Te phrase “gentle teaching” may make
you feel uneasy. Perhaps you’re envisioning a permissive environment where the students are leſt to do whatever they like. Let’s play a bit of True or False and dispel
some of those beliefs.
WE DON’T SAY NO TO OUR STUDENTS
False. Absolutely false. Students need to hear no, and we are firm believers in setting high expectations for our class. We hold boundar- ies with our students. We don’t let them do whatever they want but we do leave space for them to have feelings about our boundaries. “I know that’s not the answer you were hop- ing for, and you can be upset, but my answer is not going to change.”
WE NEVER LOSE OUR CALM DURING THE DAY
False. We are human. Of course there are moments as educators when we experi- ence frustration. But we prioritize manag- ing our emotions and reactions, respond- ing thoughtfully rather than impulsively. It’s important that we show our students that we also experience the full range of human emo- tions. Talking to our students about our feel- ings or asking them for strategies on how we can bring ourselves back to calm gives them a chance to showcase what they have learned about calming themselves. Gentle teaching is not permissive teach-
ing. It’s about being gentle with our students and with ourselves as we manage moments of excitement, frustration and growth.
THE “REFRAMES” THAT CHANGED OUR PERSPECTIVE ON STUDENT BEHAVIOUR
Our approach to teaching young learners is based around a few core beliefs that we feel to be true about children. Te first is one we learned from clinical
psychologist Ross Greene, who built a model of care for children exhibiting challenging behaviours (called Collaborative and Proac- tive Solutions) based on the theory that “chil- dren do well if they can.” Tis principle helps us as educators reframe child behaviours, especially challenging ones, and see children through a lens of compassion rather than frustration. Yes, it may sometimes feel like students are choosing behaviour that will in- tentionally frustrate us. But we have learned to look deeper at what boundaries may be preventing them from being successful. Are they hungry? Tired? Managing stressful situ-
10 ETFO VOICE | WINTER 2024
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