Reflections on my teaching NVC
As I sit here and reflect on my teaching of NVC, in a general sense, I am comfortable as a teacher. I’ve been teaching since 1983 and tailor my approach to learner needs. I bring interactivity into every learning event and am flexible in the moment to adjust my intentions depending on the learners. With every iteration of a course, I seek feedback, adjust the teaching programme and refine the lessons. I’m noticing that over time, the programme is simplified while maintaining the salient teaching points. From a teaching perspective, I know what to do and how to respond.
What has been more challenging is noticing how my edges play out in my teaching. I’m keen to reduce the impact of my edges on my learners. For example, I can over prepare and worry about whether or not the lesson ‘is good enough’ which points to an old pattern of I’m only loveable if I’m good enough. My over-preparedness tends to increase what I try to cover in one lesson. This means I start to notice time and want to try to cover what is planned instead of being open to other possibilities and trusting that the salient points and processes will be afforded the time they deserve as the learning event unfolds. I notice my predisposition to interrupt can shut down a learner’s questions as I anticipate and then provide a response. I’m noticing this more and more and try to stay present to them until the time is right to respond. I also notice that I want to make things alright or provide a solution when all that is required in the moment is empathy. These have been valuable insights.
What I celebrate as I reflect on my teaching is that the feedback I receive indicates that I am a kind teacher, who cares for my learners and enjoys teaching. And I really enjoy teaching NVC. It is such a privilege to witness the growth and development of learners. And my heart sings when I hear how they fare when they go home and have a go at using NVC as an alternative to their core beliefs and old communication patterns.
