In this post, Isobel Finnie and Caroline Gordan describe their Student Partnership Agreement funded project, entitled, ‘Banishing the Winter Blues Together’. The project set about building and developing a feeling of community through Health and Wellbeing events with and for Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Primary students 2023-24. Isobel and Caroline both teach on the PGDE. This post is part of the Student Partnership Agreement 2024 series.
An essential aspect of the ‘Banishing the Winter Blues Together’ project involved students and staff working together to create and organise events to unite the cohort during the winter months. The main goal was to foster a sense of community, promote thinking on the importance of connecting with others, and taking time for self-care during busy or stressful times.
A core working group was established with the participation of two key staff members and ten students, along with several other staff members at each event. The first event occurred in mid-December, bringing together students, staff, and with resources from the community organisation, ‘Thrive Edinburgh’ for an afternoon filled with activities like crafts, mindfulness, baking, and food. Many who attended expressed particular gratitude for the opportunity to spend quality time together away from their usual busy student life. The event allowed students and staff to showcase their skills and talents while offering strategies for maintaining mental wellbeing during the winter months. Many creative ideas were shared, some of which students went on to use with pupils during school placements and may incorporate into their future teaching practice, such as pupil hand massage and paper crafts, for promoting mindful thinking.
As well as the above event, we created an opportunity to have breakfast together and use a local area, Holyrood Park, on one very sunny (but brisk!) January morning. We enjoyed the chance to explore the area, engage in conversation while walking and using children’s picture books as inspiration. This allowed us to delve into the realm of mindfulness together, reflect on the advantages of using outdoor spaces, and equip students with techniques for exploring outdoor spaces with their primary learners – as well as leaving with their very own copy of a picture book at the end of the year. The influence of this experience will extend beyond their time at Moray House, hopefully impacting personal choices and influencing teaching practices on a broader scale.
Many students had moved to Edinburgh for their studies or were commuting and this event went some way to provide an opportunity to feel more connected to the city. These activities allowed students to not only discover a local area but it also sparked conversations about other potential spaces in their communities for use in their teaching practice.
Thanks to the generous funding from the SPA, we were able to purchase resources and materials, not only for these events but many will be able to be reused again with next year’s cohort, ensuring that a wellbeing and community focus can be sustained on our programme.
Isobel Finnie
Isobel has been a teacher of Art & Design in schools for many years, and is now working in Initial Teacher Education at Moray House School of Education and Sport. Isobel is interested in the impact of Visual Literacy on learning across the curriculum, Outdoor Learning and sustainability.
Caroline Gordan
Caroline teaches Literacies on the PGDE Primary and is also Academic Cohort Lead, a role that she loves as it allows her to work with students on a variety of events and foster a strong sense of community.
