n their children´s communication and self-esteem.
- NVC is a very helpful tool to learn how to identify emotions, needs and facts, and differentiate them from misinterpretation and judgments, all of them key concepts to transform conflicts in a non-violent way.
- It is a powerful resource to develop empathy and assertiveness.
- This methodology, based on communication skills, seems accessible to anyone – considering everybody uses communication on a daily basis, and is likely motivated to improve it – but at the same time it allows deep connection with other people’s needs, with one’s own humanity and the humanity of others – which is a much deeper outcome that people might not be aware of, or ready for, before starting the course.
- The desire to reach actors beyond teachers and pupils, which might include not only all the school staff but also parents, increases the reach of the results.
Betina Jamsek, teacher in Prevalje, Slovenia
“Due to the NVC idea my work as a teacher as well as my daily life have got incredible new dimensions. I consider the aspects and strategies I have learned so far the greatest gift in my life. We are all humans with individual stories, backgrounds and needs, and it simply feels amazing to have the knowledge to contribute to the well-being of pupils and co-workers. Instead of judging, blaming and self-pitying I have learned how to listen and open my heart to people around me … and all of a sudden it seems so easy to be understood. By support of NVC I feel to finally have the right to be a compassionate teacher with my own needs as well. I have experienced that a safe, respectful and warm classroom atmosphere is the solution to all challenging situations. Thank you, dear NVC friends, thank you!”
Giacomo Poleschi, parent and NVC practitioner, Lido di Camaiore, Italy
“When a conflict arise with my daughter, NVC helps me in connecting with myself and being able to distinguish the needs I'm trying to meet and then choose between many different ways I can take care of them. When a conflict arise between my daughter and other children, NVC helps me in acting in a way that can bring connection with the children, instead of putting my energy in deciding who's right or wrong, punishment, rewards, minimize, etc. When connection arises, often the solution will come from the children involved."
“It helps me in remembering that when there is a conflict with my child, the powerful thing I can do is to try to offer empathy and my presence to her to establish connection between us. After that I can choose to express what is important for me in that situation and then explore together where we can go from there. In doing this, I also know I'm showing to my daughter a way of acting that I think can help to bring peace to the world.”
Boy aged 15, student in a school inspired by NVC, Stockholm, Sweden
“This school is different from others because of the atmosphere here. In the classroom for example, you can say something without being afraid that someone will make fun of you because you sound stupid, and that´s not what I´m used to. I was very quiet in my last class and I still am, but that´s just because I learned to be quiet. No-one wants people to call you names and stuff like that just because you open your mouth. Here they encourage you to talk, which is great. The teachers here seem very dedicated to their work compared to my last school, and that makes it funnier and easier to learn.
“I am pretty sure that bullying doesn´t exist in this school, not anything that I know of anyway. Perhaps because of the atmosphere here, if someone actually did it, other students would stop it. There´s a feeling of safety here. I don´t know if they do anything here to prevent bullying but I don´t feel that that´s needed. [Bullying] just doesn´t exist here.”
Marianne Göthlin: email@example.com