Gentle Teaching has enhanced me as a person in my personal, professional, and academic life. Further, Gentle Teaching is a philosophy that I intend to maintain in the future. In my personal life, I have found that I approach challenging situations with more openness and understanding. By considering first where someone may be, and then meeting them where they are at, my relationships are flourishing. However, where I feel that Gentle Teaching has created the most impact in my life is how I view individuals within the justice system.
At first glance one may not make a connection between Gentle Teaching and Human Justice; however, Gentle Teaching is extremely relevant. It is my opinion, through research conducted for various assignments and well as through class resources, that individuals within the justice system are often there as a result of marginalization, oppression and systemic racism. Often, those in the justice system from a young age are lacking the four Pillars of Gentle Teaching: safe, loved, loving and engaged. Currently, I am completing an educational practicum at a women’s shelter. Many of the stories that the women share with me demonstrate how they have not been or felt safe in an extremely long time, nor have they been shown healthy forms of love and engagement. Many of these women do not feel valued by their families, society, or themselves. Although following a trauma-informed care approach, I feel that through Gentle Teaching training I am able to adapt to this new environment in a way that I can provide support for these incredibly strong women. I am able to meet them where they are in that moment, not get caught up in things that have happened in the past, or even yesterday, and support them the best way I can, through Gentle Teaching.
I feel that Gentle Teaching is a philosophy that I will carry with me through any future career I have within human justice, even in settings that may seem unconventional. My next practicum has been set out to be on probation, and it is my intent to bring Gentle Teaching with me into that environment.
The traditional justice system does not provide an adequate environment for offenders to change which is why recidivism rates are so high. I strongly believe that Gentle Teaching can impact the likely hood of an individual re-offending if human justice professionals practice it in all levels of occupations within the justice system; it is my intent to do just that.
Britney
COR Family Member
2nd Annual Prairie Sexuality and Disability Conference
