Genevieve gives teachers easy to follow, simple, yet powerful tips, tools and strategies that will support an environment in their centre that fosters each child’s emotional and social intelligence.

Genevieve is based in Whangarei, New Zealand, and can be booked to offer professional development to teachers or to give talks to the parents and teachers together (download the flyer here) at Early Childhood Centres and Playcentres around New Zealand. Appointments can also be made for phone or skype consultations to address specific questions before, after or separate from a visit to the centre.

There is now a growing body of research that tells us what parents and teachers have always known; that learning how to read ourselves and others is as important as learning to read words and numbers. We now know that emotional intelligence reduces violence, increases self esteem and social skills and provides the foundation for learning and development.

Even though the importance of supporting emotional and social intelligence in our children and youth is widely understood, teachers in general often feel largely under trained and under resourced in this area of their work.

“Meeting Genevieve and learning about peaceful parenting has been a great relief as a teacher trying to align my professional practice and beliefs about behaviour guidance and promoting emotional wellbeing as required in Te Whariki and DOP’s. I have struggled with behaviour management that relies on rewards and punishment and the effects this has on young children’s well being ….” Marion Logan, Early childhood Teacher (BTchln) and Parent

Read what other teachers have gained from these trainings here.

The gap that the Peaceful Parent Institute meets.

Genevieve’s work with teachers gives them easy to follow, simple, yet powerful tips, tools and strategies that will support an environment in their centre that fosters each child’s emotional and social intelligence. Fostering an environment of emotional safety greatly reduces stresses and tensions between teacher and children and enables children to operate (and co-operate!) at their best. Again and again the feedback is that the difference is incredible, the working environment for the staff is better and the learning environment for the children is better, it creates a beautiful win-win.

Teachers gain an invaluable opportunity to learn and grow together as a team.

These trainings also offer a time out to gain an objective perspective on the effect of the interactions between the adults and the children, and a time to explore challenging issues related to interpersonal dynamics relevant to their practice in a confidential environment.

Genevieve has such an incredibly in-depth understanding of how humans operate emotionally and mentally and brings a wealth of understanding, research, experience and clarity to the specific issues that teachers and parents face.

Some of the core themes that Genevieve teaches and explores with teachers:

  • Conflict resolution and problem solving skills.
  • Bridging the gap between what is known and what is practiced relating to child development.
  • Forming, maintaining and repairing attachments with young children.
  • Responding constructively to unhealthy behaviours.
  • Listening skills that foster connection and trust.
  • Setting limits while staying connected.
  • The pros vs the cons of imposing consequences, and using rewards systems.
  • Responding constructively and sensitively to shyness, fears and phobias.
  • A deeper understanding of the child’s behaviour in relation to brain science and child development.

Interpret and support resolution of feelings through Therapeutic Play in the Early Childhood settling.

Learn how to support and interpret the child’s developmental growth through their play. Playing for children is a rich world of communication, learning, growing, exploring, healing and resolution. “Playing is Saying”.

Through their play children;

  • communicate complex feelings that they don’t yet have the vocabulary for,
  • work to resolve fears and stresses,
  • release anxieties through laughter,
  • explore, practice and experience their world,
  • gain confidence and skills in relating to others,
  • work to generally regain emotional and mental balance and so much more …

Learn how to interpret and support the child’s developmental growth and healing through their play. Learn to use play to create specific opportunities to help children overcome shyness, aggression, fears, separation anxieties and other specific stumbling blocks that you identify.

Positive play experiences activate every aspect of the child’s being
Learn to interpret and support growth and resiliency through play

Through their play, children can overcome shyness, aggression, fears, separation anxieties and other specific stumbling blocks.

You’ll gain insights into ….

  • non directive child-centred play,
  • symbolic play,
  • nonsense play,
  • fighting play (including sticks, “swords” and “guns”),
  • separation games,
  • power-reversal games,
  • activities with body contact and
  • cooperative games and activities.We’ll talk about how and why all these benefits are magnified when children play in natural environments.

    Positive play experiences are a whole body and being experience which stimulates hormones like oxytocin that reduces stress and promotes growth and resiliency, while enhancing brain development.  Playing for children is a rich world of communication, learning, growing and exploring. Certain play releases physical, mental and emotional tensions.  

Genevieve draws on the work of many experts in the field of child development.

One of the models that she shares is The child-centred problem solving model

* Active listening * Negotiation * Setting Limits * Affirmation * Listening to feelings *

Kids learn to: * Respect themselves and others
* Accept responsibility * Think for themselves
* Express feelings * Empathize * Solve Problems

The problem solving model is explained thoroughly in Thomas Gordon’s “Teacher Effectiveness Training” and also more specifically adapted to the Early Childhood setting in ‘Guiding Young Children’.
Guiding Young Children: A Problem-Solving Approach
We strongly recommend centre’s buy the book (available through this link) “Guiding Young Children” It provides a rich resource for educators interested in adapting the problem solving approach in their centre. It gives teachers advice on all aspects of behaviour that children manifest in the early childhood setting and how best to respond in a respectful way that elicits problem solving,
co-operation, increased social skills, development of ‘feeling language and empathy..

Maintaining balance to increase harmony and cooperation

This workshop will offer very practical ways to maintain greater balance and harmony to support the child’s growth and development. When there’s more balance and harmony in the physical and emotional environment surrounding the child, the less stressed they will be and the more energy goes in to more satisfying play, learning and interactions.

We’ll talk about the stress relieving benefits of nature immersion, why it’s the perfect environment that optimises health and wellbeing for teachers and children alike. We’ll also look at maintaining greater harmony through mindful respectful communication skills like active listening, problem solving, using “I” statements, loving limits and more.

As well as giving examples of the skills in tricky situations. In an educational system which has traditionally intensified it’s focus on the child’s developing mind, it’s important for teachers & educators to hold the space for growth and harmony on all levels for our tamariki.

Teachers hold great potential for developing resilience in children through maintaining a physical, emotional and spiritual space of harmony, care, beauty and nurturing which helps children return back to balance again and again as they experience their frustrations and challenges. All elements of nature contribute to our balance and wellbeing.

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