Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Explore: Finding common ground

30 minutes

Discover: Letter writing

10 minutes

Thrive: Strategy brainstorm

Explore: Finding common ground

Step 1

Ask students to reflect on their relationship with their parents/guardians. This person should be whoever the student considers as their primary caregiver.

Step 2

Stick the Reflection Prompts to different walls around the room and provide students with a Personal Reflection worksheet. Play soft music as they move around the room, and encourage them to answer the 4 questions on their worksheet.

Questions:

What do you appreciate about your parents/guardians?
What can frustrate you about your parents/guardians?
What do you think your parents/guardians appreciate about you?
What do you think can frustrate your parents/guardians about you?

Step 3

Next, ask students to find a partner or sit in small groups and share some of their reflections. Then facilitate a class discussion.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

Did you notice any similarities in your responses to the questions?
How do you show your appreciation for your parents?
How do your parents show appreciation for you?
Could you find similarities between the frustrations from both sides?
What could you do to strengthen your relationship with your parents?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

A strong and healthy relationship with your parents/guardians is necessary to feel connected and as though you have a place to belong. As is true for all relationships, it’s not always smooth sailing, and frustrations or obstacles can arise. One way to help navigate this is by understanding and focusing on what you appreciate and are grateful for. When we focus on the negatives (for example, a parent not letting you go to a party), it becomes harder to notice all the wonderful things they do (for example, take you to sporting games, book family holidays, always willing to listen, etc).

Discover: Letter writing

Step 1

Watch the video Mini Mediation: Breathe. As students complete the breathing exercise, ask them to consider what they could write in a letter to show their appreciation and gratitude towards a parent/guardian or trusted adult. Outline the importance of this letter by explaining how it aims to strengthen their relationship and encourage openness and connection.

Step 2

Provide each student with some lined paper and an envelope, then display the list of Sentence Starters for students to use if they’re not sure how to begin.

Sentence starters:

I really appreciate the way you …
One of my favourite memories of us is …
I love it when we get to …
The way I know you support me is when you …
The things I hope I have in common with you are …
In the future, I would love for us to …

Step 3

Encourage students to find their own space in the room to write their letters of appreciation. Remind them this exercise is individual and private, and they should respect one another’s space. Play some soft music and give students 15-20 minutes to complete their letters. When finished, they should place it in their envelope and put their name on the outside in case it is misplaced.

Step 4

Debrief the activity with students and encourage them to give their letters to their parents/guardians.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

How did you feel writing this letter?
When would be a good time to give your parent/guardian the letter?
How can you continue to show appreciation and gratitude for your parents/guardians?

Teacher note: Managing the safe space throughout this activity is paramount to ensure students feel safe to express themselves. Some students may respond with big emotions, and it is important to have support in place. Music can also help set the tone of the activity; soft non-lyrical music would work well.

Thrive: Strategy brainstorm

Step 1

Explain that while writing a letter is a lovely gesture that students' parents/guardians will appreciate, it is important to consider strategies that can be implemented on a regular basis to maintain the relationship.

Pose the question: ‘What strategies could help build a stronger relationship with your parent/guardian?’ Ask students to share in pairs, then facilitate a class discussion. Responses can be visually brainstormed on the board.

Tribe: Healthy Relationships with Adults

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