Connection
The years of the coronavirus pandemic have had a major impact on education. Classes are unsettled: more attention is needed for a pleasant atmosphere at school. The teacher shortage and the heavy workload are also causing unrest.
Now more than ever, it is important to pay attention to one another. To work together in the school. To work on positive group dynamics in the classes, but also within the team. Good group dynamics increase the feeling of safety. As a result, a student—and you as an education professional—can feel safe and free to be themselves and to make mistakes. People are social by nature and want to connect with others. This is no different for you as an education professional: you need some form of connection to feel comfortable in the school environment.
The importance of good connections
The With All Due Respect! education conference is about the power of connection this year. Connection among teachers at team level and connection among students at group level.
At team level
When there is a pleasant atmosphere within the team and the group dynamics are good, you work more comfortably. You are more likely to approach a colleague when you have a question or are struggling with something. You do it together, not alone. Everyone feels an equal sense of responsibility within the team and works together to achieve the best results. There is a strong connection between you and your colleagues. ‘Together, we can do this’ is the motto.
At group level
A ‘good group’ prevents many behavioural problems. A safe atmosphere in your student group leaves less room for unwanted or transgressive behaviour. Your students’ sense of safety is high. There is little bullying. The students have a strong support network around them and feel heard. They know whom to turn to when they need help. Your students feel connected to one another. No one is left to face things alone.
Objective
With the With All Due Respect! education conference, School & Safety shows how the power of connection has a positive influence on group dynamics both within the school team (teachers) and in the groups (students). It also shows how connection has a direct effect on social safety in the school. After all, a pleasant group climate contributes to feeling free and safe in the school environment.
Format
The common thread running through the conference is social safety in relation to pedagogical professionalism. This is the basis from which School & Safety develops its knowledge and products. School & Safety addresses this in various workshops during the conference. The workshop leaders offer practical tools for putting pedagogical professionalism into practice. There is also a plenary programme, including two keynote speakers, which has a playful character but a substantively relevant undertone. It encourages reflection.
At the repeated request of attendees, School & Safety is offering the conference in a hybrid format, both on location and digitally. The plenary programme is the same for both groups; the workshops differ.
Target audience
The conference is aimed at education professionals (teachers, internal support coordinators, care coordinators, confidential advisers, safety coordinators, school leaders and administrators) in primary education, secondary education, secondary vocational education and special education. They can register for the in-person conference or the online version.
It is also a valuable conference for teacher educators and students of second-degree teacher-training programmes and primary teacher-training colleges. Based on previous years, it appears that education experts and national thematic institutes are also interested. These target groups are very welcome at the online conference.