Learning for Life Conference

St Joseph's Institution International (SJI International) hosted another excellent conference in Singapore in September 2019: their Learning for Life Conference. All of the keynotes and workshops focused on the areas of character development, wellbeing and holistic education. I was honoured to be invited to deliver two workshops at the conference following the excellent feedback from my workshops at their Character Development Conference in 2017. This blog focuses on my second workshop, which provided information and practical advice on emotional wellbeing for the grief and loss of relocation. You can read about my first workshop here, which introduced participants to the concept of emotion check-ins.   

Why is emotional wellbeing for relocation so important for international educators?

Many students attending international schools are Third Culture Kids, or TCKs. The TCK experience of living in a highly mobile world has a huge impact on children, with research demonstrating the negative impact of mobility upon academic achievement. International teachers are perfectly placed to guide their TCK students through the ups and downs of the transition process. TCKs typically experience a great deal of loss and grief as either they themselves or their friends move away. As a result, one of the biggest challenges for TCKs is unresolved grief. It’s vital for educators to understand the impact of unresolved grief, plus how they can support their students in their grief.

Positive feedback

It’s always lovely to receive highly positive feedback from workshop participants. Some of the workshop participants’ comments are shared below:

“Great structure and fun!”

“Great facilitation”

“This was excellent. Thanks so much!”

Looking to develop your school’s transition and relocation support?

Do get in touch to find out how I can help your school. My hello/goodbye programme offers comprehensive transition support. In addition, you may want to find out more about my workshops and resources which are designed specifically to support educators, parents and students in highly mobile environments.