Skills to teach diversity: wellbeing and awareness

Families, parents, children and schools face unprecedented challenges unknown to previous generations. Adults of any educational community need to acquire “new core skills” which require an up-grade not only of academic and teaching skills but specially of their “human and global competencies” on a regular basis. Globalization has brought much innovation but also has contributed to enormous inequities and social division. The current world and times are referred to as VUCA: Volatile – Uncertain – Complex – Ambiguous. In times of turmoil, it is children who suffer the most. The mismatch between the needs and times of the adult world and the natural rhythms of child development has never been greater. An enormous number of children are manifesting diverse learning difficulties, and the prevalence of autism continues to rise, reaching a chilling relation of 1 in 44.

Classrooms are becoming increasingly heterogenous placing and enormous pressure on teachers and teaching. Stress and burn-out are the principal cause of teacher leave of absence. What is there to be done? We will review how “Inclusion skills” and most of our challenges are related to the level of recognition or knowledge about “wellbeing”. Inner wellbeing is related to a triple harmony between our relationship with ourselves, with others and with the world. These inner wellbeing capacities allow for a shared human sensibility that is healing, “feels good” and gives purpose. Inclusion is all about human attachment and engagement…about our ability to be present and sync up with a child’s sensory-affective-motor learning style and needs. All children can learn, it all depends on our mindsight, values and presence which can enable us to learn from each other and thrive together. These are also the skills we and the present of our planet need most.