Students are starting a new academic year! How exciting! Some may be nervous, as well as excited, some may be confident and others shy. We all deal with a new experience in different ways.

When working with students about new beginnings, I like the image of the hot air balloon: leaving some people ashore, as well as needing to pilot your own destiny and mastering skills needing to be flying alone. When students are having difficulties or are anxious about a new start, we draw a hot air balloon and we explore feelings of saying goodbye as well as the important skills and strengths the student has to fly alone. We write all of these on the drawing. I also do some goal setting such as ‘what the student would like to do more of’, ‘where the student is at now?’ and ‘where the student would like to be?’

This activity can also be done with students in a small group. Feeling and strength cards can also be used if student(s) find it more tricky to identify feelings and strengths.

Good Luck to all students starting the new academic year! You all have skills and strengths to commence this new adventure!