Systemic Change Plan: Character Strengths in the Middle Years Schooling

Abstract

There is much outstanding work already happening in Middle Years’ Learning and Teaching programs where character strengths are being developed and utilized by teachers to achieve Middle Schooling tenets. This practice remains, however, inconsistent between faculties, and between teachers within departments. As such, delving into best practice already happening in the Middle Years program and devising strategies to grow these strengths will be an integral step in the systematic change we are striving to achieve over the next 2 years. The lever selected for this systematic change is the Middle Years curriculum. Specifically, the aim is to support teachers to develop pedagogical capacity by recognizing and utilizing character strengths. Our strengths-based approach to well-being aligns perfectly with the process of AI. ‘Part of the reason (that AI works) is that the process is profoundly strengths-based in its assumptions. It is founded on the premise that we excel only by amplifying strengths, never by simply fixing weaknesses…the best in human systems comes about most naturally, even easily, when people collectively experience the wholeness of their system, when strength ignites strength, across complete configurations of relevant and engaged stakeholders, internal and external, and top to bottom.’ (Cooperrider DL, McQuaid M. J Corp Citizensh, 46:71–102, 2012, p. 72) Middle Years teachers are the target of this Systematic Change Plan.