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A case study in best practices: how engaging and respectful communication practices in a K-8 school lead to positive outcomes for students

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A case study in best practices: how engaging and respectful communication practices in a K-8 school lead to positive outcomes for students

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Content Running head: A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES

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A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES
HOW ENGAGING AND RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION PRACTICES IN A K–8
SCHOOL LEAD TO POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS

by

Emily Bayley

________________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2014

Copyright 2014 Emily Bayley
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Dedication
My first dedication is to my parents, Mary Berry Bayley, a graduate of UCLA, who
achieved her lifetime teaching credential and my father, Harry Moore Bayley, who received
his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Santa Clara. I realized through this
process that my parents had given me the love of learning, care for humanity, and a strong
diligence to never give up on your dreams. My dream to receive these very prestigious letters
after my name aligns with my life's mission to be in a position to spread the word about
respectful communication practices in teaching. Without the love of learning and the diligence
to work hard, I might not have achieved this dream. Thank you mom and dad, I hope you are
together, smiling, and proud from Heaven.
In equal measure, my second dedication goes to my children, Sarah, Micah, Joseph,
Jacob, and Grace. The honor and privilege it has been to raise you and be your mother is
beyond any words of appreciation that I can accurately express. My admiration for each one
of you, and your individual talents and goodness as human beings, are the inspiration for my
life's work as an educator. The love that is between each one of us has inspired me to be the
best person I can be, for myself and for you. I thank you all for your love, encouragement, and
inspiration.
Finally, I dedicate this paper to all children, who brighten our days, remind us to love,
and teach us with their innocent wisdom; and to the teachers who come into service to make
the world a better place.

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Pedro Garcia, for being an inspirational
leader. His clear vision of how to write a dissertation was the guiding force that propelled me
through this process. I prayed to be in your and Dr. Castruita's dissertation group, and my
prayers were answered.
I would like to thank and acknowledge Dr. Rudy Castruita for his guidance, insights,
and support through this process. He and Dr. Garcia made my dissertation process a smooth
one. I would also like to acknowledge and thank my third member, Dr. Anima Humphrey,
who added her time, energy, and insights to complete the team that has led me here to the
finish line.
Many thanks to the staff of Ventura Charter School for allowing, inviting, and
embracing me, into your beautiful school atmosphere, your classrooms, and your hearts. Your
assistance with my study was vital to its outcome and completion.
A special acknowledgement goes to the dynamic duo of my two editor sons, Jacob and
Micah Newberry, who ran the race alongside me with the batons passing in the relay of
mom’s writing. First, Jacob, who taught me with extreme patience good technique, which
boosted my abilities. You passed me on to Micah who affirmed what I had learned and fine-
tuned my writing until the very end with encouragement, support, and laughter.
A special thanks and love to my dear friend Shoshana, who became a one-woman
cheering squad through all of the steps along the way—to the very end of this process.
More thanks are given to all of my friends, family, and health care professionals for
supporting me through this process, in each of your specialties, with your generosity of spirit,
and for forgiving me for not being available as I studied and wrote this paper.
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Table of Contents

Dedication 2
Acknowledgements 3
Abstract 6
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 7
Introduction 7
Statement of the Problem 8
Purpose of the Study 9
Research Questions 10
Importance of the Study 10
Limitations and Delimitations 13
Definition of Terms 14
Chapter Two: Literature Review 19
Introduction 19
Teacher Attributes and Learning Environments 19
Humanistic Psychology and Educational Theorists 22
Teacher-Student Relationships 25
Teacher Communication Styles 29
Empathy as a Classroom Concept 34
Conclusion 37
Chapter Three: Methodology 40
Introduction 40
Purpose of the Study 40
Research Design 42
Population and Sample 44
Demographic Data 44
Procedures 45
Instrumentation 45
Data Collection 46
Data Analysis 46
Ethical Considerations 47
Summary 47
Chapter Four: Findings and Discussion 49
Introduction 49
Data Collection 49
Purpose of the Study 50
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question One 51
Theoretical Lens of Humanistic Psychology 53
Positive Outcomes for Students Using the Lenses of Goal Theory and 56
Teacher-Student Relationships
Conclusion: Research Question One 57
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Two 58
Interviewee #1 59
Interviewee #2 60
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Interviewee #3 61
Interviewee #4 62
Interviewee #5 63
Interviewee #6 64
Conclusion: Research Question Two 65
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Three 66
Interviewee #1 67
Interviewee #2 68
Interviewee #3 68
Interviewee #4 69
Interviewee #5 69
Interviewee #6 70
Interviewee #7 70
Conclusion: Research Question Three 71
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Four 72
Interviewee #1 72
Interviewee #2 74
Interviewee #3 78
Interviewee #4 80
Conclusion: Research Question Four 82
Summary and Discussion Findings 83
Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations 85
Summary 85
Purpose of the Study 86
Methodology 87
Sample Population 88
Data Collection 89
Key Findings 89
Limitations 94
Recommendations for Future Research 95
Recommendations for Future Teachers and Principals 96
Conclusion 96
References 98
Appendix A: Initial Contact with Principal 110
Appendix B: Introduction Letter and Purpose to Teachers 111
Appendix C: Letter to Participants 112
Appendix D: Contact Permitted the School's Name in Acknowledgements 113
Appendix E: Interview Questions for Participants 114
Appendix F: Observation Protocol Grid 115

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Abstract
School-aged children constitute a vital population in this country today. After completing K–
12, they will have the greatest effect on our society. These school-aged children look to the
adults in their world for guidance and inspiration. Entering school at Kindergarten, they
unquestioningly trust that the school will teach a set of subjects and provide other tools for
life—such as belief in one’s self, a drive to learn more, cooperative skills, communication
with peers and adults, an ability to ask for what they need, and knowing they have the right to
have their needs valued and met. The teachers and administrators in these children's lives, by
virtue of the position of authority, have a great responsibility to—and influence on—these
children.
Four research questions were used in this qualitative best practice case study of a K–8
school whose social/emotional curriculum emphasized the use of compassionate
communication practices for all of the stakeholders. This study sought to list the positive
outcomes for all stakeholders, with an additional conclusion regarding the need for this type
of training in education courses for preservice teachers and professional development
trainings for in-service teachers.
This study resulted in several key findings. The children experienced positive
outcomes directly related to their learning and were more self-regulated and intrinsically
motivated learners. Teachers experienced a greater feeling of connection, satisfaction, and
fulfillment with their students and their teaching practice.

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CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction
Studies have shown that not only children, but also all people learn best when they
have a positive connection with their teachers (Miller & Pedro, 2006; Wessler, 2003).
Research shows that students are motivated and successful learners when they are respected
and involved in establishing school and classroom behavioral standards (Dunne & Delisio,
2001; Miller & Pedro, 2006). Such standards include caring at the heart of the school
community, learning that is connected and meaningful for students, a strengthened community
where students use their voices, and choice and responsible interdependence to work together
for the common good (Edutopia). An expectation of clear and fair communication between
teachers and students fosters an environment of care and concern within a school. Using
guidelines of compassionate communication toward students achieves a level of comfort at
which optimal learning can occur. How do teacher practices in compassionate and engaging
communication result in positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect for all
members of the school community?
Teachers are a critical component as the purveyors of education in the learning
environment. To be a teacher requires taking specific educational classes and often earning
certification. Many students do not succeed in school. The future of many young people rests
all too often on the attitudes, biases, tone, facial expression, and words spoken or withheld in
hundreds of classrooms from their teachers everyday. These teachers influence their students'
present or future states of mind, what they think about themselves, their self-esteem, their self-
concept, and beliefs about their academic abilities, which can lead them toward success or
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failure in school and life in general. Training teachers as guiding forces in a classroom is of
paramount importance.
Statement of the Problem
A child's success in school can be synonymous with his or her success in life.
Attaining and maintaining a level of confidence, believing in themselves, and having the
motivation to challenge themselves and be challenged depends on early experiences with their
parents, teachers, and significant adults in their lives. This researcher proposes that to treat
children with the respect and consideration deserving of great people they have the potential
to become and the great work they are capable of doing, we must examine the training of the
teachers they depend on for respect and consideration. There is a need for teacher training in
emotional and social education with emphasis on lowering the "affective filter" (Krashen,
1987), so all students can experience optimal learning and success within a classroom.
Based on research findings that children learn best with a "lowered affective filter"
(Krashen 1987) and higher involvement in their own social/emotional education, the present
research project investigated whether there should be required courses for
teacher-candidates that expose them to these theories of the “affective filter” and social-
emotional education (Cohen, 2001), care education (Noddings, 1984), the Compassionate
Classroom (Hart & Kindle-Hodson, 2004), and Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995) with
opportunities to practice communication techniques that facilitate this type of classroom
management?
There is not sufficient education and training for preservice teachers and in-service
teachers that focus on specific and thorough certification in social/emotional curriculums,
cultural competencies, diversity training, and creating respectful student-centered classrooms.
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From the beginning of their courses of study to the end of the credentialing process, students
training to be teachers are not exposed, immersed, and required to achieve mastery of
communication skills that foster positive outcomes for all students. Although instilling the
values required to help children become lifelong learners and members of society who love,
work, and act responsibly is the spoken aim for parents and teachers, there has not been a
substantial integration of these values in the training teachers receive (Cohen, 2006). A
teacher should possess what is referred to as “dispositions.” In 2002, The National Council
for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, NCATE valued some of these dispositions as
being caring, fair, honest, responsible, and practicing social justice in the classroom
(Whitescarver & Cossentino, 2004). According to the Center for Social and Emotional
Education, feeling different from other students can make an individual anxious, which can
deter them from achievement. Knowing how to help a student work through these feelings is
an important skill for any teacher. Dewey (In Cohen, 2006) has emphasized the importance of
learning to solve problems in nonviolent ways, so that students can recognize human
differences with value. His work focused on pedagogic strategies that recognize social,
emotional, and ethical domains of learning (Cohen, 2006). Teacher training in emotional and
social education must emphasize lowering the “affective filter" (Krashen, 1987) so that all
students can experience optimal learning and success in the classroom.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this case study was to examine the literature in humanistic psychology,
early education, social learning, attachment theory, mindfulness training, genuine
engagement, caring, compassionate, authentic teaching, and emotional intelligence as it
pertains to communication practices that teachers use to foster successful learning
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environments for their students. The following best practices study involves observing
teachers and their students in a K–8 grade school who have all been trained in forms of
compassionate communication, social emotional, and engaging practices with the intent to
create a positive learning atmosphere for their students. Through direct observations, this
researcher provides a view into these classrooms. Teacher interviews were used to access the
teachers' points of view, how they came to learn about these methods, and their feeling of
connection to their students and success in their classrooms.
Research Questions
The study focused on the following questions:
1. How do teacher's practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
2. What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the
students in their classrooms?
3. What are the benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate
communication practices?
4. Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
Importance of the Study
The teacher is the agent through whom students can be transformed and uplifted—or
damaged and discouraged. They are the heart of the classroom, and therefore the heart of the
educational system. They are the life's blood of the class. This vital life's blood pulses
through the teachers and out to their students. If we are to affect the students in a positive and
lasting way, this blood has to be clean, fresh, and healthy. Stagnant views, unexamined
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biases, and personal beliefs that are counter-productive and harmful must be “checked” at the
classroom door. How do we find out that these stagnant and harmful beliefs exist? Was the
teacher shamed as a child? Are they aware enough not to repeat what was done to them? Are
they aware of their cultural biases? Do they know what cultural competence is, and how to
create a classroom that is safe emotionally for all students? Are they trained in social
emotional and nonviolent compassionate communication styles? With this in mind, this
researcher introduces the idea that teachers need to be immersed in and accomplished in the
concepts pertaining to:
social justice, nonviolent communication, engaging and compassionate classroom
management, and deeply respectful behaviors at all times. On this subject, the renowned
teacher trainer, child psychologist, and parent educator, Haim Ginott (1972) has written:
I have come to a frightening conclusion, I am the decisive element in the classroom. It
is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the
weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or
joyous I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or
humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis
will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. (p. 77)

Communication, is defined in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (n.d.), as the successful
conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings; a means of connection between people; imparting
or exchanging information or the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by
speech, signals, writing, or behavior. Communication requires a sender and a recipient. The
communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the
sender. Communication is thus a process by which meaning is assigned and conveyed in an
attempt to create shared understanding. Feedback is critical to effective communication
between participants (Communication, n.d.). Some important communication principles
include, self-knowledge, knowledge of one’s audience, and that communication has both a
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content and relationship dimension. The quantity of the communication does not increase the
quality of the communication. Communication is inevitable, irreversible, and unrepeatable.
The philosophy of Non-Violent Communication, or NVC, was created by Marshall
Rosenberg (2003) and is based on the premise that all people no matter what their age,
culture, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status are equal and deserve equally respectful
communication. He also believes that all people have the same needs, such as the need for
autonomy, love, and safety. All people have the same basic feelings in that they can and do
express, joy, sadness, upset, elation, and so forth. Rosenberg (2003) contended that when
“our” needs are met, we express the positive feelings and when they are not met we express
negative feelings. When a person, no matter what the age, is treated with respect and their
needs are met they are able to live their life with joy and stability. This is what we want for
students to experience at school.
Daniel Goleman (1995) has been a leader in popularizing the idea of “emotional
intelligence” and its importance in education. Many studies address this idea as it concerns
teaching children. As teachers and parents develop their own emotional intelligence, they
naturally become better teachers. The benefits are far-reaching. This type of teaching and
interacting with children from an early age has multiple positive outcomes. Students learn to
identify, express, and manage their feelings. Cultivating emotional intelligence creates the
ability to delay gratification, to develop more empathy, to foster positive “self talk,” and to
interpret social cues. This pedagogy allows the individual to see him- or herself in
perspective to a larger community (Goleman, 1995). A significant body of research and
evidence indicates that conveying to students their worth and intrinsic value as human beings
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first, and intertwining this message in words, attitudes, and actions within a classroom, not
only increases academic achievement but also produces successful people.
This study contributes to the field of education by the examination of a whole school
staff using forms of compassionate communication techniques. These practices connect the
students to their teachers, fellow classmates, and their school community. Grounded in
observations and interviews of teachers and administrators, the results stand as an example of
best practices that enhance learning and can be generalized to other schools. This school
example represented what the literature states regarding how children learn best when they
learn in an emotionally safe environment. The results from this research study provide
evidence that supports extending teacher education to include these practices as an integral
part of the preparation of preservice and in-service teachers. With such environments, our
schools become training grounds for caring, respectful, and productive citizens as well as
provide the optimal environment for successful learning outcomes.
Limitations and Delimitations
The limitations of this study include its focus on one particular K–8 school. There was
not sufficient time to seek out and observe other schools similar in philosophy and teacher
training. Another limitation was that this researcher has taught using compassionate
communication techniques for 28 years and is biased in believing it is the way to teach all
students of any age; this bias may prevent seeing other points of view. This study only
provided time to interview eight teachers and administrators, so the sampling size was small.
One delimitation is that the researcher is versed in nonviolent, compassionate, and
engaging teaching practices, and therefore was able to see the use of such practices in action
better than a nontrained observer. The literature review of many and varied sources all
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expressing similar concepts matched the observations and study made of this school, lending
itself to be generalized to larger populations
Definition of Terms
Affective Filter: When students are engaged and motivated and feel minimal stress,
information flows freely through the affective filter in the amygdala, and they achieve
higher levels of cognition, make connections, and experience “aha” moments. Such learning
comes not from quiet classrooms and directed lectures, but from classrooms with an
atmosphere of exuberant discovery (Kohn, 2004; Willis, 2007). The affective filter, if raised,
produces anxiety and is therefore an impediment to learning or acquisition caused by negative
emotional ("affective") responses to one's environment. It is a hypothesis of second language
acquisition theory, and a field of interest in educational psychology (Krashen, 1987).
Amygdala: The amygdala (Latin, corpus amygdaloideum) is an almond-shape set of
neurons located deep in the brain's medial temporal lobe. Shown to play a key role in
processing emotions, the amygdala forms part of the limbic system. In humans and other
animals, this subcortical brain structure is linked to both fear responses and pleasure
(Amygdala, n.d.).
Care Education:
In “educating the [caring] response," caring parents and teachers provide the
conditions in which it is possible and attractive for children to respond as “carers” to
others. We show them how to care. Children educated in this way gradually build an
ethical idea, a dependable caring self. A society composed of people capable of
caring-people who habitually draw on a well-established ideal will move toward social
policies consonant with an ethic of care. (Noddings, 2002, p. 223)

Circle of Courage Model of Positive Youth Development: A system set up by Martin
Brokenleg, using four aspects: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.
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Compassionate Classroom: Relation-based teaching and learning. According to Hart
and Hodson (2004):
Relationships impact teaching and learning and focuses on four vital relationships in
the classroom: teacher to self, teacher to students, student to student, and student to
learning. When we tend these relationships and infuse them with mutual respect, we
nurture seeds of compassion. (p. 7)

Dewey's Views on Teacher Education: It is essential in a democracy for teacher
educators (a) to assist teacher candidates in developing curiosity, open-mindedness, and
reflective and active inquiry for themselves and (b) to teach them how to do this for their
students (Dewey, 1938; Meadow, 2003).
Educarers: This is a person—either parent or infant teacher—who is caring for an
infant. Magda Gerber (1998), infant specialist, teacher, and parent coach established the
concept of “educarer” and the Educaring™ Approach, which fosters an authentic sense of self
and lays a foundation for secure relationships, enduring curiosity, and lasting self-confidence
to support infants to be: secure, competent, confident, curious, cheerful, attentive, exploring,
cooperative, peaceful, focused, self-initiating, resourceful, involved, inner-directed, aware,
and interested.
Emotional Intelligence: The ability, capacity, skill or, in the case of the trait E.I.
model, a self-perceived ability to identify, assess and manage the emotions of one’s self, of
others, and of groups (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009).
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid: Psychologist Abraham Maslow first
introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper, "A Theory of Human
Motivation," and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality. This hierarchy suggests
that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced
needs. The basic needs are:
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1. Biological and Physiological: air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
2. Safety: protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.
3. Belongingness and Love: work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.
4. Esteem: self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance,
prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.
5. Cognitive: knowledge, meaning, etc.
6. Aesthetic: appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
7. Self-Actualization: realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal
growth, and peak experiences.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained
and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. It is one of the
many forms of meditation, if you think of meditation as any way in which we engage in (a)
systematically regulating our attention and energy (b) thereby influencing and possibly
transforming the quality of our experience (c) in the service of realizing the full range of our
humanity and of (d) our relationships to others and the world (Kabat-Zinn, 2012).
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): a credentialing
agency that promotes high standards for quality group care for infants and toddlers influenced
by Magda Gerber.
National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE): The purposes
and objects for which this corporation is formed are as follows:
To improve teacher education in the United States and elsewhere through:
• The formulation of policies, standards, and procedures for the accreditation of
institutional programs of teacher education.
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• The accreditation of programs of teacher education and the annual publication of
a list of institutions whose programs of teacher education are accredited by the
Council.
• The encouragement of member organizations and other groups in the performance
of their respective roles in the improvement of teacher education. (Certificate of
Incorporation, n.d.)
Nonviolent Communication: A reframing of how we express ourselves and hear
others. Instead of habitual, automatic reactions, our words become conscious responses based
firmly on awareness of what we are perceiving, feeling, and wanting. We are led to express
ourselves with honesty and clarity, simultaneously paying others respectful and empathic
attention (Rosenberg, 2003).
Presence: A state of awareness, alert, receptivity and connectedness to the mental,
emotional, and physical workings of both the individual and the group in the context of its
learning (Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006).
Responsive Classroom: A classroom concept introduced through the Erikson Institute
for Advanced Study of Child Development. This concept is rooted in an essential Eriksonian
idea: that understanding child development is essential to good teaching, instructional design,
curriculum, classroom arrangement, teacher-child relationships, discipline practices, and
more. Creating a positive environment with rich and varied learning experiences to engage a
child’s natural curiosity builds social skills and academic success. Responsive classroom
goals are to create caring, responsive learning communities; integrate social skills learning
into all aspects of the school day; formalize a system for reflective practice within the school;
implement relationship-based teaching practices.
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Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Standards and goals are (a) Develop self-awareness
and self-management skills to achieve school and life success; (b) Use social awareness and
interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships; (c) Demonstrate
decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts
(Social/Emotional Learning, n.d.).

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This literature review will discuss research that shows that children learn best in an
emotionally safe environment. This literature review will show the importance of creating a
respectful learning environment for students. The literature will answer the following
research questions: (a) How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging
communication result in positive outcomes for students? (b) What are the specific skills
teachers need to convey emotional safety to the children in their classrooms? (c) What are the
benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate communication practices?
And, finally, (d) Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication
techniques for preservice and in-service teachers?
Teacher Attributes and Learning Environments
With the teacher at the helm of this created environment, the author supports the need
to examine teacher-training programs with respect to this idea of a compassionate, respectful,
and responsive classroom. According to Abraham Maslow, when there is a sense of safety
and a connection with others, true learning becomes possible (In Biehler & Snowman, 1993).
Further, Carl Rogers (1959) has stated that one of the most important factors for a student is a
secure, safe, educational environment in which mutual trust and respect co-exist and can help
self-confidence mature. In this environment, faculty and students appreciate each other's
qualities (Andersen & Carta-Falsa, 2002). Nel Noddings (1984) has offered a philosophy on
the role of the teacher, in which the teacher plays an influential and powerful role as one of
the authors that form a student’s ethical self.
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Martin Brokenleg (2005) stated that for children to fully bloom respectfulness toward
them is a must, and consistent adults must provide love, care, and commitment. The
assumption is that respectful treatment leads to respectful behavior. Regina Miller and Joan
Pedro's (2006) article "Creating Respectful Classroom Environments" maps out that such an
environment fosters appreciation and understanding of diverse groups and that people in an
atmosphere of respect share more of themselves. A respectful classroom is open-minded,
allows students to feel safe in sharing ideas, and promotes the ability and willingness to accept
each other's ideas and values. There is a feeling of connectedness for all participants, and the
fear of the unknown is decreased.
A similar idea is posed with the theory of the "Responsive Classroom" by Horsch,
Chen, and Nelson (1999), who describe it as a place where children's social, emotional,
physical, and cognitive development is fostered and nurtured. This approach recognizes the
child’s need to be a significant member of his or her classroom community.
In the article "Every Child is a Leader," Bonstingl (2006) has written that each student
views his or her own life as the most interesting long-term project, thus stressing the
development of student leadership programs giving students tools and strategies that provide
the keys to achieve a successful life (Bonstingl, 2006). Rodgers and Raider-Roth (2006) have
argued that high-test results are possible when good teaching causes good learning. These
authors viewed authentic engagement with students as a relationship that provides teachers
who know and respond in the learning environment with compassion and intelligence
(Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006). The teacher they described is aware and connected to the
student's mental, emotional, and physical natures as individuals and collectively within the
learning environment. These teachers possess the ability to respond using consideration and
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compassion with their students (Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006). Furthermore, Rodgers and
Raider-Roth drew upon the work of Martin Buber's ideas (1970), which articulated the
qualities he thinks a teacher should have. He described being “present” for the student, which
means that a connection is forged in present moments in the relationship between student and
teacher. This present, full engagement in the moment means coming into relation with not
only the students, but also learning, the subject being studied, and one’s self as the teacher.
The ability to be present aids in creating optimal learning (In Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006).
This aspect of the emotional needs of the child in a class suggests we also consider the
emotional intelligence of the teacher. In his work on emotional intelligence, or E.I., Daniel
Goleman (1995) has explained that emotional intelligence determines a person’s success in
life more so than academic intelligence (Ekmon & Davidson, 1994; Stuffit, 1996). Emotional
intelligence is a necessary quality for teachers. As Stuffit has written, when teachers take the
time to think through and enact a rational response rather than emotionally reacting to
students, they are using their emotional intelligence (Stufft, 1996).
But where will teachers learn these techniques? How will they acquire the qualities
they need to be facilitators of a respectful classroom? Dewey (In Meadow, 2003) would now
say that in a democracy, teacher educators need to assist teacher candidates to develop
curiosity and open mindedness. Ideally, these educators would acquire active self-inquiry and
teach this skill to their students (Meadow, 2003). The question thus is raised, where and how
do teachers learn the importance of creating and maintaining a respectful classroom? (Miller
& Pedro, 2006). Miller and Pedro (2006) have stressed the importance of support for
preservice teachers in their article "Creating Respectful Classroom Environments," arguing
that it is vital for teachers to learn how to include character education as a critical part of the
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classroom curriculum. Carol Rodgers and Miriam B. Raider-Roth (2006) have pointed out
that even though being present in the mutual acts of learning and teaching is widely
acknowledged as being vitally important to the learning process, it is not often directly taught
in teacher education programs or mentioned on certification lists as qualities for teachers to
acquire in their preservice training or by their supervisors of preservice teacher training
(Garrison & Rud, 1995; Liston, 1995; Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006).
Humanistic Psychology and Educational Theorists
This literature review now examines the known research in human development to
understand the need for transformative teacher training in the areas of student engagement,
compassionate listening, respectful tone, and unbiased attitudes. Psychologist Abraham
Maslow (1943) established a pyramid of a hierarchy of human needs. The bottom of his
pyramid is physical safety needs, such as food, air, and shelter. The next two levels up the
pyramid are the human needs for belonging and love, and then self-esteem and achievement
needs (Maslow, 1943).
Psychologist Carl Rogers (1959) added that individuals need an environment that
provides them with genuineness, acceptance, being seen with unconditional positive regard
and empathy, and being listened to and understood. Rogers (1959) believed that without these
elements, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should. He asserted
that humans have one basic motive: to self-actualize and to fulfill one's potential, achieving
the highest level of “human-being-ness” (Rogers, 1959). He described this actualizing as
becoming a fully functioning person. For Rogers, the main determinant of whether we will
become self-actualized is our childhood experience. Positive self-worth, according to Rogers
(1959), develops in early childhood. The interaction of the child with the parents and then, as
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the child grows, with significant others, will affect their feelings of self-worth. For example,
teachers are significant others in a child's life. Positive regard is how other people evaluate
and judge us in social interactions. He made the distinction between whether the positive
regard is conditional or unconditional.
Child therapist and infant specialist Magda Gerber (1998) established a theory of child
care based on respect and trust that the infant will develop naturally at his or her own pace.
According to Gerber (1998), adult caregivers who engage in conversation with an infant while
caring for him or her are “educarers” (Gerber, 1998). The guidelines established by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a credentialing
agency that promotes high standards for quality group care for infants and toddlers, was
influenced by Magda Gerber's methods. Her methods of childcare have been accepted and
commonly practiced by professionals, caregivers, and parents. This is a commonsense
approach, according to Gerber (1998), in one in which the adult engages fully with the child
even while doing mundane routines. It is her belief that a child develops authentically when
spoken to authentically. Her approach encourages parents and teachers to slow down and
respect the pace of the developing child. This encouragement increases the child’s
spontaneity and drive to learn (Gerber, 1998). She noticed that caregivers who give full
attention to young children enable them to be the “self-learners” they were born to be (Gerber,
1998). She encouraged the adults in the environment to be creative when and how they
intervene in a child's process of discovery. She taught us to work to be models of authenticity
by staying connected to our true self. Gerber (1998) founded the nonprofit organization
Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) in Los Angeles in 1973. It utilized a relationship-based

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approach rooted in a foundation of respect for children, encouraging them to be independent
learners while recognizing the human inclination toward interdependence.
Health Realization, a principle-based psychology of positive youth development
perspectives, assumes that children are born with a natural capacity for healthy psychological
functioning. In his article on positive youth development, Thomas Kelley (2003) has stated
that considerable evidence from contemporary developmental research based on thousands of
naturalistic observations of infants and toddlers raised in nurturing settings revealed
unequivocally that such youngsters possess a natural curiosity to explore and learn as much as
possible about their surroundings. The body of developmental research is vast and has
revealed conclusively that, at birth, children do not have a mind-set that predisposes them
toward delinquency or other possible deviant behaviors. Indeed, these studies have pointed
that, to the contrary, almost unanimously, there is an inborn state of healthy mental
functioning in children, which includes a natural interest to learn, an intrinsic ability to act in
mature, commonsensical, nondeviant ways, and a natural desire to use and expand their
abilities in legitimate and prosocial directions (Ainsworth, 1982; Arend, Gone, & Srourfe,
1979; Dodge & Frame, 1982; Kelley, 2003; Mills, 1988; Patterson, Chamberlain, & Reid,
1982; Sroufe, 1979; Sroufe, Carlson, & Shulman, 1983; Stewart, 1985; Suarez, Mills, &
Stewart, 1987; Wilson & Herrnstein, 1985).
Montessori's approach situates respect for the child as the cornerstone on which all
other Montessori principles rest. As Montessori said, adults, as a rule, do not respect children.
They often attempt to force children to follow the adult regardless of their special needs.
Adults are overbearing and rude toward children. These adults often expect children to be
submissive and well behaved. So strong is a child's instinct to have faith and admiration in
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and for an adult that they will imitate their behavior. She pleads that adults treat children with
all of the kindness that they wish to develop in them (Montessori, 1967).
Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of social development promotes learning contexts, focusing
on connections between people and the sociocultural context in which they act and interact,
and shared experiences (Crawford, 1996) in which students play an active role in learning.
The roles of teacher and student are therefore shifted, as a teacher should collaborate with his
or her students in order to help facilitate meaning construction in students. Learning therefore
becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and the teacher (Vygotsky, 1978). In Social
Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) people learn by observing others’ behavior and attitudes,
and the outcomes of those behaviors. New behaviors are formed and performed from
observations of these models (Bandura, 1977).
Teacher-Student Relationships
Attachment theory explains how students use their positive relationships with adults to
organize their experiences (Bowlby, 1969). Central to this theory is that students with close
relationships to their teachers view their teachers as a “secure base” from which to explore the
classroom environment. In practice, students with this “secure base” feel safe when making
mistakes and feel more comfortable accepting the academic challenges necessary to learning.
Taken together, effective teacher-student relationships confirm to students that teachers care
for them and support their academic efforts (Bowlby, 1969). Improving teacher-student
relationships is only the first step toward meeting students’ emotional and relational needs. A
teacher should also work on producing a caring community of learners. Such efforts improve
the nature of interactions among students and promote students’ engagement in school

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(Hamre & Pianta, 2005; McCombs, 2004; Meece, 2003; Meece, Herman, & McCombs, 2003;
Weinberger & McCombs, 2003).
The ability to maintain caring and supportive relationships with children is crucial for
all teachers of young children (Pianta, 1999). Pianta (1999) has described the teacher-child
relationship as a regulatory system that contributes to children's social and academic
competencies in school. Sensitive teacher-child interactions form the basis for the
development of these supportive relationships (Kontos & Wilcox-Herzog, 1997). Teachers
who are sensitive and create a positive climate in their classrooms tend to be more familiar
with the academic needs of individual children in their classroom (Helmke & Schrader, 1988).
Werner and Smith (1989) and Marshal (2004) found that teachers who took a personal interest
in their students and provided positive role modeling were the most frequently identified
nonfamily influences for resilient students. Positive school adjustment, positive academic
achievement, positive social skills, and student resiliency are fostered by positive teacher-
student relationships. Teachers report low conflict and low dependency issues when there is a
high level of closeness and support within this relationship (Battistich, Schaps, & Wilson,
2004; Birch & Ladd, 1997; Hamre & Pianta, 2005). The education literature has indicated
that teaching with the whole self is increasingly valuable (Intrator, 2005; Intrator & Scribner,
2003; Liston & Garrison, 2003) as is the related discussion concerning the teacher's self
(Intrator, 2002; O'Reilly, 1998, 2005; Palmer 1998). This thread in the research goes back to
Moustakas (1972) and was an important theme in the work of Carl Rogers (Rogers &
Freiberg, 1994), who devoted a whole chapter of his book on education to the question, "As a
teacher, can I be myself?"

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Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003, 2012) is professor emeritus of medicine and founding director
of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and
Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He recommended that human
service professionals, such as teachers, take a mindfulness approach, defining mindfulness as
the ability to pay attention moment to moment to the unfolding of one's experience (Kabat-
Zinn, 2003). A substantial body of mindfulness research literature is seeking to operationalize
and connect mindfulness to established psychological theories and treatment (Brown, Ryan, &
Creswell 2007). A study (Poulin, Mackenzie, Soloway, & Karayolas, 2008) from the
University of Toronto based on a Wellness Education course that offered mindfulness training
to education students resulted in increased awareness of self and teacher self efficacy by the
participants. Mindfulness keeps the participant in the moment, cultivating a sense of open
curiosity toward each emerging moment and strengthening our ability to sustain a
nonjudgmental stance both toward ourselves and in relation to the full range of our students
experiences (Vacarr, 2001). Recognizing that "all learning begins with the learner's frame of
reference. [And that] teachers need interpersonal skills to enter the learner's frame of
reference" (Carkhuff, Berenson, & Pierce, 1977, p. 17) has become a truism. Skills that help a
teacher are perspective taking and empathy (McCormick, 1999).
In the article “Ethical Consciousness in the Classroom: How Buddhist Practices Can
Help Develop Empathy and Compassion,” Mamgain (2010) cited common themes in the
mottos of 18 colleges in the U.S.; they speak of truth, freedom, and service—an inspirational
set of ideals. His hope as an educator is that students develop into world citizens who are
passionate in these ideals and become lifelong learners who use critical thinking in their
endeavors. He cited that in 1985, the Carnegie Foundation took a survey of 5,000
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undergraduates, and the results were that 52% felt like they were just numbers in a book, and
42% did not think that their professors were interested in their progress. He asserted that
students might feel unable to follow their most noble impulses, arguing that it neither natural
nor inevitable that the process of education leave a student lacking in the idealism he or she
once had. It may be a result of the how we teach (Mamgain, 2010).
The Child Development Project is an elementary school improvement program to help
children develop skills and inclinations for respectful, caring, and responsible behavior. It
fosters students’ social, emotional, and ethical development with four basic principles: To
build warm, stable, supportive relationships among and between students, teachers and
parents; to provide regular opportunities for students to collaborate with others; to provide
regular opportunities for students to exercise their “voice and choice,” which encourages
having an influence and being autonomous; and to articulate, discuss, and encourage
reflections on core values and ideas. After a four-year assessment, this program was assessed
as showing significant increases and improvement of the following in its students: concern for
others, altruistic behavior, motivation to be kind and helpful, conflict resolution skills,
acceptance of out-groups, enjoyment of class, liking school, motivation to learn, and amount
of reading. Students and teachers in this program decided together what the rules were
(Lewis, Schapps, & Watson, 1996).
The idea of relationship building between teachers and their students is explained in
John Gottman's 30-years of work on relationships and can be applied to teachers and
classrooms. He said that our response makes all the difference in relationships. He calls these
responses “bids.” A teacher's response to a student is either toward, away from, or against the
student. Teachers need to be aware of this dynamic when their students ask a question. How,
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then, does the teacher respond? A relationship-building response needs to be toward the
student. Every response is either a deposit or a withdrawal to or away from the relationship
(Mendes, 2003). The compassionate classroom is an inherently relationship-building one.
Teacher Communication Styles
How a teacher communicates is paramount and relates directly to positive outcomes
for his or her students. The construct of teacher communication styles is therefore vitally
important to research as it is based on the constant relationship that exists between a teacher
and his or her students. Throughout the literature, the consistent purpose of examining
teacher communication styles is to correlate the teacher's style to student outcomes. Walker
(2008) compared teacher communication styles by seeing through the theoretical lens of
Diana Baumrind's (1971) parenting styles, and further applied Pintrich's (2000) goal theory
differences of mastery orientation and performance orientation to her study. Baumrind's
(1971) known parenting styles of authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive are used as a
framework through which to examine teachers' teaching styles. Teachers using a more
authoritarian style produced disengagement and limited ability beliefs, with consistent
classroom management but limited autonomy support and limited personal interest in
students. Authoritative teaching styles reflected consistent classroom management, support of
student autonomy, and personal interest in students. A permissive style brought smaller
academic gains, inconsistent management, lack of autonomy support, and less interest in
students. Walker (2008) asked what created optimal contexts for student engagement and
learning? She used goal theory (Pintrich, 2000) to identify important teacher practices or
communication styles with either mastery-focused practices that emphasize personal
improvement, task understanding, and acquisition of effective problem-solving skills, or
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performance-focused practices that emphasize meeting external expectations and standards.
Mastery-focused practices by the teacher positively correlate to the student having adaptive
outcomes that include confidence, learning strategy use, and achievement. The results for
performance-focused practices produced limited ability behavior and maladaptive forms of
engagement, such as high rates of avoidance behavior (Turner, Meyer, Midgley, & Patrick,
2003; Urdan, Midgley, & Anderman, 1998). However, they are also linked to positive student
affect (Ryan & Patrick, 2001) and greater student engagement and academic progress (Bohn,
Roehrig, & Pressley, 2004; Walker, 2008). Baumrind's basis for explaining the differences in
parenting styles can be adapted for the classroom teacher’s communications style. Her
dimensions of either high demandingness and high support (authoritative) or high
demandingness and low support (authoritarian) relate to the mastery goal practices and the
performance goal practices, respectively. This association is achieved by applying the
concepts of parenting style to the classroom and examining the influence of teacher’s use of
mastery- and performance-focused practice. Walker’s (2008) study included teacher
interviews at the beginning of a school year. Teachers were asked to identify their goals for
students, and the strategies they intended to use to achieve their goals. They were also asked
to identify elements of an ideal classroom environment and student attributes necessary for
school success.
One key finding of Walker's (2008) work is that when a teacher’s communication
aligns with either authoritative, authoritarian, or permissive style, the effectiveness of that
teacher’s mastery- and performance-focused practices are effected by their students’ openness
to these practices. The authoritarian style of teaching produced lower academic self-efficacy,
stemming from limited support for student autonomy and fewer opportunities for independent
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practice. Students had more doubt, more self-handicapping behaviors, and lower social self-
efficacy. These results are consistent with evidence that student perceptions of teacher
support and promotion of task-related activities relate to students' engagement levels and
personal motivational beliefs, such as social efficacy (Patrick, 2007).
As a whole, results supported the hypothesis that authoritative teaching provides an
optimal context for student engagement and learning through its demands for student
autonomy, effective classroom management, and responsiveness (Walker, 2008). An
important implication from the literature is that the cultural composition of a class effects the
way a teacher communicates with a diverse population, which, in turn, effects students’
perceptions of teachers' communication styles. Teachers may act differently toward students
based on their cultural backgrounds; therefore, a student's perceptions of teachers' styles of
communication is influenced by culture (Levy, Wubbels, Brekelmans, & Morganfield, 1997).
This aspect of teacher attributes and communication is a cultural competence that creates safe
and productive environments for diverse student populations (Bondy, Ross, Gallingane, &
Hambacher, 2007).
This idea of student engagement and classroom management has been researched for
many decades, yet classroom management—also described as teacher style—in urban
classrooms has been a major concern for new teachers, with up to 50% of teachers leaving the
classroom within the first 3 years (Berry, Hopkins-Thompson, & Hoke, 2002).
Culturally responsive classroom management (CRCM) strategies require more than
the original management literature (Brown, 2003, 2004; Thompson, 2004; Weinstein, Curran,
& Tomlinson-Clark, 2003; Weinstein, Tomlinson-Clarke, & Curran, 2004). CRCM is
grounded in teachers' judgment about appropriate behavior as informed by their knowledge of
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their own cultural assumptions. Differences in cultures in a classroom might bring a
difference in behavior if teachers are aware of the cultural differences. They can react with
knowledge and view a behavior as a cultural difference instead of an act of defiance. Brown
(2004), in his study sought to identify key CRCM strategies used by effective teachers across
the country, found that effective teachers developed a respectful, caring, personal relationship
with each student. In addition, the teacher created a safe learning community, fostering
connections, student to student and teacher to student. This safe emotional learning climate
allowed risk taking, laughter, and trust to form with every member.
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Interstate
New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) have offered a list of goals for a proposed
communication curriculum for teachers; some of the concepts are fostering thoughtful
classroom discourse that provides opportunities for students to listen and speak in many ways
and for many purposes; using effective verbal and nonverbal techniques that foster active
inquiry; and facilitating collaboration and supportive interactions in the classroom (Hunt,
Simonds, & Cooper, 1998). They proposed course goals and objectives that improve the
communication competencies of preservice teachers and understanding of the communication
processes, and help develop awareness of classroom dynamics and teachers' ability to
communicate clearly. They mapped out units of study of communication competence,
strategies, and communication impact. Assignments include an essay by the teacher
candidates of their own teaching philosophy, ideas about future students, and the classroom
environment. Teacher educator Lisa Goldstein explored teacher education that includes
preparation for a caring teacher. She asserted that appropriate activities are not sufficient to
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support teacher education. At the core of caring teacher education is the nature of interactions
between the teacher educator and his or her students (Goldstein & Freedman, 2003). Within
her course curriculum, the use of e-journals for teacher candidates creates a constant
communication in which thoughts and ideas relating to their student teacher experiences are
shared with supervisors, who engage the concerns of students while providing feedback.
Teacher communication style is proven to be important to the success of the students
in the classroom. How to teach the best style to preservice teachers or to re-introduce concepts
to teachers in the field is still under consideration. Yet, competence with culturally sound
practices and awareness, respectful words and attitudes, and appropriately high expectations
and high support are all common threads throughout the literature.
Patrick et al. (2007) found a positive and socially supportive relationship between
students’ levels of engagement and motivation and their classroom perceptions and
environment. These perceptions were of a climate that included mutual respect and were
shown to increase students' effective study strategies and feelings of confidence and their
successful completion of assignments. They concluded that when students perceive there is
emotional support and encouragement from their teachers and a feeling of mutual support for
their academics by their peers, they used self-regulation strategies and were more likely to be
on task in their classes. Further studies relate school environment or culture's impact on
classroom environments, with findings that an authoritative culture is successful for students
and teachers. An operational definition of authoritative-run classrooms and teacher styles
includes a delegation of responsibilities with clear direction and accountability from all
members of the school community. Teachers who run respectful classrooms are more
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respected by their students, with these students believing their teachers hold higher learning
expectations for them.
Empathy as a Classroom Concept
Kimberly Hunter's (n.d.) work on the need for empathy in the classroom reports on it
as an intrinsic part of education, reiterating Hinton, Miyamoto, and Della-Chiesa’s (2008) idea
that if schools are involved in the intellectual development of students, they are also involved
in their emotional development. Hinton continued with the concept that students’ emotions
are present when they arrive at school and affect how much and the way they learn. Educators
need to connect with and understand their students using nurturing learning rather than
judging performance. This statement echoes the work of Marshall Rosenberg (2003) and the
precepts of nonviolent communication, in which observations are spoken and used toward a
student instead of judgment statements. Hunt continued that because classroom teachers
interact with students of all backgrounds, it is imperative that they use an empathic approach
for their teaching method and foster and help develop this skill in their students. According to
McLennan (2008) and others (Rosenberg, 2003) empathy is a skill that can be taught and
fostered in a supportive educational environment. In choosing empathy as a response, the
teacher engages in a more calm internal state, which serves multiple purposes (Mendes,
2003). Carl Roger’s (1959) has offered a description of the ideal therapeutic relationship as a
guide for teachers to develop a compassionate and empathetic environment; these
characteristics are being genuine and nonjudgmental, and having unconditional positive
regard. Teachers can create healthy teacher-student relationships. Gootman (1997) has said
that teachers who care are successful in effectively managing their classrooms, maintaining
discipline, setting high expectations, solving problems, and setting limits (Mendes, 2003).
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In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink has asserted that twenty-first century skills for the
learner include empathy. He discussed the need to teach people to be empathetic, claiming
that in a world of information and advanced analytic tools, logic alone won't be enough.
Having empathy for others, being able to form relationships and care for others, and
recognizing what others’ emotions are will distinguish those who use this skill and thrive in
the twenty-first century. He included empathy as a twenty-first century skill needed in the
work force. Howard Gardner's (2000) work on the seven categories of intelligence has also
highlighted that empathy, while strong in some individuals and weak in others, can be taught.
These skills include listening, understanding, and being aware of nonverbal and verbal
communications, Daniel Pink's idea of the importance of empathy and the classroom is
supported by Gardner's work on interpersonal intelligence, which is the capacity to understand
the intentions, desires, and motivations of other people (Gardner, 2000). Gardner (2000) has
recognized that some students are more adept than others at being empathic. Empathy is
innate in most people, and is a vital component of relationship building. Empathy is universal
among all cultures and is necessary for dealing with those around us (Hunter, n.d.). By
building the skills of empathy, which is part of right brain activity, one can view the whole
person as he or she communicates, thus building interpersonal intelligence (Hunter, n.d.).
According to Hollingsworth, Didelot, and Smith (2003), a classroom that works well
values interpersonal skills, develops positive relationships between teacher and students, and
requires empathy skills. She stated that it is the teacher’s role to teach empathy and tolerance
to students. One cannot assume that they are being taught in the home. In educational
settings, students deserve and want more, which includes gaining a deeper understanding and
enjoyment of their school life, and the skills to connect and build meaningful relationships
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with others. School standards should expect teachers to address empathy, as it creates an
effective, supportive environment for all students. Some of these standards relate to empathy
of past historical figures, or to differences in cultural themes in literature. Assessing as well
as teaching empathy skills in the classroom is a necessary component, which might be
included in educational goals and curriculum (Hunter, 2008).
California State Standards include implicit or direct empathy embedded in the
curriculum. Empathy has been built into many standards for teachers and curriculums for
students. In the classroom, teachers are asked to create and maintain effective environments
for student learning, establish a climate that promotes fairness and respect, promote social
development and group responsibility, and keep a standard for engaging and supporting all
students in learning that connects students' prior knowledge, life experience, and interests to
learning goals. There are also content standards for curriculum frameworks in history and
cultural literacy, which intend to help the learner understand the rich, complex nature of a
given culture, its history, geography, politics, literature, art, drama, music, dance, law,
religion, philosophy, architecture, technology, science education, sports, social structure, and
economy. Teachers must recognizes the relationships among the various parts of a nation's
cultural life and develop research skills and a sense of historical empathy. For example,
ethical literacy should promote understanding of the sanctity of life and the dignity of the
individual, demonstrating that concern for ethics and human rights is universal and represents
the aspirations of men and women in every time and place. These standards and classroom
concerns should be taught in a respectful, compassionate, and engaging way to further
illustrate empathy and caring in action.
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Dahms et al.’s (2007) interpretation of Vygotsky (1978) explained that the teacher is
required to take into account the child's current knowledge, and use empathy to create the
optimal learning environment for the student. With the teacher in the classroom as an
important More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), according to Vygotsky's (1978) theory of
social cultural learning, empathy can be modeled and taught as a skill when the teacher uses
compassionate communication (Hunter, 2008). This interaction with the student serves to
find the “Zone of Proximal development” (Vygotsky, 1978). Dahms et al. (2007) pointed out
that learning is a process of developing culturally organized, psychological human functions
in the advancement of higher ordered thinking skills. Empathy is in this category of higher
order thinking skills. To analyze someone else's emotions requires this high order skill;
learning to react to someone’s experiences in a manner that is positive and rewarding for both
parties depends on the ability to process information that may extend beyond the normal range
of the empathizer's experiences. The research and literature has indicated that empathy is a
skill that can be taught and that it is a highly organized cognitive function. It is a highly
valued skill in the twenty-first century, with the teacher as the model and guide for this skill.
The benefits of a compassionate classroom using empathy for the self and others are far
reaching.
Conclusion
Although the concept goes by different names, each one suggests that the authoritative
style for the classroom is the best style to connect students to their teachers and therefore to
the learning process. When we have teachers connecting to students in a personal, culturally
knowledgeable, and appropriate way, creating respectful mutually responsive relationships
that foster a belief in one's self, the intrinsic reward lands not only on the students but also the
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teacher, who must experience a tremendous sense of success through these relationships and
positive outcomes for all. Because many agree that the important qualities of respectful
communication, compassionate practices, emotional intelligence, and being present in
teaching is desirable for children to best learn, and if we want teachers to create classrooms
that are, in Gilligan's (2003) words, "safe houses for love," we must bring this subject to the
forefront.
Maslow (1943), Rogers (1959), Noddings (2002), and others have proclaimed the
importance of these special qualities to every successful learning environment. With the
teacher as a key component—as an alert, compassionate, respectful facilitator of this
environment can benefit from special training, exposure, and reinforcement of these practices.
Compassionate education starts with positive relationships between teachers and students. The
compassionate classroom is the result of bringing in the attributes of respectful
communication, empathy, unconditional positive regard, genuine engagement, and being
present in all interactions. This literature review confirms that by creating learning
environments that produce positive outcomes for students and positive affirmation of self
teachers’ truly enhance the lives of students. With regard to the research question about how
teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in positive outcomes
for students: there is no doubt that when a person feels respected, engaged with, and valued,
he or she is able to concentrate, thrive, and achieve in learning. The emotional safety of
children in the classroom is conveyed by their ability to ask questions, express themselves
without fearing negative judgments, collaborate with others, and show joy in their experiences
in their learning environments. What are the benefits to teachers of implementing these
practices in their classrooms? Teachers develop this style of classroom culture for the benefit
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of helping their students utilize their learning environments to the fullest and for the teacher
efficacy that is felt at the end of the day, week, or school year, knowing they made a
difference in the lives of their students.
Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers? If the voices of theorists, educators, psychologists, and
developmental researchers are heard and applied, the answer is yes—teachers need to be
trained in this very important and life-affirming style of treating and teaching each person
with respect, compassion, authenticity, caring, and commitment.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

Introduction
This chapter describes the purpose of the study and research design. The research
settings and participants are identified, and the methods of data collection are discussed as to
why these participants and settings were chosen and how these methods answered the research
questions.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to answer the following research questions:
1. How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
2. What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the
students in their classrooms?
3. What are the benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate
communication practices?
4. Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
Based on this subject—that engaging and respectful communication practices by
teachers in school leads to positive outcomes for students—my research design was
qualitative. The qualitative approach to research lends itself to finding the results that
answered my research question. Process theory approach is based on people, the processes
between them, and the interactive influence of this relationship (Maxwell, 2013). This
qualitative method was two-fold; One, to observe teachers teaching in this specific manner,
and two, interviewing these same teachers about their teaching practices of compassionate and
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engaging communication with their students. This method yielded information through
observation of the management of the classrooms and the communication and structure of the
learning environment and facilitated the answers to the research question—how do these
practices by teachers create positive outcomes for their students and create a culture of respect
within the classroom? The observation portion of this data collection also facilitated
answering the question, what are the specific skills teachers need to convey emotional safety
to the children in their classrooms? The observation protocol (see Appendix F) is designed to
look for the qualities identified through literature research as compassionate, engaging, and
respectful communication techniques that teachers use in their teaching practice. The second
part of the data collection was interviewing the teachers at this school site. The open-ended
interview questions (see Appendix E) helped to answer the research question, what are the
benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate communication practices?
With responses and input, along with the literature review, this research study answered the
question, is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
This qualitative method of study was conducted to identify evidence of classrooms run
in a manner consistent with the description of a compassionate, respectful, and engaging
teaching style, and provided this researcher with verbal and nonverbal evidence of classroom
teachers trained in this specific description. Some examples were: a teacher placing himself at
the level of the student when speaking to him or her, making eye contact, using a calm voice,
being sincere, demonstrating follow through, and caring in each interaction with individual
students and the whole group.

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Research Design
This researcher observed the teachers at a K–8 charter school who are trained in—or
have been exposed to—the principles of compassionate or nonviolent communication. This
practice operates from the principles that engaging authentically with students, and
emphasizing respect for the individual’s needs and feelings in a classroom setting, set the tone
for the learner to feel emotionally safe and free for all learning experiences. Nonviolent
communication (NVC) has been described by Marshall Rosenberg as a natural state of
compassion where there is no violence in the heart of the communicator. It assumes that, by
nature, we are all compassionate and that violent strategies of communication whether verbal
or nonverbal are learned behaviors taught by the dominant culture. It further assumes that we
all share the same basic needs and feelings and that our behavior is a strategy to meet those
needs.
The population consisted of specific teachers trained in and practicing these methods
with their students in the classroom. People who practice NVC have found greater
authenticity in their communication, increased understanding, deepening connection, and
conflict resolution (The Center for Nonviolent Communication website). A beginning point of
contact was the principal of the school, whose insights and information were obtained first
through an email letter of introduction with a follow-up letter explaining the purpose of the
study and their participation in it for her to disseminate to the teachers and obtain their
permission to observe their classrooms (see Appendix B).
These individual teachers were contacted and asked if they would be willing to be
interviewed for the purpose of contributing data to this research study. Each participant was
provided the interview questions and research topic so he or she could understand the
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relationship of his or her work with this study. Each was informed that this case study related
to his or her chosen method of communication in their classroom. The series of interview
questions collectively helped to answer the research questions for this study. The last question
(See Appendix E) falls into the category of what Patton has called “hypothetical,” whereby
respondents were asked to imagine that they might speak to education students in college
about this classroom communication technique (qtd. in Merriam, 2009). This group was a
purposeful sampling (Merriam, 2009) and aided in answering the research questions. This
type of sampling was needed because of the criteria needed by each interviewee. They needed
to be trained in NVC and to use it in the classroom in order to answer the interview questions.
The interview approach for capturing data was to set up a time for a meeting with each
person privately. Approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour were proposed as the interview time
length. Each participant was informed that there are 10 basic questions about the use of
compassionate communication in the classroom and their experiences with it. Person-to-
person interviews allowed me to illicit information from the respondents (Merriam, 2009).
According to Gold's (1958) classic typology of choices of observing, this researcher
assumed the position of the “complete observer” (Merriam, 2009). In this sense, the observer
was known to the teacher who was being observed, yet unknown to the rest of the class and
parent helpers. This researcher was not a participant, and sat in the middle of the classroom
taking pencil and paper notes while activity continued for teacher and students. Using an
observation protocol (see Appendix F) as a grid for coding, field notes were written quietly.
This researcher was positioned near the teachers to hear their interactions with the students
closest to them, the room in general, and other individual students who approached them for

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guidance. The goal was to capture verbal and nonverbal communication from the teachers to
their students that conveyed kindness, respect, understanding, and genuine engagement.
Population and Sample
The population of this study consisted of teachers at a California public K–8 charter
school whose emphasis was on social-emotional education embedded within a project-based
learning system. Because this project was a best practice case study on compassionate and
respectful communication teacher practices, the researcher chose to observe and interview
these teachers. There were 13 teachers at this school. Within this population, nine teachers had
their master’s degree in education or leadership. Within this population, nine of the teachers
had their multi-subject teaching credentials. Their biography descriptions reported these
collective concepts: constructivist education, empowerment strategies, multiculturalism,
humane pedagogy, empathy, critical thinking skills, discovery learning, character building,
compassion, belonging and connection, making meaning, respect, compassionate
communication, community concern, mutual respect, children must be celebrated, and the
process of council. As such, this population met this researcher’s criteria: teachers whose
emphasis was communicating through compassionate teaching practices.
Demographic Data
The following demographic data pertaining to this study was collected: the teachers’
average years of teaching experience (11.78), and the range in years of teaching (2–27). The
Academic Performance Index (API) scores of the students' average (820–830). The number of
students who attended this school was approximately 320. Demographic information was self-
reported by the teachers and the principal.

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Procedures
This researcher sent an introduction letter (see Appendix A) to the principal of this K–
8 charter school stating how I heard about this school and the reasons for seeking data by
interviewing the teachers and observing their teaching practices. Observations of each
classroom during a 2–3 hour period of the morning routine were made. This step included
project learning time, transitional times, morning break time, circle time, and one-on-one
interactions of teachers with their students. This step took a total of approximately 25–30
hours of direct observations of teacher and student interactions. Each classroom had a
minimum of 20–25 students daily, which yielded many opportunities for observations of the
criteria as charted on the grid for observations (See Appendix F) and many teacher-to-student
interactions.
The one-on-one interviews were audiotaped to ensure accurate decoding after the fact.
Each participant was given a letter of introduction prior to the interview; this letter
enumerated his or her rights as a participant as required by the process of IRB review (See
Appendix B). The participants received the 10 interview questions ahead of time for their
review (See Appendix E). Each interview took approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. These
interviews took place at the school site. Both the observation protocol and the interview
protocol were field tested to ensure the probability of obtaining the pertinent data needed for
this research study.
Instrumentation
The observation protocol was reviewed by research peers to validate that the grid and
coding procedures proposed were successful in answering the research questions in this study.
Because this was a best practice research study, the interview questions were reviewed for
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46
clearness, bias, and effectiveness before they were chosen for data collection. The interview
questions were also field-tested on teachers who used compassionate and respectful teaching
practices as their guiding value system outside of this study.
Data Collection

Identified teachers and one principal were contacted at this K–8 charter school, whose
emphasis was on social and emotional interactions embedded within a project-based learning
environment. The principal received an introductory letter by email, which articulated the
purpose of the study and requested a visit to discuss the research project and the school’s
possible participation. The letter disclosed that the researcher was asking to be allowed to
observe the teachers in their classrooms and to interview those who accepted the request (See
Appendix B).
Data Analysis
The qualitative data were collected during observations of the individual teachers in
their classrooms for approximately 2–3-hour blocks of time. Notes were taken that included
setting, numbers of students, and activities, with an emphasis on teacher interactions. These
interactions involved the volume level of the teacher's voice, the tone of the teacher's voice,
the teacher's facial expressions, any physical contact with students, all verbal and nonverbal
responses with examples to provide significant evidence of over-arching teaching styles that
expressed mutuality between teachers and students, that is respect, engagement, caring, and
authentic communication. According to Patton, a detailed description of the setting, and the
case situation takes the reader into the life of the participants so it can be experienced fully or
even vicariously through this very detailed use of description (qtd. in Merriam, 2009). The
observations of each classroom were examined for similarities and coded for terms and
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expressions with regard to the use of compassionate and respectful teaching practices to form
a compilation for the data analysis. Through these observations and the data that was reported
in notes, this researcher answered the research question, how do teacher's practices in
compassionate communication result in positive outcomes for students and create a culture of
respect?
The data taken from the answers of the interview questions of the teachers were
compared to deduce common themes and trends. These themes and trends were then used to
answer the following research questions: (a) What are the specific practices teachers use to
convey emotional safety to the students in their classrooms? (b) What are the benefits to these
teachers through implementing compassionate communication practices? The literature and
recorded social and emotional outcomes for the students at this school supported this case
study of best practices.
Ethical Considerations
Many ethical considerations were followed in the design of this study, as well as in
any and all necessary follow through. The University of Southern California Institutional
Review (IRB) guidelines and procedures were followed. All participants were sent a request
to participate and each gave their consent. They were informed of the purpose and nature of
the research and that the confidentiality and the anonymity of all participants in the study
would be strictly adhered to.
Summary
This chapter reviewed the methodologies of qualitative research in the form of
observations and interviews for the purpose of answering the research questions. The research
questions were:
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1. How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
2. What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the
students in their classrooms?
3. What are the benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate
communication practices?
4. Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
The purpose of this study was to collect evidence through observational data that
showed teachers using compassionate communication techniques with their students. The
one-on-one teacher interviews provided collective answers that informed and furthered the
research on teaching communication techniques that enhance and provide safe learning
environments for students.

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CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction
This chapter presents and discusses the data collected from a qualitative method using
observations and interviews, and triangulating this data with the evidence acquired through
interviews with administrators and the school counselor matched with the literature of the
positive behaviors and positive social outcomes for this population. The means are the
atmosphere created by the teachers and school culture through their practices of respectful,
engaging, and nonviolent verbal and nonverbal interactions with their students. The product
was positive outcomes for students.
This project is a best practice case study of a K–8 charter school that placed an
emphasis on Non-Violent Communication in part guided by the principles on The
Compassionate Classroom, a relationship-based teaching and learning system by Sura Hart
and Victoria Kindle Hodson (2004) as a practice for all community members, teachers,
administrators, counselors, parent helpers, and students.
Data Collection
This researcher logged 25 hours of teacher observations focusing on teacher
interactions with individuals and whole groups. These observations were in 10 different
classrooms, observing 10 different teachers. Field notes were taken during these observations
and then analyzed into categories of themes (See Appendix F). The findings show reoccurring
themes when considered through the lenses of attachment theory, teacher-student
relationships, mastery versus performance goal theory and humanistic psychology, through
which all of the research questions asked in this study were answered. Each teacher's words,
facial expressions, attitudes, tones of voice, voice volumes, physical movements, physical
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interactions with students, and over all classroom management and atmosphere were noted.
There were a total of 7 hours of interviews with teachers, administrators, and the school
counselor. These observations and interviews provided the answers to the research questions;
first, how do teachers’ practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect? The interview protocol
questions one and two (See Appendix E), what do you consider the most important
communication skills you practice in the classroom, and how do you know the children in
your classroom feel emotionally safe to not only function, but to thrive in your classroom?
The observations and interviews sections answered research question two, what are the
specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the students in their classrooms?
The answers taken from the interviews with the teachers, administrators, and school counselor
answered research question three, what are the benefits to these teachers through
implementing compassionate communication practices?
This chapter includes the overall observation findings and specific examples of
teachers' interactions that exemplify the definition of compassionate, respectful, engaging,
genuine, and empathetic practices, as presented in Chapter One, along with the literature in
Chapter Two, and culminate to positively answer best practice case studies research question
number four, is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques
for preservice and in-service teachers?
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to answer the following research questions:
1. How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
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2. What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the
students in their classrooms?
3. What are the benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate
communication practices?
4. Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question One
How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
The operational definitions used in this study for communication practices that are
compassionate and engaging are described as authoritative, a style that brings in the concept
of consistency in supporting student autonomy, taking a personal interest in students, and
holding high expectations, while communicating warmth from teacher to students. Further,
teacher practices are defined as being an authentic speaker and listener to students while
maintaining respectful attitudes, tones, facial expressions, and verbal and nonverbal
communications. Using empathy as their guiding precept in all interactions with students,
these teachers modeled and taught this very important twenty-first-century skill.
This researcher observed teachers in their classrooms during center time, circle time,
line up for snack time, transition time, writing workshops, music, and physical education. In
this school environment, each classroom was unique in its table and chair set-ups, murals on
the walls, areas for students to relax, individual artwork displays, and teacher's desks. The
following is an example of a classroom setting with teacher interaction:
This observation is a kindergarten classroom teacher at center time. The classroom is
divided equally into four centers. The teacher is at one center, where the students are
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making a collective school art project. All centers consist of a table and chairs for the
participants. Three centers are for other school work besides the art project. They
were a math game, letter acquisition, and a writing center. All of these have one
parent helper and four to five students each per table. This researcher stays close
enough to hear the teacher's words to students about the center project as well as any
other interactions with individuals or the whole group. This is what is partially notated
to help the reader understand the atmosphere of the room directed by the teacher. The
teacher interacts with a very kind voice. Her voice is soft and friendly. She smiles
often as she speaks and listens to the students. The room shows lots of colorful
children's work on the walls and bulletin boards. Children are allowed to wiggle, speak
out, interact, ask questions, make noises, walk around the room to freely get what they
need, yet these movements or actions are not stopping any other person from their
learning focus. The teacher is demonstrating the art center project. All adults use a
soft voice in the room. The teacher was approached by a student from another center,
who quietly engages this child who is having trouble listening at the other center. She
gets on his physical level for eye-to-eye contact. She asks him what is going on for
him. He doesn't seem to know. She asks him if he could go back to engage in the
center and try again. She walks him back to his center. He sits in his chair at his center.
The teacher calls all the students "friends." The room has a busy, quiet hum with
regular toned voices. The children are listening to the teacher who is explaining the
art lesson at her center. Children have a noticeable level of self-control. They are able
to sit and listen to the teacher explain the project. “What do you notice about this?”
the teacher says pointing at the art project. She listens to the children one by one as
they answer to what she is pointing. It is a large heart drawn on wood. This is an
example of creating a respectful classroom, where students are allowed to be at their
developmental stage—which means they might need to move, talk, have problems,
need help, and ask questions. At no point does any of the noise level, movement, lack
of participation at times, or any other aspects of the classroom students bother the
teacher or the other adults. It is by the teacher's tone of calm, friendly, and even
tempered attitudes that she conveys all of this is acceptable and can be worked with,
she provides a place where each child can be him or herself.

Magda Gerber (1998), the founder for the early educational system RIE Resources for
infant educarers, and one of the influences on the standards for The National Association for
the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) approach encourages parents and teachers to
slow down and respect the pace of the developing child. This encouragement increases the
spontaneity and drive to learn within the child (Gerber, 1998). This slowing down by the
teachers and parent helpers is demonstrated by their calm voices, nondemanding attitudes, and
gentle ways of guiding their students toward learning. This drive to learn is a positive
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outcome of the created atmosphere called the compassionate classroom. Attachment theory
explains how students use their positive relationships with adults to organize their experiences
(Bowlby, 1969). Central to this theory is that students with close relationships to their
teachers view their teacher as a “secure base” from which to explore the classroom
environment. This teacher has a close personal relationship with each of his/her students. In
all of the observations of the classrooms at this school, each teacher spoke in a calm,
respectful, engaging, and connecting way.
What the classrooms for grades K–4 had in common was an area for circle time, which
was a carpet for sitting on the ground for both the teacher and students. At this school, they
practiced a process called "magic circle," whereby students were taught through daily practice
the language that encourages self-expression, allowing them to express and identify their
feelings, needs, requests, and concerns to the teacher and especially to their classmates, while
respecting all members of the classroom and school community. During school time a large
majority of the school engaged in “Magic Circle” at the same time. This researcher witnessed
children from other rooms coming into the room being observed during this time to state their
feelings or concerns to a fellow student in that class. Each teacher allowed such exchanges
during this special time. This practice conveyed that children are respected as individuals who
need to express their feelings during school time; therefore, time was allocated for this
expression. The teachers and administrators supported and encouraged this practice.
Theoretical Lens of Humanistic Psychology
According to Maslow in the literature, when there is a sense of safety and connection
with others, true learning becomes possible (In Biehler & Snowman, 1993). Rogers (1959)
included that in a secure and safe educational environment in which mutual trust and respect
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54
exist, self-confidence matures. “Magic Circle” and the facilitation by the teachers creates
trust, so that each member of the school community has a voice, and will get assistance to
discover and express his or her feelings and needs, while being respectful of all members of
the community. This researcher observed teachers facilitating multiple moments for
individuals to air their feelings at this circle time. This population had been and was being
trained to speak from their own point of view when talking about their feelings; for example:
"I really appreciated it when you [other student] helped me at playtime,” or "I felt upset when
I saw you walk away." This atmosphere thus creates a place of respect for each member of the
school community.
Here are observations of a specific “Magic Circle” time that included concern from
one student to another:
All students are sitting in a circle on the carpet. The teacher facilitated whose turn it
was. When it was a particular student’s turn, the student had a concern about an
incident that happened at playtime. The teacher helped the student who had the
concern to express their ideas, opinions, thoughts, and feelings about their concerns
when needed by asking questions for clarification. The teacher used a calm, level tone
of voice. The teacher asked questions about the given situation. For instance, in this
one observation, the teacher said, "So you didn't like that your friend took the ball in
when you were the person who took it out, is that right?" Student nodded, and the
teacher continued, "Did you think that is the rule?" This is an example of how the
teacher helped to clarify what the student might have been thinking, thus helping the
student to know better what was the motivating factors behind the upset. The teacher
asked the child with the concern what they needed. Teacher kept re-asking the two
students about the situation until it seems like both parties felt resolved about it.
Other children were wiggling quietly on the carpet. Teacher stayed with the
conversation in depth, while continuing to facilitate the discussion. He listened
deeply, showed real concern, not empty words. Gave ideas for the future. Teacher
asked if both students would like that. Waited for an answer then asked, "What do you
think?" If he needed to assist a child with focusing during circle time, he asked a child
to sit next to him, using the same calm, consistent voice.

The idea that children are significant members of their classroom community—
described by Horsch, Chen, and Nelson (1999) as a place where children's social, emotional,
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55
and cognitive development is fostered and nurtured—was demonstrated by the use of “Magic
Circle” time. Each “Magic Circle” that was observed involved one teacher and a classroom of
20–25 students sitting, for the most part, on the ground, cross-legged waiting their turn to
speak. Each class had a slightly different form of denoting the speaker. The general way was
the use of a “talking piece,” such as a special rock or stick, held by the speaker and passed on
to the next person when done. The majority of the speakers’ words started with "I appreciate,"
speaking about a friend for something he/she did and stating his/her feelings. This language
had been taught from the beginning of each student's entry into this school and throughout all
of the K–8 classrooms. During “Magic Circle” time, the teacher facilitated by offering
statements or queries including, but not limited to, "Thank you," "Is that all?" and "Are you
complete?" and helped the speaker by asking specific questions for clarification to help the
two students involved to understand him- or herself and the other person better. According to
Miller and Pedro (2006), a respectful classroom is an open-minded place where students feel
safe sharing ideas. In the many hours of observations in these classrooms, teachers displayed
open-mindedness, respect, and engaging and authentic interactions with their students.
In an interview, the school's counselor pointed out that students at the school were
taught several very positive self-regulating and helpful social skills through learning NVC.
Some of the positive benefits she reported were as follows; Students were able to express their
feelings and needs, and then make requests. They also learned how to voice a concern about a
subject or happening without accusations, which often lead to escalation and upset. These are
real life problem-solving skills, the counselor stated, that have positive outcomes and far-
reaching implications for the student population as it moves on to other schools and life
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56
situations: "These are life skills they are learning here from Kindergarten on up through 8th
grade."
How does knowing and using these skills relate directly in the learning outcomes and
learning environment for these students? She further stated:
When a student is distracted by a social upset, they can't learn. Providing a system to
help resolve issues as they come up, in a calm and respectful way allows students to
come back to the learning and be available in their emotional selves to participate
fully.

Students learn to solve problems by noticing their own feelings and needs, and making
requests of one another, many times without a teacher's help:
At this school students are able to have more of there own voice, they are more self-
aware, less "bullyable" because they know if they don't like something someone said,
they can directly, in the moment, say, "I don't like what you are saying." That is a
positive outcome. They know themselves better, are more self aware, and have self-
value.

She further explained that these students, by being taught this method of communication,
knew they had the right to take care of themselves, and knew how to do that. They knew how
to connect to their feelings, verbalize them, be respectful of each other, and believe that each
person counts. Her overall view of the students at the school was, in her words:
Kids seems really happy, they are not so much looking for teacher approval, however
they are in relationship with their teacher. They feel really comfortable with their
teachers, not only as a guide, but as a friend. They seem to know that their teacher
really cares about them.

Positive Outcomes for Students Using the Lenses of Goal Theory
and Teacher-Student Relationships
According to the interview notes with the school counselor:
These children are there for themselves, not their parents or teachers. They are self-
motivated learners because they are included in the planning of the projects, are
spoken to and interacted with respectfully, and have been taught to express their
feelings, needs, and concerns to all people, including adults.
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57

Walker has asked what creates optimal contexts for student engagement and learning? She
used goal theory (Pintrich, 2000) to identify important teacher practices or communication
styles that foster mastery-focused practices that emphasize personal improvement, task
understanding, and acquisition of effective problem-solving skills. This population is taught
problem-solving strategies that, in turn, motivate them to be involved in their own learning
intrinsically, not for outside rewards.
Patrick, Ryan, and Kaplan (2007) noted a positive relationship between a student's
level of engagement and motivation and their classroom perceptions and environment being
socially supportive. These perceptions were of a climate that included mutual respect and
were shown to increase students' effective study strategies and feelings of confidence, and
their successful completion of assignments.
Conclusion: Research Question One
The answer to research question one, "How do teachers' practices in compassionate
and engaging communication result in positive outcomes for students and create a culture of
respect?" follows.
The positive outcomes of creating this culture of respect were shown through
relationships formed by the teacher with the students through respectful, calm, and engaging
speaking and interactions with their students. A positive learning environment was created by
the system of the “Magic Circle,” in which students could voice their feelings, needs,
requests, and concerns. This method makes learning more accessible. Theses students are
trained in self-awareness and self-expression, thus creating confidence that has its reward in
intrinsic motivation, thereby helping to propel students to be more in charge of their own
learning. Data collected through observations, interview answers, and the literature aligned to
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58
demonstrate that these compassionate and engaging practices by teachers fostered positive
student-teacher relationships. This learning environment was more free of conflict; thus more
learning occurred, and students were empowered to problem solve, becoming more
intrinsically motivated, and acquiring more strategies for self-regulation and self-awareness.
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Two

What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the students
in their classrooms?
Answering this question involved knowing what indicators the teachers used as a basis
for their students to feel emotionally safe to express themselves and be more available for
learning. To this end, this researcher asked the teachers what were the most important
practices of communication, values, and ideas they wanted to convey to their students that
would provide them a sense of safety in their learning environments. The following are some
of the answers, with references back to the literature on the teacher-student relationship,
mastery goal theory practices, humanistic psychology ideas for emotional safety, and
attachment theory. Observations of teacher practices that would be seen as creating a safe
emotional environment that helps provide students with connection to the learning
environment are included.
The following is a collective listing of classroom observations of the students’
physical and emotional reactions in their classrooms at different times of the day.
Children seemed comfortable to do the following in their classrooms: They were able
to wiggle, speak out, interact, ask questions, make noises, and walk around the room to
freely get what they needed. Children seemed happy. They were interacting and
speaking with the teacher easily, naturally, and every one seemed to be their authentic
self. No child was unsure of their safety to express themselves. They were able to
talk, work, get off track, and get back on track, as a natural process to keep
progressing in their work. Students seemed very comfortable around the teacher,
engaged in the work, interested, and working on their writing.
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Interviewee #1
What is the most important specific practice you use to convey emotional safety to the
students in your class?
She replied:
I want them to feel heard, that their ideas and their opinions are valued, I also want
them to question and not assume that the information that they are given or the facts
that we are studying about are the only way that there is, that there are multiple
perspectives. I am looking to them a lot to share their opinions, thoughts, definitely
their questions, all the while teaching with respect. That learning is two-way.

Echoed in the literature from Vygotsky’s (1978) theory, social development promotes
learning contexts that focus on connections between people and the sociocultural context in
which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996) encouraging students to
play an active role in learning. Roles of the teacher and student therefore shift, as a teacher
collaborates with his or her students to help facilitate meaning construction for them. This
teacher's answer—that learning is two-way—is expressed in the literature. Learning therefore
becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and teacher (Vygotsky, 1978). Brown (2004)
sought to identify key Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Strategies (CRCM)
used by effective teachers across the country. He found that effective teachers developed a
respectful, caring, personal relationship with each student. In addition, the teacher created a
safe learning community, fostering connections of student to student and teacher to student.
This safe emotional learning climate allowed risk taking, laughter, and trust to form with
every member.
Indicators that her students feel safe were described as follows:
When they feel free to not just share their celebrations, but their concerns. They are
comfortable talking about their worries or fears to me, or their peers. That it is a safe
spot to bring things up. But mostly when I see them working a situation out with one
another, that's how I know things are working. So when I am there and present and we
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go through the steps together I find value in that. But when they are able to find safety
for themselves it's when I know that they feel safe. Just the students' knowing that it is
valued by the adults to give attention to work it out, having given them the tools to
work it out on their own.

She continued:
Empathy is really at the heart of compassionate communication. So I think the ability
to listen, and not to just listen and regurgitate, but to listen and process someone else's
feelings and needs and put your self in their situation and to just have, even if it is just
a little glimpse, of where they are coming from or what they are going through. I think
that is really at the heart of compassionate communication. I think that is what allows
me to communicate compassionately with the kids, even when they are frustrating me
or they are being defiant or unkind to one another. It is the ability to hear them say
what they are needing and what's going on with them and to act accordingly and to
come up with some solutions together. I think that just being comfortable with that
difference between me and you and knowing where you are coming from, that's really
what allows us to communicate and to hear each other.

Interviewee #2
What is the most important specific practice you use to convey emotional safety to the
students in your class?
Interviewee #2 responded:
I think when we focus on the need it is really important. I think when we talk about
needs we find solutions, the students and mine. Also separating need from request is
an important distinction. We address needs all day long. When we do “Magic Circle”
I always bring it back to the children that what ever we are sharing in “Magic Circle,”
it is about connection. That's what it is for, not just a time to say what ever we want to
say, necessarily, but that we are sharing appreciations with the focus of building
connections with another person and that we are working out concerns with the
intention of building a connection with another person.

What are your indicators that the students in your room are feeling emotionally safe in
this environment?
Interviewee #2 responded:
They are smiling or laughing, I can tell from their body language that they are open to
hearing from other people. They're more willing to collaborate. I can tell when their
needs are not being met, they're closed off or resistant to following instructions or
resistant to working with another student or refusing to do their work. Usually when
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you see those things you know a need is not being met. So we need to take a few steps
back.

Interviewee #3

What is the most important specific practice you use to convey emotional safety to the
students in your class?
Interviewee #3 responded:
Having compassion, I use it as a reminder for myself. Like if there is a conflict
between two kids and it looks like one kid is so in the wrong, I talk out loud, so the
kids hear me, saying I wonder what were they feeling in that moment. They must be
feeling so frustrated. Yeah we know there are other tools, we can all relate to that
feeling. We talk about how nobody is 100% bad. When you think someone is, we can
de-humanize them. No matter what someone has done. We always have to keep
compassion for them. We recognize it is hard sometimes, there is always a lot to a
persons' story that we don't know. So no matter what a person has done you still have
to have compassion for them.

What are your indicators that your students feel emotionally safe in the classroom?
Interviewee #3 responded:
When they are honest. If they lie to each other or they lie to me then I know they are
scared of something. So if I have a kid that I know is always lying I try to find a time
alone with them and say to them, “What is your fear that will happen if you tell the
truth? Is it that your friend won't be your friend anymore? Or is it that I am not going
to like you anymore?" So I try to figure out their fear and release it for them. So I
want to reassure that that is not going to happen. I also know that they feel safe when
they “let their hair down,” . . . being totally silly with each other especially like a really
quiet kid, when I first get them, I see them be loud when they think I am not looking.
But when they start doing it in front of me then I know they have gotten comfortable
with me.

How would you define compassionate communication?
Interviewee #3 responded:
I think the same idea of holding two views at the same time, no one is ever really bad
that someone can do this action and they can still be a kind person you can just have
moments. But that doesn't define you. I try to remember that myself when I am
dealing with them and outside of the classroom, and I try to vocalize that myself a lot,
that both things can exist at the same time. Give them “grace” because you don't know
what has happened to that person before this moment. I keep that in mind and I help
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the kids to know that they are dong the best they can at this time. I don't change my
voice for them I talk to them like I would anyone. I think I model my interactions
with kids like my father's interactions with me. He was really good at breaking down
concepts, he had an informal way that made people feel comfortable. I try to do the
same.

Interviewee #4
What are the most important practices you use to convey emotional safety to the students
in your class?
Interviewee #4 responded:
I think for me it is really important to make sure that the students know that their needs
are valued, and are just as important as mine and that they matter here. So what they
think, what they feel, what they believe, what they need matter. I think that being
transparent, letting them know that when we are learning a new concept, that I too
have had to learn new concepts and what that is like that if they are experiencing some
challenge. That is normalizing it for them that it's not something that would be foreign
to me. I think that transparency is really key. My guess is that it makes them feel safe
and comfortable and they are willing to take risks when they know that their teacher,
their parents, or whoever is modeling or other children in their class have had to take
risks and they all learned in different ways. When we have compassion for our
students and we want our students to have compassion. It comes from a place of
belonging. It comes naturally and empathy does as well, as we age we are able to
empathize more. I truly do believe that every thing I do in here, whether it is teaching
math, magic circle, physical education, anything, is all about developing community. I
think that is where compassion and caring naturally arises from. It is not something
that can be forced.

How do you know these kids feel emotionally safe?
Interviewee #4 responded:
This is demonstrated in a lot of ways. I think I see kids feeling emotionally safe when
they take risks, when they raise their hands. I think it is how a teacher and the other
students learn to handle mistakes, and redefining what perfect is. We've redefined
what perfect is. In this room it is "a willingness to grow." I think how things are
handled will lead to an outcome later, so raising your hand with the wrong answer and
how that is handled, that makes a huge difference in kids being willing to take an
academic risk. So much of what I do, and probably every teacher here, is all about
relationships. I am all about relationship-based teaching. So developing that
relationship and following through with what I say to the students is important. I think
all those kinds of pieces create that emotional safety and I think its helping kids to
learn a language that helps them communicate their needs and feelings and also
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knowing the difference between what a strategy is and that their needs are still valued.
I think that compassionate communication is all about connection, and it's connection
through the heart. I think that we achieve that by holding our needs and everyone's
needs as equally valuable, the understanding that we all have the same needs. It is all
about connection and equitability.

Interviewee #5
What would you consider the most important communication skill that the teachers
practice in their classrooms?
Interviewee #5 responded:
I think it is just listening to the children and having it a two way conversation, as
opposed to talking at. The way the teachers interact with the students is very
respectful. I think it is just a tone and a manner kind of a baseline understanding that
we are here together in this. Like at some schools the teachers do all the talking. The
kids do all the listening. The kids aren't questioning. The kids are not challenging.
The kids are not interacting in any way. They are passive. So this is more active. But
in terms of interpersonal relationships with the students, it is very different.

As you walk around this school and in the classrooms, what lets you know you that
these students feel emotionally safe?
Interviewee #5 responded:
I would say that they're engaged. When I walk through the rooms and witness
interactions, the kids are engaged in what they are doing. What I see them doing is
they are bringing things up as they come up and not shying away from that.
Sometimes it takes a lot of time out the instructional day to work through some things.
I see that kids feel free to bring things up and they don't hesitate to do that I would say
that. I would say that is a sign that they expect issues to be resolved, they expect their
concerns to be heard and dealt with, that they will be taken seriously and not brushed
off as being unimportant, and that they expect the adults in their world to help them. I
listed these skills that we say are 21st Century skills. We don't know what they are
going to need, but we do know they need to be flexible, and solve problems, be
adaptable, work in teams and collaborate with each other, individualizing, and have
leadership skills. Those are life skills, those are skills that are not just going to serve
them in school, but in their work place, and in their personal lives. So we know that
our kids, when they graduate our school, the high school teachers tell us that they
recognize who our kids are, because of those very reasons. They tell you, it all goes
back to, they expect the adults there, in the school environment are there to help them.
They are here to learn In order to do that, they are not afraid to ask questions. They are
not afraid to get their needs met, they stay after, they do not fall through the net. They
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take responsibility for their learning. It is one of the biggest things that we do here. We
expect them to take some responsibility here. You are not going to just sit passively
and have it spoon fed. You are going to have to take steps and be responsible for
what is going on in your world. So that intrinsic motivation is kind of modeled for
them, and that is what we want. We don't want kids doing things for a marble or
sticker or pizza party. We want kids to do things because they know that that is the
best thing for them and those around them to behave in certain ways.

She shared another important aspect of safety with this researcher:
There is a whole other thing that I have been very aware of this year, after many
violent acts on school campuses 75%, if not more, of threats at school are from
students who are disconnected. So one of the ways, or one of the best ways to make
our schools safe is this kind of social learning climate, where kids are able to feel safe
in their school systems and in their classrooms. With this type of emphasis of whole
school respect and relationships through connection, they don't fall through the net.
We notice behavior, and if they are depressed and they are not able to say anything,
we notice it and we take those things really seriously, more seriously than their
spelling tests. We spot it and we swoop in to help. So I think in this day and age we
need to think about keeping kids responsible to their self and others and that they will
seek help when they need it. It is a big piece. They can't learn when their brain isn't
clear to take risks on learning, if this big cloud is hanging over them, like a worry or
concern.

Interviewee #6
What are the most important communication skills you practice in the classroom?
Interviewee #6 responded:
Probably truly listening to the students, using phrases like “Would you be willing?” is
key, “I can imagine you might feel this way or that," saying back what they have said,
asking enough questions. At this stage of the game listening really is the important
tool, and asking the right questions so you can get past any assumptions and you can
really find out what is going on with a kid. Especially if they are hesitant to
communicate, you can kind of get the ball rolling for them a little bit. It is easier for
them to correct you than it is to expose themselves for the first time. So if you are
navigating a conflict between two students, it is usually having to do with getting
feelings hurt you can say, “I can imagine that when she did that you might feel sad,”
and knowing what they are feeling, a student might correct you and say, “No, actually
I am feeling mad at her.” Sometimes they haven't really stopped to think about what
exactly they are feeling. So when you sort of break it down for them by asking, and
do the “I can imagine” thing then they are becoming aware of it as well. That is
helpful to them because so many times they are reacting without really knowing why
they are doing something. Another idea I convey is respect. It is huge. If you have to
talk with a student that would never be done in front of the class. You stand for respect
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between the students. With middle schoolers we talk about respect at the beginning of
the year. We talk about if they like or don't like jokes or jesting between even good
friends. We take an out loud survey, they give a thumbs up or down if they like or
agree with their friends doing this kind of jesting. Respect, and then also a community
of learners and just trying to communicate we are all learning and it is ok to make a
mistake and nobody jumps on any body else for getting something wrong. I am an
example. I misspeak and when I do, just to model that myself I don't need to be right
every time so when a kids comes back with a little bit of mocking. I speak to them
privately and I do feelings, needs, observations, and I make a request that they not
mock me. You have to be modeling. Another thing about modeling is to not self-
deprecate myself in front of the kids and they shouldn't do that themselves. If I hear
them say something about themselves in a self-deprecating way, I will come back with
positive observations of the students' efforts, time or creative endeavors about their
work. I've seen instructors call themselves “stupid me.” Even if they are just being
funny, I don't think it is a good tool because then you are communicating that you we
are never supposed to make a mistake. I let them know that I am not the dispenser of
knowledge I am here to facilitate.

How do you know that the students in your classroom feel emotionally safe?
Interviewee #6 responded:
Well, the main thing is that they are happy, they like coming to school, parents
reporting that they are happy. But of course at this age (middle school) they are still
navigating a lot of drama. So you know that no matter how you provide a safe
environment, it is not going to be a magic pill. But we make it a place or all of those
feelings. They also tell you it is a safe place. I hand out something called, “How's it
going?" a reflection piece, you pass it out it’s another way to check in. I change the
questions, subjects, sometimes it is social/emotional or math or another subject but it is
another opportunity for them to say something if they didn't come to you personally.
So them being open for that; just their behavior in our counsel meetings; their behavior
in our social/emotional class; them being able to share. We have this class for
expressing social emotional needs two times a week or as needed.

Conclusion: Research Question Two

This culture of respect is interdependent with the idea of the emotional safety of the
students to express their feelings, needs, and concerns to their teachers and to each other. The
combination of respect, being heard, valued, and truly engaged with by caring teachers
provides the foundation for this safe learning environment. These practices of deep
connection between teacher and student result in a community of learners who are able to
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bring their whole selves to the learning environment. Martin Brokenleg (2005) has explained
that for children to fully bloom, respectfulness toward them is a must, and consistent adults
must offer love, care, and commitment. A respectful classroom is an open-minded
environment, in which students feel safe sharing ideas. It fosters an ability and willingness to
accept each other's ideas and values. There is a feeling of connectedness for all participants
and the fear of the unknown is decreased (Miller & Pedro, 2006). The collective answers by
these teachers' resoundingly indicate that students were valued, respected, heard, accepted,
and encouraged in their spirit to express and be themselves in their learning environments.
Their thoughts and practices, with the research observations, showed that this school provided
an emotionally safe learning environment for its students.
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Three

What are the benefits to teachers by implementing theses practices in their
classrooms?
This research question is an important one because if teachers feel a sense of
satisfaction and fulfillment with regard to their teaching, they feel successful, accomplished,
and are more likely stay in the teaching profession. The teacher is the facilitator and role
model for the students. Within this framework of compassionate communication, in which the
calm, engaging practices of the teacher influence their students to be more self-reliant and
productive learners, the purpose of teaching is fulfilled. This culture of mutual respect
between students and teachers allows both groups stakeholders to be fully available for their
part of the learning process. A study (Poulin, Mackenzie, Soloway, & Karayolas, 2008) from
the University of Toronto based on a wellness education course that offered mindfulness
training to education students resulted in increased awareness of self and teacher self-efficacy
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by the participants. Mindfulness keeps the participant in the moment, cultivates a sense of
open curiosity toward each emerging moment, and strengthens our ability to sustain a
nonjudgmental stance both toward ourselves and in relation to the full range of our students'
experiences (Vacarr, 2001). Below are the responses of the interviewees when asked about
the benefits of teaching in this compassionate communication framework of mutual respect.
Interviewee #1
I feel much more successful teaching. It's never perfect, so there are sometimes you
feel like you saved the day, the other days you have talked through a subject a lot and
it keeps continuing to happen, there doesn't have to be positive outcomes right away to
be effective. I feel much more confident about my teaching at this school than in the
past. Because I think having the empathy with the kids builds up the trust that allows
them to learn. When their focus is on an issue with another child or within themselves,
when they are focused on a worry, then they are not going to be able to hear anything I
am saying. I think with the trust and the comfort then they are comfortable taking
risks with their spelling, these little children are comfortable taking risks in their
reading, being up in front of the class and sharing and not being perfect and they know
that the community is with them and that they are not here with the intent to judge.
We teach that explicitly..

The following literature supports the importance of conveying empathy to students.
According to McLennan (2008) and others (Rosenberg, 2003), empathy is a skill that can be
taught and fostered in a supportive educational environment. In choosing empathy as the
response, the teacher engages in a more calm internal state, which serves multiple purposes
(Mendes 2003). Kimberly Hunt (n.d.) has reported on empathy as an intrinsic part of
education in the classroom. Hinton et al. (2008) have asserted that if schools are involved in
the intellectual development of students, they are also involved in the emotional development
of students, further explaining that a student’s emotions are present when he/she arrives at
school and affect the how much and the way students learn.
In the observations of all ten classrooms, each teacher was calm, even-tempered, and
fully engaged with the whole class and with individuals in a simultaneous rhythm that had a
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ripple effect on all of the students in the class. The field notes make continuous references to
the calm state of the teachers through their speaking, movements, and responses to student
questions, behaviors, and interactions during the teaching periods of the day. Rogers (1959)
has described the ideal therapeutic relationship as a guide for teachers to develop a
compassionate and empathetic environment. These characteristics are being genuine,
nonjudgmental, and having unconditional positive regard. This research speaks to the internal
state of the teacher, which contributed to his or her over-all sense of accomplishment as an
educator. This created environment—through an empathetic response by the teachers to the
students—was inherently rewarding for the teachers.
Interviewee #2
I think the beauty of this school and why so many teachers want in, here, and we don't
have a high turn over, is because we have a culture that really allows you to be you. So
I think it is hard to say that all of us teach alike. There is a common thread of respect,
but the way we do it, we all have a different style, and that is completely okay. Our
administration really lets us be us and provides opportunities for us to grow. We are
valued and they place a lot of importance on professional development. The
compassion we are teaching our kids is given to us from the administration and the
parents. I don't have “that fear: when an administrator walks in my class. She is not
looking for what is wrong, that is not the focus. I enjoy the trust. I think it is more
rewarding teaching this way, as I have gotten more fluent with working with
compassion, I feel like I am more fulfilled. If you have conflict or unresolved issues,
you learn so much when you go through this process of communicating with
compassion. I have grown as a person, therefore I have grown as a teacher. I think
the bigger lessons are more life lessons that we discuss in the classroom. By helping
them become stronger and better people, I think their math scores are fine, it is no
longer my main focus. Hopefully they are going to be the adults that are different. I
hope that they are more compassionate as a result of being in my class.

Interviewee #3
What are the benefits to you as a teacher as a result of practicing compassionate
communication with your students and staff members?
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Interviewee #3 explained that this school introduced her to NVC and that she
continued on to take an 8-month compassionate leadership course, weekend conferences, and
lots of reading on this and similar subjects. This teacher recounted that she had always taught
in a more connecting way even when the school culture had supported punishments and
rewards: "I did not teach in the manor of punishments and rewards system." She shared her
teaching experiences, and how they were deeply rooted in her self-reflective practices: "I
realized that the journey on the inside is even bigger than the journey on the outside. I
purposely sought out role models, and teachers, and guides. It was very hard to be the one
person out. I learned that it takes a village." Her aspirations as a teacher reflected her own
personal philosophy as one of connection and community. She explained:
It takes a lot of effort to do what we do. I came into teaching for connection. I wanted
a longer experience with people. I would hope that in all of my experience that I have
hopefully made a positive difference. I have a huge need to contribute and to make the
world a better place, a need to serve. I have been lucky enough to teach in all kinds of
schools, from small private progressive to large traditional schools, and I would hope
in all of those experiences I made a difference.

Interviewee #4
This interviewee’s response to how she felt about her practice of respectful and
compassionate teaching was as follows:
Well I bring homework and papers to grade and research to do, but I don't bring home
angst. Generally people say to me, “Oh you are a middle school teacher. Oh poor
you.” I say, “Oh no, its fun, they are great kids, it is very rewarding, its very peaceful.”
I don't feel like anything having to do with my relationships with the kids is really any
obstacle I need to deal with.

Interviewee #5
This interviewee explained that traditional schools work with a system of “power
over” versus “power with”:
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As a teacher it is easy for it to feel “fine” in the moment because your needs are being
met. Always, because what you say goes, you have ultimate control in a power over
system. I think it is easy for a teacher to slip into that and to feel comfortable with that
and it is difficult for a lot of teachers to step away from that. Yet to make yourself
more vulnerable and to give the children more power, more autonomy, is what we do
here.

When asked if it would tug at any part of him to teach in this “power over” culture, he quickly
responded, "I wouldn't teach in that manner, I made that decision." Knowing that for the
children it wouldn't be a fair experience? "Yes," he replied, "I couldn't imagine being more
joyful teaching in another way. I can't imagine building a stronger connection with my
students by communicating with them in another way." This remark not only reflected his
commitment to this philosophy but also served as a testament that this practice of
compassionate teaching was deeply satisfying to him as a teacher.
Interviewee #6
I think that efficacy is a huge point. That you as a teacher, you're going to be much
more effective and I think you are going to feel better at the end of the day about
yourself, and the fact that you are lifting kids up and not tearing them down, and I think
for the long haul of a career if you can establish compassionate communication with
parents, with students, and with other staff members then you are going to burn out a lot
less quick.

Interviewee #7
This administrator had been a classroom teacher for many years before helping to found
this charter school. She was asked about her own feelings about having taught in a traditional
school where the culture was less respectful to students and staff, and was basically a top-
down system: "As a teacher it was exhausting, it had gotten to the point that if this is how it is
going to be to teach in the dominant culture, then no thanks. This is not what we got into
teaching for." Her fellow teachers who had started the school felt similarly about teaching in
a top-down system in which respectful mutuality did not exist. The school, through these
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practices of the compassionate classroom and school-wide culture of respect, effected the
communication of all members in a positive way. She continued:
We say that the decisions are made where the work is done. There is a teacher’s
counsel, the crux of it all is the teacher, getting the best teachers, the more training you
give them, the more money you give to support them, the autonomy you give them. I
think it just goes out the roof exponentially, because they challenge themselves.

Student engagement and classroom management has been researched for many decades, yet
classroom management—which is also described as teacher style—in urban classrooms has
been a major concern for new teachers, with up to 50% of teachers leaving the classroom
within the first 3 years (Berry et al., 2002).
She explained:
It is a really cohesive, collaborative staff, they work a lot together, they put time in
their day to collaborate professionally, that's huge. We take a lot school decisions to
them, they have the choice in decisions on how things are going to go, having them
have autonomy in their world is huge too. Just like the kids need that, having choice
and autonomy in the way that they structure their day and their learning. The staff, we
treat the same. These teachers are a collection of super stars at the top of their game
they are highly qualified. I have never seen a staff like this, they are pushing
themselves constantly for what they are providing for the kids academically, all within
this NVC framework.

Her description of this staff presented a group of intrinsically motivated, self-regulated
learners as teachers. The self-reports by the teachers collectively enumerated the benefits to
them of this teaching practice as rewarding, satisfying, joyful, safe, motivating, connecting,
contributing, peaceful, calm, successful, and fulfilling. These interview answers matched the
observations of calm, peaceful, connected, and engaging teachers who seemed enthusiastic
and fully embraced the art of mutuality and collaboration with their students.
Conclusion: Research Question Three
Passionate answers were offered by teachers and administrators about the benefits of
teaching in a relationship-based and connected community that used respectful, engaging,
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genuine, and compassionate communication practices. The ability to maintain caring and
supportive relationships with children is crucial for all teachers of young children. The
teacher-child relationship is described as a regulatory system that contributes to children's
social and academic competencies in school (Pianta, 1999). It is apparent that these teachers
and administrators knew with certainty that teaching required equality, respect, connection,
and community with all the stakeholders, especially the students whom they teach and guide.
It is from this certainty that their feelings of conviction to this practice arose. The
relationships they formed with their students were a buoyant support system for their efforts.
The rewards they expressed through their conviction about this practice was a self-motivating
and intrinsically propelling energy loop that boosted confidence, allowing them to continue to
strive for greater goals for themselves and their teaching practices.
Research Findings Pertaining to Research Question Four
Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
The interview questions initiated a discussion regarding the recipients’ views of their
original teacher training; their ideas on teaching compassionate communication practices in
teacher education classes; and whether they recommended this type of training for incoming
teachers and in-service teachers. They were asked to imagine what they might say to teacher
education students about teaching from these practices. What would they want to express
about their experiences as a teacher who uses this overarching philosophy and why is it so
important?
Interviewee #1
I think as college students, you want to do what is best for the kids, but they should
know as a teacher its going to be a smoother journey for you if you have a framework
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of compassionate teaching. It's so rewarding to see the kids be able to resolve issues
with one another and I think too, just in terms of preparing students for the world after
they leave your classroom, it is one of the best gifts you can give them, the ability to
speak their feelings and to address what is going on with them and to seek their own
resolution. So our job as teacher is obviously to teach the standards and academics, but
we are also preparing citizens for the future, and that is one of the most important
skills. I would suggest to education students or pre-service teachers to find a real
workable structure like NVC.

I am sure there are a lot of other programs, but something tangible that you can
grab on to, some sort of clear embodiment of it in your classroom communication, will
also help to keep yourself in check with how you are communicating with the kids and
to teach them explicitly how to communicate with each other. I think a lot of times
you can describe yourself as a loving, caring teacher. However, it is not just being a
warm teacher. It is not like this type of communication is all about “warm fuzzies.” It
is not always inherent to know how to speak to children, even if you think of yourself
as a warm, loving teacher. This is effective communication that all adults should have
and that all kids should be trained in.

Her response indicated that this practice is a specific communication skill that requires
training and practice for the teacher. The literature supports that teachers need training and
practice in offering responses that are thoughtful—not only by providing a safe learning
environment for the students, but also by creating valuable role models. Emotional
intelligence is a necessary quality for teachers. Teachers who take the time to think through
and enact a rational response rather than emotionally react to students are using their
emotional intelligence (Stufft, 1996).
When asked how she envisioned this type of communication practice in education
courses, she replied:
I think it would have to be a class where this is taught explicitly. Also, the members of
the credentialing staff need to be trained in these practices and be modeling them as
they teach. These strategies would need to be modeled for the education students. It
would work well as a series of classes. There is not just one-way. You could introduce
a few fabulous books or systems, and also conduct a big magic circle as teachers. All
of this would be so valuable. This type of class wasn't taught in my teaching training.

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Being present in the mutual acts of learning and teaching is widely acknowledged as vitally
important; indeed, the literature has indicated that it is important to the learning process, yet
not often directly taught in teacher education programs or mentioned on certification lists as
qualities for teachers to acquire in their preservice training or by supervisors of preservice
teacher training (Garrison & Rud, 1995; Liston, 1995; Rodgers & Raider-Roth, 2006). As
interviewee #1 explained:
I didn't feel super prepared from my masters program prior to teaching, they taught us a
much more rewards based system. I think this training would have to be a hands-on
approach. Seeing this in action, it becomes so clear that this is important and why it is
valuable. These kids we teach are clear and effective communicators at this age and that
is something that they are going to keep carrying on with, with their parents, their
siblings. The fact that they are comfortable talking to and questioning adults is so
valuable. So many of the fires we try to put out with kids and their treatment of each
other and the way they are treated by adults would be addressed and helped by giving
them the tools and the explicit training at the earliest ages.

Her answers supported the idea that if we want them to become clear and effective
communicators, students will need teachers who know and practice the language of
compassionate communication.
Interviewee #2
When asked about her teacher training, she replied:
What was missing in the training were master teachers who model this practice of
compassionate communication. It wasn't modeled in my teaching training program.
We did learn the checks on the board, tools for prizes for the classroom, all leading to
a marble jar. There were classes in how to reward the kids when they have done what
you asked. We were taught to use the classic ‘name on the board’ as a management
tool. In my credentialing class we learned about pocket charts, red cards, green cards,
yellow cards in the system of punishments. I stopped that very quickly, the card
turning in my teaching. What helped in my experience was finally seeing some really
good models and having hope that there was another way to do it. It helped in
developing my own philosophy, teaching at a progressive school, and then coming
here to this school. I learned the labels of what I was already doing.

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She explained the journey of her coming to this compassionate way of communicating with
her students. This researcher asked, "Why were you looking for a better way?" to which she
responded, "The traditional authoritarian classroom set up creates power struggles. I had a real
aversion to power struggles, any kind of 'us versus them' mentality. In the teachers lounge the
kids would just be slandered." She had a real problem with that attitude toward the kids and
that kind of school culture in general. "Those are the things that steal your joy," she remarked
in reference to the top-down classroom in which the teacher is in total control. She explained:
I loved my job. I loved kids, so I found a lot of meaning in teaching. I worked a lot. I
put in a lot of hours, so I wanted to enjoy my job. Just learning the empathy piece
alone, for kids who were really troubled, was so helpful. My reasons for teaching in
this manner were wanting to enjoy my job and the top down system was not meeting
the needs of the kids.

She was then asked, "What are some of the considerations preservice teacher should know
about teaching from the compassionate communication point of view?" She explained:
It is pretty paramount is that it is a constant source of working on your own self as a
human being. As a teacher there are opportunities for personal growth, using self-
reflection and continually processing your own feelings. There is just no ceiling to
always improving yourself as a teacher.

I then asked, what would you say to incoming teachers about compassionate communication
and school culture? She responded:
To expect the best from them, appeal to the very best place in their hearts, . . . if a boy
is acting out . . . assume that "Johnny" is a loving kid and he is empathetic and he will
totally see your point if you appeal to him that he just hurt "Sam." With that hit or that
nudge, if you expect that from them, and we know that takes time, for especially if
they have different things modeled at home. If you expect that from them and appeal
to them “Oh my gosh you are so kind,” and even in your mind you are saying “Grrrr.”
It's a philosophical approach about what you believe about humans, that they are
loving, they do have the capacity for empathy. Because as soon as you react to a child
as “You are being naughty and that is so horrible, terrible what you just did,” you set
in motion this different set of expectations for them that they are this rotten kid, that
they do have a power struggle with you, and for some kids that might be more be
exciting than what you are teaching. So now you have set up this “how many ways
can I (Johnny) get her (the teacher) nostrils to flare?” and then you are sunk, and you
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do go home with that angst. This ruins community, ruins you as a teacher, it knocks
the wind out of you, and you are not being your best self, you are not modeling your
best self for the kids.

Her words to aspiring new teachers implore them to see the best in their students. But a
community of teachers must support these ideals. And, indeed, exposure to this mind set
would need to come in teacher training courses led by experienced teachers like the one
quoted above, who has seen the positive results of this thinking and the alternative when a
student is not held in high regard. The literature supports her ideas and experiences,
underscoring that an individual needs an environment that provides him or her with genuine
acceptance, an unconditional positive regard and empathy, and being listened to and
understood (Rogers, 1959).
The interviewee continued with more suggestions for education students and/or new
teachers: "Use the smallest tool in the tool shed first when you are redirecting a student. It is
small little tools first, for example, small voice, small gestures, don't go to places where you
are not regulating your own emotions."
The following is an example taken from this researcher's field notes of a teacher letting
children know what is expected of their behavior for an upcoming art project. She used these
“small tools” to produce results that created success for the students. The teacher sat at student
level and used a calm, conversational voice with a nonanxious attitude, which helped the
children do what was good for the community. She asked again, "Is this the practice box, or
the one and only?" (referring to the group art project). They answered. She described how it
is the only one. She calmly showed how to be aware of where and how to use the paint.
I then inquired: “In your opinion should there be specific classes in this practice in
teacher training programs?” She responded:
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Ideally yes, the constraints are it is better “felt than telt.” There are simple ideas, being
trained in some tag lines, that helps put the teacher in a more relaxed frame of mind,
Would you be willing?: or observational speaking such as, “I saw . . . , I felt . . . " these
are models of a descriptive way to speak to students when interacting with them.
These can all be taught and are still helpful, there is also that fake it until you make it.

This teacher described phrases that are part of compassionate communication practices of a
mutual regard for both the student and the teacher, rather than the model of the teacher as the
sole authority. She continued:
Well the first thing that comes to mind is a weightiness of what we do, so I wouldn't
want to scare any new teacher but the reality of how important our words our attitudes
the expectations we communicate to them or don't. You have to work on yourself. If
you are a mechanic being angry isn't going to matter, but as a teacher if you have
anger issues or are critical it does matter.

The practice of self-reflection for new teachers was reported in Dewey's work on teacher
candidates. Teacher educators need to assist teacher candidates in developing curiosity and
open mindedness. According to Dewey, educators would acquire active self-inquiry and then
teach this skill to their students (In Meadow 2003).
When reflecting on teacher's relationships to their students, interviewee #2 added,
“Appeal to them, have fun, share yourself, tell stories, bring pictures, tell them about your
family." She shared some final words of reflection and inspiration to prospective teachers:
“Be a life long learner, be humble. If you don't have models, find models. Find someone who
is doing it right. It will give you hope. It is a great profession if done the right way.”
First responding to the idea of having a curriculum composed of these types of
communication practices for education students in college, and for preservice, and in-service
teachers, another respondent said, "I am confused as to why it is not already there. . . . I don't
think we are here to teach a curriculum. We are here to teach people. It is all about
relationships." She continued:
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I think that an important piece is that for teachers to realize that their needs and their
students needs are just as valuable but I think the biggest piece is all about community
and connection. It's community developing that creates emotional safety.

When asked how she would impart some of the ideals of the compassionate classroom to
future teachers in a teacher education program, she gave her thoughts, "I'd give different ideas
on how to do magic circle. Have students work in dyads, ask them to state or write what is
your ultimate dream of your classroom." Her ideas were in line with research on programs
proposed for teacher candidates, as stated. Assignments include an essay by the teacher
candidates of their own teaching philosophy, ideas about future students, and the classroom
environment (Hunt, Simonds, & Cooper, 1998). I then inquired, how would you interweave
compassionate communication training into a teacher-training program? The interviewees
responded, "The same way we do it here. It is directly taught."
Interviewee #3
This interviewee explained the difference between his present school culture and his
experiences with more traditional school cultures in which compassionate communication was
not used. He explained, "I would call it disconnected and top down. It's like taking a typical
business structure and applying it to an educational institution." In such a school culture, all
members do not enjoy mutual power—which is sometimes called, “power over versus power
with.” He explained:
One thing that I notice in that sort of structure in a school is that it permeates in all
areas. It is not just about the teacher-student relationship. I noticed it teacher to
teacher, administrator to teacher, board to school administration, and teachers to
parents.

I then queried, “How would you envision training teachers within this traditional school
culture in compassionate communication?” He responded:
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There would have to be “buy in” […] with reflection on how things work and the
question, “Does it work for everybody?” And when we say everybody it is not just
teachers, not just staff, “Does this system work for everybody?” Really dissecting that
question and reflecting on practices and asking, “Is there another way?”

I followed this response by asking, “Was compassionate communication practices a part of
your teacher training program?” to which he responded, "Oh certainly not." I also asked if he
had experienced classes that contained any of this type of training; he explained:
Well, thinking back to it, I don't think there was anything that strongly resembled it.
In our foundations of philosophy, we were allowed to explore a little bit of what we
want education to look like and feel like in the classroom. We were given a space to
really explore that on our own, like the ideas of Dewey and Piaget. There was no
direct instruction in this type of philosophy. I think a little bit in our classroom
management classes, you learn a lot about the marble jar, wait until the children are
listening to speak, that sort of simple stuff, but not discussing what needs are,
discussing how a child feels and certainly no equality in the classroom.

He reflected on how a teacher-training program in these practices might be implemented: "I
think it would really be helpful to see it done with children, if you did not have that
opportunity. I think role play, learning the language with yourself, then applying it to children
who are just people with less experience." The language to which he referred was the
language of naming and understanding one’s own feelings and needs, and learning to make
requests and voice concerns in a respectful and effective way for one’s self and others: "I
think this is an important skill. I am guessing in most teacher prep classes it doesn't happen."
He shared his opinion of why these communication practices are important:
It is something that can be taught as an important skill for you to be able to connect
with people. You are in the business of working with people. You are not only
working with children. You are not only working with parents. You are interacting
with administrators, you are interacting with the community, with lots of people all
day. How often are you alone as a teacher during the day? You have those skills to be
able to connect with other people. This is better than marble jars and pizza parties. It is
more rewarding to you and this makes happier children.

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I asked him about any initial impressions he had that these methods would be permissive.
He explained:
Yes, I had questions about how effective classroom management and NVC would
work together. I thought it would be a lot of “hippie-talk.” That was my perception of
it. I am drawn to connection and I am drawn to autonomy from a very different place
than “peace, love, flowers."

I followed up by asking what he would tell new teachers about these practices of
compassionate communication; he said: "What appeals to me about this school is it supports
the whole child. There are possibilities to do your job well while producing happy children."
Interviewee #4
Do you think teacher-training programs need this type of compassionate
communication practices in their education classes?
Interviewee #4 answered:
Yes, they have to embed this [compassionate communication] into the teacher training,
even if an individual was like this in their own philosophy. Once they are put into a
cookie cutter program like we see in many schools, it would be extremely hard to
maintain their integrity that they started out with.

This topic is important because many, if not all of the teachers at this school, found this type
of teaching to be in line with their values as teachers. Some of these teachers found it difficult
to work in school cultures that did not prioritize respect of children and between staff
members. This administrator expressed that a school culture consisting entirely of members
using the same communication practices creates a strength that sustains this culture and its
members:
School cultures have to change, and present systems of education are only going to
change if the school culture changes. In traditional school culture teachers talk about
kids disrespectfully. Most of the teacher lounges are a reflection of the school culture
that is disrespectful to the students. They also have an attitude that they can do
anything they want in their own classrooms.

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She explained that both of these beliefs and practices are in opposition to a respectful and
connected school community.
I then asked her, if you got a chance to speak with Ed students, what would you want
them to know? She responded:
I think the biggest shift of our perception and even when they go visit regular schools,
it is still such the old model of the “sage on the stage,” the teacher talking to you. It is
such a fundamental revolutionary shift, that we are all in here learning together. You
don't have all the answers. You are not expected to a have all the answers. You really
need to know your standards, so that you step up your game as far as knowing what
the guidelines are, so that you can weave everything in terms of student interest into
the projects. It is a totally different way of looking at education, being flexible is key.
They want to hire life-long learners, those teachers who are constantly learning. We
really want teachers who are curious, self-reflective, those that say, “What do I need to
change?” Self-reflection is huge.

With regard to explaining or teaching about the compassionate classroom, she explained:
I think they have to see it. Until they are in the room and see it working, it is hard to
get the whole feeling of it. We talk about our program of social emotional
communication during our orientation with prospective parents. However, until they
see the rooms and experience it, they don't get the full feeling of it in action. It is the
same idea for education students. They need to see it modeled.

This is a revolutionary idea: that the needs of the children are equal in value to those of
teachers and other adults. It therefore can strike a chord of mistrust in those who have not seen
that ,nothing is lost by respecting and listening to students in this manner, and that everything
can be gained, while maintaining a workable productive system for all. It is imperative that
this practice of communication be seen and felt by prospective teacher candidates. She
continued:
Sometimes the mistake is made with new teachers, [in this practice of compassionate
communication] “Oh, I can't discipline a child, I have no control because anything
goes. It is all hearts and flowers around here,” so they need permission sometimes to
have high expectations for behavior, but within a certain way of communication. They
need to see how behavior is managed, that especially with disruptive kids, and done in
a respectful way.

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There are misconceptions, as she pointed out, that the system had an “anything goes” attitude
about behavior, which was far from the truth. The truth for those who knew and used these
practices was that it is effective communication in which everyone can have his needs met,
even and especially the need for respectful behavior.
I followed up with the question, “What do you mean by the term ‘Whole Child’
education?” She explained:
We support the Whole Child. When we say whole child we mean that we are not just
focused on their academic growth, we are not just concerned about their tests scores,
their homework, we are completely interested in their physical, wellness and their
social emotional wellness so that's whole child to us. It is not just about your cognitive
it’s also about your social emotional being and your physical being.

I concluded, “Are there any additional thoughts you would like to share?” She answered:
I wish there were more schools [like this] I wish it wasn't such an anomaly. I wish it
was more respected and supported by those in the authorizer. That we didn't feel so
endangered by the test score. I think that would free people up a lot more, if they didn't
have this constant hammer hanging over them, that you have to do well on their test
scores. When you ask parents, what do they want for their kids, they don't say they
want an A on a math test. They want them to be compassionate, inquisitive, curious.
All those things that we do here, because we know those are life-sustaining skills that
will help them in school. We want them to be lifelong learners. All these things we
work with here, and how we do it, is more than just having an A or a B in Physics or in
Algebra. When the focus is all on academics and academic accountability and test
scores, I think it just beats it out of them [students], takes the love of learning away
from them. What we want our kids to leave us with, is to stay learning and curious and
aware.

Conclusion: Research Question Four

Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
In response to this question, the frequent themes expressed from the interview responses
and those reflected in the literature include observations that teacher education courses and
training programs do not include social/emotional training consistent with the compassionate
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classroom and school culture that supports a mutually respectful culture for all stake holders.
Additionally, these answers support the literature that states human beings learn best in an
environment where there is positive, unconditional regard, mutual respect, and an engaging
and supportive student-teacher relationship. Each of these teachers and administrators
affirmed that it is vital to bring these concepts to the teacher training programs for the benefit
not only of the students of these newly trained teachers, but also to the teachers themselves,
where their chosen career will be supported, challenged, and continually upgraded by the
environment that is created for them. With this data, there is clearly a need for teacher
training for preservice and in-service teachers in compassionate communication practice.
Summary and Discussion of Findings
This best case practice study yielded responses—through observations of classroom
teachers’ interactions with their students while practicing the school-wide culture known as
compassionate communication and direct interviews with teachers, administrators, and school
counselor—to answer the research questions posed. All findings were consistent with this
study's examination of the literature on humanistic psychology, human development theories,
student-teacher relationships, and mastery goal theory as they pertain to the use of nonviolent
compassionate communication teaching practices used at the school under study.
This chapter presented data in the form of observations of teacher interactions with
students in their respective classrooms for the purpose of answering the four research
questions of this qualitative study. This chapter was presented in a narrative format to
interpret the findings from the interview responses with the addition of supporting literature
and observation notes to further answer the questions.
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The data clearly indicated that the culture created by this school through the use of
compassionate communication created positive outcomes for its students. The data clearly
showed what specific practices the teachers used to convey emotional safety to the students in
their classrooms. The data also pointed to the benefits to these teachers of implementing
compassionate communication practices. The data clearly indicated a need for training in
compassionate communication techniques for preservice and in-service teachers. The
following chapter will discuss more generally this study's findings, and present a summary,
and future recommendations.

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CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The responsibility of the educational system is to help produce future citizens. There
are many facets to consider in the development of the human being. Any child who starts his
or her schooling is entrusted to the care of new adults—the school’s teachers and
administrators. Their need for physical safety is ensured, and there is an understanding and
expectation that they will be taught the standards of their grade level each year. The
parameters of appropriate social behavior must be shown and reinforced. Myriad strategies
have been used for the purpose of creating learning environments that offer the greatest
chance that these new citizens will leave their schooling experiences with enough knowledge
and skills to propel them into either the workforce or higher education.
This study examined compassionate communication in a K–8 school as a highly
effective means of creating a greater likelihood that using this method will produce effective
communicators, and self-regulated and intrinsically motivated life-long learners. This
communication practice produces these learners through a mutually respectful, caring, and
authentic relationship between the student and the teacher. Through the philosophy that all are
equal in value no mater what their age or position within the educational structures, teacher,
administrator, and student alike enjoy the rewards of this type of community. The teachings in
Non-Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg (2003) and the adaptation by Sura Hart
and Victoria Kindle Hudson (2004) in The Compassionate Classroom were used as the basis
for all communication among these stakeholders. The training began with the teachers and
administrators who modeled the language of feelings and needs for their students. This whole
school environment and culture of respect and emotional safety allowed students to be free for
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all learning opportunities. The “Magic Circle” provided a system in which each member had
the opportunity to be heard, understood, and appreciated. This environment supported all
members in their self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-expression. The positive outcomes
for students were created through caring, connected, authentic relationships with their
teachers, and their growing ability to express themselves to their classmates. Teachers
benefitted from this deepening bond with their students, which fostered a high level of
effective teaching and learning. These teachers reported feelings of satisfaction, fulfillment,
and accomplishment through the use of these methods. This environment produced self-
regulated learners who seek solutions to problems and who are intrinsically motivated to
learn. This method of communicating creates a regulated atmosphere from which teachers
can effectively do their job. The evidence clearly reports the benefits to all stakeholders,
indicating the need for this training to be included in teacher education programs.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of compassionate communication
practices in a K–8 charter school. The results show both positive and beneficial outcomes for
students and teachers. The hope is that this created environment will be reproduced in other
schools. The purpose of this study was to highlight a model of a successful social-emotional
school environment. The purpose was to show successful learning outcomes for students as a
result of these practices. The breakdown of the specific practices that these teachers used to
create a safe learning environment make them more available for use by other educational
professionals. The purpose in finding the benefits for teachers of using these communication
techniques was to report them as educational strategies that foster teacher satisfaction and
longevity. Teachers can use this information as one way to create a teaching practice that is
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sustaining and rewarding. Lastly, the purpose of this study was to highlight the need for
teacher training in compassionate communication practices for preservice and in-service
teachers. Teachers are at the heart of every classroom, and their influence is far reaching. If,
through this study, educational programs were to see the value of a system that creates
successful students and fulfilled teachers, this training would be in every teacher education
course catalog.
With these purposes in mind, the following research questions were the focus for this
study:
1. How do teachers' practices in compassionate and engaging communication result in
positive outcomes for students and create a culture of respect?
2. What are the specific practices teachers use to convey emotional safety to the
students in their classrooms?
3. What are the benefits to these teachers through implementing compassionate
communication practices?
4. Is there a need for teacher training in compassionate communication techniques for
preservice and in-service teachers?
Methodology
This was a qualitative best practice case study of K–8 Charter school that used
compassionate communication throughout the school for all of the stakeholders, especially the
students. Data collection focused on teacher-student interactions and whole school culture.
The qualitative approach to research lends itself to finding the results that answered the
research questions. Process theory approach is based on people, the processes between them,
and the interactive influence of this relationship (Maxwell, 2013). Observations of the way
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teachers spoke with their students, guided them to the learning, and created a safe learning
environment was collected as data to answer the research questions. Initially, a letter was sent
to the teachers through their principal requesting permission to observe their classrooms.
There was a unanimous positive response to this request.
The next contact letter made a request for volunteers to participate in one-on-one
interviews for the purpose of gathering more in-depth direct responses by teachers,
administrators, and the school counselor about their views on the practices they used to create
emotional safety for their students in their classrooms, their feelings about their own response
to this type of teaching interaction, positive outcomes for students, discussions of their teacher
training experiences, and their thoughts regarding implementing this type of communication
practice in teacher training programs. The observations and interview responses, with the
supporting literature, were used to answer the four research questions.
Sample Population
This school, and all of its teachers, administrators, and school counselor, was chosen
based on the school wide use of compassionate communication practices for all stakeholders.
The focus of the study was compassionate communication practices in schools. The teachers
sought this type of communication practice as a way to teach, manage, and interact with their
students. Administrators hired these teachers, in part, based on their willingness to collaborate
and to interact respectfully and responsibly with students and staff members. The
administrators sought this training in compassionate communication for its use in classrooms
and the whole school environment purposely: to create a positive learning environment for all
stakeholders. This population met the parameters of this study.

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Data Collection
This qualitative research study started with an email as the initial contact with the
principal of the K–8 charter school. A meeting was scheduled to review the study and why
this school would fit the parameters necessary to fulfill the data collection. The participation
of the teachers was needed. A letter of introduction was sent to the teachers explaining the
purpose of the study and asking if they would agree to being observed in their classrooms.
The principal responded by email that all teachers had agreed to the observations. This
researcher visited 10 classrooms in grades K–8. Field notes were taken, analyzed, and parsed
into categories of teacher communication to students, both verbal and nonverbal.
Approximately 2.5 hours were spent observing per visit. Teachers were contacted as a whole
through email, requesting those interested in sitting for an interview to email back their
interest. Five classroom teachers accepted the invitation and were interviewed. Two
administrators and the school counselor accepted the invitation and were interviewed. Prior to
the interviews, the questions were emailed (See Appendix E). These questions were used as a
springboard, which led to an open discussion about the school and the overall implementation
of compassionate communication practices from the administrators and school counselor.
Key Findings
The key findings were based on the analysis of the data in Chapter Four. First, with
regard to creating positive outcomes for students as a result of teachers and administrators in
this whole school culture of respect using compassionate communication practices, data were
provided through observations and interviews that revealed the following positive outcomes
for students:
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1. Through this training, students are able to express their feelings and needs,
and then make requests to their peers, teachers, and other adults.
2. Students developed strong, caring, mutually respectful relationships with
their teachers.
3. Implementing this system with students helped resolve issues as they came
up in the school day, in a calm and respectful way, allowing students to come back to the
learning and be available in their emotional selves to fully participate.
4. Indicators revealed that these students were in school for themselves, not for
the approval of their teachers; therefore, they are intrinsically motivated learners.
5. When students are more intrinsically motivated, they exhibit more strategies
for self- regulation and self-awareness.
6. Through this communication practice, children learned to be flexible,
problem-solve, work in teams, collaborate, and be leaders.
7. Having been included in the planning of the projects, and as a result of
having been spoken to and interacted with respectfully, they were self-motivated learners.
8. Through this training, the K–8 students effectively and safely expressed their
feelings, which resulted in an overall safer campus atmosphere.
Second, to gain a full and personal description from each teacher,
administrator, and school counselor, interviews were conducted regarding specific practices
that created an environment for students to feel safe to be themselves and to fully participate
in their own learning; the following contributions were noted:
1. Teachers emphasized and communicated to each student that their ideas and
opinions were heard and valued.
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2. Teachers fostered questioning of material presented and encouraged
multiple perspective taking.
3. Teachers conveyed that learning is a two-way process between them and the
students.
4. Emphasis and value were placed on finding and meeting the needs of the
students. This idea was directly communicated to them.
5. Teachers directly taught and modeled for students the concept of
compassion as a tool for nonjudgmental relating to peers, themselves, and all persons.
6. Warmth and connection through smiles, kind speaking, and authentic
engagement took place.
7. Teachers helped create a community of encouragement and support for all
members.
8. Teachers conveyed transparency regarding their own learning and the fact
that everyone makes mistakes.
Third, the practice of compassionate communication as stated is a two-way
process between teachers and students. Teachers are the facilitators of a created respectful
environment, thus to consider the benefits to them of using these practices is key to
understanding their full participation in their chosen profession. The following sentiments
were reported by the teachers:
1. It is very peaceful and joyful connecting to the students and ourselves.
2. Feelings of success in teaching are experienced through these practices.
3. There is a great sense of reward through the efforts that are given to teach in
this manner.
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4. Relationships that are formed with the students are very rewarding.
5. It meets the needs of contribution and connection.
6. This teaching provides an opportunity for self-reflection and personal
growth.
7. More confidence and motivation are experienced, which fosters my best
efforts as a teacher.
8. With a continued fluency in compassion for my students, more fulfillment is
experienced in teaching.
9. Through this culture, we are afforded by the administration the same
stability, respect, and opportunities to grow as the children are.
10. There is a sense of being valued by the administrators, and importance is
given to our professional development.
11. There is no fear or separation between us and the administration, just trust
and support.
12. We have a culture that really allows you to be you.
13. The compassion we are teaching our kids is given to us from the
administration and the parents.
14. There is a low rate of turnover here because of teacher satisfaction, so we
enjoy a sense of community and continuity in our staff.
Fourth, these teachers—who sought out on their own some form of
compassionate communication and respectful mutual engagement with their students—
reported that they did not find this training in their education courses, student teaching
experiences, or their teacher master’s program. As a result, the discussion provided the
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93
following ideas and motives for implementing teacher training courses in education in
compassionate communications practices for teachers. Raising the subject of teacher training
that provides education students, preservice, and in-service teachers the framework of
compassionate communication in their training course resulted in the following highlighted
discussion points:
1. Teachers recognized and supported the practice of compassionate
communication based on the fact that it is a whole child approach that addresses not only
academic growth but also children's emotional and social well being; and they are considered
equally important.
2. Teachers supported the idea that the needs of the children are equal in value
to those of teachers and other adults.
3. Teachers realized it was possible to do their job well, while producing happy
children, using these practices.
4. The old model of the “sage on the stage” needs to shift to, we are all in here
learning together.
5. This training is easily taught directly.
6. This practice creates effective communication for all stakeholders, which
greatly enhances problem solving and a cooperative school culture.
7. The ability to maintain a teaching practice of compassionate communication
is compromised if the whole school doesn't practice and support it.
8. The framework of compassionate communication makes for a smoother
journey in one’s teaching career.
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94
9. Teachers recommended using compassionate communication because of the
opportunities for personal growth, self-reflection, and always improving yourself as a teacher.
10. There is a need to see the framework of compassionate communication in
action to understand its effectiveness and application.
11. Teachers supported the idea that compassionate communication in some
form should be included in teacher training programs, master’s teaching programs, and
professional development trainings for in-service teachers.
Finally, regarding the inclusion of education courses and training in
compassionate communication for education students, preservice, and in-service teachers, this
study revealed that teachers experienced feelings of deep satisfaction and motivation when
teaching with compassionate communication. These teachers found a sense of peace, reward,
and fulfillment in their teaching practice as a result of using compassionate communication
with their students. Students received positive outcomes, such as safety in self-expression,
more connection to their own learning, self-regulated emotions, intrinsic motivation, self-
awareness, and compassion for others.
There are multiple benefits for all of the stakeholders when teachers are trained
in this practice of communication. Therefore, it makes sense to provide opportunities for
education students, preservice teachers, and in-service teachers to be introduced to, and to
practice, the framework of compassionate communication. Training a whole school of
teachers in this type of communication practice creates a whole school community culture of
the same precepts that are included in the classroom; among these are respect, compassion,
empathy, self-expression, and strategies for meeting needs peacefully and mutually. The
inclusion of these elements of training are thus supported from the findings of this study.
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95
Limitations
Participants were chosen for this study as a result of their teaching at a school
whose emphasis in social emotional education was a practice of compassionate
communication among all of the stakeholders. There may be other teachers who teach in this
manner at other schools. Time restraints were such that only teachers from this school were
examined. The limitations of this study would include the fact that this was one particular K–8
school with a staff of 12 to 15 members. There was not sufficient time to seek out and observe
other schools similar in philosophy and teacher training. This study only provided time to
interview eight educational professionals, so the sampling size was small.
Recommendations for Future Research
Although this best practice case study showed significant findings, teacher
communication practices and teacher training programs can and should be subject to more
studies and investigation. These could include: How prepared did teachers feel from their
training prior to service? With this data, teachers could be surveyed regarding their
satisfaction with the teacher preparation courses they experienced, with a look into how
prepared they were when they began teaching. What were their feelings regarding the use of
marble jars, and turning cards over to “manage” the students in their classrooms? How
effective are these standard types of classroom behavior management tools for them? This
information would provide a perspective from teachers who were not trained in
compassionate communication but rather in what is called, in this study, “the dominant
culture” or “top-down” system, to reveal their level of teacher satisfaction and challenges.
Such a study could reveal some counter results from this case study, such as unease, angst,
frustration, unsuccessful feelings, and feelings of burnout. Such research would be another
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96
way to validate the need for some other kind of communication and classroom management
training in teacher preparation courses.
Another future recommendation would be a pilot program in compassionate
communication training, adopted by a teaching university, for a large-scale study of the
benefits to students and teachers when all stakeholders are trained in and practicing
compassionate communication.
The students at this best case study had this training upon entry into
kindergarten through 8th grade. A framework, a language, and a system trained students in
this communication practice, which created a greater sense of self, a more regulated emotional
response to situations, and more empathy for those around them. There is no denying that
these outcomes and attributes are desirable for the citizens produced by our school systems.
Recommendations for Future Teachers and Principals
The recommendation would be for a whole school to adopt the framework and
practice of compassionate communication for all of the stakeholders. It would be difficult to
have only a few staff members using this practice; the result would be less than successful for
all concerned. To teachers, the recommendation would be to investigate this kind of
communication practice for use in the classroom. However, as stated, and revealed in the
findings of this study, one teacher alone using these strategies within a different community
culture could feel outnumbered and frustrated with the lack of support from other teachers and
administrators.
Conclusion
Our schools are a vital part of our society. They create our citizens. It is every
child's right to have a school experience that coincides with his or her right to a happy life.
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The adults in our school systems are the key holders of this right. It is through their words,
attitudes, and actions that a child sees, hears, and feels their value. Alongside this
attentiveness is a child's access to the learning. This study connects these two ideas. When a
teacher upholds a student's dignity through respectful, engaging, and authentic interactions,
that child has the greatest chance to connect to the learning around them, and thus is given
what is rightfully theirs: a chance at a happy, fulfilling, and successful life.

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98
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Appendix A
Initial Contact with Principal

Initial contact was a request by a colleague, asking the principal of the charter school if she
can be contacted by this researcher.

Hi Lisa,
> My dear friend Emily Bayley is working on her EDD through USC. Her
> dissertation will be based on the question "Is there a need for
> teachers to be trained in Compassionate Communication?" I have told
> her about your school and she would love to be able to observe your
> teachers as part of her dissertation (seeing as how I don't know any
> other school where the teachers have that training!). Would you be
> open to that? If so, just give me a thumbs up and I will send her all
> of your contact info.

Emily,
Lisa sent a one word response, yes! Her
contact information is:
Lisa ......., Director
Charter School
Link to the school website is below.
Shoshana

Hi Lisa,
I was thrilled at your answer of, "Yes", to my observing and using your school for my case
study. I just received my assignment for dissertation chairs I will speak to them and finalize
the details. My area of interest is the need for pre service (and for existing teachers) to be
trained in practices of Non-violent, compassionate and engaging communication with their
students, the parents and each other. I have written on this subject for all of my major papers.
It is my passion to help adults to realize that children are fully vested human beings that are
due equal respect.
My participation in the research process will of course be within your guidelines and
discretion and that of USC and IRB review. It might entail, observations and interviews.

I am so happy to introduce myself and look forward to more communications with you.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Emily Bayley, Ed.D. USC doctoral student

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Appendix B
Introduction Letter and Purpose to the Teachers

A letter to all of the teachers at Charter School
Re: An intro, bio and purpose letter from Emily Bayley, doctoral student at USC in
Educational Psychology

Dear Teachers,
I would like to introduce myself, tell you how I found out about your wonderful
school, give you my background, and purpose for connecting with you and your school. I am
a 28-year Montessori preschool teacher. My heart and soul is in the speaking and interacting
with the utmost respect with very young people. I also teach parenting skills in the concepts of
compassionate parenting. I am the mother of 5 wonderful grown college graduates. I am dear
friends and colleagues for 20 plus years with your school counselor, Shoshana Wheeler.
Shoshana came to observe your school as a model of compassionate communication
a year or so ago. I was thrilled to find out that there was a school that practices this kind of
student engagement and education. My masters thesis subject was on the need for
compassionate communication training for pre service teachers. Now I am a doctoral student
at USC. My dissertation is a case study on compassionate communication and its positive
outcomes for students. To find a school that has such glowing reports of how this emphasis in
respectful communications impacts the students was heaven sent. I so appreciate you allowing
me to observe your classrooms.
My observations will be to note the atmosphere, engagements, and culture of respect
of the classrooms and school. I will be very respectful and quiet unless any of you want me to
share with the class why I am sitting in a corner taking notes. All of the names of the teachers,
students and other faculty will be kept anonymous. If the school decides to have its name on
the study after it is finished, I would then get that permission in writing from your principal. I
look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Thank you,

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Appendix C
Letter to Participants

Dear teachers at the Charter school,
Thank you for reading my introduction letter regarding my research case study. Your
principal informs me that all of you have given your permission to be observed in your
classrooms during school time. Thank you very much for your upcoming participation in this
research study. I will also be requesting and inviting any and all of you who wish to submit to
one-one interviews for approximately one hour to one and a half hours in length. These
interviews will be very important to the research on the subject of compassionate
communication techniques for teachers in the classrooms. Your participation in these
interviews will be of great value to this case study, so I thank you in advance of your
response.
This research study will be reviewed and approved by the University of Southern
California Institutional Review Board for Human Subject Research. The IRB believes that
their research procedures safeguard your privacy, welfare, civil liberties, anonymity, and
rights. Please note that your participation and answers will be kept confidential and
anonymous. The data will never be presented in any way that would identify any individual.
If, during any of the research process you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to
contact me at 805-405-0479. I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Sincerely,
Emily Bayley M.ed.
Ed.D. Candidate USC

A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES

113
Appendix D
Contact Permitted the School's Name in Acknowledgements

The following is an email response to my question, "Would you like to have the name of the
school in my Acknowledgements page? to the principal of Ventura Charter School.

Hi Emily,
We would be honored to have our name attached. Thanks!
Lisa

A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES

114
Appendix E
Interview Questions for Participants

1. What do you consider the most important communication skills you practice in the
classroom?
2. How do you know the children in your classroom feel emotionally safe to not only
function, but to thrive in your classroom?
3. How would you define compassionate communication?
4. Why did you choose to use compassionate communication?
5. What differences did you notice in student engagement before and after your training?
6. Did you find the training valuable? and if so in what ways?
7. Has teaching with this orientation in compassionate communication practices affected your
teacher efficacy?
8. Why would you recommend this training for pre-service teachers and in-service teachers?
9. How do you feel you have affected the lives of the students in your class as a result of
teaching in a compassionate communication style?
10. If you got the opportunity to talk to education students in college about teaching from a
compassionate communication point of view, what would you tell them about it?

A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES

115

Appendix F
Observation Protocol Grid

Physical
Setting
Participants Teacher
interactions
with the
group
Teacher -verbal
and non-verbal
interactions with
individuals
Student to
Student
interactions-
verbal and
non-verbal
Activity
and tone of
the room
Teacher's
Face
Students,
Faces

A CASE STUDY IN BEST PRACTICES

116
Movement in
the classroom
by children

Sounds and
signs of
relaxation
and fun in
the room by
children
Sounds and
signs of
caring and
engagement
by the
teacher to the
children
Independence of
the children to
make their own
decisions and be
creative in the
classroom.
Teacher's
direct
instructional
words.
How is
conflict
resolved by
the teacher
with the
students
involved.
.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract School‐aged children constitute a vital population in this country today. After completing K–12, they will have the greatest effect on our society. These school‐aged children look to the adults in their world for guidance and inspiration. Enter schooling school at Kindergarten, they unquestioningly trust that the school will teach a set of subjects and provide other tools for life—such as belief in one’s self, a drive to learn more, cooperative skills, communication with peers and adults, an ability to ask for what they need, and knowing they have the right to have their needs valued and met. The teachers and administrators in these children's lives, by virtue of the position of authority, have a great responsibility to—and influence on—these children. ❧ Four research questions were used in this qualitative best practice case study of a K–8 school whose social/emotional curriculum emphasized the use of compassionate communication practices for all of the stakeholders. This study sought to list the positive outcomes for all stakeholders, with an additional conclusion regarding the need for this type of training in education courses for preservice teachers and professional development trainings for in‐service teachers. ❧ This study resulted in several key findings. The children experienced positive outcomes directly related to their learning and were more self-regulated and intrinsically motivated learners. Teachers experienced a greater feeling of connection, satisfaction, and fulfillment with their students and their teaching practice.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Bayley, Emily Ann (author)

Core Title A case study in best practices: how engaging and respectful communication practices in a K-8 school lead to positive outcomes for students

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Counseling Psychology)

Publication Date 03/12/2014

Defense Date 12/03/2013

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag OAI-PMH Harvest,respectful communication with students correlate to positive learning outcomes

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor García, Pedro Enrique (committee chair), Castruita, Rudy Max (committee member), Humphrey, Amina (committee member)

Creator Email eblequire@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-369420

Unique identifier UC11295983

Identifier etd-BayleyEmil-2295.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-369420 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-BayleyEmil-2295.pdf

Dmrecord 369420

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Bayley, Emily Ann

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA