Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to adapt well when faced with adversity or stress. It incorporates emotional regulation and impulse control, the ability to analyse problems and identify causes effectively, empathy, realistic optimism, self-efficacy and the ability to take advantage of new opportunities and reach out to others.

In general, students with higher resilience tend to have more positive outcomes, including better psychological well-being, higher self-efficacy, and less problem behaviour. Resilience helps students stave off potential negative psychological effects of challenging experiences. Resilience involves more than continuing to persist despite difficulty. Resilient students interpret academic or social challenges in a positive way (such as increasing effort, developing new strategies, or practising conflict resolution).

There is a sound body of knowledge related to the importance of resilience to a range of positive behaviours and outcomes. There is a growing body of research investigating the impact of different practices and approaches for supporting the building of resilience in young people.

There are a number of ways to build resilience in your students:

• Positive reinterpretation and humour, including positive self-talk and encouraging students to check their initial response to a problem. 
• Supporting students to know who to talk to and seek help from if they need it
• Providing opportunities for students to recognise and manage their own emotions
• Develop strong relationships that foster self-efficacy and agency
• Provide experiences that challenge students, and provide the necessary guidance through these
• Build a growth mindset in your students.

• Have you provided challenging experiences for your students, which require them to demonstrate resilience?
• What language are students using when they encounter a problem or difficulty?
• Have you provided students with the opportunity to reflect and receive feedback?