Gentle Teaching

By Alexis Hill

I didn't understand why gentle parenting was a thing until I decided to do gentle teaching. I have noticed such a different reaction to how my students behaved from when i cater to their needs instead of just yelling. I had a student that KEPT getting up from her seat and I kept telling her to sit the first few classes. Finally I walked up calmly and asked why she kept getting up and she told me that her and two other girls were sharing one pencil. She told me she felt left out in the lesson because she couldn't even write them. My heart just broke for this perfectly good reason for moving but because she was just a "rowdy" kid she was ignored. Kids are humans too. They feel embarrassed and ashamed. She needed a helping hand not a slave master. I want to set my kids up for success because education is a right not a privilege. So I never yell. No matter how bad they get (which is really never. They are such good kids) I just talk to them. I share how I feel and if they agree we move on and if they don't we talk about it. A good relationship is what I want to build and I am doing it gently.