Feeling safe and loved at school: gentle teaching in educational context

Abstract

Gentle Teaching is a unique relational approach, centred on building safe and engaging relationships. Since its creation by McGee, in the 1980s, it has been implemented, especially, with people in vulnerable or disadvantaged situations. The way we deal with people with intellectual disabilities, mental health problems or challenging behaviours has always caused concern. With an increasingly inclusive educational environment that promotes diversity, this concern has been extended to school learning contexts, creating the need to explore educational tools that allow educational agents to respond to all students. Successful results of Gentle Teaching in different contexts, suggest its potential and suitability for educational environments, through the creation of bonding relationships, which promote caring and security. In this paper we describe the concept of Gentle Teaching, its history, the pillars of the intervention model, support strategies and techniques, and approaches to management of disruptive behaviours, as opposed to more traditional paradigms. As a non-aversive approach to relationships, Gentle Teaching, can be an answer in supporting children who have difficulties in learning and behaviour, according to the legal guidelines for the protection of children's rights that disapprove physical or mental punishment. This relational model of positive interaction between the student and the educator, as the foundation for teaching, promotes meaningful relationships and can be a way of valuing the potential of each one, within the school context.