIER SOCIETIES
Teacher Support Network chief executive moderates two sessions at event

Patrick Nash (left) leads a panel discussion during the second annual European Happiness & its Causes conference in London.

Teacher Support Network Chief Executive, Patrick Nash, was delighted to moderate two sessions at the second annual European Happiness & its Causes conference last Friday.

The conference brought together some of the leading experts in psychology of happiness, including Alain de Botton – popular philosophical writer - and Matthieu Ricard – the popular monk and best-selling author who is based in the Shechen Monastery in Nepal.

The two sessions were on ‘teaching emotional resilience and wellbeing in schools’ and ‘positive actions for creating a happier society’. Contributions came from a variety of experts, including Kevin Hogston; a Deputy Headteacher at Latchmere School in Kingston-upon-Thames in Surrey. Kevin spoke about how he has introduced a ‘feelings meter’, peer massages and meditation into the classroom, along with a number of other innovations, to improve student wellbeing, performance and emotional understanding.

He also said that the changes helped teachers to better understand the emotional state of students; allowing them to tailor teaching methods accordingly.

The sessions also featured Dr Michael Schluter – Executive Director of the Relationships Foundation, Marcia Brophy from the Young Foundation, Alison Murdoch – Director of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom and Dr William Bloom – Director at the Foundation for Holistic Spirituality, along with Matthieu Ricard himself.

The conference concluded on Saturday 11^th October. Full details of the conference can be found here