Opening Minds

Opening Minds lessons are planned to enable pupils in Years 3 and 4 to develop a wide range of skills in a safe and supportive learning environment. 

Lessons cover critical thinking and study skills as well as an appreciation and understanding of pupils’ own and others emotions and reactions to them.

 Topics include:

  • Our Amazing Brain
  • Making Choices
  • Puppy Training – Learning about how attention is also like a puppy, which can be trained with an attitude of kindness, patience and repetition
  • Strategies to manage emotions
  • Noticing the Wobble – Recognising that we all ‘wobble’, and exploring ways to steady ourselves
  • Working with Difficulty – Learning about the amygdala and its role in ‘fight, flight or freeze’
  • Growing Happiness – Discussing how we can best nurture ourselves and others
  • The Yum Factor – Exploring specific ways to savour happiness and learning about how happiness, kindness and gratitude are connected

Lessons also focus on critical thinking and study skills helping pupils to gain a greater awareness and understanding of both themselves and others.