The role of our facilitators
Last updated
Was this helpful?
Last updated
Was this helpful?
At Kaleide International School, the role of the teacher (whom we prefer to call “facilitator”) is first and foremost to be that of a learner alongside the children. The choice to call our teachers “facilitators” is a deliberate one; while facilitators may sometimes provide direct instruction, facilitation is something you do with a group, not to it. The root of the word facilitator is “facilis,” the Latin word for “easy”; a facilitator is a person who provides unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision that makes it easier for students to self-direct their learning.
Facilitators talk with the children, listen to them, and observe. They are partners, nurturers and guides. Assessing what they see, they can plan how to respond and teach next steps immediately in a way that is uniquely suited to a particular child in that particular moment. The facilitator is a researcher, a resource and guide who lends her expertise to children, providing a differentiated learning pathway that allows for a broad balance of opportunity, challenge and content.
The facilitators and the children have very close relationships which enable the children to know who it is most appropriate to approach for guidance on a project. The closeness of these relationships also ensures the children feel very safe asking facilitators for support: it is of great importance that children feel the facilitator is someone who is not a judge but someone they can trust.
At all times, facilitators show enormous respect for children's own theories, ways of thinking and hypotheses. At Kaleide International School, we believe that allowing children to make mistakes in their quest to solve problems is fundamental to the learning process. Facilitators are not quick to intervene at every problem the children confront. Indeed, we believe in allowing children to travel along what adults may consider “the wrong path”, and in encouraging them to realise their mistakes autonomously.
Children learn from observing adults and older children, and imitating what they see. In this sense, facilitators act as important role models for the children, at least in four areas:
caring (for oneself, for others, for ideas, for the human-made world, and for the natural world);
attitudes to learning (a positive disposition to take on challenges, learning from mistakes, and sharing what we know);
communication and conflict resolution (empathy, listening skills, dialogue and finding common ground);
values (cooperation; treating everybody with respect, equality, and fairness).
In terms of curriculum content, facilitators do not teach maths, reading, writing and other academic skills through sequenced activities, drills, and workbooks. Instead, they provide experiences and materials that help children develop the broad language and logical abilities that are the foundation for later academic learning. If you have observed that your child has a particular interest, talk about it with a facilitator. We want to offer children all those things that serve to widen their horizons.
In conflict resolution, facilitators resort to non-authoritarian methods to help our children resolve any problematic issues and offer them essential tools that will enable them to find solutions for themselves. These skills will serve them greatly for the rest of their lives.
At Kaleide we believe physical contact (a hug or a friendly touch, for example) plays a key role in children's physical and emotional development. Facilitators have a close relationship with the children and this often leads to physical expressions of affection. Hugs are, by the way, the easiest way to stimulate oxytocin release, a hormone which allows us to relax, learn and be creative.
These are our guidelines in relation to physical contact in order to ensure that children feel safe around their bodies:
We always check with children if they wish to be touched, held, or carried before initiating physical contact. Each child has their own unique need and comfort level with respect to physical contact. Adults are to respect children’s limits unless contact is used to ensure the physical safety of the child.
We allow children to climb and reach heights and locations without physical assistance. Resist the urge to “help” a child reach their desired location by lifting them off and on the ground or other places. By allowing them to use and develop their own physical skills and power, their body awareness and control grows. This awareness gives them the knowledge of their own physical strengths and limitations, thus enabling them to take appropriate risks and challenges without risking injury.
