Helping children to make friends with their emotions

 Event 

Helping children to make friends with anger and other emotions

About this webinar

As teachers, we don’t just teach school subjects; we teach children. But how can we teach children when they bring the emotional rollercoaster of family and friendship troubles into the classroom?

While no one can dispute the usefulness of well-known techniques for managing anger and other negative emotions, much less is known about the deep meaning of these emotions.

This webinar explores the importance of emotions as ‘signals’ of our intense attachments to people and events that we are unable to control. Using children’s books and films, participants will develop messages about emotions which could be used to support children’s understanding of the whole spectrum of emotions, ‘negative’ as well as ‘positive’.

From a deeper understanding of emotions as signals of attachment to people and events beyond their control, children can begin to listen to and make friends with their anger and other emotions. This approach pays attention to the quality of teacher-pupil relationships to support children’s emotional wellbeing. 

Webinar aims

• To explore the deep meaning of emotions as ‘signals’ of attachment to people on whom children depend but are unable to control.
• To consider how the deep meaning of emotions can be conveyed through classroom activities.
• To explore teacher-pupil relationships which support children’s emotional wellbeing.

Key takeaways

• Classroom messages about emotions
• References to resources that can be used to help children to listen to and make friends with anger and other emotions. 

About the speaker

Dr Agnieszka Bates is a former primary school teacher, with twelve years’ experience of teaching in both KS1 and KS2.

She also has experience of teaching and academic leadership at four university Schools of Education, with expertise in education policy, leadership and management.

Her current research focuses on the role of interpersonal relationships in individual and social wellbeing. 

About this series

BSUEd Insights is a monthly CPD series for education practitioners on a range of topics.