Voice of the Child

I was called to a class to support a child recently who was feeling frustrated with her schoolwork. She has had PBs input for over six months. She sat down in the corridor crying to go home. I persisted in trying to encourage her to come into the office and we could talk. Disengaged, she continued crying and complaining. Finally, perhaps feeling exasperated, and knowing one thing would really get my attention she stood up and shouted at me "I DON'T FEEL SAFE!" I felt so thrilled and amazed at her ability to apply her PBs, that without thinking (oops!) I said "Great!! Good girl!" She gave me a perplexed look and shouted "How is it GREAT that I don't feel SAFE?!?!?!"
It was a moment where knowing the child really counted - I giggled, breaking the tension. Phew!
We began to walk to my office as I explained it wasn't at all great that she didn't feel safe, but it was great she'd used her PBs so effectively. Shared meaning was restored.

A short while later, feeling safe again, she was back in class, ready to learn.
PBs to the rescue again

It is difficult not to be excited when we realise someone is putting PBs into practice - well done for persisting with this child and for helping her to feel safe enough to go back into class

Fabulous story of an expert practitioner's work coming to fruition... those children are lucky to have the opportunity to learn PBs from you Judith. Well done

That story has reminded me of 2 stories of my own (I hope I have remembered the details correctly, certainly the gist is correct)...

Feedback from a deputy head at a school that I had trained all the staff in and that had been delivering a PB curriculum for a couple of years. The deputy head was new and as she took to the stage at her first assembly a child next to her gave her a nudge and said 'You look like you've got your Early Warning Signs Miss'

I think that is wonderful on so many levels, especially because it says a lot to me about the ethos of the school in that a child had the confidence to be so appropriately familiar with a new senior member of staff.

The other story the same deputy shared with me was about an assembly year 5 were doing for the whole school about the annunciation of Mary.... "then the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she had her Early Warning Signs..."

Marvelous! When a school embeds the themes and language of PBs consistently the children have no problem in putting it into practice... then we hear THEIR PB voice