Personal growth and development

Identifies factors that affect personal, physical, social, and emotional well-being

Georgina can identify how a loss impacted on her personal, social, and emotional well-being at the time.

Student-student conversations

The teacher asked the students to share, in pairs, their immediate response to a personal crisis:

		Georgina: When one of my really close friends left to go back to Scotland, I didn't talk much. I daydreamed quite a lot. I just sat and stared. I was angry for... Sometimes, I just didn't know why, I just felt really angry, like, why did she have to go? I cried. Had dreams about her, like, coming back or going away and I'd write to her... quite a lot... more than I do now.

Georgina is also able to identify changes in the thoughts and feelings that occurred six months after the loss.

The teacher also asked the students to share, in pairs, how their response to a personal crisis changed over time.

		Georgina: I can talk about it now... more. I don't have as many dreams... I hardly have any dreams about this. I write letters, but I don't forget to write them. I don't daydream as much about it... and yeah...

Relationships

Describes appropriate responses to changed situations, roles, and responsibilities

Avi, Harriet, and Nick identify many ways that people deal with loss events in their lives. They can identify different helpful and unhelpful strategies that people use to cope with stressful events.

Teacher-student conversation

The teacher asked the students to share their ideas about ways that people deal with loss:

		Avi: ... like trying to cover it up, putting on a happy face. Harriet: Some people listen to music, and some people cuddle soft toys. With the eating thing, some people eat lots and just get more depressed and other people don't eat at all... and distracting yourself with enjoyable stuff... Nick: Expressing the anger and sadness into physical activities. Talk to family and friends. Crying. Think of happy memories. Keep them in your heart.

Harriet and Melissa can identify some appropriate responses to loss that have a positive impact on their well-being.

Student-student conversations

The teacher asked the students to share, in pairs, helpful ways of dealing with loss:

		Harriet: I think talking to your parents and friends is helpful because it lets them be more sensitive to your feelings, so they don't put you down and stuff. Melissa: And if you tell people, then they are aware of what you are feeling and they can help you.

The teacher asked the students to share, in pairs, how they would support a friend through a loss:

Yvonne talks to Hannah

		Yvonne: Things I would do to be supportive to a friend or a family member. I would talk to them and ask questions and if they wanted to, like, talk about it or anything. I'd ask the person to join us even if they aren't ready to play with other friends so they wouldn't feel left out. I would be really sensitive to their problem... like, I wouldn't think their problem isn't as important as mine. I would treat the person normally if she wanted me to.