By Sherry Hodge, Training Supervisor
Gentle Teaching is about a spirit of gentleness!
- Establishing a “culture of gentleness” within our respective organizations
- Remembering to show calmness, personal care, tenderness, and compassion to those you serve by your actions, words, eyes, and tone
- Gentleness is to be more than just a personality trait; it must be genuine
A spirit of gentleness includes the following:
- Our nonviolence
- Our sense of social justice
- Our expression of unconditional love
- Our warmth toward those who are cold
- Teaching others to feel safe, loved, loving, and engaged
- Teaching a feeling of companionship and community
- Our human interdependence
The four pillars of companionship:
- You are safe with me
- It is good to be with me
- It is good to be loved
- It is good to be loving toward others
Gentle Teaching is NOT:
- “That teaching we do” when people behave contrary to how we want them to behave
- Just about giving care, but about caregiving
Gentle Teaching is often perceived as a training curriculum that applies only to the caregivers of those with developmental disabilities. Although this was the original intent, it has since become a training that has excellent application to everyone. I am certain every human knows that kind gestures, or the lack thereof, can make or break a person’s day. At GCCMH, we provide services to a lot of different people, so promoting a culture of gentleness should always apply to all individuals, not just those with developmental disabilities.
What does all this mean for us as a group of individuals in the human services field? Our GCCMH Intranet page reads, “Make every customer contact a positive experience from start to finish. Greet customers warmly and send them off with a cheerful 'Thank you for your call' or 'Have a great day!'” That can’t be so hard, can it? So, when you see someone having a bad day, a hug might be just what's needed. And if you’re not into hugs, a simple smile will do. After all, looking the other way doesn’t send a good message about you, or our agency. ♦
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