Student Wellbeing
Finding Our Voice: Using Our Strengths to Thrive in the Classroom
This year, we have had a whole school focus on the book Cay and Adlee Find Their Voice across the school. This book has helped us understand the importance of student voice, agency, and using our strengths to grow as learners. In the book we learn how we can use our voices to tell others how we feel, ask for help, and share our hopes and dreams. We want all our students to have a voice and use it with confidence every day.
We have been working hard on developing our students' agency and voice in their learning. So you may ask… What is Student Voice and Agency? Student voice means that every student has the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions in their learning. It’s about making sure that we feel heard and valued in the classroom. Student agency is about taking charge of our own learning, making choices, setting goals, and using our strengths to overcome challenges. This year, we have some exciting things planned to help support the development of student voice and agency, which we will share with you throughout the year.
We asked a few students; What Does Finding Your Voice Mean to You? Here’s what some of our students had to say:
- Emma (Year 6) - “Finding my voice is looking out for myself and having a right to have a say in things.”
- Patrick (Year 1) - We help each other find their voice, we use our own voice in the classroom.
- Abi (Year 6) - “If I have ideas, I make sure they are known, that I don’t just keep them to myself, I make sure everyone has heard them.”
- Billy (Year 3) - “It means we have all got different voices. If you feel like you cannot talk, you express yourself in a different way.”
Through our Get Set and Connect program and our focus on the book, Cay and Adlee Find Their Voice, we have focused on using our strengths to be our best. This has been a theme in our classrooms and also in our staff’s Professional Learning. If we lean into our strengths, rather than dwell on our weaknesses, we are more likely to thrive.
How Have We Used Our Strengths to Thrive?
- Speaking Up – Students have been sharing their ideas in class discussions and making choices about their learning tasks.
- Collaboration – We’ve been working together, listening to different perspectives, and supporting each other’s growth. Leaning on each other’s strengths to ensure our group has success.
- Resilience – We’ve practised problem-solving and perseverance when facing challenges in our learning. We use the Zones of Regulation to understand how we are feeling, and we work on developing our toolbox of strategies to support our regulation.
Looking Ahead As we continue to focus on student voice and agency, we encourage everyone to reflect on their strengths and how they can use them to thrive in the classroom. Let’s keep making Greenhills Primary a place where all students feel heard, valued, and empowered!
Together, we are connected, responsible, and safe making Greenhills a GREAT place to be!
janine.hough@education.vic.gov.au
bradley.ryan@education.vic.gov.au
Janine and Brad.
