The importance of establishing and maintaining healthy working relationships has long been recognised as a key ingredient in improving experiences and outcomes of education for both students and educators.
Relationships depend on how people feel, think about and react to each other. Misunderstanding may lead to resentment and burnout, understanding to satisfaction and life-long gratitude.
Relational Teaching offers a unique way for educators to explore how their own states and relationships with students, staff and other people shape their practice.
As an educator, you are probably familiar with the real life statements that sound something like these below. This is our work with you.
"Students and I 'read' each other all the time. I wonder how getting each other right or wrong affects what we do?"
"I'd like to talk openly with someone who understands teaching, education. But without the pressure to perform or impress."
“I have this reaction almost every time I see this student, group. I know it means and does something.”
“I would like our staff to really understand these kids so they can get the best out of them while keeping well themselves.”
“I am supposed to do so many things but what am I really in control of in my work as an educator?”
“Our emotions are not peripheral to peoples' lives. Emotion, cognition and action, in fact, are integrally connected. Emotion and impulse enable us to choose, to judge, to act…. Similarly, cognitive reflection can help us guide and moderate our emotions.
Teaching, learning and leading may not be solely emotional practices, but they are always irretrievably emotional in character, in a good way or a bad way, by design or default."
A. Hargreaves, 2000
Sounds familiar?
Contact us to find your very own answers to these questions.