I work in a lot of primary schools and an emerging mantra is that “all behaviour is a form of communication” and when bad (deliberate term) behaviour is on display, we need to ask ourselves, “What is it this child is trying to tell us?”
Often what they are trying to tell us is manifest, eg “I want you to fuck off!”
The extreme inclusion agenda here seems to help no one. And neither does the ‘understanding’ one. In a different career, children often ‘communicated’ with colleagues and me. As professionals we did understand and knew our job was to help but, we also drew lines that children knew they should not cross, or if on occasion they did, they expected Trouble (capital T!). In the end, as they got older, we supported their maturing this way. Most, the vast majority, survived.
I work in a lot of primary schools and an emerging mantra is that “all behaviour is a form of communication” and when bad (deliberate term) behaviour is on display, we need to ask ourselves, “What is it this child is trying to tell us?”
Often what they are trying to tell us is manifest, eg “I want you to fuck off!”
The extreme inclusion agenda here seems to help no one. And neither does the ‘understanding’ one. In a different career, children often ‘communicated’ with colleagues and me. As professionals we did understand and knew our job was to help but, we also drew lines that children knew they should not cross, or if on occasion they did, they expected Trouble (capital T!). In the end, as they got older, we supported their maturing this way. Most, the vast majority, survived.