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Over twenty years ago I left the classroom to make sure that children could live and learn in a culture that is relational, restorative and unerringly positive. I have remained committed to speaking out against zero-tolerance nonsense and advocating for those who can’t be heard.
Today my name and our When The Adults Change brand has become synonymous with inclusive learning, relational practice and emotionally safe learning environments. We have influenced seismic shifts in thousands of schools and colleges, and more recently been extending relational practice into homes, social care, public health services and beyond.
In a world where unprecedented uncertainty, economic poverty and technological overload is the norm, our children and young people have been hit hard. It is more difficult for children and young people to find emotional safety. It is more challenging for them to develop the appropriate social, emotional and mental resources that they need to thrive.
The cognitive profile of young people has changed; they find it hard to regulate and find themselves in a heightened state of arousal more of the time. In their cognitively formative
years, our young people are not always developing healthy social norms, responsible decision making skills, self-confidence or resilience. They are learning to be on high alert, to be distrusting of the world around them and to rely on virtual interaction rather than human relationships.
Our children and young people need, more than ever, to experience predictable, safe and supportive relationships. Their cognitive abilities, their sense of self and their trust in the world around them needs to be nurtured. It needs to be consistently modelled and supported by adults who are consistently fair. Of course we need to teach our children a high quality curriculum, but we also need to create a culture that develops their cognitive capabilities and ensures that they can access what is in front of them and what they stand to achieve in the future.
When The Adults Change, children and young people thrive in an environment that is emotionally safe for everyone, inclusive, equitable and driven by high expectations and the
highest possible levels of attainment. When The Adults Change isn’t punishing learners in a different way. It isn’t holding doors open for distressed learners for a little longer or sticking children with complex needs in different boxes. When The Adults Change is the foundation.
The place from which, regardless of background, ability, circumstance or need, every child has the right to belong; the ability to have a voice and the opportunity to achieve in all the areas of life they need to thrive.