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Online learning activities

While face-to-face learning is back, the chances of COVID-19 disrupting onsite learning is still a possibility. If this happens, it's important that schools have classroom lessons in place that can be delivered digitally.

ReachOut Schools has put together this package of lessons that can be delivered remotely, and includes classroom resources and Wellbeing Fives on popular topic areas such as resilience, study stress and mental health.

We've also created an action pack to help students cope with the challenges they've experienced, and might still experience due to COVID-19, which includes lessons such as Uncertainty during COVID-19, Coronavirus (COVID-19) and self-care and Staying socially connected.

As we've learnt, supporting student wellbeing in the online environment can be difficult. Our article Connecting with students while teaching online provides a range of tips for teachers looking to build connections with their students. Other useful articles for teachers include COVID-19 and the whole school community and Teacher wellbeing in a changing environment.

ReachOut has also developed resources for the whole school community. You might also like to share with students our youth collection, Coping during coronavirus (COVID-19), and our article for parents, Supporting your teen during coronavirus.

Friendship online learning activities

Support students to maintain and strengthen their friendships.

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Friendships end and change

Students examine different ways of dealing with changes in friendships and other relationships.

7-12

60 minutes

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Staying socially connected during coronavirus

Students learn strategies to remain socially connected in an environment with physical distancing restrictions.

7-12

5 minutes

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Gaining confidence to connect

Students assess different ways to connect and engage with others.

7-10

5 minutes

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Maintaining friendships when stressed

Assist students as they develop strategies for maintaining healthy relationships when stressed or during tough times.

7-10

5 minutes

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The power of bromance

Help students explore how to maintain close relationships when a friend leaves school or the local area.

9-12

5 minutes

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Trying to fit in

Students discuss peer pressure and the concept of fitting in.

7-8

5 minutes

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How to have difficult conversations

Through role play, students practise being assertive and explaining how they feel.

7-12

60 minutes

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What makes a good friend?

Students examine healthy relationships by developing an understanding of what makes a good friend.

7-8

60 minutes

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When friends aren't friendly

Students learn how to recognise when a friendship is toxic, and to develop strategies for dealing with different situations.

7-8

60 minutes

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Why friendships are important

Students assess why friends are important for a sense of belonging and connectedness.

7-12

60 minutes

Study stress online learning activities

These resources help students to understand stress and develop strategies for coping with it.

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Dealing with study stress during coronavirus

This lesson will examine the study stress students can experience due to COVID-19 and investigate ways to manage this stress.

9-12

60 minutes

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Managing exam preparation

Students investigate their strengths and goals to reflect on their study routines.

9-12

60 minutes

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Exam stress management

Students investigate practical strategies to manage exam stress.

9-12

60 minutes

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How to handle fear for the future: A guide for Year 12 students

Help Year 12 students understand their emotions and how they can use coping strategies to support their needs.

11-12

5 minutes

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What's your at-home study style?

Students complete a quiz to determine their at-home study style.

7-12

5 minutes

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Three good things

Encourage students to share good things that have happened in their life with other students which can help build relationships and connections.

7-12

5 minutes

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Releasing stress

This exercise uses progressive muscle relaxation to help student notice, release and manage muscle tension and feel less stressed.

7-12

5 minutes

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Helping others with study stress

Students need to feel empowered not only to help others, but also to help themselves. This activity gives students the opportunity to role play difficult conversations they may have with friends.

7-12

5 minutes

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Easy classroom stretches

Stretching is a simple stress-release activity. Stretching increases the blood flow to muscles, which helps release tension. Students can stretch sitting at their desks or while moving around.

7-12

5 minutes

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Mind dump

When we feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to dwell on what we don’t know, instead of celebrating what we do know.

7-12

5 minutes

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Goal setting

Goal setting is a great way to focus and motivate. By setting clear and achievable goals, young people can remember the what and the why.

7-12

5 minutes

Social media online learning activities

Teach students about social media and using it responsibly.

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What is social media?

Students learn about social media platforms and the importance of thinking about their terms of service.

7-10

60 minutes

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Social media and personal wellbeing

Students examine a scenario to identify activities on social media that could impact on their wellbeing. Students identify strategies they could use to improve their wellbeing.

7-10

60 minutes

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Positive uses of social media

Students analyse positive social media trends and outline how they could use social media to create social change.

7-10

60 minutes

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Trolling and cyberbullying

Students learn to recognise trolling and cyberbullying and develop strategies to deal with it.

7-10

60 minutes

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Boundary setting on social media

Students explore, understand and set their personal boundaries on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

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Taming social media use

Students think of ways to manage their social media use.

7-10

5 minutes

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Privacy on social media

Students learn about the complexity of privacy on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

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Social media is like a tug of war

By applying the metaphor of a tug of war, students engage in discussions of different points of view on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

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Online communities

Students investigate the sense of belonging developed through connections made in different online communities.

7-10

5 minutes

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The pros and cons of social media

Students evaluate social media using a Venn diagram.

7-10

5 minutes

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Upstanders on social media

Students learn how to be an upstander in an online environment.

7-10

5 minutes

Resilience online learning activities

These resources are designed to help students accept challenges and develop growth mindsets.

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Self-care hand

When students learn to look after themselves, it builds their self-confidence and helps them focus more on the positive things in their life. There are some steps students can take to encourage the habit of self-care.

7-12

5 minutes

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Acceptance

A helpful way to cope with things that are out of our control is to practise acceptance. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims or our situation as negative, acceptance makes us feel empowered about the things we can do.

7-10

5 minutes

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What mindset do you have?

Students complete a quiz to learn about the type of mindset they have.

7-10

5 minutes

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‘Ways to chill for cheap’ exercise

Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. This activity provides students with an opportunity to discuss different low-cost ways to chill out.

7-10

5 minutes

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Growth mindsets: Learning to walk

As a class, record and reflect on skills and activities that students have mastered, but that had taken time, effort and patience to achieve.

7-10

5 minutes

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Rephrasing for a growth mindset

Students learn to rephrase negative statements into positive thoughts to encourage a growth mindset.

7-10

5 minutes

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Using rewards to stay motivated

Students identify one goal they wish to achieve and look at ways to keep motivated to achieve it.

7-10

5 minutes

Mental health online learning activities

These resources help to increase students' mental health literacy and help-seeking.

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'You Can Talk' video discussion

Through analysis of the ‘You can talk’ video, students learn how to respond when they notice a change in a friend.

9-10

5 minutes

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PTSD and psychotic disorders

This lesson will examine post-traumatic stress disorder and psychotic disorders, with students discussing the nature of each disorder, their signs and symptoms, and the professional help available.

9-10

60 minutes

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Helping a friend you are concerned about

Students practise having conversations to support friends experiencing mental health difficulties.

7-12

5 minutes

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Mental health issues

This lesson focuses on helping students to understand mental health issues.

7-12

5 minutes

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Supporting a friend with stress

Students learn how to support a friend who is experiencing stress.

7-12

5 minutes

Supporting students' wellbeing online

Articles, tips and services to support students' wellbeing online.

young person using computer

Connecting with students in the online classroom

Learn how to maintain and strengthen your relationships with students in an online environment.

Teacher with geography textbook teaching class

Mental health support tips for teachers

Are you a teacher looking for general mental health tips? This information will provide you with some practical classroom ideas.

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Image of high schoolers in a classroom chatting. They each have a laptop open in front of them on their desks.

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        We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

        We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

        ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

              Aboriginal flagTorres Strait islander flagRainbow flagAustralian flag

              We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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