Mess and Mindcraft

As a child, I used to build the best cubby houses with my sister, Julie. We would collect anything that could be useful to construct the most elaborate structures. We would not always agree on our designs and would occasionally argue about what should go where and what the cubby was for -a fort, a hideout, a doll’s hospital, etc. We would spend a little time playing our make believe games in them and then deconstruct to build something more elaborate. Sometimes our cubbies fell down on top of us. Luckily there were not too severe injuries.

Dad finally got sick of the cubbies popping up in surprise places in the backyard. “Eyesores” he called them but palaces, space stations, pirate ships they were to us. He built us a strong, safe cubby house. We still imagined this to be all manner of things, but it was never the same as our own creation. It also stifled a lot of wonderful learning opportunities that we had building our own. In saying that, I still built a secret door through the fence into the neighbours and a lookout on the roof.

Building these cubbies helped us to learn how to share, solve problems, compromise and co-operate with each other. We would have some big arguments but we learnt from these. We took risks and learned that with risk comes consequence. Standing on the roof of a flimsy structure can lead to significant injury. I have the scars to prove it. I learnt many lessons the hard way.

Play is essential, vital, critical, and fundamental to every child’s social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development. Play is essential for learning and learning is the centre of everything we do at school. This is why we allow children to build cubbies and play with sticks. We know that there will be arguments and disagreements. These occur in all play situations with children whether it be in a game of soccer, football, handball or a game of chess. It is in this real life problem solving that the best, lifelong learning occurs. Just as we do not ban children playing soccer because they argue about the rules, we do not ban all children because some argue or have disagreements. Instead we help the children learn to solve their issues in an increasingly mature manner.

Just like my “Dad built” cubby, our adult designed steel and plastic playgrounds do not attract the same interest, passion and creativity from our children, as do a pile of sticks, logs, branches and planks of wood. Nor do they provide as many wonderful learning opportunities for children to be creative, constructive and to learn essential social skills.

Rather than them creating worlds on Mindcraft, give children some large cardboard boxes, planks of wood, branches and other “junk” so they can create their own imaginary worlds through their cubbies….and learn.

Actions Speak

This is Kevin. Kevin is our Groundsman. Kevin arrives at school very early each morning and works through until the afternoon. He is multi skilled. He is an artist. You can see his creativity around the school in rock sculptures, garden designs and plantings. He is a problem solver, constantly working out strategies to fix or make things for our school. He is a mathematician measuring, calculating, weighing, budgeting, working to time limits and meeting deadlines. He is a tradesman involved in plumbing, painting, building and constructing.

 

The school looks so good and is so well maintained because of his work and creativity. Kevin takes pride in all that he does. And it shows. Kevin is a vital member of our school community.

Our school, our students, our school community. We are all vital members of our school community. Our school exists for our students. Our teachers and SSOs do not talk about “My Class” or “My Students” but rather “Our School” and “Our Students”. We are all responsible for the success of our students and our school, and this includes “Our Parents and Caregivers”.

Like teachers and SSOs, parents and caregivers are essential members of our school community and like staff, your words, actions and behaviours model expectations to our students. When parents and caregivers solve problems calmly through dialogue and conversation with each other or with staff they show that they too follow our School Values of Good Manners and Friendliness. Conversely, if they swear at each other from their cars outside the school, it undermines our values.

When parents and caregivers allow children to learn by their mistakes and the consequences of their actions they show that they too follow our School Values of Resilience and Persistence. Conversely, if they rescue their children they undermine and stop their learning.

When parents and caregivers get their children to school on time they demonstrate that they value learning and also model organization and time management skills. What does constantly being late teach children?

Kevin works so hard to have our school look the best it can be. Hopefully we are all proud of our school. I am not proud of the litter around the yard and I always try to model picking up litter despite never dropping it. How powerful it would be for all members of our school community to pick up papers as they walk through the school? It would show their pride in our school. It would model to the students that they should keep the yard clean and show care for our school by keeping it clean. It would encourage students to do the same. It would show that we all appreciate the great work being done by Kevin and it would show that we all have pride in Our School.

Our actions speak louder than words. Kevin doesn’t talk about painting a wall. He just gets about doing it and doing it well. Thanks Kevin for being such a good role model for Our School, Our Students and Our School Community.

False Rescues

Our children are the most important things in our lives. If our children were in danger, I am sure that we would all do whatever we could to rescue them, even to the point of giving our lives.

Have you ever taught your child to swim? We hold them up on the surface, tell them to kick their legs, move their arms and breathe deeply. We let go, they go under but we are there to lift them to the surface again.

Imagine you never letting go. Your child would never learn to swim and would always be dependent on you when in the water. Not letting go could put your children eventually in mortal danger of drowning if you are not around.
Letting go is an essential part of learning and growing.

We strive to have learning at the heart of everything that we do at Hackham East Primary. A “False Rescue” is when, in attempting to help a child, no matter how good the intentions, we actually stop learning.

All children must learn independence. Are they carrying their own bags to school and putting them in the appropriate place outside the class? Are they getting their own equipment out at the beginning of the day? Do they put their own lunch in the lunch bag, dress themselves? Do they do their own homework? I recall, as a child, leaving the completion of a project until the last moment. My mother jumped in to help me finish it on time, actually doing some of the research for me. This was a false rescue. Did it teach me that there were consequences for my poor organization or did it just reaffirm that mum would always be there to rescue me?

We can unintentionally rescue children from thinking. When a child asks a question, it is so easy to give an answer. By responding to their question with “What do you think?” we not only get our kids to think but also learn what they think. We learn about their knowledge, their assumptions and their misconceptions. We can then question them further to help them think through their own thinking. Their thinking will go deeper than just getting an answer from us.

We no longer “false rescue” students by cocooning them at playtime with rules and regulations. With high expectations instead, we want children to take risks, think for themselves and problem solve by allowing them to ride scooters and bikes, build cubbies and play with sticks. If there is an altercation such as who owns which cubby materials, we teach them to problem solve, reach compromise and come to agreements rather than make the rules and solve the problem for them and stopping the learning.

Letting go can be very difficult but it is all about learning. False rescues stop learning. Parents and teachers must work together, in partnership to help build strong, resilient learners.

Chester – The School Dog

The School Dog – Chester the Wonder Dog

Chester‘Hi my name is Chester. I am a cute and cuddly Golden Retriever and I have lots of hair, that makes me very hot in the summer time. I go to the vet often and have had lots of needles to make sure I am healthy. My owner has taken me to lots of classes and they have helped me to become ‘obedient!’


I recently had my 4th birthday. My owner says I have now officially grown out of my ‘puppy stage’ and I am now responsible and patient enough to help children.

 I love to have my ears and tummy rubbed and especially like it when I get brushed.

 I will sit and shake hands on command, but am yet to master rolling over. I am great at running after balls and sticks i
 I feel like it, but sometimes I am a bit lazy and ‘forget’ to bring them back to people! Everyone says I am ‘cute’ and so ‘placid.’ I am not sure what ‘placid’ means, but I think it is a good thing as they say it in a nice way.

 I love visiting Hackham East Primary School on Monday and Fridays.  I am now the school dog. When I am at school I stay in the office and sometimes I visit classrooms if I am invited. When I am not guarding Mr Thiele, Ms. Sally and Mr Megson’s offices I get to listen to kids read, or sometimes they come down to visit me and give me a tummy scratch or tell me to sit and shake hands. I like it when the children come to visit me as otherwise I just have to listen to boring meetings in-between napping and my guard doggy duties. Sometimes I get to visit the staff room and see the ‘big people’ at school. I like this, but sometimes they say my name in a high-pitched screech, but that is OK because then they grab me and try to kiss me. I LOVE my job. – Written by Chester and assisted with the typing by Sally Slattery. (When will Apple invent an iPawd for dogs?)

I am definitely not a “doggy” person, nor a cat fan. My three kids have been pestering for a dog for years. I gave them fish in aquariums. Nothing has changed my mind about dogs… yet.

Last year I attended my first SAPPA Conference where scientist and inspirational speaker, Matt Church, began his session with a photo of his two kids with the family dog and an almost throw away comment about how every child should have a dog due to the health benefits of having dogs as support in the family and workplace to foster empathy, nurture, care and positive wellbeing.

Just prior to this, Sally Slattery, Deputy Principal and inspirational educator, had visited for a weekend work meeting and brought Chester, a golden retriever to be doggy-sat by my kids. Apart from leaving a “calling card” in the garden, I was impressed by the affinity he had with my children who wanted to cuddle, pat and play with him until he flaked on the door mat, exhausted by the attention.

Following the SAPPA Conference, I asked Sally what she thought of the idea of Chester becoming the ‘school dog’. His J&P (or is it J&D?) specifications would be negotiated but would involve being read to, being available to be patted, scratched and cuddled by a range of children who may even be anxious, angry and troubled, and to be taken for the occasional walk. Sally immediately embraced the idea.

We presented a proposal for a School Dog to the Governing Council, who to our surprise was overwhelmingly supportive. They had one stipulation that Chester attend every Council meeting!

Chester the Wonder Dog visited for a day for an interview and an audition to see if he was the ‘dog for the job’. He passed with flying colors! He was an immediate hit with staff, children and parents. He had so much attention that at times he needed to take himself away to curl up in a secluded spot to sleep.

He now knows that he works Mondays and Fridays and waits excitedly in the mornings at the front door for Sally to let him in the car for the trip to work. On arrival, once out the car, he does the obligatory sniff around the front garden and then bounds into the staffroom and offices to say hello to everyone. He shares an office with Sally and freely roams around the administration areas. He only goes into the yard on a lead with responsible students and adults, at appropriate times.

He has been on extensive and ongoing visits to classrooms to teach children how to be with Chester to ensure safe handling, so that they are familiar with appropriate ways to interact and also to support timid students gain confidence when he is around.

Students have done a risk benefit assessment. The benefits are immense. The perceived risks have become learning opportunities.

Chester – Risk Benefit Assessment

Benefits/Positives Perceived Risks
  • Helping students calm down
  • He makes children happy
  • Teaches children to care for others
  • It is great to pat Chester when I am escalating with my choices
  • Makes me happy
  • Taking Chester for walks help me to make strong choices because its only something you can do if you are going to be responsible
  • He is welcoming and friendly
  • He makes me feel more comfortable with my own bad haircut.
  • Pulling Chester’s tail and making him upset
  • Some students tease him with food and then take it away from him
  • He eats from bins
  • Calling his name and then walking away from him when he obeys a command

 

Chester and LiahEach class has a Chester Card which is brought down with individuals or pairs of children for 5 minutes of Chester Time. The cards list the positive things children can do with him and how.

Parents and caregivers understand that Chester is trained to be a support dog and has authorisation to be on school grounds. No other pets, including dogs and cats can be on school grounds without permission.

There is an abundance of research around the health, stress and wellbeing benefits of having dogs in different workplaces and care systems. Many workplaces are now exploring the benefits of having a workplace pet or dog to help reduce stress and increase happiness and positive wellbeing.

Research shows:

  • Interactions with therapy animals can decrease stress in humans
  • Playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of stress reducing hormones leading to children (and adults) feeling more relaxed and calm
  • They can help to reduce anxiety, tiredness and provide emotional support
  • Animals help to build responsibility and empathy in children

Positive benefits we have already seen through Chester’s interactions with students and adults have been –

  • The calming effect he has had on several children who were angry, upset or heightened – they calmed much more quickly by patting Chester and we were then able to help them discuss the problem and discuss ways to positively re-engage back in the classroom
  • Providing a positive reinforcement for students who always do the right thing in class – they have been able to come down and spend a short amount of positive time interacting with Chester in the office
  • Supporting some of our students to have a positive start to the day – they come and say a quick hello to Chester on the way to class
  • A positive impact on staff happiness and wellbeing – he puts a smile on their face and they love popping by to give him a quick pat

 

Chester and CrowsChester is now a popular and valued member of staff. He has his favourites and will often be found lying at Lee’s feet in the front office or following Jae around knowing that she will eventually give in and feed him some of her lunch. And speaking of lunch, Chester hoovers around the staffroom finding any morsels of feed that may have landed on the floor and twice has managed to remove my lunch from my bag and eat every bit, including the wrapping. I have forgiven him … just.

Everyone loves Chester the School Dog. Including me.

Messenger Article

Helping Kids to be Successful Failures

IMG_0004Six weeks ago our daughters competed in the Women’s State Invitational Gymnastics competition. Both had been training for 6 months, three nights per week for three hours each session. They were both desperately hoping to qualify for Australian National Level 4. At the end of 2 days of completion, we waited for the gradings to be announced. After the names of those qualifying were called to stand, both our girls were left sitting. My wife and I felt so disappointed for them both. They had each missed out by less than 2 points. They were understandably disappointed.

What, as parents and teachers, do we say to our children when they are challenged, struggle and fail? It is easy to wrap them in cotton wool and give them sympathy. It is easy to make excuses. It is easy to let them give up. Too many students drop out of commitments such as choir or instrumental music when the challenge gets high. The easy way is to run away from the disappointment, from the emotional pain and from the challenge.

We were able to empathise with our daughters and talked about times when we had not achieved what we set out to do. We encouraged them to keep trying.

The following stories of well known people who had failed, but kept pressing on until they became successful, are good to share with your children to help build resilience.

After being cut from his high school basketball team, he went home locked himself in his room and cried. – Michael Jordan, 6 times NBA Champion, 5 times NBA Most Valuable Player and 4 times NBA All-Star.

He wasn’t able to speak until he was almost 4 years old and his teachers said he would “never amount to much” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

Was demoted from her job as a news anchor because she… “Wasn’t fit for television.” – Oprah Winfrey, Host of a Multi-Award-Winning Talk Show and Most Influential Woman in the World.

Fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” and “having no original ideas” -Walt Disney, Creator of Mickey Mouse, Disneyland and Winner of 22 Academy Awards

At age 11 he was cut from his team after being diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency… which made him smaller in stature than most kids his age. – Lionel Messi, 3 time FIFA World Player of the Year

At 30 years old he was left devastated and depressed after being unceremoniously removed from the company he started. – Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple Inc and Co-Founder of Pixar Animated Studios

A High School dropout, whose personal struggles with drugs and poverty culminated in an unsuccessful suicide attempt… – Eminem, 13 time Grammy Award Winner, sold over 90 million albums worldwide.

A teacher told him he was… “Too stupid to learn anything” and that he should go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality. – Thomas Edison, inventor to the light globe and over a thousand other inventions.

Rejected by Decca Recording studios, who said “we don’t like their sound”… “They have no future in show business” – The Beatles, the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in history.

His First Book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Was Rejected By 27 Publishers. – Dr. Zeuss, best selling children’s author in history

His Fiancé Died, Failed In Business, Had A Nervous Breakdown And Was Defeated In 8 Elections. – Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the USA.

Here is the link to the Youtube clip called Famous Failures https://youtu.be/zLYECIjmnQs outlining the above stories. It finishes with the quote, “If You’ve Never Failed, You’ve Never Tried Anything New”. We want our children to try, learn how to fail well in order to build resilience to become successful.

This weekend our girls once again competed for their Level 4 Gymnastics. After 6 weeks of practicing the skills that they failed last time, both achieved their goal.

Failure builds resilience. Resilience builds success.

The Learning Pit

I am a big Doctor Who fan. He is always able to solve the unsolvable by seeing the unobvious and deducing the implausible. He may need some assistance from his female companion or his sonic screw-driver but he always works out what to do to save the day. Despite having two hearts his skills are not superhuman rather those of problem solving through logic, deduction, perseverance, persistence and asking the right questions.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Developing the skills and strategies in dealing with the unknown and the new is something that all children will need to be successful in the future. The world that our children are growing into will be very different from our own. Change is occurring so quickly in everything. Technology is changing every aspect of work and society. Manual and skilled jobs are being replaced by robots and automation. Our children will be working in jobs that have not even been dreamt of yet. Adaptability and an open, learning mindset is key.

How do we assist children to develop these skills?

One cannot be a nimble thinker and problem solver if one is fearful of being stuck, fearful of making a mistake or fearful of the discomfort of not knowing what to do. We want children to have a go and be risk takers but we too often cotton wool them to the extent that we rob them of their opportunity to learn.

The Learning Pit is a good metaphor for talking to children about the learning process and resilience.The Learning Pit Getting stuck is where the best learning takes place. When we are stuck we might get negative feelings like discomfort, frustration, helplessness towards our learning. We hear children say, “I won’t do it.” or “I can’t do it.” If we intervene at this stage and rescue by doing it for them they will learn that getting stuck is a bad thing, that the negative feelings are bad and they will continually shy away from a challenge. They will not develop persistence or resilience toward learning.

As a child struggles with a problem get them to ask questions to clarify and explore the options. Answer their questions with questions rather then an answer so that they are doing the thinking and solving the problem themselves. Ask them where they might be able to find help – internet, Youtube etc and let them explore. As they begin to get themselves “unstuck”, they will gain confidence in their own abilities and develop an “I can do it!” attitude. This will benefit them throughout their lives.

Doctor Who thrives on challenge. He doesn’t give up. He isn’t rescued. He persists and succeeds.

Stuck? Great! Good learning happens when you are stuck.

Reflection of Dan Pink’s Edutech 2013 Keynote

Dan Pink on the Science of Motivation

Dan Pink gave the opening keynote at the 2013 Edutech Conference in Brisbane.

What truly motivates? Studies have shown that the higher the pay the greater the performance but only in mechanical skills. When any rudimentary cognitive skill was required, a larger reward led to poorer performance.

If-then reward are great for simple and short term work but not good for complex and long term tasks.

Artist give the world something that they did not know they were missing. ie iPad
A study conducted on artists asked to produce commissioned and non commissioned art works showed that non commissioned were more creative even though both were of equal technical quality.

Most work we do at school is commissioned and has too many constraints.

Money matters as a motivator due to fairness. Pay teachers to show they are valued but rewarding high performing teachers financially is counter-productive. The politicians need to get this message.

Management is a technology to get compliance. Humans don’t engage by being managed and controlled. Management won’t achieve engagement.
Autonomy for self direction is the technology to achieve engagement. High standards and autonomy is the best that leadership can provide.

Examples of autonomy include Google’s 20% time to “Do what you like but share it at the end of the week with everyone else”.
Could “Non Commissioned” days which Pink called “FedEx Days” work for teachers and students? Take one day a fortnight to work on anything that they were educationally passionate about and share it with everyone at the end of the day.
Staff meeting time could be better utilised by following this model with a focus on innovation and excluding things like marking, planning etc. It requires trust all round. Trust is only developed by trusting.

Making progress in meaningful work requires constructive feedback. Pink spoke about DIY Performance Reviews. We already have teachers setting their own goals through Performance Development processes and Step 9 Performance Development Plans. I would be be very interested in exploring teachers providing collegiate feedback and support for Performance Development. Teachers and leaders should be accountable to each other. DIY Report Cards where teachers and students set own goals and grade themselves and each other is something to seriously consider.

Purpose is an essential motivator. Everyone needs to know why something is being done. This reference by Pink echoed Joan Dulton and Dave Anderson’s Parrot of Purpose sitting on one’s should and constantly squawking, “What’s the purpose?”

Have fewer conversations about “how” and more about “why” things are done.

Can I do one thing tomorrow that is better than I did today?

Thank you @danielpink for a motivating and thought provoking keynote to start Edutech 2013.

One Thing My Mother Taught Me Before She Died

My dear mother died of cancer 35 years ago. It was a tragic story of misdiagnosis by doctors to the point where she was told by her family doctor that she was a hypochondriac. After a year of feeling pain that was “only in her head”, with her thinking she was going mad, Dad made her seek other opinions and cancer was discovered in her bladder.

Mum told me that before her first operation she thought she might die. After surviving she said to me that many people say that one should live each day as if it’s your last. However, she said that one should live each day as if it’s your first. After “returning from the grave” She saw the world as if for the first time, in wonder, as someone blind seeing for the first time; every colour vivid, every flower a marvel, life a gift to be treasured and never taken for granted.

Mum showed me a sketch that she made of a brushfire blackened landscape with a tiny red flower at the base of a burnt out tree. Underneath she had written “Courage”.

Mum’s courage battled through more operations and radio therapy. The doctors blamed the cancer on her father chain smoking when she was a child. Mum blamed the stress brought on by the death of my sister at the age of 11. Either way, she remained positive, courageous and resilient.

My mother desperately wanted to live. The cause of her illness was out of her control. I do get very angry when I see people deliberately poisoning themselves and their children by smoking.

When I catch myself staring at the pavement, feeling sorry for myself, I think of the red flower, I think of refocusing on what I have rather on what I haven’t and I try to look at things through the eyes of one seeing for the first time.

Learning from Mistakes

I was listening to a TED Radio Hour podcast while travelling the 930km distance to my favourite place on Earth, the photo of which is the background image of this blog. The topic was about mistakes made by physicians. The mistake made by the speaker resulted in the death of a patient. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes. A physician would certainly want to learn quickly.

The TED speaker believed that it was important to speak publicly about mistakes, both from personal cathartic reason like that of a confessional and also so that others can learn from their mistakes.

I thought back over my thirty plus years of teaching and the many mistakes I have made. I do wonder what impact my mistakes have made on children’s lives. Thank God there have been no fatalities but maybe that is more luck than planning.

Darren was new to my class in about 1983. He didn’t talk a lot and didn’t have many friends but he was tough and took on any physical challenge with gusto. The obstacle course I designed was certainly challenging and included climbing through the shelter shed window and traverse hand over hand across the rafter and slide down the support pole. What I overlooked was the concrete floor. Darren was swinging across until he missed a hand hold and fell 3 metres landing flat on his side. He was so badly winded that I feared he had broken ribs. Had he hit his head he could have done serious injury.

I learnt to assess risk carefully.

I planned an exchange to Kangaroo Island and sought sponsorship from local businesses. Parents gave consent for students to go to neighbouring businesses with a letter of introduction from me and a prepared speech which had been rehearsed by the children.

All students were sent out in pairs and returned during the next hour with varying degrees of success – torches, cups, even cash donations. All students, apart from two returned in the allotted time. Nearly 2 hours later, and just before I called the Principal and then the police, the two boys returned very pleased with themselves carrying boxes of bounty. They had walked to businesses well over 4 kilometres away! To say I was relieved was an understatement.

This taught me duty of care. Any of the children could have been injured, knocked down by a car or even kidnapped. It was a lesson I was lucky to learn without mishap.

Another teacher and I were rehearsing for a musical production with 90 children after school. The students were predictably excited but as the time progressed a few children’s inappropriate behaviour became so disruptive that it began to derail the rehearsal for the other 60 children present. My response was one that I will never forget. Amongst all the noise, I told David, one of the boys mucking up, to “Play along with me”, pinned him up against the wall and yelled at him to stop. There was sudden silence and the kids fell into line. It achieved its aim… but at a cost. A group of children came to me to say how inappropriate my behaviour had been. I explained to them that it was a setup and that I was not being aggressive. What I did not know was that David never understood what I had said to him and therefore was very upset with the way I had treated him.

I learnt of the importance of always modelling appropriate behaviour. Regardless of whether it was a dramatic ruse, the perception is the reality. I inadvertently modelled that threat and violence was a solution to a problem. I did not model respect. I did not model an adult in control solving problems calmly.

Looking back, I can see how these mistakes helped me learn about myself and my responsibilities as a teacher and a role model. I would rather have learnt these lessons in a way that did not potentially put children at risk.

Perhaps others can learn from my mistakes rather than having to make their own. What can I learn from others’? Nothing if we don’t share.

Only make new mistakes!

Age Appropriate Behaviour?

We tend to judge behaviour in terms of age appropriateness. I recall my first child hitting the “terrible twos” and could not believe that my beautiful daughter had metamorphosed into a disobedient, argumentative little tantrum thrower. The Toddler Training bible, Dr Google and every other reference said that this was normal development caused by hormonal changes. When the tantrums occurred, parents were recommended to stay calm and patient, speak quietly and model to children the way that strong emotions can be dealt with. Eventually they will learn to control their feelings and modify their behaviours. The Terrible Twos pass… and then the Horrendous Threes. We are now in the Awful Eights. (Why did no-one warn us of all these?!) Each stage in the child’s life is a time of challenge and learning, for both parents and child. The child gradually learns appropriate social behaviours. I was ready for similar stages in my other two children and a little wiser in dealing with them. I still have adolescence to look forward to!

The tantrums seen in a two year old are age appropriate. The same behaviours in a five year old at school are inappropriate. Tantrums in older children are definitely inappropriate and will require intervention so that that pattern of behaviour does not become “hard wired”.

Play Is The Way has had a dramatically positive affect on our school culture which has resulted in children learning socially appropriate behaviours by reflecting on and taking responsibility for their behaviours. The Play is The Way language provides a way of opening up conversations for learning from inappropriate behaviours. At all times the adult must model calm considered “adult” behaviours. Asking questions immediately requires the child’s brain to move away from the Limbic (emotional) part of the brain to the cerebral cortex (thinking) parts. An emotional responses to an emotional outburst will trigger defensiveness and escalate the problem. The Play Is The Way language is built around 6 reflective questions:

“Is that the Right thing or wrong thing to do?”
“Are you havinga Strong moment or weak moment?”
“Are your Feelings or thinking in charge?”
“Am I trying to hurt you or help you?”
“Are you running away from the problem or dealing with it?”
“Being your own boss or asking me to be the boss?”

These questions can be modified to any opposites such as “Is that a Nice or Nasty thing to say? These questions open up a conversation between the child and the adult where the adult crafts the questions to guide the conversation for the child to do the thinking and reflecting on his or her behaviour rather than passively listening to an adult give a lecture. The latter generally makes the adult feel better but results in no learning for the child.

Community Circles are a powerful tool for children to help each other reflect on behaviour and support their colleagues in developing strategies to become more virtuous. Inappropriate behaviours are named and dealt with in a trusting and supportive manner. Children learn the language to confidently and respectfully deal with issues and seek or give advice on how to improve. It is all about learning.

We live and work in a school community. When someone does the right thing, it affects the whole community positively. When someone does the wrong thing, it has a negative effect on the community. We firmly believe in “Our School. Our Children”. Children, regardless of their age or year level can be invited into a Community Circle to be accountable to and supported by the community.

Children’s learning and wellbeing is our business. Helping children develop appropriate social skills to enable them to moderate their own behaviours has become an increasingly large part of the teacher’s role. The real challenge for a leader is how to deal with teachers who display behaviours that are socially age inappropriate. The community of teachers has as yet developed to a stage where teacher behaviour is addressed in the same way that children are being taught. We too often operate a “polite society” rather than a community of learners. When a staff member’s behaviour, attitude or speech is negative, inappropriate or contrary to our School Agreements or Values, staff will rarely speak with the person concerned. More often than not the person will be spoken about or the behaviour will be reported to leadership.

It might sound simplistic or provocative, but most of these misbehaviours are age inappropriate – a teacher refusing to speaking to colleagues for extended periods, a teacher yelling at children, continually late for duty,

late back from the staffroom after a break, etc. Behaviours that would be expected from a junior primary student but not be accepted from a primary student, let alone an adult.

The Play Is The Way questions are a perfect vehicle for addressing the above. How many staff would respond positively? Would they feel that they were being “treated like a child”? If a teacher’s behaviour was named at a “staff meeting community circle” where they were respectfully told of the impact their behaviour was having on the community and then support offered, would the teacher see this as an act of caring and a valuable learning experience or would they cry victimisation and complain to the union?

Age inappropriate behaviour requires an age appropriate response… or should that be a “behavioural age” appropriate response?