In this short reflective piece, we first outline how feelings and emotions (or 'affections') are understood in psychodynamic approaches, and briefly discuss how these may be controlled or 'contained' in organisational contexts. We then reflect on the recent experiences of one of us (Rachael) as a school leader seeking to contain feelings and…

Support to improve teacher wellbeing is scarce in almost all contexts, but especially so in low- and middle-income settings in which teachers face both professional and personal challenges (Kirk and Winthrop 2007; Mendenhall, Gomez, and Varni 2018). In this field note, we discuss War Child's development of Coaching-Observing-Reflecting-Engaging…

The pandemic has provoked disruptions in students' lives and studies worldwide, which has caused them to feel moderate to high levels of anxiety and stress. Universities have responded by offering online counseling and communicating self-help recommendations via their websites. Curiously, the role that professors could play to reduce this…

Even though emotions are central in many counselling modalities, how best to work with emotions has not often been clearly articulated or practically presented for counsellors. In this paper I outline a brief history of the science of emotion, highlighting the role of emotional regulation in the counsellor-client attachment and present a five-step…

An autobiographical, narrative art therapy approach to treat drug addiction was co-developed at the Methadone Clinic of Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The 10-session art therapy intervention included a group of 7 men. The protocol, as illustrated with a case example, suggests that it could help resolve deep-seated pain,…

Given that behavioral challenges contribute to learner exclusion in schools, there is a demand for behavior support strategies and practices that (a) extend beyond punitive measures, (b) aid the development of school customs and mores, (c) are based on nonviolence, and (d) promote positive self-discipline. This column explores behavior management…

Research has shown that a strong teacher professional identity is an integral part of teaching as well as learning processes. Unlike the traditional view of who teachers are, nowadays conceptualization considers teachers not only as reservoirs of knowledge but individuals that inspire other individuals in unique ways. Teacher professional identity…

Self-regulation has been identified as a 21st Century Essential life skill, underpinning all other aspects of learning with a significant impact on a child's long term life chances. When it comes to Essential Life Skills there is no level playing field, any more than there is for more academic skills. The Department of Education's Effective…

This field note contributes to understanding of the challenges in and opportunities for supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) in the education in emergencies context, with a particular focus on embedding social and emotional skills into literacy learning in the early grades of primary school. In Afghanistan, the current reality is that…

As children with autism spectrum disorder become adults, social participation continues to be an area of need. Within creative arts, there is a growing body of literature about the use of theatre arts, improvisational theatre, and improvisational techniques as a way to address social participation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The…

This paper presents a unique school-based programme that harnesses the benefits of both trauma-informed practice (TIP) and outdoor environments to support children's social and emotional wellbeing throughout the pandemic and beyond. In the opening sections of the paper, we discuss the extant literature and conceptual underpinning of TIP and…

According to Lev S. Vygotsky (1896-1934), the highest levels of abstract thinking and self-regulation in preschool development are established in "pretend play using object substitutions." An extensive research literature supports Vygotsky's empirical model of the internalization of self-guiding speech (social speech > private speech…

The COVID-19 crisis challenged us to learn, teach, and work in ways we never had before. As we move further into 2021 more educational institutions are thinking about how online teaching and learning can become a permanent way of offering programs. However, there are still ethical considerations that merit deeper consideration. Before the…

Purpose: In a classroom, the teacher and other students play an important role in regulating individual and group learning. However, the sudden shift to remote and online learning, as a result of social isolation during COVID-19, has created a social disconnect, making these immediate regulatory supports less accessible. A need was identified for…

In this paper we intend to present a tool for self-assess, support and improve reflective thinking in the educators towards the use of digital storytelling. First, we present an overview on the theoretical framework for conceptualizing a reflective educator, who needs to have a conscious approach on the practice and inquiries on the ethical…