Raising Well Being - Emotion Coaching 2016

Emotion Coaching Project - Click here for Link to Education Gazette Article

Te Ara Tūhura Cluster staff were noticing continued high levels of student and whanau anxiety manifesting as an increase in unacceptable behaviours being exhibited in the classroom and school environment. There was a lack of knowledge and understanding about how schools and early years centres can support anxious learners.

Emotion Coaching is based on the Tuning into Kids (TIK) parent program which Alissa Jardine at Kidsfirst Kindergarten Belfast is a trained parent facilitator.

Kidsfirst Kindergarten Belfast had been using Emotion Coaching in the daily teaching program. This has proved to be overwhelmingly successful with a child in particular with significant behavioural difficulties.

• Emotion Coaching  is a scientific way of promoting optimal development of children’s emotional, social and behavioural development, it teaches self control and reduces behavioural difficulties. Strongly relates to the findings from the Dunedin longitudinal study which found that the single most important factor in predicting a happy, successful life was self-control.   
• Emotion coaching is based on neuroscience and the neurosequential model of the brain. Based on neuroplasticity, every time a teacher emotion coaches, they  are strengthening the networks between regions in the child’s brain, so over time the child develops healthy traits  ‘neurons that fire today stay together” the part of the brain we work and exercise grows.  
• Through emotion coaching adults are strengthening the child’s prefrontal cortex allowing the child to build up their tolerance of staying calm, and returning to calm after a stressful event, now and in the future, very significant  for our Tamariki Ōtautahi, who are at heightened risk.

The Emotion Coaching Project was run across the cluster for three terms, Term 3 for initial two day training followed up with one on site visit in Term 4 2016 and Term 1 2017.

Benefits

The project was completed and now is into a second round of teachers being trained due to the success of the first round.

The follow up with on site visits to the teachers over the following two terms really helped consolidate the new learnings. The end of project Story Hui Evaluation also worked very well bringing the teachers together ensuring stronger network supports across the cluster.

Alissa required more time to follow up with teachers and complete her own admin work at her centre.

Brought the emotions of children to the front and encouraged discussions to move forward looking at supporting Te Ara Tūhura community with their well being and resilience.

Children: Builds more trust with students/tamariki more understood and develops greater trust. Provides a voice and validates -someone to listen- separates behaviours from person. Indicator of relationship with children - emotional coaching supports you to establish relationships with children. Te Whariki - do you know me ? Children learn that all emotions are ok - and establish appropriate behaviours and self regulate. When the child is emotional, they do not flip out or reach sames levels of anger as they would have previously, showing increased self control, slowed down, a lot more calm. Repetition using a shared language and emotion coaching others

Teachers:Confidence and the knowledge with this emotion coaching. It works.It is ok to take time to support emotion coaching. Using body language more when I am unsure what to say - giving space silent and supporting by being there. Helps us to empathise with where the students are at. Emotions drive what is going on.

Whānau/parents: More work needs to be done on this

Cluster: Hearing others successes, making connections, sharing resources and tools, liaison between ece and primary schools - similar strategies and shared language between supporting transition and maintaining continuity