ThoughtBox

Rachel here, sharing some morning reflections...
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I'm currently in north Oxford, off this morning to run a teacher training day at Oxford High School GDST. On my walk this morning I’ve heard - then seen - two woodpeckers, watched a heron catch her breakfast; sat quietly on a log beside a reed pond with two Canada geese and some moorhens, and enjoyed a short walk around a nature reserve.



The short course I'm facilitating with teachers this morning is all about Triple WellBeing – finding ways to support a healthier us, a healthier school and a healthier planet. One of the elements we explore on this course is the importance of the stories we tell and the stories we feed ourselves about what is possible in this crazy, beautiful world.

✳ Turn on the news each day and you’d be forgiven for thinking the world is falling apart.

✳Take a walk around your local neighbourhood with your eyes and heart wide open and you’ll discover otherwise.

Since arriving into Oxford last night, I’ve discovered (within a 20 minute walk of where I’m staying) three community gardens, four parks, a maker-space, a nature reserve, 20 community murals, a wellness centre and two community hubs. And that's without going looking for any of it.

Good people doing good things to help nurture our relationships with ourselves, our communities and the rest of nature are everywhere. This sort of abundance can be all around us if we allow ourselves to tap into just what is possible when the will is there.

Why not take a walk around your local area today and see what abundance you notice. 🌱 💚

We've extended the application deadline for our April Triple WellBeing one-day course and one-year programme by another week!

We've had applications coming in from Scotland to Uganda, Hong Kong to Milan, and it is so exciting reading and hearing about what educators are doing and hoping to do in their learning contexts - we can't wait to get started on April 19th 💚🌱✨

If you'd like to join the April cohort you can register here:

CPD - Triple WellBeing Registration — ThoughtBox Education Thank you for your interest in the Triple WellBeing Practitioner Programme. We will be in touch shortly to share further details about the course.

In today's complex world filled with mental health challenges, societal rifts and growing environmental concerns, many of us are on a quest for deeper, more relevant and supportive teaching and learning.

Triple WellBeing® Programmes provide the training, framework, and resources necessary to prepare both you and your students for the world that awaits.

We're now taking bookings for our one-day CPD and one-year Practitioner programme.

Come and join us and learn how to put at the heart of your life and learning community.

Learn more here:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/595caeca2e69cf0e4a94010f/t/65f963fd9dfb8739d203b9ee/1710842881270/One+Day+Triple+WellBeing+Training.pdf

We're really excited to be announcing the launch of our new Triple WellBeing programme for educators - a one day CPD exploring how we can strengthen healthier relationships with ourselves, each other and the rest of nature in our lives and learning contexts.



Through the principles and practices of self-care, people-care and earth-care, this course offers an evidence-based response to the challenges schools are facing around mental health, climate action & sustainability, inclusivity and attendance.

Upon completion of the course, participants have the option to progress to the one-year training to become an accredited Triple WellBeing Practitioner.

Next training date (online only):

🌱 Friday 19th April 2024

🌱9am-3pm UK time

🌱£95 per delegate (*bursaries available)

Register your place here:

https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/cpd-triple-wellbeing-registration

*All educators welcome - particularly recommended for Sustainability, Mental Health & Wellbeing & EDI leads in schools.

🌱 Why does being in nature feel so good?
⛈ What is the link between neuroscience and climate change?
🍌 What have bananas got to do with wellbeing?

This week, I was delighted to be invited along to this month's National Education Nature Park webinar with the Department for Education to talk about all things .

Alongside Holly Temple from the Royal Horticultural Society, we were invited to come together and explore the topic:

"Improving young people's wellbeing through nature"

As well as sharing some of the free Triple WellBeing resources available within the nature park programme (available to all UK schools), it was a great opportunity to reiterate just why being in nature is so essential for us all.

Recording now available for viewing:
https://www.educationnaturepark.org.uk/webinar-series

Webinar Series | Education Nature Park Webinar series Register for upcoming webinars and catch up on past events from the National Education Nature Park Upcoming eventsLinks to register for our webinars will be posted below. Stay up to date by signing up to our mailing list.Improving young people's wellbeing through nature - Wednesday 28...

We're loving the crisp bite in the air this March morning down in Devon and, as ever, loving the words of Mary Oliver who just captures moments so magically ✨

This week is Empathy Week!🌎

FREE to all schools, it's a festival of films, resources & events that develops the skill of empathy in students aged 5-18.

Supporting young people - and educators - to practice and strengthen empathy and compassion for ourselves, each other and the rest of nature sits at the heart of our work at ThoughtBox Education, which is why we're such big fans of Empathy Week.

Join Ed Kirwan and the team for a week of stories exploring people's lives from across the world.

This year's theme is 'Home'.

Register here 👉 www.empathy-week.com

Home | Empathy Week 2024 Empathy Week - an annual festival of webinars, films, resources and events that explore the theme of 'Home' and develop the skill of empathy in students aged 5-18 years old. Together, we're building the .

What do you hope for the world in 2100?

It's hard to think about a timescale so far from where we are now - particularly when most folks reading this (including me) won't be around to see it. It's sometimes hard to plan for next week, never mind for a time beyond our own, and to focus on a horizon we'll never see.

And yet it is our capacity to stretch our thoughts and actions well beyond our own lives that the world is deeply needing from us right now.

Sometimes this is known as 'cathedral thinking' - as you are working on something beautiful that you will never get to see completed - much like those who built cathedrals which would often take centuries to complete.

Last week, myself and colleagues at ThoughtBox hosted a three day 'Transforming Education' summit for a group of education leaders. During our gathering, we invited them to journey to 2100 and imagine what life could be like. Whilst there, they wrote a 'postcard from the edge', capturing the feeling of the place and sharing what life was like in their community (be it a school or learning community, home or local area)

We kept these postcards hanging with us for the three days of the leadership summit as a reminder of what it is we're working towards and the legacy we're all weaving for future generations.

A wise soul - Rabindranath Tagore - once said that "the one who plants trees knowing they will never sit in their shade has started to understand the meaning of life."

So - what's your 2100?

'We need to stop blaming young people for their distress in reaction to problems in the school system. They aren’t the problem; they are pointing out a problem.' Naomi Fisher.

We're just back from hosting a gathering at Hawkwood College in Stroud, where we brought 15 education leaders together for 3 days for the Transforming Education Summit – a chance to step back from firefighting symptoms and start to address some of the root causes of a system - and a world - in crisis.

It's hard to look at the overwhelming crises we’re currently facing. Yet look we must – for by zooming out (being a hawk) and looking at the bigger picture, we better understand how best to respond to address the root causes and create a healthier culture for people and planet...

Explore more in the first of our short blog series: https://rachelmusson79.com/blog/addressing-the-root-cause-of-our-education-crisis

Addressing the root cause of our education crisis — RACHEL MUSSON 'We need to stop blaming young people for their distress in reaction to problems in the school system. They aren’t the problem; they are pointing out a problem.' Naomi Fisher.

What does it look like to curate a conference through the lens of Triple WellBeing?

We have been deliciously exploring this question over the past few weeks ahead of the Transforming Education Summit we're hosting this week at Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking in Stroud.

Whilst the focus of the three days is to explore systems change in education, the "how" is the bit that matters the most: how we meet together, how people are welcomed; how we feel, how we converge, how we explore big, tricky issues, how we attend each other, how we connect to the wider world.

Connection is as ever at the heart of everything, and weaving constant moments of connection to ourselves, each other and nature throughout the day has been a joyful planning process.

When the foundations of your work revolve around tending and enabling flourishing for people and planet, you know you're onto a good thing 🌱

A thought 🤔 How many of the problems we're facing stem from the fact that we're thinking in straight lines, rather than circles?

In every aspect of our lives - from how we see ourselves, our relationships and meaning of our lives - to our daily habits, actions and ways of being in the world - the dominant narrative is all about straight lines.

Yet straight lines don't work. They are exponential, isolated and always need more, more more - which cannot ever work when the core principle of Life isn't linear. It's circular and spiral, relational and complex, fluent and emergent.

Just imagine what could happen if we started to think and act in circles and put those straight lines back in the box?

⭕ from linear to circular.
⭕from growth to abundance.
⭕from progress to process.
⭕from competition to collaboration.
⭕from extraction to regeneration.
⭕from decompartmentalised to holistic
⭕from individual to collective.
⭕from I to we.
⭕from ego to eco.

There is a lot of big, scary stuff happening across the world. The lack of quick solutions or easy answers to our nested crisis can often paralyse us into anxiety and silence. Especially when talking with children.

Building on years of experience, and weaving the wisdom of neuroscience and psychotherapy into our approach, this 90 minute CPD offers a simple approach for adults working with young people to know how to talk with them about big, complex issues.

❇️Creating safe spaces to share thoughts and feelings

❇️Normalising uncomfortable conversations

❇️Connecting with the stories of what is possible

❇️Nurturing caring relationships in our schools

❇️Offering regular opportunities to take action together

Connecting young people to the stories of millions of people across the world 'doing something' and focusing energy on the stories of how to co-create a more beautiful world helps shift from anxiety to empowerment.

Tuesday 30th January

4-5:30pm GMT

£25 **including toolkit and classroom resource-pack

Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courageous-conversations-training-tickets-765614542707?aff=oddtdtcreator

Did you know that talking is unbelievably good for you? It has the capacity to settle the nervous system, build invisible threads of connection between yourself and others and - most importantly - help us feel less alone in a rapdily changing world.

The big, complex issues unfolding around us can feel overwhelming to deal with, or know how to talk about - especially with children. From the the growing climate and nature crisis, the devastating conflict in Gaza, the escalating crises on a local and national level; there are many reasons why we might not want to be talking about the nested crises we are currently facing, especially when we don't know what to say.

One of the best ways we can support - ourselves and those around us - is simply by talking (even when we don't have any answers) as it allows us to no longer feel alone.

Come and join us for this online CPD session where we'll share a simple, powerful approach for having conversations about our changing world:

🗨 Develop facilitation techniques to talk about complex issues

🗨Learn how to address eco-anxiety and how to support the nervous system

🗨Deepen and strengthen resilience and wellbeing

🗨Feel empowered in your own responses to the challenges we are facing

This training includes a downloadable toolkit plus learning resources to help bring courageous conversations into the classroom, home or learning environment.

WHEN: Tuesday 30th January

TIME: 4pm - 5:30pm GMT

WHERE: Online via Zoom

COST: £25 including all materials & resources

BOOK YOUR PLACE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/courageous-conversations-training-tickets-765614542707?aff=oddtdtcreator

Courageous Conversations Training Creating Brave, Safe & Connected spaces to talk about tricky issues with children.

Reflections on the year ahead from our Director of Education, Rachel Musson 👇

https://lnkd.in/e2UdekBJ

Are you outside or inside right now? I remember being asked this question by Dr Stephan Harding during a lecture taking place inside a large indoor theatre, and worrying he was losing the plot. When we all collectively murmured “We’re inside, Stephan…” he nodded and then asked us once again: “Are you outside or inside right n...

An invitation for us all as we enter this new year and co-create the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.

#2024

What happens when education is brave enough to do things differently?

As we face growing levels of mental ill-health, inequality, polarisation and an increasing climate & biodiversity crisis, more and more young people are finding themselves adrift, and our education system is struggling to respond. A recent education survey of 7000 teachers showed that 85% of teachers in England are not confident that the current education system is preparing pupils well for the future, whilst schools are now struggling to recruit enough teachers to effectively run a school.

A growing number of leaders now recognise that something has got to give.

The Transforming Education Summit is an opportunity for leaders in education to come together to explore and share examples of transformative practices, pedagogies and policies to help support and co-create healthier learning communities.

Come and join fellow educators from across the sector at this unique leadership development programme in February, held at the Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking in Stroud, UK.

https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/leadership-summit

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION SUMMIT 2024

Right now, schools are more stretched than ever before. On top of the stresses and strains of a bulging education system, schools are facing growing levels of mental ill-health, inequality, polarisation and an increasing climate & biodiversity crisis. As a result, more and more young people are finding themselves adrift, and our education system is struggling to respond.

A growing number of leaders now recognise that something has got to give.

The Transforming Education Summit is a three-day leadership development programme to come together and explore ideas for transforming education to best meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

WHEN: 7th - 9th February 2024
WHERE: Centre for Future Thinking, Hawkwood College, Stroud
WHO: Headteachers, Senior Leaders, MAT leaders, Governors, Policy makers etc.

This three-day summit is an opportunity to explore and share together examples of transformative practices, pedagogies and policies to help support and co-create healthier learning communities.

As well as being nourished by time out of school and space to connect with other educational leaders, all delegates will leave with practical strategies and approaches to implement back into schools.

LEARN MORE AND RESERVE YOUR PLACE: https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/leadership-summit

See you in February! 🙌

Leadership Summit 2024 — ThoughtBox Education The Transforming Education Summit is a three-day leadership development programme for Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Policy makers, Governors etc. to come together to explore ideas for transforming education to best meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

🌱We are being called to come together, to connect and to regenerate.

🌱We're moving from an industrial to an ecological civilisation. We're all here - alive, in this moment - to make this happen.

🌱You are the regeneration. We are the regeneration. This is the regeneration.

Sharing this into your day, should you be in need of some of the positive energy of just what is possible in this beautiful place we call home. 🌱 💚

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMLyhJw4Bps

"What is Regeneration?" - a short film from Damon Gameau, Nick Maher and the "2040" team "What is Regeneration?" is a 5-minute short film and a rousing call to action to join a global movement of Regenerators who are working to heal our ecosystem...

The vast majority of us humans are born with an in-built conditioning towards care and compassion. We don’t naturally ‘other’ people and have innate tendencies towards helping others when given the opportunity. We are taught - and we learn - to hate others because of how they are, therefore we can unlearn this just as easily.

We can choose what to teach in our schools, in our homes, what to feed ourselves in our own lives. We can choose compassion over aversion, connection over division, love over hate. Let's keep on challenging the stories we are being fed and help ourselves and the next generation to carve a different pathway for their futures.

Sharing again a collection of free resources for educators and parents to be exploring the conflict in Israel and Palestine and to keep stoking the fires of compassion:

https://thoughtboxeducation.com/israel-palestine

Israel-Palestine Crisis — ThoughtBox Education The long history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deep and complicated. For decades, people have been fighting for their lives and a chance to be heard and treated with dignity, and the conflict has now dramatically escalated. As an organisation committed to empathy and conscious care...

Many young people are understandably anxious or upset by the growing tensions in Israel and Palestine and will be wanting to understand what’s happening and share their own thoughts and feelings.

Here’s a few resources to help:
https://thoughtboxeducation.com/israel-palestine

Israel-Palestine Crisis — ThoughtBox Education The long history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deep and complicated. For decades, people have been fighting for their lives and a chance to be heard and treated with dignity, and the conflict has now dramatically escalated. As an organisation committed to empathy and conscious care...

🤸‍♂️Before we walk, we dance.
😚 Before we talk, we sing.
🎨 Before we write, we draw.

What would happen if our education continued to strengthen and nurture the qualities of intuition we are all born with?

Some thoughts from our Director of Education:

https://rachelmusson79.com/blog/how-do-we-nurture-what-is-innate

How do we nurture what is innate? — RACHEL MUSSON What would happen if our education helped to continue and strengthen what is already innate in us all – supporting young people to grow into the world with a deep sense of connection to themselves, to each other and to the rest of the natural world?

👋WE'RE HIRING 👋

When someone says they love their job, what they are really saying is that they feel fulfilled at the end of the day. Whilst they may not be able to put it into words, they feel their job is one of the things they do in order to bring purpose to their life.

Some people call it their WHY.

As an organisation that focuses on thriving, ThoughtBox brings the same values into how we work organisationally, working to support our team members to flourish in their role.

With this in mind, we are excited to be sharing an advert for a new position on our team: 👉 Director of Community. 👈

Do share with your networks and anyone you know who may be interested in joining our community of educators working to and support a more beautiful world for people and planet.
https://www.thoughtboxeducation.com/work-with-us

Work with us — ThoughtBox Education ThoughtBox Education CIC is a social enterprise on a mission to regenerate education. We believe learning needs to be relevant and resilient to the world we live in today. Our work is wide in scope but is centred on offering regenerative learning programmes to support educators with the competencies...