Keep up that smile- it sounds so simple yet sometimes we are so focussed on setting up the classroom, making sure we have the roll to mark, opening up the classroom, having enough worksheets or computers, being on time after going over time in the previous class, forgetting the keys to the room you are borrowing so you can use the interactive whiteboard...we forget.

55% of all communication occurs non verbally, so regardless of your stressors and things on your to do list, by smiling more you will be communicating your willingness and commitment in giving your time to your students.

Have a great week everyone!

Joseph writes about creating positive relationships in your classroom...

As a school psychologist, I am always quite conscious when talking with teachers of the fact that I am not a teacher, and do not have the day-to-day experience of being in front of a room full of 30 children or adolescents, each with their own motives and attitudes to learning. I am also aware that whenever I talk about the teacher-student relationship, quite a few of my educational colleagues grumble "not this old chestnut again", as well as thinking "this is not a strategy I can use in the classroom"! But I believe it is the most effective classroom management strategy, and one which maximises student learning and wellbeing whilst also decreasing stress.

The teacher-student relationship is quite an important point of continual reflection amongst teachers for one very important reason: learning can only occur through the medium of a teacher-student relationship. We know that positive relationships are good for us - they mitigate the effects of stress, enable feelings of connectedness, make us feel good about ourselves, enable communication, promote mental health and so on. Physiologically, when we feel safe and secure in a relationship/environment our bodies produce less stress hormones so that we are more able to concentrate and learn (stress hormones decrease our ability to learn, form memories, concentrate on complex cognitive tasks and so on). We also know that good teacher-student relationships are a fundamental aspect of the promotion of student wellbeing within schools.

So this all makes sense of course - but how can teachers use this knowledge to help them in the classroom?

Here are some tips:

1. Regularly reflect on and be mindful of the relationships you have with your students: it's easy to blame the student as being the reason for the bad relationship, but this doesn't help us to resolve it.

2. When entering a classroom try to look interested and happy to be there and express some interest in your students. Start with a joke, a funny picture or something funny to lighten the mood.

3. Have a "fresh start" approach to each lesson - no expectations about who the naughty kids are going to be!

4. Think about the top 3-4 difficult kids in your class - make a concerted effort to have some positive connection with them: ask them about their weekend, find some point of common interest, simply smile and say hello to them.

5. If you have a poor relationship with a student - try to think about why it is like this. Talk with a colleague or the school counsellor to work out some strategies to help you work with them more effectively.

6. Your own stress can have a big part to play in your relationships with your students - when stress goes up, relationships become more vulnerable. Make positive efforts to manage your stress.

7. Try not to engage in power struggles with your students - they will try to bait you into them.

8. Persist with the above strategies - relationships won't change in a single lesson.

New Community Challenge has begun: "Words with ReachOut.com" http://forums.reachout.com/showthread.php?2388-Words-with-Reachout!-May-Community-Challenge!!

It's no secret that physical health can have a strong impact on mental health. The importance of a healthy body comes into its own when considering and promoting the importance of a healthy mind. Recognising the relationship between physical health and mental health is one of the most straight forward ways of understanding how to make ourselves feel better.

Sometimes our physical health is out of our control, whether through chronic illness or the insidious nature of a winter cold (particularly in a school environment!). But there are some simple steps that not only shield your body and strengthen your immune system, but also bolster your resilience and your ability to cope with challenges.

The first of these is sleep. Most people need 7-8 hours' sleep each night, and the importance of these hours cannot be underestimated. For those who have difficulty sleeping, it can be helpful to remember that 2 hours of rest is equivalent to 1 hour of sleep, so even if you find that you can't sleep, rest and relaxation can be a great alternative. You can find out more about the importance of sleep on ReachOut.com.

The second simple step is including movement in your everyday life. This does not have to mean going for a 4 hour run or pushing your body to its limit. The standard rule is that 30 minutes of movement a day is enough to make an impact. There's a great video which outlines the value of 30 minutes here.

The third and final simple step is sun-time. Though we all need to be aware of sun damage, the benefit of sunlight and the Vitamin D that we gain through spending time outside is an important component of good mental health. Sunlight has been proven to lift our mood and getting at least 10-15 minutes a day (preferably not in the midday sun) can seriously improve mental and physical health. We have a great blog about the benefits of sunlight at ReachOut.com.

Improving physical health does not need to be a laborious process but its benefit and importance cannot be undervalued. By introducing a few simple steps into our daily routine, we are not only doing our body a favour, but we're also supporting and strengthening our mind.

Forums for 14 - 25 year old young Australians. A place for young people to hang out and talk to other young people about what's on in their minds.

The forums on ReachOut.com have Community Guidelines for young people to read and abide by before posting. Young people are encouraged to visit this page first and register before they can post.

Young people can view the forums as guests by selecting a topic of their choice to start viewing posts from the forum.

Next week on the forums:

Monday: Getting Real on managing unhealthy friendships/boundaries in friendships that turn toxic.

May infobus on sleep is open for questions! Young people can submit Qs to a psych who will answer them on the night.

Click here to view forums

Professor Jane Burns is the Chief Executive Officer of the Young and Well CRC. The establishment of the CRC is a culmination of her work in suicide and depression prevention over the last decade.

Inspire is an endorsing partner of Young Minds Conference - an event aimed at people who work with young people.

Young Minds is an exciting new initiative from the producers of the hugely popular Happiness & Its Causesand Mind & Its Potential conference series.

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting sections of the conference program on our wesbite.

Check out further information about the conference here

What might this mean for our classrooms? What noise levels occur in your classrooms? Have you noticed similar?

Social networking sites have changed our world. In 2011 there were 500 million active Facebook users and approximately 200 million Twitter accounts.

As users will know, the sites have important differences. Facebook places more of an emphasis on who you are and who you know. Twitter restricts users to 140-character updates and is more about what you say than who you are. A new study asks whether and how the way people use these sites is related to their personality, and whether there are personalty differences between people who prefer one site over the other. How does this with your work as a teacher? http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/facebook-or-twitter-what-does-your.html

We welcome you comments on this blog.