27 January, 2017
Published by Kerry Howells at 27 January, 2017
Have you wondered how you might join with others in practising gratitude together? Recently I’ve had the experience of this through engaging online with my wonderful students who are part of the UTAS Summer School unit ESM704 Gratitude in Education. Our class is comprised of school leaders, experienced teachers, pre-service teachers, and researchers in fields as diverse as paramedics, oncology and environmental science. They are from all around Australia. One of the components of the unit is a weekly discussion board that I hold as a regular book club. Week by week we study a chapter of my book Gratitude […]
15 December, 2016
Published by Kerry Howells at 15 December, 2016
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Recently I had the privilege of presenting a keynote address and workshop at the Positive Schools Conference in Singapore. There were over 250 educators and school leaders from 14 different countries in attendance. Most of these were from the Asian region. As I am passionate about understanding and uncovering the cross-cultural dimensions of gratitude, including the underlying complexities, this was a great educational opportunity for me. The day before the conference began, I was also fortunate to present a workshop on the role of gratitude in adult education at the Adult Learning Institute of Singapore. Where the participants had thought […]
2 December, 2016
Published by Kerry Howells at 2 December, 2016
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The internet is full of strategies, tips and techniques for bringing more gratitude into our lives. There has been an exponential rise in the number of academic papers, popular and scholarly texts, websites and news items that focus on gratitude. These often promise us greater physical and psychological wellbeing and it’s true that if we bring more gratitude into our lives we can feel calmer and happier. One of the most highly recommended strategies is to write down three things we are grateful for at the end of our day. While this is a powerful strategy, I have concerns that […]
18 November, 2016
Published by Kerry Howells at 18 November, 2016
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I thought I would share with you some of my reflections that have arisen from the great privilege I had recently in facilitating a one-day workshop for a select group of athletes who competed at the recent Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. The athletes represented a wide range of sports including sailing, diving, beach volleyball, cycling and athletics. The purpose of the workshop was twofold. We explored the concept of gratitude and its potential in elite sport, and how to find meaningful and authentic ways of expressing gratitude. Secondly the athletes were invited to share on film the messages of […]