THIS MONTH'S FEATURED EDUCATOR
“When They Speak, You hear It In Your Own Language”
Ms. PAULA BRUNNING
ZHL Consulting - "Your Partner in Student Achievement
ZHL Consulting is proud to celebrate Ms. Paula Brunning as the June 2021, "Featured Educator".
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Paula Brunning is currently working as a high school counselor at Shekou International School. She believes that strong mental health knowledge and skills is key to students achieving overall life success. Her goal is to empower students through knowing themselves, and being able to advocate for their needs. From there they will find meaningful engagement in learning and future planning.
In her experience, students are very wise, and are very resourceful. Often when they have difficulties, being able to speak openly about it helps them find the healthiest way forward.
Trained and licensed as a teacher in Ontario, Canada, Paula followed her interest for adventure and eagerness to learn about the world and moved to Jakarta in 1995 to work as an EAL teacher. From there she moved to Singapore where she continued to teach and earned her Master's in Counseling. After some independent consultancy, she became the specialist for youth out of a community agency, SACAC, that supports expatriate transition and mental health. That experience left a lasting impression on her and she continues to see how important it is to address how international mobility impacts student wellbeing, especially in young people.
When she moved to Qatar in 2005, Paula began working as a school counselor across primary and secondary. It was here she had the opportunity to extend into college counselling. Since 2017, Paula has worked at SIS in Shenzhen as the college and social emotional counselor in the high school.
With her background and training in supporting students with anxiety and through transition, Paula feels that preparing high school graduates for stepping out into the world with a strong sense of mental wellbeing is important.
Mental wellness is something that is dynamic and fluctuating, especially as adolescents navigate normal developmental milestones of identity formation. Paula believes that schools are well placed to support mental wellness by addressing common challenges and advocating for interventions. By providing opportunities for students to openly discuss feelings and share challenges, everyone benefits. Developing meaningful connections is especially important for internationally mobile young people.
Statistics during the recent pandemic indicate that young people are particularly vulnerable to managing their mental wellbeing. Extended uncertainty, academic pressure and social disconnection can sabotage students’ sense of wellness. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health issues and often begin in childhood or adolescence. Schools that address social emotional wellbeing as a first step to being ready for academic learning are helping students with important life skills and removing stigma that may prevent accessing treatment. Paula feels it is vital for students to build awareness and skills that will support them through high school and beyond and therefore student empowerment and advocacy that includes mental health awareness is at the heart of her approach.
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Paula Brunning is currently working as a high school counselor at Shekou International School. She believes that strong mental health knowledge and skills is key to students achieving overall life success. Her goal is to empower students through knowing themselves, and being able to advocate for their needs. From there they will find meaningful engagement in learning and future planning.
In her experience, students are very wise, and are very resourceful. Often when they have difficulties, being able to speak openly about it helps them find the healthiest way forward.
Trained and licensed as a teacher in Ontario, Canada, Paula followed her interest for adventure and eagerness to learn about the world and moved to Jakarta in 1995 to work as an EAL teacher. From there she moved to Singapore where she continued to teach and earned her Master's in Counseling. After some independent consultancy, she became the specialist for youth out of a community agency, SACAC, that supports expatriate transition and mental health. That experience left a lasting impression on her and she continues to see how important it is to address how international mobility impacts student wellbeing, especially in young people.
When she moved to Qatar in 2005, Paula began working as a school counselor across primary and secondary. It was here she had the opportunity to extend into college counselling. Since 2017, Paula has worked at SIS in Shenzhen as the college and social emotional counselor in the high school.
With her background and training in supporting students with anxiety and through transition, Paula feels that preparing high school graduates for stepping out into the world with a strong sense of mental wellbeing is important.
Mental wellness is something that is dynamic and fluctuating, especially as adolescents navigate normal developmental milestones of identity formation. Paula believes that schools are well placed to support mental wellness by addressing common challenges and advocating for interventions. By providing opportunities for students to openly discuss feelings and share challenges, everyone benefits. Developing meaningful connections is especially important for internationally mobile young people.
Statistics during the recent pandemic indicate that young people are particularly vulnerable to managing their mental wellbeing. Extended uncertainty, academic pressure and social disconnection can sabotage students’ sense of wellness. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health issues and often begin in childhood or adolescence. Schools that address social emotional wellbeing as a first step to being ready for academic learning are helping students with important life skills and removing stigma that may prevent accessing treatment. Paula feels it is vital for students to build awareness and skills that will support them through high school and beyond and therefore student empowerment and advocacy that includes mental health awareness is at the heart of her approach.