From the Executive

Are you aware of your feelings and do you manage them in a healthy way? Do you enjoy sticking to healthy routines? Do you love setting and achieving goals? If you can relate to these wonderings, the Character Strength of Self-Regulation would be high on your list of the 24 VIA Character Strengths. In line with our Visible Wellbeing program, each Wednesday morning during our staff briefing a staff member presents one of the twenty-four Character Strengths to their colleagues. The following week, that particular strength is promoted to students and publicised around the College. The focus of next week is Self-Regulation. This is a complex character strength because it requires the management of both feelings and actions. It relates to controlling your appetites and emotions and regulating what you do.

During the COVID lockdowns, the students who made the most progress were those who were able to practise their character strength of Self-Regulation. The Self-Regulated learner plans for their learning monitors and evaluates their work and most importantly controls their motivation and emotions. In addition, the self-regulated learner transitions more effectively from the secondary to the tertiary education environment and are less inclined to withdraw from the first-year university. 

In a recent journal article, Professor Stella Vosniadou stated that ‘A major stream of educational research has shown the beneficial impact of self-regulated learning on student motivation and has concluded that self-regulation is a significant source of achievement differences among students.’ (Vosniadou, S. (2020). Bridging Secondary and Higher Education - The Importance of Self-Regulated Learning. European Review, 28(S1). Vosniadou encourages teachers to increase classroom time devoted to individual, supervised activities. They should also encourage their students to develop the skills required to be good learners. Ultimately, we hope to set the stage for lifelong learners. So how do we, as staff, teachers and parents, encourage our learners’ to practise their self-regulation? 

At Mazenod College, we encourage self-regulated learning when students reflect on their work habits using a rubric. The rubric contains four capabilities: effort, behaviour, organisation and work. Each capability contains an indicator, exemplifying the skills required of an independent or self-regulated learner. Effort relates to attitude and engagement with learning. Behaviour involves discipline and self-motivation while learning. Organisation relates to preparation and self-management as a learner and finally, Work requires the completion of classwork and homework to enhance learning. Students are currently writing their learning goals in their ePortfolios. Have they considered writing a goal that specifically improves their work habits? We encourage you to have a conversation about these goals to provide direction. Ask your son whether his goal is a SMART goal, being Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-based. Schedule a time to review the goal to determine whether he is on track to achieving his desired outcome. 

To conclude, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support during the implementation of our Visible Wellbeing program. Together we can practise the Character Strength of Self-Regulation in our pursuit of becoming lifelong learners.  If you would like to identify where Self-Regulation sits on your list of character strengths, complete the VIA Character Strengths survey. 

Mrs Joanne Noone

Dean of Staff