Happy Students, Happy Teacher: Using Positive

Psychology Techniques in the Classroom

Presented by: Julie Carpenter, M.C Julie.Carpenter@cgc.edu

Adjunct Faculty Chandler Gilbert Community College

Psychology and Counseling Divisions

Good song

Where did my ideas come from?

• The Happiness Advantage: The Severn Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor

• Shawn Achor is a Harvard Graduate and advocate of positive psychology

What is Positive Psychology?

• Most give credit to Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, as the founder of the movement.

• It is “the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.”

Ask Yourself These Questions

• Do you enjoy the time with your students in the classroom?

• Do your students enjoy themselves in your classroom?

• Do students watch the clock for your class to be over?

• Why might this be important?

Experiment 1- Time

• Time experiment- Close your eyes and “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat”

Mindset

• Depending on mindset, each person experiences the objective reality of time differently.

• Those who find the task boring or meaningless may rate the time as longer.

• Those who are interested and engaged may rate the time as shorter.

• Time flies when you are having fun!

Experiment 2- Self Discipline

• You need one partner

• Person 1: For the next 7 seconds show no emotional reaction no matter what.

• Person 2: Wait for your instructions

Smiling

• There is a ripple effect of smiling

• Positive emotions are contagious

• How much do you smile in your classroom? Do you see this reflected in the students responses to you?

How I used a technique in my classroom

• The Moment Journal: Students must write one positive event that they experienced and why it was their positive moment for the day. Students do this for the entire semester and submit it in three different segments.

• The book suggests to write down three moments a day. A study was done that found that students were happier and less depressed at the one-month, three-month, and six-month follow-ups. The occurred even after stopping the exercise.

• This took the place of my self improvement essay.

Pre/Post Survey Results

• I am still tabulating the data, but here are a few student quotes:• Do you feel that this assignment increased your overall

daily optimism level? Why or why not?• “I feel Iike it really did! Whenever I would notice myself thinking

about the negative things happening I would go back and think of the good things that happened. It made me realize that my life is really good and I am blessed.”

• “YES. Actually after about a couple of weeks I would just start waking up happy and when I would tell myself I was going to have a good day, that was the result.”

Results cont.

• “Yes I would say that this assignment increased my overall optimism level because now I don't think so much on negative drawbacks in life but I start to look at every situation with a positive attitude and figure out how to tackle more challenging problems.”

• “Yes, I liked it and I think it can be a helpful tool that feels more applicable to your real life, unlike most classes and assignments.”

• “This assignment could be used in additional classes like English, Communication, Health, and even Math!”

Things You can do to Cultivate Happiness

• Be a good role model for your students!

• Meditate

• Find something to look forward to

• Commit conscious acts of kindness

• Infuse positivity into your surroundings

• Exercise

• Exercise a signature strength

How Can You Use This in Your Classroom?

• Think –Pair -Share

• What is one technique or tip that you can try out in your classroom?

Conclusion

• Clip from Ted Talk by Shawn Achor 12 minutes

•Have a happy day!

To Learn More

• Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

• by Tal Ben-Shahar

• Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement in Everyday Life by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly

• Anything by Martin Seligman

• You can find TED talks by these psychologists as well