Happiness lessons in Mödling: Children discover the secret of happiness!

Happiness lessons in Mödling: Children discover the secret of happiness!

An extraordinary teaching project is taking place in the elementary school at Hyrtlplatz in Mödling: The happiness class, led by teacher Stefanie Hörl, teaches children what happiness really means. 3A students create colorful balloons on which they write their personal definitions of happiness - from family to cats to football. “The children find out in a playful way what makes them really happy,” emphasizes Hörl, who also wants to integrate an awareness of happiness and positive thinking into everyday school life. Loud noe.orf.at The lessons aim to strengthen personality development and a sense of community and to bring children closer to themselves.

Happiness lessons are embedded in the entire school day, not just limited to one hour per week. Through joint projects such as the “Happiness Tree”, the children have the opportunity to creatively express their thoughts on happiness. Each child creates a piece of the tree to record what makes them happy. Students often experience happiness as a pleasant feeling in their hearts. “It’s really nice and warm,” explains one student, “and it makes you smile.” This insight reflects the findings of positive psychology, which serves as the basis for happiness teaching, as in the training courses of happinesscompetence.at is highlighted.

In addition, teachers are given practical exercises to bring the topic of happiness to life. These exercises are designed to help bring smiles to every classroom and promote student happiness. The children learn that happiness can not only be felt, but also learned - an important lesson that is also anchored in the theory of positive psychology. “Happiness classes helped me understand what happiness is,” says one student, who is proud to share the progress in her learning.