Co-Regulation Is at the Heart of All Learning!
Today, as I reflect on my PGCycle this year, my mind keeps returning to this: before ākonga can learn, they need to be in a place where learning is possible. And adults do too. I see this in my work as an RTLB. Teachers plan engaging lessons, and PD facilitators deliver inspiring professional learning. But you can have the best curriculum or the most incredible PD speaker, and still, very little will stick if the brain is overwhelmed or dysregulated.
I see co-regulation as the foundation on which so much else rests. It is the essence of all.
Ākonga develop self-regulation through repeated experiences of being supported by calm adults who offer connection while holding boundaries.
Co-regulation isn’t about removing expectations or giving in. It’s about creating the conditions for learning.
Perhaps one of my biggest learnings this year is to ask not just, “How do you teach this?” but first, “What needs to be in place for this ākonga to be ready to learn?” And importantly, none of us can do this alone. Ākonga need regulated, connected adults, and adults need supportive relationships too. We all need connection, understanding and the right conditions to learn and grow.
“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.”
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people. Because ultimately, learning begins with people, relationships and connection.
“What do we need to put in place, as adults and as a community, to ensure everyone feels safe, connected and ready to learn?”
