be of benefit
Teachers! The purpose of this page:
Thinking of others, looking for ways to be helpful and knowing that you are capable of being of benefit is a superpower for your mental health.
WHY: Taking the focus away from - what is in it for me - and instead placing it on - how can I use the skills I am learning to benefit others, will serve to increase resilience and create a school culture that is healthy and strong.
How to use this page: Revisit it daily or weekly for under 5 minutes or extend into lesson plans. Practice makes progress - simply asking your students at the start of each day: How will you benefit others today? Is a way to create a benefit mindset.
Key words for students: benefit mindset
Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself.
You may have heard of a growth mindset. A benefit mindset builds on a growth mindset, where we not only seek to fulfil our potential, but choose to do it in a way that serves the wellbeing of all.
Think about it...
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall
What is a benefit mindset?
Invite students to read, write down and discuss this definiton:
A benefit mindset means we use our character strengths to not only help ourselves, but to help those around us.
Year 5 - 6:
Study the image of fixed, growth and benefit. In pairs explain what each mindset means.
Image courtesy of Ash Buchannan.
Why have a benefit mindset?
Read:
Helping others is the best way to help yourself! We feel better when we switch our focus from 'me' to 'we'.
When we act for the benefit of others and society as a whole, we can create a ripple effect. This is when compassionate actions, such as an act of kindness or helpfulness, ripple out to benefit others, and they also benefit us in terms of our health and wellbeing.
Activity:
In pairs discuss the following questions:
"Have you heard of the ripple effect before? If so in what context?"
"What does a ripple effect mean?"
"Why do you think helping others might cause a ripple effect?"
Class brainstorm - how can build a benefit mindset?
Brainstorming slides - how you can be of benefit at home, on the playground, at school and for the planet?
Activity idea:
Place sticky notes around the class with the titles: home, class, planet, playground and neighbourhood.
Introduce the idea that when we help others and think of opportunities to give back, we are actually creating a positive classroom environment AND on an individual level, we are increasing our own resilience.
Using the brainstorming slides above give students a few examples of ways we can be of benefit.
Invite students to walk around the room and draw or write down ideas under each title (using sticky notes) that are ways that you could be helpful in each environment.
Listen to B.O.B it up
Year 1 - 6 listen to: B.O.B it up podcast episode
Colour in while you listen
Year 2 - 6 complete reflection journals:
How can you be of benefit?
Choose how you can be of benefit:
Make a weekly plan of BOB intentions
Use the BOB template OR
Grab an exercise book - or a piece of paper, type it up - JUST get it down, This week, every day - how can you be of benefit? Intentions help us shape a mindset and in this example we are looking to build a benefit mindset.
See examples below:
Using my strengths to BOB it up
What are 2 or 3 strengths that you have that may help you to be of benefit?
Write down or draw these strengths with a description of how you can use it to help others
e.g.
Creativity is a strength of mine. I will use it to problem solve if friends are having an argument and help them to sort things out.
Kindness is a strength of mine. I will use it to include someone at lunch who is sitting on their own.
Perseverance is a strength of mine. I will use it to stick with my be of benefit goals for the week.
Working out what you care about:
Sometimes it is hard to know where to start when it comes to being of benefit. Complete the PDF and see what you care about - now think about one small step you could do to help that particular cause.
Putting it into practice
For: Year 2 - 6
Print off and invite students to write to their local MP about an issue surrounding climate change with a direct call to action. Use this guide to writing it
TO GO WITH: the Would you rather? episode on the Grow Your Mind podcast.
Units of Work
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