7. Well Being: Take Action (HONS 295)

By my spring semester of my junior year, I knew I only needed one additional honors course besides my Citizen 410 class to reach my 8 course requirement. I debated a long time on which course I was going to enhance, as I was unable to find a provided honors course that fit my schedule. One day, however, I was provided information of a new honors class that was being offered about well-being and incorporating skills into your life to better your well-being. It really intrigued me, and I decided to give it a go.

I was intimidated at first with what I was going to experience with this course, worried it was going to be like group therapy every day. However, Dr. Retallick walked into the class on the first day and the very first thing she said was “Stop worrying now, this course is NOT group therapy”. It was a relief to feel that I was in a safe space to express what I wanted, without having to feel judgement or expect a response.

This course gave me a lot of valuable information in regards to using these well-being skills in my everyday life, and specifically how I could incorporate these in my classroom as a future teacher. For example, when my students are struggling with procrastination and getting their assignments done, I can teach them about the concept of willpower, as included in my artifact below. With this, I can teach students how to identify what they are struggling with and incorporate how they have the willpower to achieve whatever they want, including the assignments they are struggling with. This way, students are presented with the skill of willpower and are able to understand and utilize it, even outside the classroom.

Overall, this course provided me with beneficial skills that can be incorporated to benefit myself and my future students.