Helping Students Understand Pain: Some innovative class activity in our Junior School

This term at The McDonald College, students from Years 3 to 6 have been learning something very important – how their bodies and minds deal with pain. This unique project, developed in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), is teaching students about pain science. The goal is to help them understand how their bodies feel pain and how they can better manage it throughout their lives.

Pain is something we all experience, but many people, especially children, don’t fully understand it. Dr Joshua Pate, a senior lecturer at UTS and an expert in pain science, explains that pain is not just about feeling hurt. It’s actually a complex process that involves the brain, the nervous system, and other parts of the body.

As part of this project, students have been learning that pain is more than just a physical sensation. Through their classroom activities they have been discovering how the brain and body work together to sense and manage pain. By understanding how their nervous system functions, students can develop better skills to manage both physical and emotional pain. This approach fits with the NSW PDHPE and Science K-6 syllabuses, which focus on teaching students how to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

In 2023, The McDonald College teamed up with UTS to teach pain science to students in Years 3 to 6. The project was led by Bec Fechner, a senior physiotherapist and PhD student at UTS and Dr Joshua Pate. Their aim was to help students understand what happens in their bodies when they feel pain and how to manage it effectively.

Through engaging activities and discussions, students learned about the nervous system and how emotions can influence pain. They also explored how the brain plays a central role in controlling pain. These lessons have helped students build resilience and coping skills, giving them tools to manage pain in both daily life and challenging situations.

During the last few weeks, The McDonald College took the next step by creating videos and resources to share these lessons with other schools. Bec Fechner and Dr Joshua Pate visited the College for two days to work with students on producing films that will be used to introduce pain science education in classrooms around Australia and beyond.

During their visit, the students demonstrated what they had learned by participating in class activities and presentations. These were captured on video, showing how students can engage with pain science in a way that’s fun and informative. These resources will soon be available to schools worldwide, helping other teachers introduce pain science to their own students.

The goal of this project is to provide schools with practical examples of how to teach pain science. The videos and resources will showcase real classroom experiences, making it easier for teachers to adopt these lessons and empower their own students with the knowledge they need to understand and manage pain.

This initiative at The McDonald College is more than just following the syllabus; it’s about being part of a global effort to improve health education. Pain is often misunderstood, but by teaching children about it from a young age, we can help them manage both their physical and mental well-being. Understanding pain can also lead to better academic performance, improved mental health, and overall resilience in facing life’s challenges.

With the help of experts like Dr Pate and Bec Fechner, The McDonald College is leading the way in this important area of education. By sharing these resources with schools everywhere, we hope to see many more students benefit from this knowledge, becoming stronger and more informed about their health.

Leanne Harrington, the Year 3 and Year 4 class teacher here at The McDonald College has embraced the study and co-ordinated our classes to engage in the project.

“Both children and adults experience pain. Many children will experience chronic pain at some point.  Teaching children about how and why we experience pain empowers them to have more control over their pain and a language to describe their pain. The strategies they have learnt will support them at school, help them for the rest of their lives, and allow them to support others.” Leanne Harrington – Year 3 -4 Teacher