Future Learning Design Podcast

The Impossible Question of Living Well - A Conversation with Dr. Helen Street

Nov 17, 2024

Dr. Helen Street, a seasoned social psychologist and educator, champions holistic well-being in education. She emphasizes that living well isn't about quick happiness fixes but understanding the importance of context. Dr. Street critiques traditional views, advocating for educational frameworks that prioritize emotional needs, social connections, and resilience. She also highlights the role of unanswerable questions in learning and the necessity of psychological safety for fostering deeper exploration. Join her as she navigates risks, equity, and the transformative power of storytelling in schools.

43:40

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Episode guests

Dr. Helen Street

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Context greatly affects well-being, indicating that educational institutions must prioritize the environments in which students learn and grow.

Personal narratives play a crucial role in unpacking complex issues like identity and resilience, advocating for a deeper understanding of mental health beyond conventional self-help solutions.

Deep dives

The Impact of Context on Well-Being

Context significantly influences well-being, a concept emphasized throughout the discussion. The environment in which individuals find themselves can uplift or hinder their mental state, which often goes underestimated. The conversation reveals that instead of offering simple solutions, educational institutions should recognize the importance of context in enhancing students' experiences. By understanding how various settings affect individuals, we can better support their mental health and social connections in educational environments.

Intro

2min

Stories of Well-Being and Education

21min

Embracing Unanswerable Questions in Education

2min

Navigating Risk and Equity in Learning Environments

2min

Shaping Well-Being Through Context

10min

Navigating Change in Education

7min

“Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.” This is a quote from the paediatrician, Rachel Naomi Remen, that my guest this week quotes in her fantastic new book The Impossible Question of Living Well: How do we hold on to what matters, while also knowing how to let go? Dr Helen Street has been banging the drum that living well should be a priority of educational institutions for years, but more importantly, that this is not a question of individual ‘hacks to happiness’ as she talks about in this episode, but a fundamental rethinking of how much context plays a role in enabling or preventing possibilities for living well. It’s Helen’s second time on the podcast and I was so happy to be able to chat to her again about her . She is a social psychologist and educator and has worked extensively with schools around the world since 1999. She holds a position as Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, Graduate School of Education as well as adjunct research consultant for the health department of Western Australia’s Centre for Clinical Interventions. Helen is the Founder and Co-Chair of the ⁠Positive Schools Initiative⁠ (PSI). Since it s launch in 2008, the Positive Schools Initiative has worked with over 26,000 educators from over 6000 schools and colleges; from around Australia and 15 other countries. Positive Schools Initiative is focused takes an evidence-based systems approach to building Contextual Wellbeing, positive mental health and resilience in school staff, parents and young people.

Helen is a bestselling author and speaker and her most recent book is The Impossible Question of Living Well: How do we hold on to what matters, while also knowing how to let go? She is also the author of the bestselling ⁠Contextual Wellbeing: Creating Positive Schools from the Inside Out⁠ (2018). Her work has been met with international acclaim and has been endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama among many others.

Social Links

LinkedIn: ⁠@helen-street⁠

X: ⁠@drhelenstreet

Instagram: drhelenstreet

Web: https://www.helenstreet.com/