Responses to violence in

everyday life in a democratic society – approaches to social

and emotional learning in schools

Welcome from

Deborah Michel

Graham Robb

Julie Hough

Exploring ideas

Is behaviour worse now than it ever was?

‘Young people today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age’

Peter the Hermit 1275 ‘Young people have bad manners and a

contempt for authority. There is less respect for older people than ever before’

Socrates 329 BC

‘Among the rougher boys, arson is not infrequent and kleptomania is fairly rampant’ Headmaster Eton

1922

Different ways of seeing things

exploring perceptions.....

All behaviour has meaning?

It reflects underlying needs and has a purpose?

Is inextricably linked to emotions and perceptions?

Is learned and can change?

Safe and ready to learn

Behaviour, and the ability to learn is

affected by feelings about self and school

Can a school be a therapeutic community?

An emotionally literate school

Calm, happy, welcoming and safe environmentClear set of positive values and principlesConfident adults adopting a positive approach

and modelling effective skillsHigh expectations, positive rules and solution

focused problem solvingValuing contributions from pupils, parents,

families, community members and other agencies

What kind of learners are we hoping for?

Safe, confident, happy, valued learners?

How are we developing

- resilience?- autonomy?- optimism?- a sense of belonging?

Can school have a positive influence?

For example, through….

• values and beliefs

• policies

• systems and structures

• language and communication

• curriculum

• teaching approaches

• the learning environment

How do we value all learners?

And willing to try

Our hopes for the week ahead

A collaborative learning communityThrough which we can...

-develop new friendships and insights

-share ideas, experiences and expertise

-share worries and concerns

-seek positive solutions

-enjoy and have fun

Make a difference –however and wherever we can.....

• At a personal level - in my interactions with others and in my everyday practice

• At an organisational level – by influencing the values, culture and systems of my school or organisation

• At a strategic level – by influencing others through strategic planning, policy development, professional development etc

Within a supportive culture

• mutual respect and mutual regard• acceptance of difference• tolerance of fallibility, it’s ok to make

mistakes• humour - laughing with each other• trust, taking care of each other

We can all make a difference to the lives of children

‘If you think you are too small to make a

difference - try sleeping in a room with a mosquito’

African proverb