Does sending a student into the hallway as punishment work?

Conscious Communication: Connection Strategies So Kids Listen
A Professional Development Day Session for North Vancouver Teachers

What if the key to getting kids to listen isn’t more control, but more connection? When students are dysregulated, traditional authoritarian approaches like commands, consequences, and raised voices often escalate the very behaviours educators are trying to resolve.

In this North Vancouver Teachers’ Association PD Day session, educators will discover a more effective, relationship-based approach to classroom communication. Drawing on the principles of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication (NVC), this practical session shows how to speak and listen in ways that build trust, cooperation, and emotional safety.

Educators will explore why traditional authoritarian practices can further dysregulate a child, and learn what to do instead. Through hands-on co-regulation strategies, we will explore tools to calm the nervous system, support students through big emotions, and turn challenging moments into opportunities for connection.

Educators will leave with:

• A working understanding of Non-Violent Communication principles

• Insight into how authoritarian approaches can increase dysregulation

• Co-regulation strategies that calm students and strengthen connection

• Language and tools to help students feel heard, so they are more willing to listen