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Interesting to note that hope and curiosity sparks happiness. Reminds me of the bible definition of hope "a joyful confident expectation of good" that we can look forward to, and I guess that brings about an inner quiet sense of well-being and happiness

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We all go through different seasons on our life journeys. Can I honestly make myself 'happier' when I really can't bring myself to, for instance, during certain trying circumstances (so how would I be able to help another if that person (family, colleague, student) feel the same way as I did?

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So far I enjoy learning new topics on VIA Character strengths from the package that our group has signed up for.

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Realising and developing our strengths really could make us more happy? How it works and what is the practices? There are some more complicated matters in real live…

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Nil

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There are 5 strengths that contribute most to happiness, these are zest, hope, curiosity, love, and gratitude.

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How can I be sure it is truly the practice of my strengths (especially those connected with happiness) that enabled me to feel happier as opposed to the belief that thinking it would and so it does?

Also, how can I practise zest when I feel overwhelmed with work and life's demands, especially when time is so scarce?

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Nothing. I love this TLC approach.

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Happiness
1. A survey of 10 000 people across 48 countries found that happiness was more important to them than wealth, success, maturity, relationships and intelligence. However, a sad truth is that most people are not flourishing.

2. People who were aware of their strengths are 9 times more likely to report that they are flourishing than those who don't. But people who use their strengths at work were 18 times more likely to report that they are flourishing. This shows that doing is better than just being aware.

3.  Reflect upon how our signature strengths can cause happiness (love of learning; reading up -> feels happy gaining knowledge) and use them

4. Money can buy happiness provided you spend it on shared experiences with others like going on a movie with a significant other or treating a colleague to a meal.

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How can I be less un-happy when doing the things that don't really make me happy?
How can the Character Strengths and Positive Psychology approach help?

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Please remind me of the schedule for book chapter sharing.

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Hope, curiosity, gratitude, zest and love are the 5 strengths most strongly associated with happiness.

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I was on medical leave. Hence, pardon me for I do not have any parting thoughts to comment.

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Nil

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According to the author of Flourish, the goal of positive psychology is not to increase life satisfaction but to focus on well-being, ie to increase flourishing.

Watching the video helps us understand about our personal strengths and AFIs. When knowledge and practical applications move in tandem, it will propel us to work on our AFIs, enhance our personal strengths, in turn helping us to achieve the goal of positive psychology.

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Is VIA a possible way to try out with our students to 'foster good values in our students' (Sharon)?

Have shared with the group that Joy did the VIA Strength Analysis in her school (RV) either during Orientation Week or CCE lesson last year (Sec 1). Joy was better aware of her strengths and lesser strengths. When I shared my TLC is trying the survey, she did it again and saw some changes (Sec 2).
Would be interesting to see how the primary students relate to the survey, as there is one for younger students (more suitable for our primary level students)

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agree with Sharon that it's too early to comment and should try to read the book first

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I guess the videos and discussions make more sense when we have perhaps individually answered the survey to find out more about our strengths, lesser strengths, etc.

Just wondering about the impact of application when we are better acquainted with learning more about our strengths and trying to apply them in different contexts (home, workplace for example) -- not very clear how to phrase this part, but what I mean to say is that I guess we are all at different seasons in our lives right now -- wondering if this course will motivate us more to try out the strategies and emerge better/'stronger' or otherwise?

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So far, I think the plan/ideas suggested by Samuel and the group members are fine -- viewing the videos and working on our strengths first before we move on to sharing with Staff/students

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1. Flourishing’ and not ‘happiness’ is the final goal of positive psychology

2. From the video viewed, it is interesting to note that after we are aware of our strengths, it is good practice to go out and practise our strengths on others. :) Noted also how the VIA character website consists of many stories and articles on how strengths are lived out by individuals, and we can be encouraged/motivated to try out for ourselves too.

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I felt most of the elements of well-being are strongly supported by the environment and people around. How to manage one’s wellbeing without others’ support?

Strength is really subjective to individual, it could changes overtime. Felt Confident level ～= Strength range…

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Nil

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From the book: the elements of Well-Being
From the video: aware of strengths

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The strengths approach sounds a bit like sugar-coating flaws with its theory on the underuse or overuse of strengths. Not sure if I'm right in thinking this way.

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Nil

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From the book "Flourish"

- The key goal of Positive Psychology is no longer to increase happiness but to flourish
- The PERMA model of well-being is one way through which we can flourish and be satisfied with our lives

From the video "Start with Strengths"
- Strengths can be overused or underused; there's an optimal level for strengths use
- Strengths spotting both in oneself and in others can help us to be more aware of the strengths around and in us.

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The author of the book/theory/video states that the well-being theory, the positive psychology approach is effective.
Could it be that the people who adopts the approach have a natural tendency/bias to want to improve themselves?
How can people who are "averse", "don't bother" or are "oblivious" about their imperfections etc benefit from this approach/theory?

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1. meeting at a different place eg Integrity Room？We only need a small space with video projection and air-con.
2. consider application to work/students/ourselves using the learning from the book and the video shared at every session

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from Chapter 1 of "Flourish" -
1. Well-being has five measurable elements:
PERMA ie
Positive emotion
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Achievement
2. The goal of positive psychology is to increase the amount of flourishing in your own life and on the planet.

from the video -
1. Strengths can change over time.
2. One should strive for an optimal use of his/her strengths.
3. One should do more strengths spotting in ourselves and of others.
4. One should use his/her strengths mindfully.
5. One should try to use his/her strengths in new ways.
6. Boost strength by
- engage: leverage on the it
- explore: try new ways to tap on it
- explain: ~behaviours with reference to it
- enhance: build on it

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I wonder how effective it would be to adapt and apply the proposed intervention strategies based on the staff survey to a child?

Will the difference in age between an adult and a child matters at all? If yes, how do we then bridge the gap in age?

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Too early to comment at this juncture. Will make use of the June holidays to read up relevant books and articles.

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Key Takeways :
1. Good to ascertain if positive psychology by using the Character Strengths Analysis is a viable approach to foster good values in our students thus bringing about a positive learning attitude in them
2. One team member will be used as a 'guinea pig' in the initial study whereby subscription fees will be paid to the vendor to access their proposed intervention strategies
3. Collectively, the team of teachers will analyse and apply the intervention strategies and then meet discuss if they were indeed effective to develop each of our lesser strengths.

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Is well-being research the way to go? Would the book 'Flourish' help in inducing positive behavior for recalcitrants?
Wondering if a book related to habit formation or classroom discipline might be more fitting.

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We are still finding our way and exploring the best possible course of action that would up our expertise in developing or even changing the character of our charges. Much reading has to b done so so a elucidate an effective path. Don't think anything is wrong at the moment as we r still at the exploratory stage and r discussing and negotiating what can be done so that all would benefit and b motivated to pursue this project to the fullest of its potential.

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Key takeaway:

Initial inquiry:
Can strengths-based intervention induce positive behavioral changes in students?

Refinement:
To try strengths-based intervention on teachers first in TLC-CCE 2022 - 2023 before refining the plan for students in 2023 - 2024

We may consider including other forms of positive psychology in the plan for students.

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After reading about Character strengths-based interventions: Open questions and ideas for future
research (see attachment), I begin to wonder:
1. indeed, what is the outcome that we want from intervening? The individual's personal well-being or my own (eg. have an easier life after the student becomes a nicer kid, easier to manage)? Or, are the two justifiably not mutually exclusive?
2. what defines well-being?
3. how do we apply strengths-based intervention effectively?
4. what if the duration of effective intervention stretches beyond the lifespan of our TLC?
5. many more... but I shall stop ;)

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Character strengths-based interventions_ Open questions and ideas for future research

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I find that I can only have a better grasp and clearer vision of how our TLC will take shape only after gaining more knowledge of Positive Psychology ie by reading Seligman's books and journals eg shared by Samuel, and hearing Audrey share her learning and experience in this area.

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Key takeaways include:
1. determining that we will
i. use the VIA Character Strengths Survey (https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register) to understand the strengths profile of each person of interest (POI).
ii. apply the strengths-based intervention primarily on teachers first then on students. This is because we believe that in doing so, we'll have a better understanding of the intervention approach before we apply it on students. However, every TLC member is free to apply intervention strategies on students of concern concurrent to application to self.
2. learning about the resources available to grow our understanding of Positive Psychology eg. online courses on Coursera and Seligman's books (Flourish, for example).

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Millions of people have taken the free VIA survey to discover their greatest strengths so they can use them in their everyday lives.

How is a Report different from the free VIA Survey?

Our free survey provides your rank order list of character strengths with the strengths that are most core to your identity at the top. A VIA Report provides personalized, in-depth analysis of your character strengths, including actionable tips to apply them to find greater well-being.

Explore Reports

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Personality Test, Personality Assessment: VIA Survey | VIA Institute

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Millions of people have taken the free VIA survey to discover their greatest strengths so they can use them in their everyday lives. Our free survey provides your rank order list of character strengths with the strengths that are most core to your identity at the top.

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Audrey shared about the Character Strengths approach. We discussed about the feasibility of administering the Character Strengths Survey on our staff to have a better understanding of this approach and if it may work for our students.

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The facilitation on Session 1 was great as we brainstormed many ideas pertaining to the various directions we could explore. Moving forward, it will be good if we can set aside more time to do some prior reading, discuss and converge on a common topic of interest.

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Good time set aside for an enriching sharing session which provided the platform for team members to learn from one another and to affirm one another about the core purpose of our profession, i.e. to mould the students under our charge with love and empathy for their struggles.

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Too many ideas at first meeting, a bit confused about our direction of the project.

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Every member is
- open to share individual experience and learning needs.
- willing to contribute to TLC project work.
- caring of each other and our students.

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I'm interested to find out more about VIA Character Strengths and how this may be used with our students. How we can also extend it to our teaching staff and our families too.

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1) Every member is open to sharing his/her ideas for the good of the student population.

2) I appreciate how each member in the group is willing to share their individual experiences and open to learning from one another.

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How positive psychology will impact on us and our students?
How to develop positive impact by knowing our strength?

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What is positive psychology?
How do we administer the survey to find out everyone's strengths?

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I find there can be greater clarity on what is acceptable in the way we do this TLC. After the discussion at our first meeting, I see great potential in what we can achieve or be doing through this TLC. Hence, I would not want to, after investing much thought and effort, be told to scrap or drastically change the direction of our TLC.

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I appreciated
- how everyone worked together in harmony
- hearing everyone's experiences
- sensing everyone's heart for their students as they shared their anecdotes of students they hope to help change for the better
- everyone's unique talents, experiences, viewpoints coming together to each play an important part in this TLC

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I would like to read up more on strengths- based intervention and see if it is useful for inducing positive behavior change and character development

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I think we need to allow more time for brainstorming and not rush into solutions. More importantly, whatever we do, let's try to ensure that it's evidence-based, whether the evidence is from scientific literature or through our own experiences, so that our beneficiaries will truly benefit from our project.

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Everyone was so forthcoming and willing to share their experiences. I hope that an open sharing will form a part of our CCE TLC culture. Let's not be afraid of raising concerns or disagreeing with one another. Key is we will resolve the differences as a team through dialogue, good listening, an appreciation of diverse views and divergent thinking.