24 February 2023

As most of you are familiar with our strength in teaching Positive Education/Wellbeing has been an ongoing focus for us for about 7 years. Each year we review where we are at against our strategy and determine an area of focus for the year. This year we are delving further into emotions. Emotional Literacy - the ability to read, name and express feelings - is something that is often associated with the Early Years.... all that rich learning that happens before children enter the realm of Primary School. 


If that's the case, I wouldn't have run a workshop with our staff on our emotional culture and desired and undesired feelings.... I wouldn't have done the same with groups of colleagues... and they wouldn't be emulating this in their workplaces at present!  


For some, this comes easy and, for others, they can spend a lifetime tuning into their own and others' emotions. It's not always that straight forward!


The staff were grateful to have a Clinical Psychologist lead a refresher session with us on Emotion Coaching at one of our Staff Only Days. Whilst the material was based on Emotion Coaching for parents - it's for all adults showing them the way. Staff being key Monday - Friday 8.55am - 3.00pm at the very least! 


The work is based on the work of Dr John Gottman - you may have across his extensive work on emotions and we won't get into adult relationships and the '6 lasting marriage predictions' - we will stick with the 'safer' area of parent/children!


"Emotion Coaching works alongside positive forms of discipline that rely on providing children with clearly understood consequences for misbehaviour."

 (Gottman, 1997) 


A taste of the four parenting styles identified by Gottman and his colleagues. Most of us use a mix but one is usually more dominant. The styles are:



For more detail about each style:

https://www.gottman.com/blog/an-introduction-to-emotion-coaching/


To give you a link for further exploration if you are interested in more of the specifics, we looked at: https://tuningintokids.org.au/. 


It's hard being a grown up and trying to do the right thing. We won't always get it right but as long as we are aware and try to!