Respectful Relationships - Week 2

Key Focus for Year 1–2 Teachers:

At this level, students begin to explore their relationships with themselves and others. They learn to understand their own emotions better, develop empathy, manage problems, and practise fairness and inclusion in real-life situations.

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Core Learning Objectives:

1. Emotional Literacy
   
   • Enhance students' ability to identify a broader range of emotions.
   • Teach how emotions feel in the body and how they change in different situations.
   • Help students recognise emotions in others.
2. Personal Strengths
   
   • Support students to identify their strengths and those of their classmates.
   • Use language that boosts self-confidence and encourages positive self-talk.
3. Positive Coping
   
   • Introduce a variety of coping strategies (e.g. deep breathing, going for a walk, talking it out).
   • Help students recognise which strategies work best for them.
4. Problem-Solving
   
   • Teach step-by-step approaches to resolve social conflicts (e.g. stop, think, choose).
   • Encourage role-playing with standard classroom and playground problems.
5. Stress Management
   
   • Support students to understand what stress feels like and how to reduce it.
   • Use calming techniques as daily classroom routines (e.g. mindfulness, quiet corner).
6. Gender and Identity
   
   • Continue to challenge gender stereotypes and promote inclusive behaviours.
   • Reinforce that everyone can do anything, no matter their gender.
7. Positive Relationships
   
   • Deepen understanding of friendship qualities like kindness, fairness, and honesty.
   • Help students learn how to make and repair friendships.
8. Help-Seeking
   
   • Practice how to ask for help from adults and peers in a range of scenarios.
   • Build confidence in recognising when and how to seek support.

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Tips for Teaching at Years 1–2 Level:

• Keep it concrete and playful: Use stories, puppets, games, and visuals to support learning.
• Model healthy relationships: Consistently demonstrate respectful communication and fairness.
• Practice daily: Integrate emotion check-ins, kindness moments, and partner sharing into your routine.
• Name strengths often: Use character strength language in feedback ("That showed persistence!").
• Celebrate differences: Regularly affirm that every student is unique, meaningful, and included.
• Empower with language: Give students the words to name feelings and ask for what they need.

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Years 1–2 is all about:

• Understanding emotions
• Celebrating strengths
• Solving problems
• Being a kind friend
• Knowing when to ask for help