Creating a Place of Belonging and Empowerment for Children

Wherever you go, it is the teachers who make the school what it is. And the teachers at PlaysSchool are all grounded in the same philosophy — that of non violent communication. Therefore, when any conflict occurs, it is a true learning moment, and teachers are on hand to hold space for the children to resolve their own conflicts. We are never in a rush to resolve the conflict. Sometimes children can take 20 minutes to sort a conflict out, if we let them. And we do. We pay particular attention to where we are during the conflict. We stay on the sidelines. We don’t jump into the fray energetically. If we notice our speech becoming more rapid, or our voice becoming louder, then that’s a signal to us to take a step back and let them have their own emotions about the conflict at hand. It’s pretty tricky, and it keeps us more awake as people.